ATP Masters 1000: SHANGHAI

pff, fed is playing poor.

No idea. Can't watch, got to work.

Well, that was a gift from Gilles. UE-DF-UE-UE and Fed's gets the break

Wow, allez FEDS!

Simon lost it, Fed better make the most of it, because fed's not playing well
6-5 Fed. Can Simon finally hit a first serve?

I must admit, I find the level of Chinese fans' militancy a touch disturbing...

Interesting to see Fed happy to rally on the baseline and win at Simon's own game.

He, he it's that same idiot umpire again!
I can't believe it....

Simon wins from 15-40 down, first tiebreak ever between these two

noleisthebest wrote:Interesting to see Fed happy to rally on the baseline and win at Simon's own game.

And Simon doing a Fed, volleying and attacking!
Tie-break.

Nice first set, unfortunately have to go now.
Would've liked to see a bit more attacking flow from Fed, though.

Fed hits his best shot of the match on his third setpoint.

This match was dominated by stupid errors from both sides but it was tensed though.

gallery play wrote:pff, fed is playing poor.

I thought he played very well. Even when he was down. I find the pace of the ball very fast from both players. I was extremely impressed how Fed kept his nerves and played extremely risky shots under heaviest pressure.

I agree he is tired and cannot afford to lose a set....but even tired he came with amazing quality shot.

Tenez wrote:

gallery play wrote:pff, fed is playing poor.

I thought he played very well. Even when he was down. I find the pace of the ball very fast from both players. I was extremely impressed how Fed kept his nerves and played extremely risky shots under heaviest pressure.

I agree he is tired and cannot afford to lose a set....but even tired he came with amazing quality shot.

very well? hmm, i see it different (apart from some point in the tiebreak). Can't actually believe he beat Djoko with this level of play.
Besides, it was Simon who let Fed back into the set.

Fed had 4 hours less rest than Simon...and over 20h that's huge!...especially after playing such an exhausting player as Djoko.

gallery play wrote:

Tenez wrote:

gallery play wrote:pff, fed is playing poor.

I thought he played very well. Even when he was down. I find the pace of the ball very fast from both players. I was extremely impressed how Fed kept his nerves and played extremely risky shots under heaviest pressure.

I agree he is tired and cannot afford to lose a set....but even tired he came with amazing quality shot.

very well? hmm, i see it different (apart from some point in the tiebreak). Can't actually believe he beat Djoko with this level of play.
Besides, it was Simon he let Fed back into the set.

Yes Simon allowed him to come back but Simon was playing extremely well before that.

Tenez wrote:Fed had 4 hours less rest than Simon...and over 20h that's huge!...especially after playing such an exhausting player as Djoko.  

you bet!

Federer is so much consistent from both sides (FH, BH) nowadays. Yes still has his very aggressive shots.

Now Fed is really tired it seems...and just when I said he was very consistent....he throws plenty of UEs.

Both do look tired now..

Tenez wrote:Now Fed is really tired it seems...and just when I said he was very consistent....he throws plenty of UEs.

The first set was full of Ue's too. His winner/UE ratio must be very poor. Same with Simon.

Good to see the S&V'ing pays off that game. He does not want to rally much more

gallery play wrote:

Tenez wrote:Now Fed is really tired it seems...and just when I said he was very consistent....he throws plenty of UEs.

The first set was full of Ue's too. His winner/UE ratio must be very poor. Same with Simon.

Yes his UE ratio was high but he had won double of the long rallies versus Gilles in that first set. That's a new stat in favour of Fed.

The level is going down for sure now.

Simon is much fresher though he might be a bit injured.

I have the feeling if Fed loses his serve this set, he'll lose the match

get a banana Fed, your running on a low level of glucose it seems..

Yes, that was one solid service game

what a chances Fed got this game...

gallery play wrote:what a chances Fed got this game...

yes really wasted it.

Now he will have the pressure to stay in this set.

I woudl not fancy his chances in a 3rd set.

Fed picks the wrong moments to go to the net

Fed dug that one out. He certainly was really tired....and against Simon that was not a good position to be in.

