Another installment of the Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer rivalry will take place in the semifinals of the Australian Open on Thursday. Djokovic is the defending champion of this event, while Federer is ultimately looking for his first winner’s trophy Down Under since 2010.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will be squaring off for the 45th time in their careers when they collide in the semifinals of the Australian Open on Thursday. The head-to-head series is all tied up at 22-22 after a pair of 2015 World Tour Finals showdowns failed to settle the score. Federer took a brief 22-21 lead by upsetting Djokovic 7-5, 6-2 during round-robin action before the Serb came out on top when the stakes were raised in the final with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph.
The two double-digit Grand Slam winners have faced each other three times at the Australian Open. Federer cruised 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 in the 2007 fourth round before Djokovic’s breakout tournament–resulting in his first major title in 2008–saw him upset the Swiss 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(5) during semifinal action. The world No. 1 has won thee slam matches in a row at his rival’s expense since losing to Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon semifinals. Djokovic prevailed in the 2014 Wimbledon final (five sets), the 2015 Wimbledon final (four sets), and the 2015 U.S. Open final (four sets).
“Any round feels like finals because of the fact that we are–you know, big rivals,” Djokovic commented. “We (have) played so many times against each other. There’s a lot of tension. There’s a lot at stake. I’m expecting a great fight.”
This blockbuster battle was almost denied in improbable fashion by massive underdog Gilles Simon. The Frenchman benefited from a shocking 100 unforced errors off the Djokovic racket to push their fourth-round affair two five sets, but the favorite finally survived 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. That was preceded by straight-set defeats of Hyeon Chung, Quentin Halys, and Andreas Seppi, and followed by a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 rout of Kei Nishikori on Tuesday.
Federer has endured no scares of any kind. The 34-year-old Swiss dropped only one set through his first five matches and he bounced back nicely from a minor hiccup against Grigor Dimitrov to win that tussle 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Federer also boasts straight-set victories over Nikoloz Basilashvili, Alexandr Dolgopolov, David Goffin, and Tomas Berdych.
“I feel like I’m competitive at the top,” the third seed assured. “I can beat all the guys on tour. It’s nice now that in the last three slams that I’ve been as consistent as I have been. I’m playing good tennis; fun tennis for me, anyway. I really enjoy being able to come to the net more like back in the day. So I’m very pleased.”
But he can’t be pleased seeing Djokovic on the other side of the net, as opposed to Simon or Nishikori. Despite the relative competitiveness of the recent matches, Djokovic has simply had Federer’s number of late. Nobody turns defense into offense better than the world No. 1, an aspect of his game that can expertly counter Federer’s aggressiveness and net-rushing. Expect another high-quality contest, with an edge going to Djokovic.
Pick: Djokovic in 4
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discuss
Who do you hope wins?
Do you?
“I can beat all the guys on tour.” Except one when it actually matters. Nole in 4.
fair point
Fed in four.
Nole’s face looked exhausted and drawn after beating Kei and he admitted he didn’t even practise yesterday.
Fed looks fresh and lightening fast playing as good or better than 10 years ago.
He will prove it tomorrow.
It is the AO final.
The rest is a glorified exho.
Roger in four!! ALLEZ FED!!
Fed never trails in the rivalry. Federer is betterer. Allez Roger!!!!
Benny gets it.
Reminds me. I need to call Rafa’s Benny.
Queue the Rafa polizei.
Feli gets it (listen to him talk to fed at the net)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYTv4v4FUHM&feature=youtu.be&t=289
am still going with nole..maybe the match has to go long but if it does go 5 then nole wins.
he may be tired but he has the mental advantage in the rivalry.
is the court really fast enough for fed’s serve to outweigh the brilliance of nole’s ros? wouldn’t have thought so..
Amy ,
I am sticking with Novak. For the reasons you mentioned above. He is mentally tough and has proven that he can win even when not at his best.
We seem to go through this every time when fed and Novak meet in a slam. So far fed has been unable to get it done. Every time we hear that fed is looking unbeatable, this time he will win, etc. But it has not happened. Novak is looking vulnerable, not playing well, he looks beatable, whatever. But it did not happen.
I am sticking with Novak.
34 not 43 year old Swiss. That said heart says Fed in four while head says Nole in four!
haha thanks!
True ” heart says Fed in four “
but head says…. ?
One thing that could maybe work in Roger’s favour is this match being a SF and not a Final. Maybe he will play with more calm unlike the USO final.
Fed should throw out all the self doubt out of the window on Thursday night. Maybe then he will have a good chance to win, because Nole will be ready.
Allez Roger!!!
Ajde Nole!
May the best man win.
It might help being a GS semi not a final. Fed has looked good at this FO. And perhaps if he could turn the tables and win in three. My question is: is the court surface and conditions that much different this year at AO than in the past? They have met in AO SF’s twice and Novak won both times in competitive straight sets.
2011 AO SF: 76(3) 75 64
2008 AO SF: 75 63 76(5)
2011 goes down in tennis history as one of Novak Djokovic’s best season’s. Circumstances in 2008, aside, Novak has been too good and dominant at AO. If anything, I’d guess that Novak wins in straight sets, with an easier score than in the past. I would prefer a five set nail-biter but it doesn’t feel like it this time.
May the best man win.
…looked good at this AO not FO
Freudian slip edit. FO always on my mind.
ratcliff, speaking of Freudian slips, how did you feel prior to the 2011 French Open SF where Fed beat Nole.
I sense a similar upset.
Nole looks really tired and Fed is poised to strike.
Plus it looks like the match will be played indoors. May not be an advantage one way or another.
Yeah, I was high on Nole winning that match, Hawkeye63.
The advantage is that Nole is mentally stronger more confident and calculating in 2016. Sure, there could be an upset and if there is, I won’t be cheesed off like FO 2011. 😀
Nole losing AO might work to his advantage. I’ve got my reasons to think it.
at least they won’t be talking endlessly about the calendar slam!
What a relief too!
well don’t you think that could relax nole a bit for RG??a bit less pressure??
I do think so. It’s a positive, imo. Other Nole fans disagree. But I’m not a GS counting fan – I don’t believe that’s the be all, end all, metric of…well, won’t even say it for fear of starting a sh!t storm. shh…
It’s all too subjective to me when the numbers get ridiculously astronomical and they are all still in the game. Even then, when the racquets are hung up, it’s never over. Pick your favorite and run with him.
yeah i agree…don’t like goat arguments at all..makes no sense pretending the subjective is objective!
but i do think that winning RG is VERY important to nole and that he would definitely give up a couple of slams elsewhere for one RG..was just wondering how much he would give up for one title there.
getting the career slam is a big thing and there’s no question that it’s very important to him too..
