Roger Federer and Grigor Dimitrov will be facing each other for the eighth time in their careers when they clash in the U.S. Open quarterfinals on Tuesday night. Federer leads the head-to-head series 7-0 and he has won six of those meetings on hard courts.
More of the same can be expected at a tournament the 38-year-old has won five times–all in a row from 2004 through 2008. No matter that Federer has not lifted the trophy in more than a decade; he appears to be stellar form right now at Flushing Meadows. Following uninspiring four-set victories over Sumit Nagal and Damir Dzumhur, the third-ranked Swiss destroyed Dan Evans and Cincinnati runner-up David Goffin in easy straight sets.
Dimitrov has benefited from a favorable draw that includes a second-round walkover handed to him by Borna Coric. The 78th-ranked Bulgarian has not yet faced a seeded opponent, beating Andreas Seppi, lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak, and Alex de Minaur.
“I practiced with him in Cincy,” Federer reflected. “He was the guy I practiced with first when I just came off the plane. (I) know Grigor very well; he’s a good friend of mine. It was fun having him also at the Laver Cup last time around. I spent a week there with him. I’m happy that things are going better for him…. He had a bit of a slump.
“This is [big] for him, obviously with an opportunity against me. I’m aware of the fact it’s a big match for him. Yeah, I’ve done well against him in the past. But new match, new Grigor, new me again…. But I like watching him. I like playing against him. Of course, when we play, it’s as close as it gets to being a similar playing style. I think for both of us it’s cool to play one another.”
“Amazing; absolutely amazing,” Dimitrov said of being in the quarterfinals. “I don’t take anything for granted, especially (at) this tournament…. I’ve worked for it the past weeks. I’ve put a lot of hours on the court and off the court. You just never know. I mean, tennis is like this. You just never know when a little bit of luck smiles at you. You also have to seize your opportunity.”
The former world No. 3 has done extremely well to reach this point after having lost seven of his last eight matches dating back to the French Open. Nothing about their respective current or head-to-head history suggests this will be competitive.
Pick: Federer in 3 losing 8-10 games
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Fed in straights
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Wawrinka/Medvedev +3.5 sets
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If Fed wins this, he most likely would still lose in SF.
If Fed gets through to final, then it would be Rafa who would unpredictably fold in one of his next two matches.
It is not heaven will for Fedal to ever take place in USO.
Hahaha most likely? What I think is most likely is that we do get our first Fedal match in New York.
Dimitrov is giving a bit of cheek eh.
Seems like a carbon copy of the cilic match though. Look for the maestro to up his level for the next two sets
He’s 28 yrs now so the time is right to step up and be his own man.
No, i’m not Baby Fed…I’M DIMITROV!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 set all and Dimitrov serving first in the 3rd set. Reckon Fed is feeling a bit of pressure right now.
A straight sets romp of an in-form De Minaur is nothing to sneeze at.
Make a note of that 0:40 and Dimitrov saves all 3 BPs.
We all know Roger sucks when it comes to bp conversions!!! Nothing new there!!
But Dimi is giving good account of himself thus far, but alas, we all know what the outcome is gonna be, lol!!
’twas ever thus 🙂
Can’t imagine Roger losing this one but it may go 5. Not exactly good news for Fed when the Mad Russian is next.
Mad Russian is licking his chops watching this match.
I like the nickname ‘Mad Russian’, seems appropriate.
Who saw this coming? This is why I always say – one match at a time! The ESPN
commies were trashing Dimi so much in the first set that I switched the channel! Now I tune in to see that this is a real match!
Why people decide to give someone the trophy in the beginning of the second week of a slam, I have no idea!
Dimi has never beaten Fed. Now I wish I had watched the match. It turned out to be good. I thought Fed would dispatch Dimi like Serena did in her match.
This is unreal!
I can hardly watch. I am so nervous oh my goodness. Roger needs to step it up. Particularly needs to make more returns. Dimitrov is back though and he deserves lots of credit for where this match is right now
This is mind blowing! The ESPN commies are saying that Fed may be having back trouble.
I have put them on mute!! Don’t listen to commies or analysts!! They’re all very useless!! I learnt that during the last US election!!
Mona,
LOL! So true!
😀
Dude…. Just like last year against Millman, this is painful to watch. I don’t know what it is about the US Open for Fed… His brain just goes to another place on that court. I don’t understand it.
It’s maybe the heat! Who knows?!
Well let’s say if this goes to 5 and roger wins at least he is battle ready! Then he has 2 days to rest
Didn’t Fed just blow a bunch of break chances there? I was in the kitchen.
So did Dimi. this match is a hot mess, lol! Both of their games are being exposed!!!
This shouldve happened a long time ago if Dimitrov had the right people around him. It shouldve all been about DIMITROV!!! and remove this Baby Fed BS from his mind.
