ATP 250: Queens, Halle

And he breaks immediately at the start of the 2nd set.

That was one perfect game, 2 points s&v, followed by an ace and a FH winner....and all that with utmost ease and elegance!

Watching this match and comparing it to RG final less than a week ago,  it is easy to see why Nadal lost.
Any skilful player will be able to rush him. 
Unless he gets some ridiculously easy draw for the first week, his fans don't have much to look forward in the next few weeks.

Tie-break!
Let's see if Federer plays any loose, half-hearted points THIS time.

Did Federer not realize that the point he won was the match point?

That that was really funny!
After winning the TB, Fed doesn't realise he' s done it and goes back to the baseline to receive while Nishi waits at the net

Very nice match and some beautiful tennis from Fed as well as Nishi who was returning and serving quite well, also played some good volleys.

If I can nit(b)-pick, the only thing that could've been better for Fed would be his returning, he simply was slow on some of them.

Look forward to tomorrow's final.

noleisthebest wrote:Look forward to tomorrow's final.

Falla fan?

I don't mind Falla, very skilful player actually, but do have a very soft spot for that other guy...I really missed watching him play like he did today

I only saw the second set - was unable to find a decent stream before then - but Roger did not look exceptional to me.  He was ok, but no more than that.

I did enjoy watching grass court tennis though - even in today's conditions, it allows for more variety than clay.

I remember very clearly how Fed played last year in Halle, and this is a different man!
More like the old one. 
Let's not forget this is only his 2nd match in grass.
He served very well, hit with purpose, his top game is coming on in huge strides.

SO a close 2nd set though. Reading through the comments it seems Fed was a break up in the second.....was he?

never mind he won and I can't see anyone stopping him tomorrow.

summerblues wrote:I only saw the second set - was unable to find a decent stream before then - but Roger did not look exceptional to me.  He was ok, but no more than that.

I did enjoy watching grass court tennis though - even in today's conditions, it allows for more variety than clay.

Clay can be great too..and should be if it was not for Nadal....and the particularly slow balls of the FO. Rome and Madrid play faster and it's great there,.

Nishi consolidated a bit in the 2nd set after Fed steam-rolled him in the 1st.
He is no grinder but a top quality baseliner, so not a walk in the park for anyone on any surface (just ask Nadal  )
Fed broke straight away in the 2nd, got a bit carried away with S&V-ing on his next service game, Nishi passed him and that was it...
As I said, everything looked good except his returning, but even that was better than in his last match.
It's exciting to see his game shape up so well before Wimbledon!

Tenez wrote:

summerblues wrote:I only saw the second set - was unable to find a decent stream before then - but Roger did not look exceptional to me.  He was ok, but no more than that.
I did enjoy watching grass court tennis though - even in today's conditions, it allows for more variety than clay.

Clay can be great too..and should be if it was not for Nadal....and the particularly slow balls of the FO. Rome and Madrid play faster and it's great there,.

You are right about this RG, there hasn't been a single match to write home about. I enjoyed Tursunov-Fed, and just a few games  here and there...not good.

Lopez Dimi tomorrow.

noleisthebest wrote:Nishi consolidated a bit in the 2nd set after Fed steam-rolled him in the 1st.
He is no grinder but a top quality baseliner, so not a walk in the park for anyone on any surface (just ask Nadal  )
Fed broke straight away in the 2nd, got a bit carried away with S&V-ing on his next service game, Nishi passed him and that was it...
As I said, everything looked good except his returning, but even that was better than in his last match.
It's exciting to see his game shape up so well before Wimbledon!

Good to hear. He will need to be 100% if he wants to have a chance. The good news about grass is that it's never guaranteed to anyone to reach the final.

Grass season has never looked so short like this year to me for some reason.
It's already the final tomorrow and then Wimbledon.
So good they have extended it from next year, what on earth took them so long!!!!

I have an idea!
Why don't they turn Madrid into a 1000 masters on grass...it's got high altitude as well, could be a really nice fast grass tournament.
I read that even women are going to play a grass one in Spain next year.
Tiriac has done blue clay, fridge looking stadium, grass is such a natural next step, why not?

Stan   . He was looking so perfect till today.. the ankle injury he got in the match completely jolted him.. Hope he recovers soon.

Did Stan get injured before or during his match with Dimi?

Today's finals:

Dimitrov -Lopez (2 PM UK time)
Federer-Falla (1.50 PM UK time)

Shame both matches are starting at the same time.

