Nagal…. Nadal…. It was just too easy to make jokes non-stop for four straight days after the qualifiers were placed in the U.S. Open draw. Everyone is guilty as charged; every member of the media; every tennis fan; maybe even some players, too.
Even after Roger Federer finished off his surprisingly competitive 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 victory over qualifier Sumit Nadal during first-round action on Monday night, the name comparisons with Rafael Nadal continued.
“Did you think for a second it was Nadal?” ESPN commentator Brad Gilbert unsurprisingly asked Federer following the Swiss’ victory that required two hours and 30 minutes of play.
“No,” Federer stated simply, with a smile.
first ever Federer vs. Nagal matchup at the US Open, and it will come in the first round
— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) August 23, 2019
Take a shot everytime they say “not nadal, but nagal”
Good luck
— Tennys Sandgren (@TennysSandgren) August 27, 2019
Sets won against Roger Federer at the #USOpen, an alphabetical index excerpt.
…
NADAL, Rafael – 0
NAGAL, Sumit – 1
…— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) August 27, 2019
It was not as difficult as a typical Fedal match, to be sure, but Nagal did account himself extremely well. The 22-year-old Indian stole the first set from a break down and almost two hours later he had a chance to get back on serve in the fourth set with a 0-40 lead as Federer served for the match at 5-4. But the underdog could not convert and Federer finally reached the finish line.
“I guess maybe how he handled the moment,” the 20-time major champion said when asked if anything surprised him about Nagal’s performance. “(It’s) never easy to come out and play your best. Even though it’s kind of what you live for, you dream about, playing on the big stage. So I think he did that very well.
“I think his game is based on being really consistent, moving well, moving the ball around well. Sort of very much a clay-courter. That’s also the surface he’s played basically the entire year almost. I think he knows what he can bring. That’s why I think he’s going to have a very solid career. But, of course, it’s not the game that comes out with the biggest surprises. It’s really consistent. I think he did it very well tonight.”
As for Federer’s game, will will likely have to raise his level if he wants to avoid another early-round loss like last year’s fourth-round exit at the hands of John Millman.
The world No. 3 compared his game to his 5 o’clock shadow as the jokes continued on court with Gilbert: “Rusty.”
Next up for Federer on Wednesday is Damir Dzumhur, while Lucas Pouille potentially awaits in the third round prior to a possible fourth-round meeting with familiar foe David Goffin. A rematch of the epic Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic would come in the U.S. Open semifinals.
Krishna, mother of Sumit Nagal who won the first set against Roger Federer in the first round of US Open, today: We were happy to see him play today's match. Sumit idolises Rafael Nadal. I hope Sumit does well in future & continues to bring glory to the nation. pic.twitter.com/ZFlQHcCLme
— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2019
[polldaddy poll=10394987]
better step it up, Fed
The media is having a real go about him dropping sets. What they don’t realise is how much a grand slam final like the one he just played takes out of you. When you throw everything at it for hours and hours and come up short even when you were the better player fir the duration of the match, the thrill of playing at that high level diminishes significantly in the matches thereafter.
The important thing is he is still winning and overcoming each test. If he keeps doing that and makes the semis, the thrill of playing at the highest level will be there again and he will get excited by the opportunity to have a 2nd bite at the cherry.
You never know ge might go into GOD mode if he makes the final and release all that anger and disappointment to produce one of his greatest and most uninhibited performances of all time.
I was thinking about the same – the release he may have, let it explode if makes this final. I hope he survives to play that.
I doubt it. I mean I doubt he could survive to reach the final!
Against two players who played clay court style tennis, ie playing from way behind the baseline, he had to work so hard to win in four sets. Notice how much he was made to run and retrieve! I must say he did well in running and retrieving/ defending, almost like a Djoko. Had Dzumhur played closer to the baseline, perhaps he could have done better in not having to cover so much ground behind the baseline. Alas, it’s not in his game or his style to play close to the baseline, despite him being all aggressive and hitting as hard as possible. It’s too much to ask of him given the difference in capabilities between him and Fed.