Fed just sucks at the US Open now compared to the other majors. If conditions are slow like this, and he’s not landing 70% or more first serves, there’s just nothing about his game that gives him confidence. No exaggeration- I KNEW he would fail to break back from 0-40 up. It’s classic US Open Fed. I want to think that he will reset and still win in 5, but I just have no confidence in Fed at this tournament. And he’s taking a medical timeout, so that’s not good.
This is not looking good at all. Fed taking a MTO and going off the court.
This USO has been unreal! Who would have thought we would be seeing this?
That’s y now im refraining from making predictions! However, this USO is really something. I think this year is beginning to signal the changing of the guard!
Its all psychological. Dimitrov isn’t taking a backward step and making Fed have to produce quality tennis. When you do that anything can happen.
Most of the players on the tour take a backward step to the top 3.
This is so easy for Dimitrov! Just keep the ball in play- that’s it!
Dimitrov has this in the bag. He wont be beating Medvdev though. Medvedv’s tennis IQ is prodigy like.
I agree! I favor Medvedev strongly against Dimi. I even believed that Medvedev might’ve been able to take out Fed…
Oh boy. Fed’s movement does look hampered.
Wow. He’s not even really going for it. Too bad for Fed. Can’t deny the age factor at this point. He was able to go into his late-30’s without much back trouble. 38 is probably just a step too far.
Its clear he just doesn’t want to retire. He’s throwing it.
Something is wrong with Fed. This is too bad. I guess Rafa and Fed were not meant to play here.
I am really taking this one match at a time with Rafa! Who would have thought that Novak and Fed would both go out? I really do think that Wimbledon was like a curse for Novak and Fed.
Someone posted if Roger goes out then Rafa is within reach of his 19TH. And someone says but who is going to beat Fed, given that his h2h is 33:0 with the players in his half. However, don’t think anyone would have picked Dimi!!!!
He’s just rolling first serves in. Hard to watch.
Dimi is really going to do it. I cannot believe what I am seeing.
Well, everyone would do it right now, not only Dimi. Fed already accepted he will lose this after the 1st game of the 5th. Nobody really knows the reason. It looks like he is very uncomfortable, no confidence, even at the beginning of the match. Something is bothering him. 3 consecutive bps in vain in the 2nd set, then 5 bps in the 4th. He definitely showed up today in no mood for tennis at all. Could be some personal issue. Anyway, I would understand if Fed has a reason to play like that. But generally I’m disappointed by his attitude. Very passive during the whole match. Congrats to Dimi.
Fedal in USO is not heaven will
This is officially the weakest match I’ve seen him play. I don’t feel anything, unlike Wim final.
He probably partied hard last night 😄
Rafa is the heavy favourite now, but this USO is really open to anyone left in the competition.
It would be so crazy id Medvedev does it. But I think Rafa would take care of him nicely.
A new slam champion is possible but it’s rafas to lose n that will pile on the pressure..Medvedev won’t fear Rafa the way he bullied stan
Sanju, IMO Medvedev will definitely fear Rafa a lot, considering how devastatingly Rafa put him away in Toronto. But it’s possible that Medvedev will cause a lot more trouble if he has to play Rafa in the final. Medvedev seems to learn fast and he is on a der hot roll right now. As a Rafafan I would hope, though, that Medvedev might be a bit overplayed and that he will lack the necessary experience to handle the situation. Also, his gambling tactics of playing the second serve like a first serve probably won’t work in a best-of-five match.
The hostility of the crowd won’t be a problem for Medvedev. It rather seems to fire him Up.
Well from the beginning of the tourney i realized Roger was not playing as well enough for a slam. I saw it and I had my doubts that he would win here! It was not obvious for many bcos he is so efficient at the slams. Anyway, for me, Rafa still has work to do on his serves if he wants to take this trophy home. He has no excuses now!!! NONE!!!
No Monalisa, I saw it too and I believed playing two matches at noon did help him to make quick work of first Evans (who’s tired because of no one day rest from his previous match) and then Goffin (who used to fold when playing the big three guys) as conditions was quicker under the sun.
The two clay court style players of his first two rounds managed to make him play longer points and kept him on court for a longer time thus each gotten a set from him. I feel conditions was slower in those two matches played at night or during late afternoon (and on a rainy day).
Dimi has his strategy right by extending the points and getting Fed to play one more ball. Fed may have his back issue, but Dimi played well enough to take advantage, unlike some other players who couldn’t.
This is similar to 2017 USO for Rafa, except it should only be easier because he at least had to beat Del Po. This time it’s a cake walk. As I said all along, the only guy who I would have picked to beat Rafa at the US Open was Novak, and he’s gone. Congrats Rafa fans! I know you would never celebrate too early, but to me him winning this title was NID since Djoko went out. It will take a collapse of epic proportions for Rafa to not win his 4th US Open, and he just doesn’t have those collapses since 2016. Arthur Ashe Stadium might as well be Court Chatrier for him these days. Just perfect conditions for him. Nobody can hit through him at all. He doesn’t even need to serve great. Just be his normal solid self, and the trophy is his!
