The Rome title will come down to Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on Sunday. Djokovic has triumphed three times at this event, while Federer is still in search of his first Rome winner’s trophy.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will be squaring off for the 39th time in their careers when they battle for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title on Sunday afternoon.
Federer is leading the head-to-head series 20-18, including 4-3 on clay. The top two players in the world most recently faced each other on the slow stuff last year in Monte-Carlo, where Federer prevailed 7-5, 6-2. They have already met twice this season, splitting a pair of final showdowns. After Federer got the job done 6-3, 7-5 in Dubai, Djokovic pulled out a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 victory in Indian Wells.
Federer has been the undisputed best and most consistent player throughout the week. The second-ranked Swiss has advanced with straight-set wins over Pablo Cuevas, Kevin Anderson, Tomas Berdych, and Stan Wawrinka (Wawrinka had upset Rafael Nadal in the quarters). He is 25-4 on the year with titles in Brisbane, Dubai, and earlier during this clay-court swing in Istanbul.
“I feel like I have a chance to play well for sure,” Federer commented. “Novak is not Rafa on clay, so it’s a different situation. I’ve done fairly well in the past against him. We played here twice before and I lost both times, so it’s up to me to put in a good performance.”
Federer is correct about Djokovic not being Rafa; Djokovic is far better than Rafa right now. Although he endured a tougher trek to the final than Federer, Djokovic raised his level when it mattered most on every occasion. The top-seeded Serb beat Nicolas Almagro 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3, Thomaz Bellucci 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, and Kei Nishikori 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 before finally taking care of business in straight sets against David Ferrer on Saturday.
None of Federer’s previous opponents play defense at anywhere near the level of Djokovic, who has lost to the 33-year-old on anything other than a fast hard court only once in the last three years. The No. 1 seed should always have the edge on this surface against Federer thanks to his ability to extend points ultimately break down his opponent from the back of the court.
Pick: Djokovic in 2
[polldaddy poll=8872271]
Ricky, Ricky, Ricky, Ricky….
exactly my pick…Nole in 2…Fed can not beat Nole…not on clay anyway..
If three guys were each able to take a set of Nole, there’s no reason The Maestro can’t take two.
Every time Nole gets close on the h2h, he usually fails.
Federer in two close sets is the call.
Sorry FedFan. Nole won’t let that happen especially right before the French Open!
The only thing worse than a fedfan is an expat closet fedfan turned Nole fan.
Hilarious!!!
Not a Nole fan. Oh btw congrats to me FedFan!
Nole for the win…but don’t know in 2 or 3
Fed looked great today vs The Stanimal….I like him in vs Joker.
Hope it is a tight tight 3 setter full of ups n downs and shifts of momentum
Reblogged this on Tennis Abides.
I think this should be a good match. Fed seems to have regrouped after two disappointing early exits in MC and Madrid. Novak is extremely confident now. Even if he’s not playing his best, he seems to find a way to win. Winning the AO and IW/Miami and MC have boosted his confidence.
I think this match will go three sets with Novak getting the win.
Saw this post this morning on tennis-x blog:
danica Says:
“Federer is correct about Djokovic not being Rafa; Djokovic is far better than Rafa right now.”
This came from a big Rafa fan, Ricky Dimon. And he is right.
Nole in three sets.
May 16th, 2015 at 10:24 pm
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Then came on here and saw the quote is from Ricky’s final pick blog above. Well, proves Nole fans lurk on Tenngarnd, so much for Tenngrand being a hostile environment for them.
*waves at @danica*
It’s quite possible ex-TT members still enjoy Ricky’s writing while having no interest whatsoever in interacting with anybody here.
Then don’t.
Well, you CAN post on a blog without interacting with other posters, I do that all the time! Case in point, I just responded to your post, didn’t interact with you……….
very well said
danica on Tennis-x blog Says,
Nadalista,
waves back at you 😉
May 17th, 2015 at 4:25 pm
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
This is fun! I am having a conversation with a Nole fan across blogs! It’s a shame Sean Randall is so thin-skinned cannot take savage ribbing from Rafans, cannot afford to alienate his core constituency, Fedfans.