Simon played like Simon.....great play at times...but nerves got to him most of the time when it mattered.

pfew, what a tension! And what a roar from Fed after the last point.
I guess they had a little chat about the DC at the net.

Peter Flemming: "Federer plays as well as...well...nearly as well as ever"


Forget i mentioned that, that debate is done for me.

gallery play wrote:Peter Flemming: "Federer plays as well as...well...nearly as well as ever"


Forget i mentioned that, that debate is done for me.

He may do it "occasionally" but he can't keep it for the year long as he did earlier. The same Peter Fleming may not have been giving Fed too much chance even to stay in top 10 when the year started.


Remember how he survived by the skin-of-teeth  against Mayer. Had Mayer not netted that BH, this story would have be totally different.

gallery play wrote:Peter Flemming: "Federer plays as well as...well...nearly as well as ever"


Forget i mentioned that, that debate is done for me.

Peter flemming is a joke. He was saying Borg was moving faster than Nadal and Djoko. He is a bit stuck in the past. And between him and Djoko, I'd take Djoko's views. Djoko said yesterday that he is still at his peak.

Well today was clearly not the case.....as matches today leave a much bigger scare on players than in the mid 00s.

The simple truth is that Fed 06 would have been beaten if not crushed by Djoko yesterday. At least nowadays, Federer has still a chance to beat him.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

gallery play wrote:Peter Flemming: "Federer plays as well as...well...nearly as well as ever"


Forget i mentioned that, that debate is done for me.

He may do it "occasionally" but he can't keep it for the year long as he did earlier. The same Peter Fleming may not have been giving Fed too much chance even to stay in top 10 when the year started.

But who can ROTLA????? Please answer that very simple question? That's why I think you keep mixing dominance and peak.

Remember how he survived by the skin-of-teeth  against Mayer. Had Mayer not netted that BH, this story would have be totally different.

A very good point...and again the wrong conclusions would have been drawn...like they were drawn last year when he had a back problem. Remember?

Had he won Wimbledon, he would have finished the year number 1 again with another slam...what's the difference? a couple of points there and then...though Federer now fights in a much tougher time than in 2006.

The answer is very simple to that question, we just need to watch matches on Youtube of 2006/7 to see how much tougher the game has become today. Remember how Nadal used to got away with those moonballs falling in the middle of the court. Remember how Djoko the asthmatic could not finish many of his matches, was moving twice slower than today, was not nearly as good returning and was still troubling Federer.

I am relieved to see Paris Masters and the WTF are  week apart now, not back to back like last year.

Fed really does have a lot on his plate, but I'm sure he wouldn't swap with 2013.

He has worked so hard to be in this position and I am happy for him and tennis in general.

Unfortunately I didn't get to see much of his match against Nole, but will have a look at replay during the week.
From what I saw, Fed put on some very special tennis.
I would say Nole was a little tired and that was most obvious on him being late on the BH. That match against Kuku drained his legs completely.
This is where today's physical tennis leaves players and draw becomes almost crucial.
So, I'd say he was not as good as in Wimbledon final, but Fed was- he brought his FH to table this time. It really was superb.
With the BH already very solid, the match was played on his terms, and that's where Nole has no chance unless he is fresh, and even then it is tough.
That has always been the pattern between the two.

I read that Federer has hired a new physio now who used to train long distance runners.

Sounds promising

I am glad Simon is back, playing good tennis again.
Davis Cup is going to be such a treat!

I feel sorry for poor, old Stan...will his nerves hold?
In some ways this DC final is as important to him as it is to Fed (though I really think Fed is not that bothered), he can be a hero and rekindle his fragile confidence for the next season, or collapse completely.

All 5 matches will be great, esp doubles!

Assuming Fed wins his singles matches, doubles can turn out to be crucial.
Can't wait!

Just hope Clement does not stuff up like Forget in 2010, although, I'm glad Forget did!

noleisthebest wrote:
I read that Federer has hired a new physio now who used to train long distance runners.

Sounds promising

has he got rid of Paganini? That woudl be unlike him.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:
I read that Federer has hired a new physio now who used to train long distance runners.

Sounds promising

has he got rid of Paganini? That woudl be unlike him.

