ATP 500/250: Rotterdam, San Hose, Sao Paolo

2 BPs. Come on take it.

Maestro's got Ben in his machine now.

noleisthebest wrote:

gallery play wrote:nothing wrong nitb?

no, why?

Fed at 65% of his abilities, at best

noleisthebest wrote:Ben looking really good!

Noticed he has been playing Fed like for almost all the match...

Now where are Nadal fans now....to see some decent tennis...on hard courts...

Lucky.

sphairistike wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Ben looking really good!

Noticed he has been playing Fed like for almost all the match...

I only started watching at 3:4 in the 2nd set

laverfan wrote:Lucky.

Indeed, bounces high after touching the net and then falls on the line!

Fed should have had Benne and set, some very lazy shots.

Tense game but Benneteau for showing fighting spirit and staying ahead in this second set!

gallery play wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

gallery play wrote:nothing wrong nitb?

no, why?

Fed at 65% of his abilities, at best

I understand....that's how I think of Nole most of the time

Fed to be clutch and send this into a TB...

noleisthebest wrote:

gallery play wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

gallery play wrote:nothing wrong nitb?

no, why?

Fed at 65% of his abilities, at best

I understand....that's how I think of Nole most of the time

Benne with 0-30 chance.

Nice BH. 30-30, but not done yet.

DF and MP.

Benne. Well played.

GSM Benneteau!

I should do a stat on hoe many times Federer has been broken in the following games after he has had BPs.

Great win for Ben! Played so gutsy of the little I saw....he is brilliant on clay, too, got such a nice, manly game. He deserved this one after that Wimby loss, I'm sure Federer's happy it went that way round.

noleisthebest wrote:

gallery play wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

gallery play wrote:nothing wrong nitb?

no, why?

Fed at 65% of his abilities, at best

I understand....that's how I think of Nole most of the time

nah, you're right. there was nothing wrong with his game..

At least Fed came back for a bit, so not hopeless after all...

Holland is going to declare a national day of mourning tomorrow

In Sao Paolo Nalby wins the first set in tie-break against Almagro. Two good players, yet it looks so boring after the Fed-Ben match....

anyway, i'm glad i went yesterday and not (the other option) tomorrow.
On the downside, i don't think Krajicek will be able to get Federer next year, when there's no title to defend

gallery play wrote:anyway, i'm glad i went yesterday and not (the other option) tomorrow.
On the downside, i don't think Krajicek will be able to get Federer next year, when there's no title to defend

I'm glad you managed to see him, what did you enjoy most?

gallery play wrote:anyway, i'm glad i went yesterday and not (the other option) tomorrow.
On the downside, i don't think Krajicek will be able to get Federer next year, when there's no title to defend

There is the little matter of an appearance fee.

noleisthebest wrote:

gallery play wrote:anyway, i'm glad i went yesterday and not (the other option) tomorrow.
On the downside, i don't think Krajicek will be able to get Federer next year, when there's no title to defend

I'm glad you managed to see him, what did you enjoy most?

hard to say. it was nice to watch 5 different matches in a row, with a lot of great players. Sure it was special too to look the master in the eye from that close. I'm a bit taller than he is and 10 years older so he was kinda looking at me like "what are you doing here amongst all those hysterical teenagers"

laverfan wrote:

gallery play wrote:anyway, i'm glad i went yesterday and not (the other option) tomorrow.
On the downside, i don't think Krajicek will be able to get Federer next year, when there's no title to defend

There is the little matter of an appearance fee.

maybe he noticed there was little less buzz about his appearance compared with last year from which his inspiration suffered, who knows

gallery play wrote:
hard to say. it was nice to watch 5 different matches in a row, with a lot of great players. Sure it was special too to look the master in the eye from that close. I'm a bit taller than he is and 10 years older so he was kinda looking at me like "what are you doing here amongst all those hysterical teenagers"

Thanks for the photos!

If you want to see Fed live again, start saving up; he's virtually guaranteed on CC, at 1PM 24th of June. £650 for a Debenture ticket .....

gallery play wrote:

laverfan wrote:

gallery play wrote:anyway, i'm glad i went yesterday and not (the other option) tomorrow.
On the downside, i don't think Krajicek will be able to get Federer next year, when there's no title to defend

There is the little matter of an appearance fee.

maybe he noticed there was little less buzz about his appearance compared with last year from which his inspiration suffered, who knows

I knooooooooow what it was!
He missed seeing YOU among all those hysterical teenagers....that definitely broke his heart.
You know, they do get used to us in the stands

If you want to see Fed live
again, start saving up; he's virtually guaranteed on CC, at 1PM 24th of
June. £650 for a Debenture ticket .....

i know i should. But i've seen him live a couple of times now so my life's not depending on it