Kevin .why do you want to jinx him..please .it’s never over till it’s over..others have not come to play marbles. Thus can add more pressure on Rafa too as he now is firm fav..let each match be played..it’s rafas to lose yes but a new slam champion totally possible
Sanju- I don’t believe in jinxing. I just have that much faith in Rafa at the US Open, with full health, and with Novak out. And even if Novak were still in it and fully healthy, I would probably call it a complete toss-up! This isn’t the AO or Wimbledon. There is good reason why Rafa is a 3-time USO champ, and has beat Novak twice there. Outside of clay, North American hardcourts is where Rafa feels the most comfortable. It often brings out the best in him, particularly Arthur Ashe Stadium- and the conditions there have only gotten more favorable for his game in the last few years. When I watched him against Cilic, it just felt laughable to me that any of these non-Big 3 guys could even have a chance at winning 3 sets off him on this court. He looks like a man amongst boys- rather, he IS a man amongst boys- against the remaining field. Losing a set means absolutely nothing to Rafa here. Realistically, I give the remaining field about a 10% chance of somehow pulling off the upset- and I’m being generous there. We’ve seen this movie so many times now. Rafa is physically still in his prime. If you can’t hit through him- and he’s healthy- you’re not winning 3 sets off him. Period. Only Novak is capable of beating fully healthy Rafa on a slower court in best-of-5. I really believe this to be true. Sure, there’s a first time for everything. But I cannot for the life of me see that happening at this tournament.
Kevin, I fully agree with your assessment! I don’t believe in jinxing, either – except when Tignor is involved 😊!
I also think that Rafa is the overwhelming favorite now, and there is a reason, why the USO became his best non-clay slam. I’m also reminded of the situation in 2017, where he had a fairly easy path to the title. It’s of course very possible that Rafa won’t lift the trophy for some reason. Medvedev will probably turn out to be more difficult to beat than Anderson. Rafa’s serve is still a concern, and he always could get injured. Also, Schwartzman and Monfils, too, have occasionally caused problems for Rafa. But I think that Rafa can handle the pressure of being the favorite. And if he loses it won’t be because you jinxed him, lol!
What a break for Dimi! After drawing Stan in his very first round tournament after tournament, even losing to an unhearalded player in Atlanta, he gets a walkover from Coric and a match against a federer with a bum upper back to surge into the semis at the us open. Also gets to play Medvedev who himself maybe on fumes.
Its such a bummer when ppl diminish players wins by inserting asterisks like “injury’ of ‘exhaustion’. Dimi won fair and square. I mean Fed may have had some discomfort but he kept fighting hard up until he lost fourth set. U really cant do that with any serious injury, I don’t care what anyone says!!!
As long as you say the same for Nadal at 2014 AO final.
Fed was clearly hurting here; anyone can see that. But still, congrats to Dimitrov for playing a great match. It’s not easy to beat someone when your record is 0-7.
Monalisa and Joe Smith, of course Rafa had seriously hurt his back during the warm-up before the AO final 2014! Everybody could see that he was seriously hampered from the get-go. And he only managed to win a set because Wawa eventually got nervous in his first slam final ever.
I do not think that Fed’s injury yesterday was as serious as Rafa’s injury at the AO. If it had been that serious, Fed could never have played against Dimi as he did yesterday. I also think if the injury had been more serious, Fed would never have started to play or finished the match – and rightfully so. At his age that would’ve been foolish! He has to be careful at his age and has to manage his body wisely. Rafa only played against Wawa in 2014 because it was the AO final and he didn’t want to rob the audience and Wawa of the unique experience. Rafa said himself after the match that he wouldn’t have played if it had been an earlier round.
That said, I fully believe that Roger was really somewhat compromised. He hasn’t always been the most gracious loser in the past but I don’t think he would invent a non-existant injury as an excuse for a loss. And I really don’t think that a slumping Dimi would’ve been capable to beat a fully fit Fed. But nevertheless – congrats to Dimi. He was presented with a fairly easy path into the semis and he made use of his chances. Zverev for example, whose draw also had opened up considerably, wasn’t able, and really should’ve been in the quarterfinal. But he didn’t make use of his good fortunes.
U c with Rafa, the narrative is “Rafa is ALWAYS injured”, “Rafa is done, career won’t last long”, blah, blah, blah! But when he is actually injured and he retires or loses a match as a result, oh, Rafa or Rafa fans are making excuses. U cannot have it both ways!
The players are always competing with some sort of injury or discomfort, always. They just manage it. However, the injury seems to flare up or hurt more when they’re losing! It’s a fact!! And that’s the case with ALL of them!!! Its just that it happens with some players more than others!!
So when some fans crticise a player for using the injury card, i can understand both sides of the argument. Just saying!!
The truth is of course that the Big Three are so much better than the rest of the players. If they occasionally lose to someone whom they normally always beat, the likelihood is high, that an injury or fatigue contributed to the loss.