Yes, apparently he is now working with Dimitrov. But it's not Paganini, it's Vivier. How many people does he have?
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/568359/20141002/physio-st-phane-vivier-leaves-roger-federer.htm

noleisthebest wrote:I would say Nole was a little tired and that was most obvious on him being late on the BH. That match against Kuku drained his legs completely.

He was still moving incredibly fast. This is strength actually more than his retrieving. He is well placed on all his shots. As I said, it's almost depressing.

This is where today's physical tennis leaves players and draw becomes almost crucial.

To me he was not particularly tired. He woudl have beaten anybody else yetserday. Fed certainly plays quite fast and that means both get really tired at the end.

So, I'd say he was not as good as in Wimbledon final, but Fed was- he brought his FH to table this time. It really was superb.

Fed played very poorly in that Wimbledon final. Had he played like yesterday he would have won. The difference as I said are first Fed's BH was extremely solid, asking Djoko to come up with a new strategy, then his returning was much better than at Wimbledon. I am not sure what went wrong in this Wimbledon final but Fed was poor.

With the BH already very solid, the match was played on his terms, and that's where Nole has no chance unless he is fresh, and even then it is tough. That has always been the pattern between the two.

I'd say even fresh...the second set could have been 6/1. Problem is that if Federer doesn;t convert those BP and ends up in a 3rd set then he is likely to lose v Djoko. Problem is that Fed is always weary of those stamina guys and never relaxes like he'd do versus the rest of the field.

My physio in London (a very good one who unfortunately retired) said that the best physios were french. He was english bit got lots of training in France he told me.

What's great about Simon is that he is built like a match stick. But a great striker of the ball.

Tenez wrote:
This is where today's physical tennis leaves players and draw becomes almost crucial.
To me he was not particularly tired. He woudl have beaten anybody else yetserday. Fed certainly plays quite fast and that means both get really tired at the end.

I only saw the last 3-4 games, but fed playing fast definitely made all the difference.
Kuku played same, went for his shots making Nole look slow and miss BHs.

Tenez wrote:
Fed played very poorly in that Wimbledon final. Had he played like yesterday he would have won. The difference as I said are first Fed's BH was extremely solid, asking Djoko to come up with a new strategy, then his returning was much better than at Wimbledon. I am not sure what went wrong in this Wimbledon final but Fed was poor.

I agree, just didn't express it so well. My point was to say Nole was not as good as in Wimbledon final.
Yes, Fed was nowhere near his A game in that match, there was no flow, but he still scrambled out a 5 setter and made a match out of it.
I wanted to see A game Fed vs A game Nole on that final, but then, Nole would have struggled. He definitely needed that win more than Fed.

Unfortuntely, most players will be tired in London, but I'll make sure I go to see a few matches, esp Fed's.
I really, really want to see him play this S&V ultra attacking game live and from close up, as TV makes it all look so much slower, and takes away the aaaaah! factor.

Tenez wrote:My physio in London (a very good one who unfortunately retired) said that the best physios were french. He was english bit got lots of training in France he told me.

Did you mention my hula-hoop therapy to him?

That was before I knew about it.

noleisthebest wrote:
Unfortuntely, most players will be tired in London, but I'll make sure I go to see a few matches, esp Fed's.
I really, really want to see him play this S&V ultra attacking game live and from close up, as TV makes it all look so much slower, and takes away the aaaaah! factor.

yes that must be impressive....though I remember having seen some of this in Wimby v Ancic a few years back....When Fed won that one...not the one he lost in 2002.

Lucky you.
I saw 5 Fed's matches so far but never with this style.
The best one was beating Nadal in WTF final in 2010.
He won that one with his BH or at least that's how I remember it, I was completely blown away as I sat very close.

He has a very good chance to win the WTF again this year.

T, what is your favourite Fed match and why?

Not sure....A few :

- the one one I did not see fully live as it was my wife's birthday. Fed v Nole FO 2011.

- I like many of those he won in WTF London...cause I like the low bounce court and his timing there.

- Probably my best, the one I saw most times, Wimby 2007 final. There was a lot at stake for Fed (5 in a row, number 1, etc....) and in the final set he left Nadal in his track.