Anyhoo, @danica, I am bleeding green with envy at you Nolefans, the warm and fuzzy feeling of seeing one’s fav winning, yum, yum. Must say, seeing Rafa’s current (well, maybe not so) travails has been a humbling experience for me. I guess I will be more, eh, humble when Rafa next rules the roost again. Don’t hold your breath!
Just one question: how do you know the Rickster is a Rafan? He’s a fair-weather fan if you ask me. Jumps on the bandwagon of whoever’s winning…………………quite obvious.
Allez Fed!
Good article..I know this is Rome final thread
http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/features/rafael-nadals-roman-holiday-20150511?page=2
Monte Carlo – Novak;
Madrid – Muzza;
Rome – Fed (??)
And the Big Daddy: Rafa (!!!)
#Serendipity
@Sanju, please can you send a Twitter message to Rafa that Novak’s new go-to shot is the drop shot?!
Just don’t trust Uncle T to pick up on these things these days………..
I think everyone has seen Novaks drop shot , he is using it so much these days.
Well expect him to use it a whole lot against Rafa
BTW he is using it a little less today as Roger does not stand behind baseline and is always looking to move forward
Novak is a little timid when he is playing Fed, unlike when he is playing Rafa…………
Thats coz Fed does not have a predictable pattern of play..he mixes it up all the time.
Rafa is more predictable than Fed
Granted, but Rafa is faster than Fed and will get to drop shots faster than Fed.
To be honest I feel he is a step slower and that is the reason for his poor play. He is a step slower in timing the ball and to unleash his shots
Aagh, Fed broken, 1st set Novak……
Ajde #NoleFam
#NE1ButFederer
Fed actually said Djokovic is no Rafa on clay in a complimentary way to Rafa..Trust all Djokovic fans to literally twist it to make Novak look better.
I took Fed’s comment to mean Djokovic does not trouble him on clay the way Rafa does.
Yes thats what he meant and also that Rafa is superior on clay
Fed has lost the plot. And people said Fed is in good form and playing well.
Rafa not being in form competed better against Djoko in MC.
Even all 4 Djokos opponents before today pushed him harder.
So much for Fed’s variety…..
OMG just saw the live score…Novak’s confidence comes from the fact that Rafa is non-existent right now and on clay he only fears Rafa…given that Rafa pose no danger Novak is free to play with no pressure…I knew he would easily deal wit Fed…he gets his focus back when it matters…something Rafa used to do…
Djoko is literally bossing Fed like a toy :-)..
Everyone has counted Rafa out. From Brad Gilbert to every other analyst. I would not be surprised if in ESPN sport picks..10/10 go for Djokovic.
The draw clearly matters now.
I hope Rafa gets angry..angry and plays with a point to prove.
Too good from Nole. The only way he would lose today would have been mental but he’s kept it together.
Drop shot so good (obviously developed for Rafa at RG).
If Rafa doesn’t win RG this year, I’ll be happy for Nole if he wins. He’s worked so hard and has had so many disappointments at RG in the past.
Don’t want Novak to win RG, ever! I want him to toil in futility forever. Unfortunately, the way he is playing, coupled with Rafa’s form do point to my jealousy and envy going unrewarded.
Mentally too strong. However to be mentally strong at Rome (which he has won thrice) and at RG is a different thing.
Agree on drop shot. It is played to perfection again and again.
yeah, Nole working hard and having great season…good for him and his fans…he is the man to beat this year…atm, there is nobody on tour, including recently promoted clay guru Murray who can counter him…maybe Rafa can do something if he gets back from his current “mind vacationing”…
Novak has now officially surpassed Fed’s Masters haul, second only to Rafa. Only one match victory and the Fed/Novak H2H will be even.
Gosh, WHO can stop this man??
Rafas master record is definately gone. Novak can cross 30-35 at this rate.
We thought 27 was not possible and here we have Novak chasing it and getting so close.
Novak dismantled Fed in 1 hr 15 mns..thats it.
Nole could get it this year; RG and the Masters record actually.
Novak’s defence of his 2nd serve is key, won 63% of 2nd serves.
Whats with this operatic singing in the presentation? Dont understand the significance in a trophy presentation.
Love opera, beautiful. Very relevant too, after all, this is Italy!