I wonder now, btw, if Medvedev managed to beat the Djoker because his shoulder was already bothering him. After the loss Novak roundly dismissed the idea that he may not have been fully fit and chalked up the loss as the occasional fluke. However, I could imagine that he wasn’t completely honest, since he may have felt the need to keep up the facade of being fully fit. The USO were just around the corner after all. He wouldn’t have wanted to appear vulnerable because it would give his opponents some justified hope and raise their confidence level. Novak profits greatly from his aura of invicibility. Many opponents are already beaten when they leave the locker room.
But, Medvedev changed his strategy and started serving 125+mph second serves that gave Djoko plenty of problems; its not like Medvedev was winning in the rallies in the final set that got him the win. So Djoko having shoulder problem or not was irrelevant in the final set. Had Medvedev not serving big second serves, Djoko might be the one winning the Cincy SF.
Well, you never know! It’s true that Medvedev suddenly threw secong serve bombs. It was risky, smart and it worked. But he still had to break Novak’s serve in order to win. And that could have been a bit easier if Novak already had a niggling shoulder injury and therefore served with less confidence. For what it’s worth – Novak himself said that he had this shoulder injury for three weeks. That would definitely include the time of the Cincy semis.
We will never know, but I’m fairly sure that Novak wouldn’t have admitted to be injured after the Cincy lose, because admitting it before the USO, wouldn’t have been prudent. Every top player with title ambitions would’ve denied that something was wrong.
Well by your logic, Djoko won’t be losing any match if not for his shoulder or whatever injury!
How can you assume that if he didn’t have his shoulder injury, Medvedev won’t be able to break his serve? I mean Djoko even without any injury when he was playing in other tournaments could still have his serve broken at times, eg at the AO when he clearly wasn’t injured.
It’s not fair to say that Medvedev wont be beating Djoko at Cincy if not for Djoko’s shoulder injury.
Lucky, I didn’t say at all Medvedev could only break Novak’s serve and win because he was ailing already! Medvedev could and may well have done it while Novak was perfectly fine! I just said that Novak’s ailing shoulder may have contributed to the loss, if Novak is telling the truth about the time when the niggling shoulder started to bother him. As it is, we will never know. And it’s not overly important, since Medvedev has totally demonstrated that he is the real deal. So far he was a monster during the NA hardcourt swing, and he may still go further.
Can we just shut up about the 2014 AO? Every time someone says something about Fed that his fans don’t like, we have to hear about the 2014 AO again. Enough!
It’s beyond petty to bring it up. I don’t deny when any of the top three are injured. They don’t fake it. But I go along with Mona and lucky in the belief that Fed was not invincible because he won easily over two guys who just did not really show up. Goffin lost that match before he got on the court. The same with Evans. But I kept my thoughts to myself. Fed losing the first set to two guys who he should have blown off the court, was concerning. So I did not get on the Fed bandwagon in thinking that winning here was a foregone conclusion.
Nothing takes away from Dimi staying strong when he needed to in that fourth set. Even after not getting the second break, he was still able to serve it out. So full credit to him.
I do think Fed was having an issue. He would not call the trainer for nothing. But he competed and just got stuck in a tough battle. Rafa fans know all too well about that. It’s why I never, never take anything for granted. But cheap shots at Rafa because Fed could not win here, is NOT okay with me!
NNY, I don’t think that anyone here took cheap shots at Rafa. Joe Smith just reminded us how an ailing Rafa lost to Wawa at the AO 2014, and later a lot of people questioned that he was seriously hurt, which was obviously rubbish. Wawa got lucky in that final, but he backed it up splendidly in his later career. He developed into a true champion and didn’t remain a one-slam-wonder. And now a few people might question that Roger was really hurt yesterday. I don’t question it. I think that something was bothering Roger. He may not always be the most gracious loser, but he doesn’t invent non-existant injuries. And I really don’t think that Dimi would’ve beaten a fully fit Roger. We will see if he can back it up. Personally I think that Medvedev is the better player right now, but he may run out of steam.
littlefoot,
That was a cheap shot! It happens all the time! I don’t like having it thrown in my face over and over again. It was terrible to watch, especially how Stan acted when he decided Rafa was just using gamesmanship to go off the court to get treatment. We always hear this garbage questioning whether Rafa was really injured. I will always believe that if Rafa had not had that back injury, he would have won the double career slam.
I do not doubt that Fed was hurting. I don’t doubt that Novak had a shoulder problem. But Rafa fans have to endure this stupid business of second guessing and questioning. The 2014 AO final has been brought up too often and used like a weapon any time there is something said about Fed that his fans donor like! And I for one am sick to death of it!
NNY, I will also believe as long as I am a tennis fan that a healthy Rafa would’ve won against Wawa the 2014 AO trophy and would’ve accomplished the coveted double career slam! Seing him losing and seeing how hurt he was when the crowd initially booed him, really hurt. At it wasn’t Wawa’s finest moments when he gave Rafa a hard time oncourt. He should’ve appreciated that Rafa didn’t spoil Wawa’s proudest moment by simply retiring. As far as I have Heard Wawa was sorry later.