He’s said what his goal is this year. It’s Olympics and French Open. Maybe it has changed? It’s too much to bite off going for the career slam in 2016 – that’s my feeling and I’d like to dispense with the idea. 2014, I said the same when Nole lost to Stan at AO. This is good because…
I don’t know what the formula is and I don’t know if Nole would give up a couple slams for one FO – but my own wish for Nole is for the FO title – sooner than later. Certainly if Nole is in the position after this semi, he will drive on to win a 6th AO. And we shall see after that. So many of one GS feels redundant, imo – no matter if it’s Serena, Federer, Rafa, or who is collecting them. Fans get really wrapped up in it and go crazy. It’s not the way I enjoy tennis. My sermon is now over, Amy!
preach it ratcliff!
sorry are we(or I) getting mixed up with terminology? because i thought the career slam was winning all four slams but doesn’t matter when? so all he needs is the french. that’s all i was saying…
(oh and yes of course he will want to win olympic gold as well)
meant Calendar Slam. Getting FO gets him the Career Slam, of course.
that’s all i was talking about..his main goal being to get the french and hold the career slam..
Yes, Career Slam is what my wish is for Nole. He’d have a couple by now if it wasn’t for Rafa!
Calendar Slam…I don’t care about it. It’s possible but at what price? We’d never hear the end.
Meant Nole would have a couple FO’s if not for the greatest of this era on clay.
Career Slams are nice, once you get all four you go to the head of the class, imo.
Calendar Slams? They might become commonplace if the format changes in the future to BO3.
Logic indicates Nole in 4. Though, I think Roger knows this can be his last year at the highest level. And that kind of motivation sometimes stand up side by sid with logic. I’d say Roger in 4. 3rd set will mean everything for Roger, EL PAPI!.
well said
hmm, yes, going counter-intuitive, Dan! at 7:49
Interesting angle.
There’s invetivibly surprises that no one sees coming, too. Who would have picked Flavia at US Open. Who picked Stan AO 2014?
I’m guessing this is a better chance for Fed than the U.S open match. People need to remember that at his age, recovery time changes. I think playing Novak 3 days earlier is a much better option for him. That being said, I think the most likely result is still Novak in 4 because Fed couldn’t even win 50% of points on 2nd serves against Berdych. It always comes down to Fed’s second serve. Unless points won on that start touching 55% with a 65% or better first serve placement, I don’t see him winning the match. Order of expected results for me:
Novak in 4
Novak in 3
Fed in 4
Novak in 5
Fed in 5
Fed in 3
like the order
where in the order are retirements!?!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9pEqEy80RA
Don’t care what circumstance, I’ll keep taking Nole until he loses.
Nole in 4
ANTI NOLE LETS GO ROGER!!!!!
someone’s fired up!
Fed playing as well as he ever has…he’s got a chance to win. Fed in 3!
hahahaha
bold pick scoot! any chance of us setting up a betting syndicate?
!!!!
hahaha! just realised what a betting syndicate actually is!
sorry about that…
am really losing it today..
Nole in 3 sets 7-6(5) 6-3 6-4 under the assumption Nole does not raise his game only when Rafa is across the net
Yes, that is a good qualifier! 🙂
Fed in 4 or Novak in 5.
Cant decide which i prefer. If it’s Raonic in the final, which opponent is better for Raonic?
If its either of the other three in the final, I think it makes no difference whether its Novak or Fed.
Fed is better opponent for Raonic because Djoker has no losses to Milos but either way Raonic will lose if he makes the final.
Some “trolling” sentences on this.
what is this in response to
You completely know which sentences…
Of course some of the 100 unforced errors (i really doubt the number) that Djokovic commited in the 4th round were provoked by Simon’s defense.
Simon’s gameplan in this match was to not give the rhythm that Djoko likes and it simply worked very well most of the match.
i’m not going back and reading all the comments, so no, I don’t even know which poster you were responding to
You (it’s obvious).
This analysis is too “basic”. I think you are much better than that.
in what way?
Djokovic and Federer have played each other 44 times. Anyone who is reading this article is a tennis fan and has probably watched many of those 44 matches. There aren’t any tactical secrets. So I have no idea what you are confused about in terms of the analysis.
“oh Djokovic made 100 UES, he played so bad”, of course it’s a “basic” analysis because you have to take in consideration other things like the opponent he faced, who is fast around the court and can counter punch very well.
Simon had already won some sets vs Djoko in previous encounters so calling Simon a “massive” underdog is not true.
perhaps you didn’t notice that i picked Djokovic over Nishikori in 3 (nailed it) and have Djokovic over Federer in 4. So I don’t think you should be directing this “100 unforced errors” discussion at me. Direct it at the people who actually fell for the trap and thought he would lose to Nishikori because of it.
massive underdog isn’t an opinion. it’s a fact. I guess you didn’t look at the pre-match betting odds!
yeah, i didn’t notice indeed.
Still, some of the top 100 unforced errors (again I doubt the number because it’s difficult to judge) were somehow forced so it’s not that “shocking” to see Djoko making much more unforced errors than usual + it was a 5 setter too, with many points and long sets displayed.
you’re preaching to the choir. I have ALWAYS considered Simon the most underrated player in tennis. Everyone is going to make more errors than usual against him.
That being said, the eye test does not lie: Djokovic played bad (he even admitted this).
yes, he’s one of the most underrated player on tour for obscure reasons.
I do feel the “aggressive” part of his game is underrated too, he can hit winners from both wings in a good mood vs the right opponent (against Del Bonis in AO rd 3 or against Nadal in Rome 2014 for example).
Simon was hitting some insane on the run backhand passes against Djoker.
He knows when to pull the trigger, and can do so when he wants to.
one of the biggest beatdowns I’ve ever seen in person was Simon-Hewitt in Miami
yes, indeed.
What an athlete Gilles Simon! Love watching him.
As a cyclist, he’d have beat Christropher Froome or Andy Schleck up Alpe d’Huez!
