ATP 250: Gstaad, Atlanta, Umag

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Finally he said its his back that's killing his game. I have to agree with gp, there isn't much he can do to fix it.

We don't know what exact problem he has with his back.
I am saying this in hopeful spirit because I have had terrible back problem for a few years and managed to heal it with hula-hoop and by strengthening the core after that.
It is now back to 99%, and the 1% I am leaving to the fact that I can't do too many classic sit-ups, they bring the discomfort ( but no pain) back.

That was all my DIY fix, and am sure Fed has a good team of specialists around him that give him the best advice and therapy.

If he wasn't a professional athlete, all he would need is 6 months off and a good rest from putting any pressure on his back, i.e. forget about the gym and weights, only treadmill.

Can he afford to do it at this stage?
I am sure he is thinking about it.

Comeback would be difficult after the long break but maybe his last option, again, all this is highly speculative as we don't know what exact problem with his back is, as it could be many very, very different things.
The only thing I can go from are those thermal vests which suggest sciatic trouble which unfortunately is the most volatile and difficult one to control, but almost guaranteed with cold weather or chilled sweat on the back.

He can have bad spells of it and days of being fine, the easiest one to manage with painkillers, though.

Today's matches:

GSTAAD
Youzhny-Monaco
Brands-Hanescu
Wawrinka-Lopez

UMAG
Fognini-Klizan
Montanes-Monfils

ATLANTA
Isner-Blake
Hewitt-Dodig

noleisthebest wrote:From Federer's post match interview today:


"I've had serious problems with the back, I had to get some anti-inflammatories last week in Hamburg due to the back pain," he said, adding that his first US Open build-up event, the Montreal Masters from August 5, could now be in doubt.
"It was so tough to play and move out there today. I'll just have to take treatment and see how it all goes.
"My back felt OK enough, but not enough to play at 100 percent. I knew coming into the match that it would be a tough one. I didn't decide to play until after the warm-up, that's what a close call it was.
"I played a decent enough match but I could not get away with the win."

I hope talk of "ageing" Federer has been put to rest with this. 
We can only hope that the back gets healed somehow.

Fed's tennis is fine and as good as ever. So very sad 

I am glad he came out with it at last, probably had enough of listening about various speculations, retirement suggestions, racquet question marks etc etc....

Yes nothing new. Why is he still trying to play then? He think he can play through.

Tomorrow's match of the day:

Monfils-Fognini ( 6.00PM UK time)

Fognini doing it yet again.  The guy spends first 26 years of his life without ever winning an ATP tournament and then has a chance to win three in three weeks.  Admittedly, he still has a mountain to climb; if he were to win this week, he would likely have to beat two pretty decent opponents in his last two matches.

Hewitt-Isner & Harrison-Anderson in Atlanta could be good, too.

Really annoyed I cant 'find any working link for the Fognini Monfils match 

Finally got one!!!!! with all those unbearably stupid and vulgar adds 

One set all, two points away from 3nd set tie-break. Monfils pushing with all his might YUK!
Monfils MP...saved!

Come on Fognini!!!!!!!!!

Another MP for Monfils, which he earnt with some attacking....and that one saved, too!!!
Fognini blows the next point spectacularly, 3rd MP for Monfils!

Awesome guts from Fogna, saves the 3rd MP!!!!!! and earns  a game point now!
And he does it - tie-break! 

And Fognini storms into his 3rd consecutive final in 3 consecutive weeks by winning the third set in the tie-break, being initially a mini-break down...really enjoyed the 10 minutes of tennis I saw.
Bravo Fabio 

Fognini wins his SF, but he made it way too close. Was serving for the match up two breaks at 5:2 in the third only to find himself a match point down at 5:6 a few games later. But all is well that ends well and he lives to play another day.

I only saw the end of the match but heard about the great drama, smashed racquet etc....must have been great to watch.

noleisthebest wrote:I only saw the end of the match but heard about the great drama, smashed racquet etc....must have been great to watch.

It must have been but I did not have a stream either  I was just scoreboard watching from 5:2 in the third.

It appears that it was even crazier and Fognini was up 5:0 in the third:

http://m.tennistemple.com/index.php?lang=en#pages/matchs/fiche.php?match_id=55342

I can't believe it was 5:0 in the 3rd!!!!
Fognini must have been at his operatic dramatic sublime bestest best!!!
I hope somebody puts the full match on YouTube soon.
I really hope he wins the title tomorrow, that would be O Sole Mio belissimo

So, tomorrow's finals:
GSTAAD: Youzhny-Haase
UMAG: Fognini-Robredo
ATLANTA: don't know yet

Dr Misha wins Gstaad  
Fognini-Robredo playing Umag final at 6.15 UK time
Isner-Anderson (does tennis get any uglier and more morbid than this?!!!) finalists in Atlanta.

Fognini is such a boss, he's gonna win.

noleisthebest wrote:
Isner-Anderson (does tennis get any uglier and more morbid than this?!!!) finalists in Atlanta.

This is what we're going to get all the time if we make the surfaces ultra-fast again.