But I honestly don’t think that Joe Smith was talking pot shots at Rafa and his fans. I think he tried to remind us how bad we felt back then, when some people questioned that Rafa was truly injured. But let’s agree to disagree about that. I for one don’t question Fed’s and Novak’s injuries. It was obvious that they were physically compromised. And as you already said, they may well pay the price for the Wimby final.
Nny, I totally agree. If Rafa wins, it’s his merit. A slam is a slam. Not Rafa’s fault that both Roger and Novak didn’t play at their best.
I don’t find excuses for Fed. I even think that he had a physical issue. He just needed to be with himself a little bit. He was definitely not in the court. I think, and I repeat myself, the regret of losing that recent final is still slowly destroying him. He needs to find a way out, maybe pause at least util AO.
I could feel the fear and doubt in his 90% of the shots. The UEs just poured like crazy. Dimi is okay, but he’s not a high calibre player. I only see Medvedev being capable of fighting Rafa. That’s my opinion.
* I even think he DID NOT have a physical issue.
Eugene, when you say that nothing was physically wrong with Roger – are you truly accusing your favorite player of having faked a lengthy medical time-out?? Come on! I’m not a Fed Fan but I really think that something was bothering him. Right now Dimi isn’t good enough to beat a fully fit Roger. He didn’t even play that well but profitted from Roger’s decline, although we have to give Dimi credit for hanging in and not giving up.
Fed has had back problems on and off since he was in his early twenties and hadn’t won a GS yet. He’s become better at managing the problem but he needs loads of time off to have enough time to heal it but it will never go away. Back trouble like his does not go away indefinitely. Like Rafa’s knees, it’s always a concern but Rafa manages it better now than he did when he was younger. And I think Novak has a chronic problem by now. Maria Sharapova is never completely free of her shoulder issues and I keep naming other.
But the worst is poor Andy Murray and Delpo. Tennis needs both of them. I miss them. If either one can get back even for awhile, it will be a blessing.
Even if you hate Nole, without him, the tennis is less interesting: same goes for Rafa and Fed.
Now we have Medvedev and I think he’s the real deal, like him or not. Time will tell.
I like Grigor D. and hope can somehow knock Medvedev out but I rather doubt it. Medvedev is young and seems to recover and keep going quite well.
Yes it robs the winner of the hard earned win. It always happens with big 3. Anyone wins against them n if the big 3 have a niggle, big *
That is exactly what catching a break is.. if running into a red hot opponent like Stan in the first round of toronto and cincy is called terrible draw.. catching roger on a rough day where he has discomfort is called getting the rub of the green. Dimitrov was good enuf to take advantage. The players in the first four rounds were not.
Fed caught the upper back niggle in afternoon he says. It wasn’t in first four rounds…looks like a bad catch that he caught when sleeping. Tough luck.
Lol, wait, what! Both Roger and Novak cannot really give a good account of what exactly the nature of their injury is. I mean for the amount of flack Rafa gets, Novak and Roger both need to come better than that!! Sigh!
Im not trying to belabour the point but if was Rafa that had caught an injury while at the USO I would not hear the end of it!
As a Federer fan, I hate to hear that about his back but honestly I don’t wanna hear it. Dimitrov was dying to lose that match. Federer had lost two sets total in 7 prior meetings with Grigor. Roger was up 0-40 at 4-5 in the fourth. He should’ve broken and won in four as far as I’m concerned. As far as I’m concerned, Djokovic lost and Roger crapped the bed. Maybe I’m being harsh, I mean the guy is 38 but seriously, I do not think he should’ve lost this match at all. He did look very stiff and, dare I say, old in that final set 🙁 Father Time really does wait for no one but I’m not writing him off just because of this match. Besides I guess the lack of movement in the fifth was probably the neck and back pain. But the energy was not there either. Can’t expect him to keep playing at this level forever, at least when it comes to these humid night matches. Oh well, I still think he could’ve and probably should’ve found a way to win. And I think he matches up very well with Medvedev so I would’ve liked the chances of Fedal happening.
If Fed couldn’t beat Dimi, he couldn’t beat Medvedev either, because Medvedev could play like a Djoko if he wants to, against Fed; and played like a Murray, but a more powerful one, to beat Stan.
The guy is so versatile, he could just morph into any other player to effectively defeat his opponent. It’ll be interesting to see how Rafa deal with this Medvedev should both get to the final.
Benny G, I very much agree with you there esp wrt the 0:40 service game! Roger just fluffed all those bp opps like he normally does even when he is on his game! He’s quite annoying that way that’s y i hesitate to give him a pass here with this back injury!!! He had his opps and he ‘crap the bed’ like you said. I have seen Rafa ‘crap the bed’ too on a few occasions and it really really really pisses me off!!! Injury or no injury!!!!