Schleck is the Seppi of cycling
I think it will be Nole in 4…
I wish for Fed to win though…and then to go ahead and lose to either Milos (quite possible!) or Andy (less possible!) but I really do not see it happening…mainly due to Fed being 34 years old… 🙂
expect Nole to show up rejuvenated and ready to RUN…Fed hates running…If Fed manages to avoid long rallies with Nole he does have a chance…
also, what remains to be seen is the impact of work with Ljubicic…maybe it’s too early for that but let’s wait and see…
^^Nats: Their relationship started back in 2013 before Ljubicic left to become joint coach to Federer. He and Fed are great cronies on the player council and I reckon he had a lot to do with pushing through the enforcement of the time violation rule. I saw him play against Rafa at RG in the SF and I recall he put the boot in after the match complaining about Rafa taking too long to serve. He’s a very political animal with a finger in a lot of pies.
PS: Roland Garros 2006 SFs.
There’s no love lost between Rafa and Ljuibicic.
or Roddick and Ljuboss
Ljuboss! love it.
I’d say Djokovic in 5 although Federer is playing very well and could beat Djoko again with ultra aggressive tennis/net rushing (like in Shanghai 2014). Would need to serve extremely well too.
I think it will be a Djoko victory in four sets.
Even though Roger played a great tennis here, Djoko has more stamina, more power, more mobility.
With all my respect for Fedex, I do not think he can beat Djoko anymore.
Enjoy the amazing tennis in this match.
https://site.forumul-pariorului-maniac.ro/federer-vs-djokovic-everestul-tenisului/
I’ve been tempted to switch my pick to Nole but decided against it.
However, if Fed loses to Nole again tomorrow, I’m not picking him against Nole anymore until he proves he can meet my expectations.
#Probation
i do love the way you set fed up for a fall hawks!
Yes, someone seems to be hedging their bets!
It’s called having your cake and eating it………
Yes!
I don’t know, I said Nole in 4 but Fed said he can beat all the top guys and has threatened to whip out the SABR again. So….conflicted.
Sabr does unsettle Novak at times and Roger hasn’t used it in a while so Nole may be thrown off at times.
gosh pat i have great respect for your posts and enjoy reading them but
‘fed…..has threatened to whip out the sabr again’ is not the most felicitous of phrasing!
he might have to resort to such tactics to beat the Djoker!!!
Now THAT’S a Freudian slip.
Lmao
My bad
Fed in 4
Too late for Fed in 4.
come on in here, folks.
Nole in 4. He will drop this set.
No
You’re right. Doing the anti jinx because I want this beat down to become better. And what a pass! Followed by a terrible pass.
Fed is not going to win the match, that’s for sure.
genius
Fed showing some resistance
Djokovic will win:
61 62 64
6-3
Such a level by nole can not only win him this match but also a lot of matches in the future. Just ask rafa
oil painting of a backhand *Koening style* !! 15-30 !!
Impressive net coverage. Taking the initiative! 15-40!
Federer has break point, eureka
Fed engaging in rallies with Novak is just plain stupid! That’s exactly what Nole wants. Rush to the net Fed!!!
Fed’s forays to the net have failed so far.
Fed stands no chance playing from the baseline. It’s just not his way of playing! He should shorten the points, go to the net but in order to do so he has to hit deeper and harder but Nole doesn’t let it happen that easily…Novak serving well though…his serve is such a forte..
Fed playing better now, slowing down the pace and hitting some slices.
Novak’s level dropping. If anyone could withstand it long enough, Novak’s level may come down.
Good one there by Fed! Let Novak has a taste of his own medicine.
Break!!! Good old Federer!
Come on hang in there, Novak’s level may drop.
Bravo Fed! Make the match of it!
Go Fed!!
Fed on fire
Too little too late. But at least he has salvaged his pride – just.
Gotta win set
Goooood sneak in ! drew the errors from novak on ROS
Federer has developed an open-stanced backhand but he is not good enough and quick enough with it. His foot speed is not sufficient to hit closed stance running forehands now. He was able to do this in his prime . This , together with the fact that novak is the GOAT in spreading the court, makes life too tough for Roger. DJokovic’s backhand DTL is too tough to defend against for Federer
open stance forehand *** (line 1)
Luckystar, the first two sets twere 54 mins exactly! But best of 5 has given fed the chance to salvage some pride. He has done really well this set. I think it will be over in 4
Rafa still better in BO5, was able to sustain his high level throughout three sets at least to beat Fed at the FO.
Vamos Federer! Yes game on!
So, Novak cant sustain his in the zone tennis over three sets. No wonder he has to fight so hard to win his slams but wins Masters relatively easily.
yeah..
He relaxed. Purely mental. Similar to the Wimbledon 2011 final.
combination of both factors Mikkers… it is normal for Djokovic to relax after winning the first two set too easily. But, fed played a lot better.
Fed was on fire. Still barely won it.
where’s NNY?
It could get very interesting if fed takes set 4
Djokovic getting ready to mount his comeback and demolish the hapless Roger in the 4th set.
Will closing the roof help Roger?
Doesnt seem like a demolition job so far this fourth set.
You can feel it coming tho
Indoor tennis now
This could be beneficial for Federer! Indoors and this break he is getting right now…
Whatever Djoker was on at the beginning of the match is wearing off now. He needs a top up.
Nah he’s just keeping it in reserve.
He’s about to make one final push
So glad fed has put some dents here. Djokovic cruising would in 3 would have been bad.. now, fed has put pressure on him and novak is making more mistakes too!
Go Fed, keep pushing!
VR, I think the Rafa with a good BHDTL shot and right mentality would give this Novak a run for his money.
This match going into 4 sets tells me Novak cant sustain his high level throughout a four or five setter and so his opponent will have his chances.
The important thing is to play him wisely, vary the pace and throw in DTL shots not always CC ones.
I feel Murray if he gets to the final, should take inspiration from Simon and plays a similar way which he’s more than capable of doing; not trying to outhit Novak. Murray should play wisely, not trying to dominate Novak with power, but force errors out of Novak.
So now Fed knows the virtue of slowing down the play and slowing down the pace.
he is not quick enough to play that brand of tennis so yeah he needs to slow things down a little
O WOWWW ! FEDDD!! what a point!
Pity!! Unlucky game for fed
Fed needs to hold here – at 3:4 down in the 4th.
Poor volley on 0-15 !
The writing is on the wall. Djoko will serve for the match.
Yes! Should never have been in this position, but better late than never.
So another final for Novak, tying Fed’s 17 consecutive finals!
That WAS the final.
#SundayExho
I say not…Nole gets it his own way with Fed and Rafa these days…some of the other players (read Wawa, Simon) do not seem to be such an easy job for the Serb…
Milos lost in three sets last year (7:6 6:4 6:2) but it wasn’t a beatdown…this year Milos has improved tremendously and if in the finals may make Novak work for his money…I still think he will not be able to win but it certainly will be better quality match and more competitive than some exho…
Wonder what the handshake will be like
Well played Nole. Repeat performance of the first two sets in the finals please.