Fed really has to up his level if he has to face Goffin in R4 and Kei in QF; they both could take the ball early and rush Fed for a change (when Fed used to be the one rushing his opponents!).
Fed no doubt is still quick for his age, but he’s misfiring his shots more often now than before, perhaps half a step slow now, so it seems he too could be rushed.
I said it before, that both Fed and Djoko could be affected by their long and demanding Wimbledon final; Djoko has shoulder issue now, and Fed seems not playing as well or as efficiently this USO in the early rounds, so I agree that the Wimbledon final had taken its toll on Fed (in fact on both of them), given that they’re now not that young anymore.
Novak doesn’t want to talk about the shoulder injury but from what I saw, it looks like rotator cuff damage – problems in the rotator cuff of the shoulder – you cant or shouldn’t be trying to play through that. It wont go away without proper rest – too many steroid injections, pain pills, anti-inflammatories give temporary relief but I suspect he’s already been through all that at Wimbledon to win there.
If it was injured during Wimbledon – he should not keep trying to play. If resting it and treating it with ice, pain meds, anti-inflammatories hasn’t helped by now another run at a GS title isn’t going to be good for him.
He should have at least had a MRI and ultrasound on it by now and know the full nature of exactly what’s going on. Not being able to raise the arm up to toss the ball up is a classic symptom.
I wish he wouldn’t try playing through this injury. It won’t be a simple fix.
Yep, Luckystar. Both Nole and Roger are suffering. In different ways…Nole probably already played through one GS with the bad shoulder. He not doing the right thing by playing through the pain — well, that’s imo.
Roger’s problem is different. He may be just slow and will be able to pick up his game after another win or two…or not.
I actually wonder why no one brought this up. For myself, I thought that the Wimbledon final could have taken a lot out of both players. That would not be surprising. They are not getting any younger and that was a marathon.
If Nole already had a shoulder problem, then the final probably aggravated it. I don’t know how long he can play with this condition. He won last night because Londero had no weapons to trouble him. He could not capitalize on Nole’s shoulder problem.
Fed is lucky that he had two opponents who could not push him more. He is not looking good at all and will need to step it up.
He is only looking as good as he needs to due to everything mentioned, it’s human nature. Do I seriously need to repeat myself.
He’s not looking good that’s the matter, even he himself couldn’t explain why. I doubt any of us knows better than he himself.
I know better. If I was Fed’s sports psychologist he wouldve won 30+ grand slams.
I reckon I know a tad more than you Luckstar. Ive played at a semi-professorial level and been watching tennis since the early 80s.
Just because Fed says “I dont know” it doesnt mean he doesnt know. If you cant work out something that simple, how do you expect people to beleive your opinion on anything. Do you expect Fed to say, “Im a bit tired mentally, physically and emotionally after losing an extended final that I should’ve won where I was clearly the better player for the duration of the match”?
Fed’s not revealing his cards, he knows drill, its going to take a semi-final before he brings his A-game again.
Jim, you talked as if you know Fed personally. We are just speculating here, so you guess is just as good as mine. Don’t try to tell me off like that, who do you think you are??
We’ll see….
I know professional sport and the professional mindset personally.
…and i reckon I do know Fed personally, been watching and listening to him since he was a teenager and you were still in your nappies.
And Jim, what are we disagreeing about in the first place, when most of us on this thread agreed that the Wimbledon final took a lot out of Fed and Djoko. So, it’s not surprising that Fed may be affected both physically and mentally.
He said he didn’t know why, well, that might be because it’s a combination of factors that was hard to explain.
What I don’t agree is that Fed would suddenly turn it on his A game, as if as and when he pleases. As he labors through the draw, he’ll need more and more time to recover, and it’ll only get tougher given the calibre of the players in the later rounds.
lucky,
Don’t waste your time with that guy, he knows nothing, has made idiotic predictions in the past like Tsitsipas was the favorite to win RG.
He is just trying to be obnoxious and pick an argument with someone. Not worth your time.
Yeah NNY, I know. It’s laughable for him to say that I was still in my nappies when……, he didn’t even know how old I am, ha ha ha!