So as far as i’m concerned congrats to Dimi!! A win well earned!
Wish Roger and Novak a speedy recovery!
Now lets see if Rafa can take advantage of this opportunity and win his 4th USO, AND 19th slam!
Totally agree, Benny. It was only in the 5th set that there was any indication that Fed was really not right, health-wise. Before that it was just a lot of inconsistent play. He should have put the match away in 4. Again, however, all credit to Grigor for hanging tough when no one really gave him a chance.
I meant to go to the us open today. But thought what good will it be if it is a one sided match. Same as last year. I skipped going to the millman match thinking it would be one sided. All set to cheer for Rafa tomorrow😃
Commiserations to the Fedfans. Tough luck! No Fedal again this year. Is Fed as cursed at the USO as Rafa is at the AO?
Not assuming anything re Rafa’s chances. Schwartzman is playing great.
So are Monfils and Berretini. For Dimi there’s the Mad Russian yet to come. If Rafa and Dimi do meet in the final, Dimi’s given Rafa some very tough matches at the AO.
Vamos Rafa!
Supposedly dannil Medvedev is having abductor n quad issues
Daniil has been playing so much tennis its a wonder he can still even walk!! So its no surprise there!!
But im just a bit suspicious about both Roger and Novak ‘suddenly’ having carrying injuries when they come up an opponent who just would not fold!! If it was Rafa, I would be thinking the exact same thing, I just would not admit it!!!
THERE, I said it!!!
Umm your wrong 🙂 Novak had mentioned his shoulder injury two rounds ago when he played Kudla, so no ,of course not made up. And I don’t doubt Fed if he says he was feeling some pain.
The big three all want to play….none of them would make up a problem or injury. I don’t doubt Nole wanted his third GS this year but he was damn lucky to suffer through Wimbledon and get that win.
Rafa is the last of the big three standing at this point. All fans know he would NOT make up a physical problem. If Rafa can’t play his best, the fact is, he’s likely injured or ill. They are all three in a race for most GS’s. By this time. I would think that all of them accept, even Federer, that they might not get another GS at all. It’s still quite a feat to win ONE GS!!
I’m not saying they’re faking it, per say, there was some discomfort i’m sure. But if its not an issue when u win, esp at a GS, then plz don’t make it an issue when you lose!!! No one cares! Both Roger and Novak maintained they were fit b4 the GS, no concern was expressed about fitness issues! Not until at the point when they lost!! That’s my point!!
Djokovic was having shoulder issues – it kind of came and went – and it’s a bit mysterious since it’s his off shoulder and its not the kind of problem that shows up on an mri. He would not have retired just because he wasn’t going to win his match.
Federer did not make a big deal about his back/neck issue. He was asked about his medical time out and he explained it. He is prone to back problems – it kept him out of the Swiss Army – and when they happen the only cure is rest.
I would not write Federer off because of this loss. Look what he did at Wimbledon in July! On the other hand he is getting older and problems are more likely to crop up. He’s not going to retire because of this. He likes being on the tour and as long as he and his family are enjoying it, why not? He may yet make a run.
No way in hell would Rafa ever fake an injury! Being injured is far worse for him than losing a tennis match. Not being able to play Fed at IW this year just about killed him, he was so discouraged he couldn’t even prepare properly for the clay season – just felt hopeless about doing all the rehab work and then having another disappointment due to injury.
Novak will conceal information. He does not want to take away from his opponents’ win. He doesn’t want to give anything away, you can hate him for not being totally up front. But he and many others do the same and take it to the bitter end using every remedy possible days or weeks after they should have quit. Kei Nishikori is one of the most frustrating. Novak’s problem is not wanting to give up or be honest about how bad the issue is and he never wanted to miss a chance at #17. Call it greed, blind denial or throwing caution out the window. It’s not okay in your mind; and that’s fine. It’s not okay to me either because I don’t like knowing he is injured (which I did) and playing anyway! Maybe I don’t care about him winning another GS like he and many of his team and fans want him too. So many fans laud him as courageous and brave when he clearly could not raise his arm to toss the ball! I read Novak fan comments on twitter. Fortunately I disabled my account – I’d never get anything done if I used FB and twitter!
Elizabeth, I agree with your assessment of Novak’s mentality. Personally I don’t have any problems whatsoever if players conceal or play down the extent of their injuries. Most players have done that at one or another time for tactical reasons. They always hope that they can somehow survive anyway – and the top players often get away with it because of their aura of invincibility, which they clearly cultivate because it serves them well. Rafa famously did it at the FO 2009, where he lost shockingly to Søderling. Nobody knew at the time that his knees were totally shot and had been in bad shape for quite a while. I also believe Novak when he said that the shoulder had started to bother him already three weeks ago.
However, it’s not ok with me when players fake an injury in order to recover during a medical time-out or because they want to come up with a phony excuse for a loss. I cannot see any indications that Novak and Roger have done this in connection with their latest losses.
How did Stan lose so meekly..