Not liking this but too good Novak Djokovic. Too damn good. Not sure who has a better chance in the final against Novak. May the better player reach the final and give a good fight. Normally I would be rooting for Andy but lately he has not been able to make an impact. I hope he can change that. He has the game to trouble novak but beating novak here in the final would be extremely, extremely tough.
neither. Hope this helps.
haha…note that I used the word ‘better’ when talking about the chance each player has…. I know the chances are very slim for both . veyr slim
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Wake me up when this nightmare is over.
it’s over
Won’t be over until 2022.
Djoko vs Fed H2H: 23-22.
Fed will end his career with a losing record against his top two rivals… strong point this is going to be against his legacy.
He’s 34. Of course Novak wasn’t in his prime when he got dominated by Fed. The record against Rafa though, now that will suck for him.
why? He isn’t even in the same generation as Djokovic.
So? fed got to play enough times against him when he was at the peak of his powers and Novak was in the developing stage. Now, novak has had his share. Also note that novak is also 29, not a 21 year old. the fact that he moves and plays like a 21 year old is miraculous.
Fed-Novak have played 45 times! Fed’s top two rivals will have a positive head to head against him…
Djokovic will most likely end his career with positive head to head records against Fedal. Damn… Quite worried about the rate at which this guy is racking up title after title. Somebody stop him!!
Right on VR! Especially if Nole displays the longevity that Fed does and if there is no rival to stop him, he may rack up some mind boggling records. He is no mug on any surface, no mug against any opponent, has no weakness in his game. Novak era seems like it is here to stay
it is scary to think of it, vmk…. things can change pretty quickly in tennis and I am hoping something will happen to change this dynamic. Otherwise, novak djokovic is primed to break record after record.
May be the man from Mallorca can do something about this in the clay court season. Please rafa, dominate on clay again :/
VR, all because Rafa is not there at the business end of the slams. Also Murray not live up to expectations at Wimbledon. Thanks Stan for standing in when Rafa was down.
Just check, when Rafa was there in SFs at least, from AO2012 onwards, he stopped Novak at the FOs and USO. Its only on grass that he couldnt do the job of at least reaching the SF to meet Novak.
Out of 20 slams played from 2011 to 2015, Novak won 9 lost 11 – 4 to Rafa, 2 each to Fed, Murray and Stan and 1 to Kei. Without a top form Rafa standing in his ways, its like a huge burden off his mind.
A top form Rafa with Stan are the two who could stop Novak at the slams. In a Masters Novak will be hard to beat because he comes out all guns blazing when facing the top guys. In a slam he couldnt sustain that level throughout.
it is true that only an on-fire stan and a top-form rafa can stop him in slams. I know that rafa not being there has made things easier for him. We know how it was different in 2012-14 . However, to be fair, his level of tennis in 2015-16 is also higher. He is tougher to beat than he ever was.
But not at the slams. Just check how often he goes five sets at the slams in 2015 till this AO. He practically was stretched in every slam before winning the titles. Imagine a top form Rafa at the FO last year!
Rafa when he was winning at the slams werent stretched that often esp at FO and USO.
The difference is Novak now can outlast any opponent even when not playing well – Stan and Murray at AO2015; Anderson at Wimbledon, Murray at FO; Dolgo/ Gulbis etc at the Masters for eg.
Such flawed reasoning. As usual. Nole is 29 but he was nowhere in 2009 and 2010. Roger has absolutely NOTHING to prove against Djokovic.
I understand the argument with Nadal to an extent. He’s been with Roger since 2005. Djokovic-Roger, there’s ZERO comparison. Even assuming Roger got his wins when he was in his prime and Djokovic wasn’t, being less experienced is not even HALF as bad as being out of your physical prime. Just look at the sheer number of matches Roger’s played.
In any case, he clearly doesn’t care about the H2H. For every match lost in a H2H, he sets a new record literally every tournament these days.
And no amount of experience will ever compensate for loss of footspeed. That too on such slow courts.
I thought this was actually a really good result compared to last two years. And Roger didn’t do much wrong in terms of gameplan. Just that executing it is so difficult on courts this slow. And Novak knew this. Just watch one slow motion video of Roger volleying and you’ll see how high the ball bounces off the Court.
In any case, only Roger can achieve this:
http://twitter.com/Crumdawg97/status/692657029551357952
“Federer point got dude out his wheelchair.”
[img]http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZzP5JAW0AAQDZx.jpg:large[/img]
I loved how even the interview was all about Roger.:p
Right you are VR. Federazzi love to ignore the advantage Fed had up to 2008 building a 7-2 advantage over Nole before Nole turned 20 and Roger still in his prime.
And now it’s the other way around and Nole has taken the overall h2h.
Rafa always owned Fed at any age.
Roger has nothing to prove.
Nor do any other past GOATS.
So Novak now has a winning record against all three of his rivals, and will probably end up as the only player with a winning record over both Federer and Nadal. That is quite an achievement.
Not so soon, its just one win over the two of them each, things can change.
very very unlikely. he is going to win more even if he loses a few of them. Rafa at least has had his number in slams 🙂
Thats enough. I also feel that IF Rafa plays the right way, like at MC and Rome 2012, he still can beat Novak at clay Masters.
On the HCs its always Novak except at the slams when they’re tied 2-2.
Well I’d Novak was a little unlucky not to face Rafa at the Australian or Wimbledon more than once. But then that’s how things go.
Mikkers, you should be thankful he won that AO 2012 final 🙂 ….could have easily gone rafa’s way had it not been for that easy backhand miss AND the fact that he had lost 6 straight times to novak in 2011…haha….
Regarding wimbledon, I also wish he had met rafa in the 2010 final and not lost to Berdych. Rafa was untouchable at that time..
Well if you want Novak to beat that bad back Rafa in 2014 AO!
Given how close that AO2012 was, I’m also not sure that Novak would beat Rafa should they meet at the AO more often. They may be even at the AO.
FYI, their H2H at the slams excluding the FO is 3-3; so contrary to common belief, Rafa is not losing the H2H at the slams to Novak even on non clay surfaces.
Oh come on, AO 2012 was the FO 2013 match of Rafa’s dominance over Novak at RG. GIven how the two have played relatively on the surface, it is safe to say Novak would have won most encounters.
And Novak played Nadal plenty of times at the height of his dominance on clay, skews the record. Nadal has played Novak once at the AO over the last five years. Having said that, the edge Nadal holds at USO is very impressive, especially the 2013 victory.
