*Official* Tennis Thread

[Simon]

Nadal and Djokovic's improvement's cant be blamed for him losing to players like Gilles Simon, Radek Stepanek etc... He's lost too many matches to lower ranked players this year to suggest his game, mentality, desire, ambitions and fitness is anywhere near what it used to be.
In the past we could say Federer is just cruising through opening round matches and stepping up in the final rounds but this year he is getting beaten in those early rounds for whatever reason. For the previous four years we have seen him just drop the odd set in those matches.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

Eh, that's not an excuse Federer can keep using all year.

He held service break twice in the final set, but his forehand errors cost him the match.

Get a coach.

 

[Simon]

Eh, that's not an excuse Federer can keep using all year.

He held service break twice in the final set, but his forehand errors cost him the match.

Get a coach.

I'm not sure getting a coach will do a whole lot for him, I imagine Federer would be very difficult to work with and I get a feeling quite arrogant behind the scenes. When you saw him interviewed when he was at his peak we all had a good laugh when he would joke about being so much better than everyone, but when you think about it now I wonder if he still thinks he is that player. If in his mind he is still the greatest tennis player to have lived he is going to find it tough to take advice and tips about tennis from someone else.

 

[Jono]

This is bad news. Gilles Simon used to be my go to man for tennis betting as he'd always have quite nice odds. Now people are going to start rating him. The secret is out that he's damn good.

So I've lost Soderling and Simon now

May have to try Andreev from now on.

Djokovic to win the US Open one feels.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

I'm not sure getting a coach will do a whole lot for him, I imagine Federer would be very difficult to work with and I get a feeling quite arrogant behind the scenes. When you saw him interviewed when he was at his peak we all had a good laugh when he would joke about being so much better than everyone, but when you think about it now I wonder if he still thinks he is that player. If in his mind he is still the greatest tennis player to have lived he is going to find it tough to take advice and tips about tennis from someone else.

Every major tennis star is difficult to coach.

Sampras was difficult to coach, but he still had three coaches in his career (Fischer, Gullikson and Annacone.)

Ever since Carter died in 2002, Federer has had success with and without coaches, but it's time to get a full-time coach again. Not a part time fix.

He has problems with his game, not just the mental battle.

 

[Anil]

i am sure federer realizes the deep slump(by his standards) he is in even if he denies it in public....i am not sure a coach will fix this issue, he had higueras for the clay part of the season and it didn't really help him against nadal, in fact feds seemed to be at best stagnant on clay while nadal has improved even more on the surface...let's see if he can do something positive between now and the masters...

 

[Simon]

I'm still convinced it's more mental problems than anything. Look at his results in majors, semi of AUS but got torn apart by a guy in sizzling form, made the final of both French and Wimbledon and got done again buy a guy who was just at the top of his game. When Federer is on he is still at least the equal of Nadal and Djokovic, he is performing in the majors but for whatever reason he is losing to guys he shouldnt in the other tournaments, I'm guessing he just isnt focusing on them and doesn't really care too much.
This makes me think he isnt all that worried about world rankings etc... rather just wants to win more slams.

 

[Anil]

I'm still convinced it's more mental problems than anything. Look at his results in majors, semi of AUS but got torn apart by a guy in sizzling form, made the final of both French and Wimbledon and got done again buy a guy who was just at the top of his game. When Federer is on he is still at least the equal of Nadal and Djokovic, he is performing in the majors but for whatever reason he is losing to guys he shouldnt in the other tournaments, I'm guessing he just isnt focusing on them and doesn't really care too much.
This makes me think he isnt all that worried about world rankings etc... rather just wants to win more slams.

the problem with trying to win more slams is that over the last two years either djokovic or nadal or both have always been there towards the final weekend of all the slams and with both of them improving all the time, i don't see that frequency coming down, in fact the opposite and that would just exacerbate any mental issues/blocks feds has when facing them...and each defeat would just bring down his confidence a few notches...when we talk about the confidence of someone like federer, remember that he was even hoping for a golden slam at the start of this year and while his year thus far would be considered fabulously successful for most other players, for him it has just been disastrous...and at this point we are just talking about nadal and djokovic, there is also the potential of other ambitious young guns becoming world beaters....i am not saying it is now beyond him but winning another couple of slams is going to be an extremely tough challenge for federer...i for one am hoping he goes back to his dominant best but it is getting more and more difficult to believe in that....