Iron man is a beast, thats why. Jump on a tennis court with him and find out. I bet the whole match ends before you know that’s how deceptively good he is.
Yes Stan was out-played by Medvedev. But Stan is not at his beastly best yet. Hopefully Stan can make another serious and very Stan kind of run – hitting everyone off the court. Those days might very well be over, though, sad to say. Isn’t he attempting a comeback from both knees needing surgery?? That’s insane that he is doing this well.
Cilic is a sad case of something else
The impressive thing about Med is that he changes tactics .
Talking of deception,he reminds me a bit of Miloslav Mecir .He’s got a similarly offbeat game that’s hard to play against.
And he’s 23. That is a big plus right now!:D Imagine if he was in his mid-thirties and had been playing hard for two decades.
The think about Medvedev right now is that he can keep going and going. And that’s along with his talent and intellect. Hopefully he’ll have years where he can do that and if there is a weakness he learns to manage it quickly and not try to play through it too long. I think that would be the lesson learned for younger guys from Delpo and Murray — and the big three.
Mental and emotional issues are harder to pin down. Thinking about Dimitrov’s and other mysterious slumps.
I remember Mecir – never could figure out how he won since he never seemed to make any real effort, just kind of mooched (very quickly) around the court and hit a ball back at his opponent.
The scary thing about Medvedev is that now he’s getting better and better at the net. At the AO vs Djoko, he was engaging solely in baseline rallies with Djoko and lost in four sets finally.
The guy learns fast, and thinks fast; he has a great first and second serve, has unbelievable fitness, moves very well for his height, and has very good court sense. He has great FH and one of the best DHBH too, not forgetting his self belief and confidence in his own game, plus the mental fortitude, the will and ambition to win and be great.
I agree with your assessment. Medvedev is learning fast. I believe now that he will reach the final – unless he gets hurt or is totally exhausted. It could be his fourth final in a row, which would be an incredible achievement. And if Rafa really will be his opponent I expect that Medvedev will try very hard to acquit himself much better than in Toronto, but his physical condition could be a problem.
If both Rafa and Medvedev reach the final, even if Rafa wins the title, Medvedev would still accumulate more points than Rafa, ie 3100 points vs Rafa’s 3000.
It’s quite incredible if Medvedev could reach four finals in a row at this NA HC swing.
I do feel Rafa will be the fave over Medvedev to win the title; he has enough varieties, experience, fitness and will power to overcome the red hot Medvedev imo.
Dimi may give Medvedev a tough match, I mean Dimi is fit, fast, confident now after beating Fed. He also has the varieties in his game to give Medvedev different looks and not being predictable.
I feel it’ll be a hard fought match between the two and will go the distance and either one could win.
I’m obviously devastated but also happy for Grigor. Here’s the thing though and it’s annoying just how sure I am of this. There’s like no freaking way Dimitrov is beating Medvedev next round. I will come back to this comment and make fun of myself if I’m wrong but honestly I have 0 doubt that Medvedev is gonna beat him and it won’t even be close. God damnit…
I feel that Dimi will have more confidence against Medvedev and so will do his best to make a match of it, at least. Medvedev also might be close to running in fumes. But Im not going to make any predictions about the winner. This USO has been very unpredictable thus far!
I just wish for a great match, may the best man win!
By the way, in regards to Rafa’s chances here, I would say he is going to win now. But I will say this. I do not think Medvedev or Dimitrov is his biggest threat. I think it’s Monfils. Monfils is back to his 2014 US Open level. That’s the only guy who has a legit chance at Rafa as far as I’m concerned. And Rafa would still be a heavy favorite in that matchup.
Sorry about Roger, Benny. Monfils is a threat to Rafa, of course, but he’s never beaten him or been able to stay with him, even at his best. Of course that was when Rafa played his old game, long baseline rallies that simply ran Monfils ragged and exhausted him. Well, we’ll see. I will say if Monfils does manage to win this USO I’ll be very happy for him. He’s well up in the “most talented to never…” category and a true fan favorite.
Monfils will never beat Rafa unless the Spaniard has some physical issues. He simply can’t handle an opponent which is so tough mentally. That’s where he’ll always lose these wars, not in the baseline battles. Regardless of how many tricks he pulls, Nadal won’t flinch. If he tries to be serious, it’s even worse.
I would say that on the contrary Monfils is the lesser threat standing in Rafa’s way to the title.
Very much agree with that , Christian P.
Agreed with both of the above. Especially that there is no way Dimi beats Med, if Med is fit (and 2 days off will help).
Monfils vs Andujar was such a beatdown!
Benny G, u know, i thought the exact same thing! Monfils is playing very very very well!! Rafa needs to watch out there for real! That is no joke!
Fed needs a 4 month break. Similar to horses that need a spell, as you age you need longer spells to reset and find that enthusiasm again especially after playing a mammoth Wimbledon final.