@Vamosrafa, or If Nole had not missed those 2 routine FH’s in the 4th set Tiebreaker, the match would have been Novak’s in 4 rather than 5!
Seem’s like no one remembers those FH errors by Nole in that 4th set TB!
Mikkers at 12:46
+1
#TwoWayStreet
….but Rafa is not at his peak now while Novak is so Novak now has the advantage.
You cant just use ‘Novak hasnt reached his prime/peak’ as an excuse whilst ignore the fact that its Rafa now who’s not at his peak whilst Novak is.
Check:
2006-2010 on clay Rafa vs Novak – 9-0; on HCs 5-7.
2011-2015 on clay Rafa vs Novak – 5-6; on HCs 2-9
So, it all balance up from 2006 to 2015 – 23-23 including grass. Rafa is better than Novak on clay and Novak better on the HCs.
Going forward Novak really HAS the edge over Rafa until he himself comes down from his peak.
2010 doesn’t count. Nole wasn’t quite gluten-free yet. There’s pre gluten free years (he was damm good) and gluten free years (out of this world phenomenal)
My post was in response after reading vamosrafa @ 11:53 am 🙂
Again, my prediction was right! Novak in 4 was totally realistic pick. Fed was not serving well to begin with and without his huge serve he is easy to smash by this Djokovic.
I don’t think either Andy or Milos have chance against Nole. I am afraid Andy would just give up once he realized Novak is winning the rallies. That’s why I wish Milos to beat Andy as his ice cold nature may make a difference in the final. I know he will be under huge pressure playing his first final but maybe, just maybe, his poker face and huge serve would shake Novak’s game…still little chance for Milos to win…
MOST people had Novak in 4. But yes, good pick.
Well, no, a lot of people also predicted Fed wining ..including hawkeye… ?
Congrats to me!!!!
RT Genny SS (1h ago): “Fed looking at Lubo every single time he’s hesitating to challenge a shot….”
That’s on-court coaching!
every player does that. Hope that helps
AT 11:20 AM,
Nope, nothing helps Fed’s defenders.
Many players violate the time limit between points but only one one player gets regularly punished. Hope that helps.
RTJosé Vallejo: “Novak Djokovic now with positive H2H records vs both Rafael Nadal and RF. He officially takes over the privilege Nadal enjoyed for…12 yrs.”
12 years! Sweet!
yeah good old times..he needs two straight wins against Djokovic to have that again. Sigh.
It doesn’t count until he’s done it for 13 years and with more than a margin of 1.
according to who??
Gosh, I just had this most depressing thought: If Rafa failed to reach his best form this year enough to win some we may witness both Fed and Rafa retirements at the same time at the end of the year…hope not!!! ?
Nah, dont be so pessimistic. Rafa can win on clay, he needs to start winning the smaller events first to build up his confidence.
lots of hopes tied to the clay court season. For now, rafa MUST win titles in all the clay events he is playing before IW. He will get a wild card entry for Beunos Aires and there will be Ferrer, Fognini and some other good players. I am hopeful he will win these titles and start building some momentum. THAT is what he desperately needs. Momentum.
Fed wont retire so soon as he still hopes to hold off Rafa and Novak from touching his slam records.
He needs Murray plus Raonic to be in Novak’s half of the draw at Wimbledon to give himself more chances of winning another slam, the Wimbledon. Its still possible I feel.
Unlike many, I feel Murray has a chance vs Novak here if he gets to the final and plays the right strategy.
have always been a believer that Murray’s brand of tennis can win him matches against Novak but the situation is against him this time. Losing sooooo much to Novak lately. Novak’s confidnence level. The question is whether Murray can sustain a high enough level.
The gap in the quality of 2nd serves has widened so much. In their 2012 AO SF Murray won only 30% of second serves but he made up for that by allowing Novak to win only 45%. With time, novak has really improved his second serve and wins more points behind it. Andy has enormous pressure when serving and Novak not so much . If somehow Murray can address this imbalance, he can do some serious damage.
Murray needs to get past Raonic first. It’s not a given that he would.
^^that!
I know…. i would give them both almost an equal chance….murray slight favourite. I was just analyzing a possible final…
Murray had Novak on the rope last AO but failed to persist and so fell short. If they meet here, hope Murray doesnt make the same mistakes and also not making and mistakes!
He had quite a chance last year but wilted in the third set.
12 years?
luckystar (AT 11:35 AM),
It would be more correct to say that almost 11 years in a row.
No. / Year /Tournament/ Surface/ Round -Winner – H2H (Rafa:Fed):
1. 2004 Miami Hard R32 – Nadal – 1:0
2. 2005 Miami Hard Final – Federer – 1:1
3. 2005 French Open Clay Semi-final – Nadal – 2:1
…(and so on)
What a damn squib of a match? What was wrong with Federer in first 2 sets. So subdued, poor body language, leaking errors off both wings, serve had no pop.
Such a poor semi and such a let down.
many Fed fans on my timeline are so unhappy with what they saw as it was not even competitive but almost a surrender. Thank God Novak cooled off in 3rd.
To be quite honest @Sanju, it was quite an entertaining match!
At leat that is what me and many others on the twitter feed felt.
Entertaining? in what way? 3rd set maybe yes..def not first 2 and 4th too had just not more than 3 points that were entertaining.
certainly not the first two sets…well, if Fedfans are suddenly entertained by this performance of their fave then you guys have definitely lowered your expectations & standards…
Entertaining because of the incredible level of tennis displayed by Nole in the first 2 sets.
For tennis to be entertaining, it doesn’t always need to be a dogfight. Even 1 player completely dominating the other by playing incredible tennis can be entertaining too.
how can a fed fan enjoy that manhandling regardless of how well the opponent played :s
^^^that
You need to have realistic expectations!I knew Fed will end up losing today. That’s what I had said at the beginning of the tournament.
If it would have been a straight set loss, I would have been really glum, but Roger fought it out really well to take the 3rd set and produced some magical winners too. That made me a bit happier.
Like many of you Rafa fans already gearing up for clay season, I’m already prepping up for the grass season and Wimbledon. That’s only where Fed has a chance to beat Nole.
No point having much hopes for the other tournaments, when Nole is gonna play this kinda of tennis on courts that naturally suit his game style
Because despite all the accusations, Fed fans like tennis way more than just watching their guy win. I thought it was a good match myself. Novak came in knowing he had the clear advantage on this surface. Roger came in knowing it too but in the third set he decided he wasn’t simply going to throw the match away like that. And Djokovic played his game well. No complaints there. He did what was expected.