Imagine the finalist having to put up with an opera performance when all he wants to do is get off the court 🙂
A 22 streak winning record can also be a burden going into a major. Just saying 🙂
Really? Rafa should have such a burden now! In fact, Rafa did have winning streaks, but that was in the past.
Anyone who is hoping that Novak crashes and burns or that he will somehow crack because of the winning streak or the pressure of going for his career slam, is engaging in wishful thinking. He knows that this is the best opportunity he has had yet to win RG. He’s not going to let it slip away.
Winning streaks are actually great for the confidence and belief. All we have to do is see how Novak played in the final, to realize that winning breeds winning.
No NNY..Rafa never went with a big winning streak into something he had never won before.
If he wins, he is not going to win it easy..that I am sure..He will struggle along the way and win it
#Djokovic is 1st player in the #ATP #OpenEra to win 12 successive finals @ #ATP1000 masters (since losin Cincy’12 final vs #Federer). #ibi15
Djokovic might have leveled the H2H with RF, but his advantage in Finals within that H2H keeps expanding: 9 to 5 now.
Trenton Jocz @TrentonJocz
@jjvallejoa Djokovic has now won 2 of the last 3 titles at 6 of the 9 Masters tournaments. That’s rather insane.
Sanju,
I am not going to go back and check Rafa’s history to make sure that you are right in saying that he’s never gone into a tournament he never won with a big winning streak.
I know that there is a tendency to find a chink in Novak’s armor or find something to make us believe that he might not get it done. I will only repeat what I have said about slams in the past – there is no such thing as sure thing. The closest to that was always Rafa at RG. Not this year. I will say that Novak will have to earn it. He’s done everything else so far, now he has his best chance to get the career slam.
I don’t want to watch him do it. Not at all. But we will have to wait for the draw and see how it all shakes out.
My point really was that having this kind of a winning streak, would be a nice thing for Rafa to have. Whether it puts extra pressure on a player or not, winning breeds winning. Winning titles gives confidence and belief and a sense of invincibility. Rafa is at the other end of the spectrum and we can see what the inability to win has done to him. It’s a vicious cycle.
I can quietly hope for some miracle to happen.
I thought H2H is 20-19 right? Unless they counting walkover of ATP WTF final.
Other than Nole, only an in form Nadal would have been able to routine Federer today. Other than a few shanks, he played extremely well.
I dont think he played very well. He was just passable. He got totally bossed in 2nd set, he almost gave up.
Agree with @Sanju, I didn’t like Fed’s body language after he was broken serving to stay in the 1st set, I thought he clocked out. Djokovic sensed it and played more freely in the 2nd.
RT @ESPNStatsInfo: “Roger Federer is 1-11 all-time against Novak Djokovic after dropping the first set (which he did today)”
RT @BackSwings: “Djokovic is up 6-4 2-0 and Roger looks completely deflated, bleeding errors.”
hawkeye,
I agree. The only bad stat that stood out was Fed’s low percentage of second serve points won – 36%. It seems that happens a lot against Novak because he has such a good ROS.
But otherwise I thought Fed played well. Novak was just too good. He was feeling it in
that match. The reason other players got a set off Novak in the earlier rounds, is because he wasn’t playing this well. Fed did pretty much all that he could. But Novak is able to go up another gear when he gets to the final. That’s what Rafa was always able to do.
Novak raised his level of play for the final. People think he’s looking vulnerable in the earlier rounds, but he peaks at the right moment. I thought Fed played well, but Novak capitalized on opportunities. One key was Fed winning 36% of first serves to Novak winning 63% of second serves. Also fewer UE’s from Novak.
Novak was smart to skip Madrid. He has won the two clay Masters tournaments he played. He’s in great form and seems primed and ready for RG.
I may not like Novak, but I can’t deny that he’s playing some outstanding tennis right now. The only one who could stop him is Rafa, but the real Rafa is M.I.A. these days. I wish he would come back.
Agree..outstanding and dominating.
Yes primed and ready for RG…best chance ever to win it..He had a good shot in 2012..better than 2012 in 2013.. better than 2013 in 2014 and best in 2015..
Sorry, in my previous post I said Fed won only 36% of first serves. That should have been SECOND serves.
The way Novak was spreading court, sending Fed scurrying from corner to corner is what Rafa used to do, especially on clay. Gosh, I miss that Rafa………..