Jim Courier often does sound like he is boss and wants to pick a fight hahaha
“you be better off listening to me, you lowlife” is the tone. He probably is completely unaware socially. I admit I must come off like that sometimes. My social manners are not great as I get older – things seem to come out of my mouth that in an awkward way. I think it’s tourettes. Andy Mira used to help me out here and there. Farah Diba if you are reading, you rockin’ the WTA picks, darling. 😀
Federer is picking his game up but physically he seems fine; just a matter of getting the match wins and confidence up.
I’m afraid Novak has let his left shoulder problem go too far.
Elizabeth,
You are nothing like Jim Courier! Your heart is in the right place.
😀
Thank you, Nny.
Appreciate your kind words. I do try 🙂
Hey hey hey rc aka smartypants!…Hiya!…
I tried to reply to your comments about Novak yesterday rc…but alas!even TG hates me these days!hahaha…Can’t get thru at all!…
Btw rc!…you’re kicking my a$$ on WTA/ATP atm boss!…not that i mind,mind u!hehe…Just hope i will not be slipping any further!…I pick Gauff go very deep!…Let c whether it’s my brain or my kneecap who pick my so called bracket!…ohohoho!!
Oh there you are silly and I miss you. You know you are better than me at brackets. Look at who you picked!! You managed to get Gauff, Andreescu, and Barty in there. I so jealous. Halep already out and Pliskova having to play three sets to beat Jabeur!
You are the official smartypants here. Even though we don’t communicate on the internet often, I still talk to you all the time when I fill out my brackets!! LOL, you. And when you skip brackets I’m left wondering how you would have picked.
I’ll wave as you pass me – you are one measly point behind me and my winner pick went out yesterday 🙁
Okay, MA. Just had a look. I guess your ATP Bracket has too much red on it. But there’s still time. I think we both have the right winner!
Hahaha…miss u more rc!…Hey!…my bracket full of red colour too!hehehe…Oh my God!…I guess Coco/Osaka will make a difference to our brackets too…U picked Osaka & i gauff!…But boy!…i never thought Stephen,Petra,Simona,Kuzzy,Strycova would lose to their opponents this early….and so sorry about Sim rc!…maybe she lacked confidence bcoz USO not been very kind to her b4…
And Konta!….oh boy rc!…we did underestimated her big time!B4 USO started i read that she is very low on confidence…and now look where she is rc!…4th rd!!Ohohohoho…
You sure picked the WTA well though….see? Now you know you are big Smartypants LOL….
Fantastic picking on the WTA! And Big Al too chapeau to him.
I just got too confused with all the new talent. And WTA is so much fun. It’s full of great tennis – very few people really appreciate it. Of course if someone is interested enough to pick serious bracket they are or at least will become a serious WTA fan.
The final stages of your ATP bracket looks great. I think you moving up fast soon! Good luck to you, so wonderful to see you in the bracket again. And Manwerty came back! I recall he’s Polish and there are many Polish up and comers in the ATP and a couple in WTA. I’m big Iga Swiatek fan. And Magda Linette has improved her serve and put muscle in her legs. She’s going to try to keep up with Iga, maybe 😀
Cheers my friend. We shall see: Osaka vs Gauff, Woot!!
lucky,
I wish I was in my nappies! I just know his you love to have great discussions sbout the tennis. That guy is just not capable of appreciating it at all.
😉
HOW you love to have great tennis discussions! *
Heh. I’m trying to stay OUT of nappies these days. Age is not just a number and arthritis is not just a name.
Fed seems to have righted his ship – took him a match longer than I thought it would though.
I was in my nappies when Laver & co were playing.But I didn’t start following tennis until about 1979 ,and watching Borg. Now you know😉
Fed cutting some grass nicely.
This is a metaphor.
Fed had a day’s rest but Evans had not because of the rain delay. Evans didn’t put up much fight in the match, after spending 3+hours on court against Pouille the day before.
Hopefully no more rain delays.
Not denying that lucky, but I’m glad if it helps him find the taste and eagerness to thrive again.