Geez, fedfan, you sure have a lot of “public holidays” it seems.
I posted after the match (was anyway following scores) while you’re here all day, everyday. It takes me seconds to type given that drafting’s basically my job.
But for some reason you have a weird, convexed obsession with me. Probably something do with the fact that you can never win an argument with someone who decides to call out your BS.
Nah, I’m your daddy (you know like Rafa’s Fed’s with a more than 2:1 h2h advantage).
I guess you have time to see all my posts while “drafting” lol.
Such a multitasker.
Tomic was right.
Ever heard of multiple windows? Like I said, you’re one jobless fellow. You come here, attack me, and then expect not to be attacked back. But yes, since you’re that jobless, draw up a list of public holidays across the world. That might give you a clue. And something to do.
And fedfan I’ve seen you post countless endless comments on T-X clogging up the board during a match endlessly whining on about how bad a player is playing against a player you don’t like or whining about Fed when he’s losing like anyone is interested.
It’s both tedious and comical at the same time.
I guess your “draw-rings” aren’t too taxing for you?
I don’t post on whichever website you’re referring to. But like I said, you have too much time on your hands.
Riiiight.
Same moniker and same attitude.
One and the same.
Federazzi are everywhere.
I don’t know what you’re on about but it appears there’s no point in indulging you (not least because unlike you I’m not jobless) anymore.
If my username is similar to anyone on any other obscure tennis website that is not my problem.
That is not fair on Novak. Fed was poor but Novak was redlining in the first two sets with every part of his game. He got into Fed’s head very early.
+1
Sanju (AT 11:50 AM),
—many Fed fans on my timeline are so unhappy—
===
.
Fed fans have constantly been gloating over Rafa’s losses and Fed has laughed at Rafa’s losses. I don’t feel sad about their unhappiness. 🙂
it becomes clear that Novak aims at wining matches as fast as possible pushing so hard in the first two sets…he was just extraordinary in the first two sets but helped a bit with Fed subpar performance…
however, Fed raised his level in the third but also Novak dropped in level…so if anyone can sustain the rallies with Novak as Simon did then there is a chance of beating Novak because he just does no longer expect it to happen…Novak is so high on confidence that he was so to say shocked by Simon’s resistance which resulted in record 100 errors…
But for Rafa to stand a chance against Novak he has to mix his services and varies his game in order to be less predictable…so far we have not seen it happen against Novak because it’s hard to implement it against the best in game right now…but we did see it against Milos and if Milos is in the finals tomorrow that means that Rafa is doing the right things…
I am most worried about Novak’s ROS though…it is just amazing how focused he is and how he reads his opponents service so well…he has become like Serena in that regard…
mix his SERVES of course…
Lol, I’d argue he is way better than Serena in that regard. The coordination on the stretch returns is insane.
yeah, I understand your well deserved overconfidence atm …Nolefans are in the phantasy world right now…he is better than anyone EVER in every department…well, I don’t think so…he still has a lot to do…playing old Fed and Rafa in decline does not make Novak a miracle worker…where was his brilliance in that Simon match? And how was he able to lose to Wawa?
I thought comparing Novak to Serena would be flattering for Nole’s fans…she just reached her 7th AO final…Her total of 21 Grand Slam singles titles speak for itself…
Anyway, in terms of Novak, the rising stars are on their way and will make it harder for Novak…I wish Rafa would be back to his high level of play to challenge Novak but more that I expect more I get disappointed…
Its not the same game IMO. Women’s and men’s tennis cannot be compared but if you want to be objective, Novak does everything countering greater power, and in smaller reaction time.
Djokovic is the most balanced player I have ever seen and is the most complete from the baseline. Does this make him the best ever? Certainly not. But I think he has it in him to go past Nadal. So their peaks didn’t coincide so what? Every argument about Nadal and Federer being in decline can be reversed to Novak’s favour by simply saying he wasn’t in his prime, he wasn’t at his best level etc.
And I’m not simply a Novak fan. I rate both Federer and Nadal above him, as well as Sampras, but I believe that when all is said and done, Novak will be one of the top 2 players of all time, with Federer probably being better.
Mikkers nailing it.
(Except I think Nole will pass Fed as the best – as soon as June possibly.)
@mikkers 12:52pm,
women’s and men’s tennis CAN NOT be compared???? Are you serious? Why? Because women are inferior to men? Serena’s serve is better and faster than of most of the male players on tour…none of the male players can play drive volley as women tennis players do…
So according to you we should just disregard all the accomplishments women had in tennis because it can’t be compared? What is so special about men’s tennis? Sorry, but it seems to me as pure male chauvinism…
@ mikkers 12:55 pm,
” I rate both Federer and Nadal above him”…
You MUST rate them above Novak because they ARE above him with their records. For the time being…we would have to wait a few more years and see if anything changed…
yep
natashao,
The brilliance in the match with Simon, was that when it was over Novak won. That’s the point! Winning when you are not at your best! By all rights, Novak should have lost that one. But Simon seemed to fade a bit in the final going. He fought to the end but Novak found a way to win. Sound familiar?
That’s because someone named Rafa Nadal used to do the same thing! We would be on here singing Rafa’s praises to the heavens if he had done what Novak did in managing to find a way to beat Simon. He did not have his game on that day. That’s the way it is. But the champions find a way to do it anyway.
I just want this whole sorry saga without Rafa to finish. It’s torture watching the men’s matches…………..what a yawn!!!!!!!!
Your yawning is catching.
Is thia going to be the face of tennis? I can’t think of anybody on the tour capable of bringing the reign of Djokovic to an end any time soon.
I thought he already is the face of tennis!
Novak’s Achilles heel is that no matter how many titles he wins and records he breaks he is still not held in the same high regard as the other three in the Big Four. In recent years the majority of commentators. like so many sheep, toe the party line and talk him up incessantly and for the most part turn a blind eye to the fairly frequent lapses from grace.
Todays match reminded me on Novak Rafa Wimbledon final 2011. That was another hyped match that turned out to be a squib. Second set Novak won 6 1, 3rd Rafa won 6 1. Other 2 sets were 6 4 in Novaks favour. That match got over in 2.5 hours and left huge sense of disappointment for not living upto the billing.
That’s the fault of the fans, not the players. If we keep on billing up the hopes for an epic, we will never be able to enjoy what’s on offer and end up disappointed most often than not.