He missed seeing YOU among all those hysterical teenagers....that definitely broke his heart. y
You know, they do get used to us in the stands

more like "finally a cool guy, i know i can lose now and go to my girls"

gallery play wrote:

If you want to see Fed live
again, start saving up; he's virtually guaranteed on CC, at 1PM 24th of
June. £650 for a Debenture ticket .....

i know i should. But i've seen him live a couple of times now so my life's not depending on it

He missed seeing YOU among all those hysterical teenagers....that definitely broke his heart. y
You know, they do get used to us in the stands

more like "finally a cool guy, i know i can lose now and go to my girls"

Maybe not YOUR life, but see how badly your absence affected Fed's play tonight....
You know, Nole never lost a match when I watched him

I still have a massive guilt trip of not wanting to see him play Delpo for bronze at the OG, I could've easily made money swapping my CC final ticket for C1 where he was...but I didn't, I stayed on CC and cheered for Murray instead...who won

Nalby and Almagro one set apiece now. The winner probably going to play Nadal in the final if he makes it there that is.

Switching to Simon Klizan now, the other match is just so slow and dull.

Maybe not YOUR life, but see how badly your absence affected Fed's play tonight....
You know, Nole never lost a match when I watched him

I
still have a massive guilt trip of not wanting to see him play Delpo
for bronze at the OG, I could've easily made money swapping my CC final
ticket for C1 where he was...but I didn't, I stayed on CC and cheered
for Murray instead...who won

I saw Fed lose to Stephanek in Rome 2008, live!
(exactly a match like today btw)

Oh, hate the look of Klizan's Nadalesque forehand...yuk!
Allez Simon!!!!

You don't have the "special" powers then he,he

Wow, the stands almost empty now....such a shame!

2:2 in the first set, Klizan already looking dead. I haven't seen someone muscle his forehand like him for a long time!
Finally, after 20 minutes he wins his service game and it's 3:2. I really can't see him last more than one set if he goes on like this.

Nalby-Almagro (still) playing... a 3rd set tie-breaker....and Nalby wins....

After not being able to convert about a million BPs, Simon now plays TB , too

And Klizan takes the first set with a Rossol-style all-out return....

Wooww...I am very surprised Fed lost. I did not see any of it but really thought Federer would easily win as I know he could beat him with a broken back.
From the comment I read it seems Federer was really under par. I really think that if his physique does not improve he will not carry on after 2013. He clearly cannpt string matches together.
It's sad really. He will try his best for the remaining 3 slams but I really think that it most likely the last year we see him....and not being he has slowed down as but because he simply cannot play his game like he used to...or so it seems. I still have to watch that match...Maybe Benetau played very well...though I know that it's again a case of he was allowed to play well.

Tenez wrote:Wooww...I am very surprised Fed lost. I did not see any of it but really thought Federer would easily win as I know he could beat him with a broken back.
From the comment I read it seems Federer was really under par. I really think that if his physique does not improve he will not carry on after 2013. He clearly cannpt string matches together.
It's sad really. He will try his best for the remaining 3 slams but I really think that it most likely the last year we see him....and not being he has slowed down as but because he simply cannot play his game like he used to...or so it seems. I still have to watch that match...Maybe Benetau played very well...though I know that it's again a case of he was allowed to play well.

It's a bit of both. Fed seemed a bit under the weather or something at some points and had brilliant patches at others. Benneteau played consistently really well and volleyed well. Fed's first serve wasn't good and he paid for it.

Yes probably but the "bit of both" is usually very much down to Federer. I remember his serve became a joke at the USO 12 v Berdych too. He simply cannot string matches in row....he said yesterday in his interview that playong 5 matches in a row was a challenge....he said that in 2008/2009 already....so 4 years on it can only be truer....for him.

And we see the same pattern....Federer playing poorly and then playing better as his body warms up (happened in all his matches on FO clay and even v Benetteau at Wimbledon). Looks like the back...again.

i dunno, you know he did not held a racket from the AO until last saturday? Yesterday his training lasted 20 minutes before he signed autographs for about half an hour, like he has been doing all week. This is not exacly the life of a hungry pro. This week was more than a PR show, i'm afraid. Anyway, it doesn't matter, he made the people happy who came out to see him. It's shitty for the ones who picked the weekend.

Federer said: i gave it all
http://www.nusport.nl/abn-amro-wtt/3211442/federer-ik-heb-alles-gegeven.html

Sunday he'll be going to SA to work on a couple of projects of his foundation.

The farewell tour has started. But i won't be surprised if it'll last for a couple of years

Well it's difficult to know but I doubt he lost today because of lack of motivation. I don;t think he is disappointed either. I guess we will have to see how he does in slams and TMS to a certain extend.