Julia Santamaria wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:
Isner-Anderson (does tennis get any uglier and more morbid than this?!!!) finalists in Atlanta.

This is what we're going to get all the time if we make the surfaces ultra-fast again.

Who said they need to be ultra fast?
Just plain, old fast would do...no sand in the paint kind of fast...

noleisthebest wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:
Isner-Anderson (does tennis get any uglier and more morbid than this?!!!) finalists in Atlanta.

This is what we're going to get all the time if we make the surfaces ultra-fast again.

Who said they need to be ultra fast?
Just plain, old fast would do...no sand in the paint kind of fast...

Plain Old Fast + Today's power rackets on serve= Raonic dominating (and before that a lot of Isner-Anderson finals).

Julia Santamaria wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:
Isner-Anderson (does tennis get any uglier and more morbid than this?!!!) finalists in Atlanta.

This is what we're going to get all the time if we make the surfaces ultra-fast again.

Who said they need to be ultra fast?
Just plain, old fast would do...no sand in the paint kind of fast...

Plain Old Fast + Today's power rackets on serve= Raonic dominating (and before that a lot of Isner-Anderson finals).

Naah, that's all theoretical. Nole had no problem beating Isner and Querrey on the fastest legal INDOOR courts in Serbia USA DC match this year. And it was great fun to watch the match, so much more exciting.
Not sure how Nadal would cope all those metres behind the base-line though...

Karlovic (who has been recovering well from his illness, which is good to hear) won a tournament last week without even conceding a break in the very fast surface of Colombia (I watched a few matches and it was I think the quickest surface of the year, even faster than Dubai).

Julia Santamaria wrote:Karlovic (who has been recovering well from his illness, which is good to hear) won a tournament last week without even conceding a break in the very fast surface of Colombia (I watched a few matches and it was I think the quickest surface of the year, even faster than Dubai).  

Good on him! Did he face any decent returners there?

noleisthebest wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:
Isner-Anderson (does tennis get any uglier and more morbid than this?!!!) finalists in Atlanta.

This is what we're going to get all the time if we make the surfaces ultra-fast again.

Who said they need to be ultra fast?
Just plain, old fast would do...no sand in the paint kind of fast...

Plain Old Fast + Today's power rackets on serve= Raonic dominating (and before that a lot of Isner-Anderson finals).

Naah, that's all theoretical. Nole had no problem beating Isner and Querrey on the fastest legal INDOOR courts in Serbia USA DC match this year. And it was great fun to watch the match, so much more exciting.
Not sure how Nadal would cope all those metres behind the base-line though...

Djokovic is so flexible and the greatest returner of all time, what happens when he retires? In around 5 years when Raonic and another 7 ft guy are playing on ultra-fast surfaces?

noleisthebest wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:Karlovic (who has been recovering well from his illness, which is good to hear) won a tournament last week without even conceding a break in the very fast surface of Colombia (I watched a few matches and it was I think the quickest surface of the year, even faster than Dubai).  

Good on him! Did he face any decent returners there?

Yeah some decent ones, but it didn't really make a difference. The surface was super-fast and Karlovic was serving 'boom boom' mode- only returners like Murray or Djokovic would have stood a chance. Nadal maybe in a TB if Karlovic missed a few first serves.

Julia Santamaria wrote:
Djokovic is so flexible and the greatest returner of all time, what happens when he retires? In around 5 years when Raonic and another 7 ft guy are playing on ultra-fast surfaces?

I don't have a crystal ball, but am sure tennis will be just fine, as will players' health: less running, less need for doping, more attacking, less pushing, more brain engaging and shot-making, no endless ping-ponging...

Karlovic vs Isner Wimbledon Final with 220 aces will be edge-of-your-seat stuff...


The key is getting some balance of course, making half the tour a bit slower and half the tour a bit faster (but not too fast).

Fognini-Robredo started, Robredo 5:0 up!!!!!!!!

And it's a bagel  

Looks like Fognini is ready for some more drama....
Mamma Mia....here we go again  



COME ON FABIO!!!!!!!!!!!

Fognini started to play really well, GO FABIO!!!! 

He looks really spent, though, going on pure adrenaline after three weeks of non-stop tennis....on clay!

And  this is the end Fabio amico mio... 


Tonight you tried and gave it all, 
but Boredo's freshness was an order too tall!

Still, to Fabulouos Fabio and his Fantastico three weeks and many more to come  :    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOhQlWFdiik

Robredo...another oldie doing well after recovering from injury!!!

Tenez wrote:Robredo...another oldie doing well after recovering from injury!!!

Maybe Fed needs to take a longer break....

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:Robredo...another oldie doing well after recovering from injury!!!

Maybe Fed needs to take a longer break....

 I guess he suggested that when he commented on Nadal's long and helpful break whne Nadal was lining wins after his long break...but I am pretty sure that Fed's problem is different. It's simply something that he had young in his first Wimby already but has got worse over the years. It forced many players to stop playing early in their career and unfortunately there does not seems an easy solution to it. He had plenty of rest and a light schedule this year...but it comes back very quickly.