If each and every match starts turning into epics, there won’t be the charm of W’08 / USO’09 /AO’09 / USO’10/ AO’12 /RG’13 / W’14 and many others
I agree about being able to appreciate the truly special slams because they don’t happen all that often! That’s what makes them special! 🙂
Roger quietly telling a reporter off for slighting Novak.
“Q. As dominant as you have been the years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and so on, since there are not any more the Nadals or the Federers in the next three years, we don’t see that around, the fab four. Do you think Djokovic will be as dominant or more dominant than you have been having no great opponents in the future?
ROGER FEDERER: You have to be careful how you phrase a question. You don’t want to be rude to the other players because you have to face them. I don’t have to face them. I don’t ask them stupid questions like that.
I think there’s a lot of good players on the tour. I’ll tell you that. I think it’s hard to keep up that level of play. What he’s been doing is amazing. I was very happy how I’ve been able to keep up my level. Is it better or not? I don’t know.
I think we’re both, all of us, with Rafa, Novak, me, Murray, you name it, Stan, we’re all very happy with our careers. Of course, you can argue all these cases. We’re trying our best, you know, everybody. I think we’ll all walk away very happy that we were as successful as we were.”
You tell ’em Rog! Just goes to show the difference between a real player and the media.
Who other than the Maestro can enlighten these souls!
ALLEZ ROGER!!
Good answer by Fed. I cant stand the media for asking stupid questions! Good thing Fed tells them in the face how stupid they are for asking such stupid questions.
Nah, he knew he couldn’t complain about a weak era for someone else. He’s no hypocrite.
fed had 51 UEs with only 27% receiving points won…1st serve % was pretty low at 57% relative to Fed’s own standards given that he relies on his serve more than anything…given that he wasn’t able to play his S&V game and ended up losing long rallies as expected…this definitely was not a good match for Fed!
Pay attention Rafans! When Rafa underperforms we are the ones criticizing, finding answers & solutions, feeling down whereas Fed fans are happy that the opponent displayed some stunning tennis which made their favorite look doomed…well, this does not sound right, doesn’t it? I bet Fed will be criticizing his own performance…
Fed made >50 UFE’s in his 2008 RG Final. Yet we get to listen how good Rafa was rather than how poor Roger was.
Hope this helps.
On a side note: How crestfallen was Laver? Love the guy.
^^^ I clocked that too. You could see he was feeling Federer’s pain.
Rafa was SOOO good in that 2008 RG. You just can’t take it away from him…He never played a five-setter like Novak did at this AO. He was never even tested!
Rafa destroyed his opponents in the 2008 RG beating natural clay court players Verdasco and Almagro with respective scores: 6:1 6:0 6:2 and 6:1 6:1 6:1. He also beat a strong and in-form Novak in three sets (where Novak was able to take him to a tie break in the third) And then he allowed Fed ONLY 4 games…C’mon you can’t be saying that Rafa did not outplay Fed in every department in that match…
There are two ways of looking at it. Roger did have a lot of UFEs in the match because otherwise I just don’t think he’s getting bagelled in a GS final. He hadn’t been bagelled at all in ten years at any tournament until then. Of course Nadal was winning anyway. But Roger was way off all tournament.
Fed’s UEs were as a result of Rafa stretching him. Hope this helps.
You don’t know the difference between forced and unforced errors. Hope it helps.
She does actually.
Technically they are UEs but they are ‘forced’ in the sense that Fed is ‘forced’ to go for riskier, lower margin shots.
Hope this helps.
End of.
There;s no such thing as ‘technically’. Either it is forced in which case it won’t be counted in the stats or it is unforced for which you have separate stats.
Here, educate yourself for change instead of worrying about my public holidays:
http://www.tennismindgame.com/unforced-errors.html
sigh
No hope for fedfan. He doesn’t get it.
Hope that @natashao understands your point.
Probably should have said it more directly myself in my last post @ 1:53pm
no, 2008 RG Rafa was just too good to begin with…he was not struggling in any of the matches, he was so dominant, which Nole wasn’t at this AO…Fed had a chance to make it competitive but his own game plan and execution thereof failed him…you will just have to live with it!
Roger’s rhythm was off in the beginning. He started slow and Novak raced through. It happens. I’m not one to pay so much attention to UEs. Roger also had more winners than Novak at the end of Set 3 (didn’t check stats for the whole match)despite the score. That is Roger’s game. It’s tougher to execute on courts where a point doesn’t end quickly but that doesn’t mean he’s playing bad tennis. And I’m just happy he’s still in the game because otherwise all we’d have is defenders everywhere. Same style with same patterns of play.
@ Fedfan,
Fed had one winner more than Novak 34 to 33. But Novak had only 20 UEs…what does it tell you? Novak benefited from Fed’s UEs…I really expected Fed to do better in this match…but if the Fedfans are happy I am too…
I’m not ‘happy’ but I’m not sad either. If you’ve watched attacking players enough you know that their propensity for peaks and troughs is much higher than those that play consistent but safe tennis. Sampras had such moments as well. Because you risk a lot when you’re playing that style and then if the range on your shots is off even for a small period in the match, things can slip by quickly.
yeah, I agree…But I thought Fed would make this one more competitive…he certainly could if he was playing his A game…my thinking is that he brought his C game today… I do not think the reason is Fed being intimidated by Nole…If anything I admire Fed not having fear from Nole…if he had he would have been losing to Novak at much earlier stage in his career…
in fact, when I made my prediction I said Fed would lose because he is 34 years old and if he allowed Nole to drag him into long rallies he would have had no chance…Fed did exactly that…he could od better than that with his extraordinary net game…but serve let him down big this time…
Novak forced Fed to go for lower margin shots.
Theoretically they were UEs but practically they weren’t.
You mean the same way Rafa did in all his wins over Roger
#DoYou
#OrDon’tYou
Different cases. Fed is nearing the end of his career and is almost 35. He plays to enjoy tennis and perhaps add to or protect his legacy.
Rafa is 29 and still has plenty he wishes to achieve, at least he says he wishes to get back to his best and competitive level. Of course we are more concern if he’s not getting there. It Rafa is 35 and having Fed’s kind of achievements, I wont be that bothered when he lost to younger opponents in their prime.
lucky,
I do think you made a good point about Fed being at a different point in his career. Rafa is five years younger and still has things that he wants to achieve, according to him. He seems to still have the desire to compete.