Dimi not looking the huge outsider for Wimb as he was

Does that mean you are going to "shove" more than a tenner on him now?

haha no :P He's worth 10.

For some reason Fed-Falla looks like an exhibition match.
More because of Federer as he seems to be experimenting a bit.

Much better quality yesterday against Nishi. Falla still playing clay tennis...

Fed breaks and serves for the set.

Fed has just broken but he looks awful and is about to be broken back.....somethkng clearly wrong ! hence this exhibition feel!

Fed looked pretty comfortable on his serve until the game he got broken, in spite of not playing that well.

Falla breaks back....he's got a good lines-painting CC FH at the moment, and that's about it.

5:5
I don't know why they don't retract that roof, it's casting a really annoying shadow pattern for both players.

great control of the ball from Fed in that mini break TB point....playing many BHs Stan would have netted or got winner out but unable to keep in court 5 times in a row.

Federer's backhand is an institution!
It should be framed an exhibited in Louvre.

noleisthebest wrote:Falla breaks back....he's got a good lines-painting CC FH at the moment, and that's about it.

5:5
I don't know why they don't retract that roof, it's casting a really annoying shadow pattern for both players.

Yes very annoying to follow ball....even for spectators.

Federer plugged the leaks in his game in that TB. I am switching to Dimi vs Lopez now.

noleisthebest wrote:Federer's backhand is an institution!
It should be framed an exhibited in Louvre.

Agree. Just a touch too spinny but certainly the most versatile by a mile.

I love watching Fed's footwork on grass!

Tenez wrote:
Agree. Just a touch too spinny but certainly the most versatile by a mile.  

Yes, I noticed even on quite a few FHs, that gave it the experimenting look, is that because of the larger frame?

That was a horrendous game from Fed.

Typical...he gets broken back after having broken...here clearly a mental block!

Tenez wrote:Typical...he gets broken back after having broken...here clearly a mental block!

Exactly the same as against Nishi yeaterday.

Tenez wrote:Typical...he gets broken back after having broken...here clearly a mental block!

But why?

summerblues wrote:Federer plugged the leaks in his game in that TB.  I am switching to Dimi vs Lopez now.

How's Dimi doing?

This may sound crazy, but I think Fed needs to play as many matches as he possibly can, even 250 tournaments. He needs to regain his winning momentum to be able to perform his best in slams.

Lopez takes the first set. Better quality in Queens than in Halle.

I noticed this year Federer often plays lazy from the baseline and that is costing him.
Just now when Falla was serving at 40:30, fed got a short, defensive ball from Falla and rather than put it away with an inside-out FH as he was balanced perfectly, he just returned it back to Falla who thanked him, whacked the ball and forced a netted BH from Fed, winning the game.
He's lost TBs against Stan and Gulbis recently doing exactly the same thing.

summerblues wrote:Lopez takes the first set.  Better quality in Queens than in Halle.

Better quality in what way?

I see Federer takes it. Only saw the tail end of the TB, but I am guessing from the score that Fed could not have been that great.

Get in, Fed! (although he still looks a shadow of his former self)

Now come on, Dimi!

Good. Fed wins.....but I am not convinced. Falla was solid to be fair.

I watched a bit of Queens and to me they serve better there but the pace of shots seems slower than in Halle, essentally down to Falla hitting harder than the other 3 players.

Well, I enjoyed watching all 3 of Fed's Halle matches.

He looks one happy chappy!

summerblues wrote:I see Federer takes it.  Only saw the tail end of the TB, but I am guessing from the score that Fed could not have been that great.

No. That that great. Should have been 64/63 had it not been broken back stupidly right after breaking in each set .

noleisthebest wrote:Better quality in what way?

Is that not kind of obvious?

Better quality in that I am guessing that if the players from Queens were to play the players from Halle, and all four were playing at the level they are playing at right now, the Queens players would probably end up doing better.

How else would you propose to measure quality?

Tenez wrote:No. That that great. Should have been 64/63 had it not been broken back stupidly right after breaking in each set .

I saw the first set.  It was hard to tell whether Fed was playing poorly because of poor form or because he just did not believe Falla could trouble him so he could not bring himself to play better.  He then all of a sudden played much better in the TB, so I am hoping it is the latter.

Tenez wrote:I watched a bit of Queens and to me they serve better there but the pace of shots seems   slower than in Halle, essentally down to Falla hitting harder than the other 3 players.

Yes, Feli's got a decent serve, and as a SBH a decent all-court game, and that's about it for that match-up.