I think Fed did himself no favors by going four sets in his first two matches. He could not have had easier opponents. I couldn’y even find the first guy in the rankings! I gave up
after looking at the first 200 players. At his age the last thing he needs is longer matches in the early rounds. He is usually very efficient and that has helped give him longevity. He had to work too hard early on.
No one expected Dimi to give him any trouble. Certainly not the stupid ESPN commies spent the entire first set trashing Dimi. But Fed was up two sets to one. As Benny said, all he had to fo was break Dimi st 0-40. Then he could have tied it up and had a chance to close it out in four sets. We have seen him do this many times. Things can happen in the middle of a tough match. But I still say that the Wimbledon final took a lot out of both Novak and Fed.
NNY, I fully agree with you that the brutal Wimby final may have taken it’s toll on both Novak and Fed, and that they are paying the price now. I actually expected this to a certain degree – but especially after neither Novak nor Fed made it into the Cincy final.
The ESPN commies are dumbells, mostly. Some maybe started out smart. And even the smarter ones will say stuff just make sure their paycheck if grand or for the sheer HYPE of it!!!
Yep
I saw lengthy highlights of the match.Fed did not play as if he was in discomfort first 4 sets. Fifth he maybe compromised ofcourse . Not converting one bp out of 4 when he was 4 5 down cannot be down to just sore upper back. He made silly errors n dimi played tough that game. Let’s not just discount Dimis win as if he just got lucky
In 2014, Rafa injured himself in warmup itself and was compromised from the word go. If we want to doubt it,we can but the truth won’t change.
The way people are hurrying to hand Rafa the trophy just scares me. Neither Diego, monfils or Medvedev will be easy. Diego will just hit hard returns n drag the match, monfils will also play very long rallies and Medvedev is a baddie who wants to prove a point The only person I think Rafa will beat is dimitrov as expecting dimi to beat Rafa in a slam final maybe asking too much. Berretini I have never seen play ,so I don’t want to comment on him. I just hope Rafa keeps the calm and plays to win and does not goof up or get hampered.
Absolutely right, Sanju. Every player left is a threat in their own way. My Rafa winner pick is not safe until he gets past all of them. Each opponent poses a different type of challenge.
But I hope you are confident of him
Oh dear Sanju, honestly I must take it one match at a time. I’m confident about Rafa making it past Schwartzman. But if Rafa starts dropping a set — damn. My stomach can’t handle it. And I have confidence he can beat Monfils or Berrettini.
If I’m quite honest, I would feel better if Grigor beat that mad Russian! No doubt in my mind Rafa would beat Grigor. Obviously, since I picked Medvedev to be runner-up, I’m most worried about him. Rafa must take care and not get into long matches – Rafa is strong, experienced, and as Wise as a champion can be.
Yes, confident, but cautious. Each step will be a relief. I may be too invested in him winning #19 to not be slightly blind to any other outcome.
Taking it one match at a time should not be interpreted as lack of confidence in Rafa! That is just being prudent. You never know what can happen. Nobody thought Dimi would beat Fed. He had not done anything in quite some time to make one think he had a remote chance. But he came out playing like the guy who once had so much potential that he was called Baby Fed. He made a match out of it.
I also do not think the talking about Fed struggling in the latter stages of the match with some knife of back issue, takes anything away from Dimi. The ESPN commies started noticing something with Fed late in that fourth set. Things can happen right before a match, like what happened with Rafa at the 2014 AO final. Something seems to have started bothering Fed Kate in the fourth set. He was expecting another straightforward match and instead found himself in a tough battle.
Fed does not call the trainer and go off court for nothing. Something was wrong in that fifth set. And that takes nothing away from Dimi.
Whether Dimi can replicate that quality of tennis against Medvedev, remains to be seen. I was looking forward to seeing Fed and Medvedev. I think that could have been a very interesting match.
Some KIND of back issue. *
Something was bothering Fed LATE in the fourth set. *
Elizabeth, ha, ha, I’m also incredibly nervous about all remaining players – but especially about Daniil, lol! That Rafa handled him so easily in Toronto is somewhat reassuring. But as Lucky said: he is a very fast learned and He will be hellbent to do better. On paper Rafa is the overwhelming favorite now. But Roger also was the overwhelming favorite against Dimi….
This is a golden opportunity for Rafa to snag a valuable and hard-to-come-by non-clay slam. I really hope it will work out, but Rafafans never take anything for granted.
Yep, the Mad Russian scares me. And he seems to recover super fast. He should be exhausted by now.
The guy who was the biggest obstacle to #19 (Fed) is out of the way.
My take on the remaining guys –
Rafa vs Diego should be easier than the last few encounters (Rafa’s serve should help). Monfils cant beat Rafa. I am not sure about that Italian (He looked crazy good against Rublev, but is a bit of an unknown). Rafa’s game matches up well with Medvedev. Grigor almost beat Rafa twice at the Aussie Open and is in my humble opinion the biggest threat to Rafa’s #19 now.
Sorry, the biggest obstacle really is health. Fingers crossed