If Rafa had won the Rafa slam in 2011 or the double career slam in 2014, then I wouldn’t be as upset about what is going on with him now. Because he would have done something that no one else has done in the modern era. Either one of those and I would be happy for him. But he lost out because of injuries, yet again. That is what makes it so hard seeing like this now. Fed has done what he wanted to do in this sport. He plays now for the love of it and also because he would most likely love to get one more slam to add to his legacy.
AT 5:59 PM,
Fed plays for the money and to set records.
Oh, did Fed tell you that himself?
Nativenewyorker AT 8:18 PM: “I don’t have to answer to anyone here.”
Me too. 😆
Different scenarios. Fed is nearing the end of his career and is almost 35. He plays to enjoy tennis and perhaps add to or protect his legacy.
Rafa is 29 and still has plenty he wishes to achieve, at least he says he wishes to get back to his best and competitive level. Of course we are more concern if he’s not getting there. It Rafa is 35 and having Fed’s kind of achievements, I wont be that bothered when he lost to younger opponents in their prime.
Sorry for double post.
it’s a bit different underperforming in a grand slam semi-final against the world number one who owns this event and intimidates anyone across the net from him just by stepping on court to underperforming by going out first round! (and that is the 3rd straight loss in the early rounds of slams). fed has played very well in the last 3 slams getting to 2 finals and a semi. kudos to him! commies to all our fed fans especially benny and abhirf.
it’s certainly a bit different to make comparisons with the player who was unlucky enough to be plagued with injuries all his life and had been coming back strong each time to beat those who enjoyed comfortable injury-free runs on tour…
amy,
Just catching up here, so I didn’t see your comment before I posted mine. I said basically the same thing. That there is a world of difference in going out in the first round to someone like Nando, versus playing in a slam final and losing!
It’s called rationalizing! But don’t you know that real Rafa fans can’t say anything like that, even though it’s the truth at the moment. I don’t find it fun to watch Rafa get owned by the likes of Nando or Fog, for that matter. I also don’t think he’s enjoying it, judging from the look in his eyes at his post match pressers.
natashao2013 (AT 1:19 PM),
—Pay attention Rafans! When Rafa underperforms we are the ones criticizing…—_
.
It has always amazed me that (some) people who call themselves Rafa fans are attacking him.
Well when Rafa gets to slam finals again, then we can be happy. Right now it’s not happening! Rafa just lost in the first round to someone like Nando. He lost early in last year’s USO to the likes of Fog!
There’s a big difference between that and still getting to slam finals! So let’s not kid ourselves!
It’s not criticizing him to state the facts. I made it perfectly clear that I don’t like seeing Rafa lose this way and see the pain in his eyes. Maybe others don’t mind that, but I do.
I don’t have to answer to anyone here. When I lose sleep and am sad for days after a loss like the last one, that is because I do care about Rafa. No one can say how I feel and what is in my heart. But it is concerning to see Rafa get knocked out early in three successive slams. I can’t just pretend that it didn’t happen.
Look to Fed for inspiration. Fed had a bad 2013 losing early at Wimbledon and USO but he kept working hard and by Wimbledon 2014 had reached the final.
Rafa came back in 2015 without much practice and still reached the QF of AO. He’s not doing well in the last three slams no doubt but its more to do with his nerve than with his game. He will be playing on his favorite surface soon so lets hope he can regain his confidence.
When he came back from injury in 2009, it took him one full year before he won his next title and its at MC on clay. In 2013 when he came back from long injury break, its still on clay that gave him his confidence.
I repeat what I’d said before, that Rafa made the mistake of playing too soon at Doha/AO last year without much time for practice before that. He should take Jan 2015 off and practiced using the new racket/strings and then came back in Feb to play on clay. He could look to his 2013 for inspiration. He might not want to miss the AO again esp when he was the finalist in 2014 and would drop many ranking points just like in 2013. However, by being ill prepared, he was not only losing matches but also losing confidence.
He needs to win matches now to regain his confidence. I hope he can implement all those changes into his matches and stays relevant and be a contender at the slams again.
Lucky,
Thanks for hearing me and responding in an encouraging way. Because that is what I am searching for right now – some answers and some hope. I am hoping that Rafa can get himself going in the South American tournaments. Some good match play and wins and maybe a title. Then maybe he can move forward with some good feelings.
It’s true that fed had his annus horribilus in 2013. Rafa has now had his in 2015. Now u hope that he can improve his serve and implement the changes necessary to make him get back to his best. All I want is only good things for Rafa. We also need him to challenge Novak. Tennis needs him.
I know that you understand where I am coming from and that it’s not about criticizing Rafa just for the sake of it. I am trying to be patient, but losses like the one to Nando, once again exiting early in a slam, is quite painful to watch.
Luckystar (AT 1:43 AM),
—Rafa made the mistake of playing too soon…He should take Jan 2015 off and practiced using the new racket/strings and then came back in Feb to play on clay. —
===
.
Rafa was supposed to test a prototype of the new racket model before the 2015 season, but it was not ready in time. That’s why he tested it later, in April.
The new model called the Pure Aero 2016 was launched in August/September, but Rafa doesn’t play with it. According to his own words, he had ‘less control’ with it.
Dang it. Good match from Djoker he played two lights out opening sets. Big turning point in fourth set imo was Djokovic’s let cord. Didn’t like how he screamed after that because that was WAY lucky. It’s alright Roger just go win Wimby lol.
Yeah, Novak was all revengy on that point, lol. That scream was pure primal. Normally you apologise for lucky let cords. :p
Fedfan: ‘Novak was all revengy on that point,’
He has toned it down a lot since the shirt-ripping days but I have always found his ‘in your face’ bellicose triumphalism the antithesis of good sportsmanship.
The convention has always been to acknowledge the luck of a net cord point whereas he let rip like he’d just won the title. Ugh.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZzezWIVIAAXwuP.jpg
Very nice, Fedfan. Nice to know. I remember Peter Carter and how that loss affected Fed.
I never knew anything about this coach who was with Fed in the early days. That’s amazing how he has been so kind of his parents after his untimely death. Great story!
I just wanted to offer my commiserations to Fed fans, like Benny and abhirf. It’s tough to see it happen again, but at least he got to a semi and did what he could. He’s still in there fighting. At 34, that’s a accomplishment. I don’t think Fed has anything left to prove, but it’s obvious that he would like at least one more slam. If he’s willing to keep making the effort and loves playing, then good for him!
Wimbledon is his one chance. And it’s a decent chance.
I agree about Wimbledon.
Before this thread winds to a close I would just like to say how refreshing it is to have fans of different players debating in a civilised manner – apart from few sly digs here and there. Long may it last.
+1