 

[Johnners]

Agree with Ohtani, he needs a coach.

 

[Simon]

the problem with trying to win more slams is that over the last two years either djokovic or nadal or both have always been there towards the final weekend of all the slams and with both of them improving all the time, i don't see that frequency coming down, in fact the opposite and that would just exacerbate any mental issues/blocks feds has when facing them...and each defeat would just bring down his confidence a few notches...when we talk about the confidence of someone like federer, remember that he was even hoping for a golden slam at the start of this year and while his year thus far would be considered fabulously successful for most other players, for him it has just been disastrous...and at this point we are just talking about nadal and djokovic, there is also the potential of other ambitious young guns becoming world beaters....i am not saying it is now beyond him but winning another couple of slams is going to be an extremely tough challenge for federer...i for one am hoping he goes back to his dominant best but it is getting more and more difficult to believe in that....

Agree with most of it, except for the part of challengers outside of Nadal and Djokovic. I dont really see anyone other than these three winning a grand slam in the next three/four years and if it does its going to be a massive fluke. None of the players outside of them have the ability to put 7 matches together except for Safin and Hewitt and their time has come and gone.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

If anything he needs a companion on the road.

It looks like he's beating a pretty lonely path at the moment.

I read an interview with one of Sampras' coaches where he mentioned that the most important thing for Pete was having someone to hang out with.

Federer has his little entourage and support group, but his body language sucks right now.

If he wins the US Open, I expect a FLOOD of tears.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

@ the quarter-final lineup in Toronto

Top half
Simon vs Čilić
Kiefer vs Blake

Bottom half
Murray vs Đoković
Gasquet vs Nadal

any one from the bottom half would beat any one from the top half easily...

 

[Simon]

@ the quarter-final lineup in Toronto

Top half
Simon vs Čilić
Kiefer vs Blake

Bottom half
Murray vs Đoković
Gasquet vs Nadal

any one from the bottom half would beat any one from the top half easily...

Disagree, I rate everyone in that top half higher than Murray.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Disagree, I rate everyone in that top half higher than Murray.

Blake was just beaten 1-6 2-6 by Kiefer.

Kiefer.

There's no way Murray is worse than that. Especially when fit and on hard court.

 

[Simon]

Blake was just beaten 1-6 2-6 by Kiefer.

Kiefer.

There's no way Murray is worse than that. Especially when fit and on hard court.

Blake is pretty inconsistent and many would know I'm not his biggest fan but he's got a better game than Murray. I think you are underestimating Kiefer there, hes been top 5 in the world, made grand slam semis, he's had a couple of tough years but he does have a good game.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Blake is pretty inconsistent and many would know I'm not his biggest fan but he's got a better game than Murray. I think you are underestimating Kiefer there, hes been top 5 in the world, made grand slam semis, he's had a couple of tough years but he does have a good game.

Look, I know Murray isn't going to win Wimbledon and will be slaughtered by only slightly less an embarrassing margin than Blake in an hour, but that applies to all the others too. They're all pretty poor when they play top brass, but Murray seems to usually get himself together for a clash with a near-ranking player, only to fail spectacularly against the top three.

 

[Jono]

Blake vs. Murray is a crap shoot. At his best, Blake is better. Murray is more likely to be on his game and win than Blake is though if they played at any random time.

Cilic and Kiefer making the quarters is interesting.

Roddick has been a thorough disappointment this year. You'd think in a year where Federer has been so off his game he'd at least have been 3rd best player of the year. But no, he hasn't taken the step up after his 05 and 06 years.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

Ha, Murray beat Djokovic.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

 

[Simon]

Djokovic is still the third best player in the world and Murray is still just a tool.