Gussie, where are you with the Rafa updates? Wanna know what our boy’s up to…….sigh.
@rafaisthebest: why such hate for novak? b/c he owns your OCD idol?
@joe strummer, I do not hate Novak, that would require personal knowledge of him, which I do not have, thankfully. I am envious and jealous of his current success, I wish it was Rafa enjoying the success he is having.
Hope this helps.
Btw, throwing slurs at Rafa says a lot about you. For shame, assuming you have any.
I’ve seen you on other forums. You dishonour joe strummer’s name.
#RIP
Rafa vs Novak H2H: 23-20 in favour of Rafa. Rafa, 9 RG’s, Novak, 0. Rafa, 14 Slams, Novak, who knows, somewhere in single digits that’s for sure. Define ownership, please.
I bet you are one of those Nole fans already declaring Novak is the King of Clay.
For shame………….
Novak has 8
Thanks @Sanju, forgot…………
Matt Cronin retweeted
Nick McCarvel @NickMcCarvel 46m46 minutes ago
#Federer in press: “You cannot take away the last ten years (in Paris). We know how tough Rafa is. He is still the favorite to me.”
Roger can you stop this Rafa is fav song please? He is not fav anymore.
@Sanju, please read carefully. Roger says, “He is still the favorite to me.” Emphasis on TO ME.
I am sure you have your favourites.
You beat me to the punch ritb.
#Ditto
fed being courteous, diplomatic… (and in this case not hard to do, simply talk about the last ten years and say nothing in particular about the last few months, but still, he is still being courteous and diplomatic…. in his heart of hearts he likely does not believe it is rafa who will lift the rg crown this time given this year’s realities)
Djokovic about pressure : “it’s not about avoiding the fear, it’s about confronting it”.
Djokovic: ‘Along with 2011 this is best year of my career.
I don’t know how to continue at RG but obviously I have a lot of confidence’
Multi-millionaire does not know how to uncork a champers bottle, nearly takes his eye out:
https://twitter.com/BenRothenberg/status/599981681618120704
Actually Roger is right. Rafa is the favorite until he loses.
schadenfreude in that trolling
Poor Novak, must be mortifying having this chap for a Dad:
https://mobile.twitter.com/chiaragamtwi/status/599983594258505728
http://m.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/05/19/Rome-Final-Federer-Reaction.aspx
With victory over Roger Federer in Sunday’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia final, Novak Djokovic extended his run of dominance at the most prestigious tournaments on the ATP World Tour.
The Serb is a perfect 37-0 in Grand Slams, ATP World Tour Masters 1000s and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals since last November, but if you ask Federer, nine-time champion Rafael Nadal is still the favourite to hoist the Roland Garros trophy once again. Speaking to press following a 6-4, 6-3 defeat to the World No. 1, the Swiss admitted that while Djokovic is playing the best tennis of his career, there is no counting out the King of Clay in his home away from home.
“You cannot take away the past 10 years,” said Federer. “It’s going to be best-of-five sets. We know how tough Rafa is physically and mentally. He is the favourite still to me. Novak at this point probably has to win, with the results he’s shown this year. It feels similar to 2011 when he didn’t lose the whole year.
“Maybe Rafa isn’t having the same success as before but nevertheless that remains the situation for me. But it’s all talk because in the end his racquet’s going to do the talking.”
The players know what is going on with Rafa. They are not blind. However, I think that Fed has real respect for Rafa. He’s being diplomatic about it. I don’t know, maybe he actually believes it but I find that hard to believe.
There are no secrets in the locker room. They have seen Rafa play just the way we fans have this year.
I would expect some unfortunate Novak fans to try to take shots at Rafa and his fans. They know that this is a tough time for us. But that only reflects on them. I am not going to even bother getting into it.
I give Novak credit for what he’s done so far this year. I agree with him that this is his best year since 2011. He’s done what he had to do to be ready. Rafa helped his cause by dissembling. You can see it in Novak’s body language and sense it when he’s playing. You start to think that you can’t lose.
Novak’s not talking his chances up too much at RG. I think maybe he learned from past years. There is only one player who can take him out, the guy who’s done it up till now. But that player is not himself these days.
One more final thought. I really, really miss the real Rafa. 🙁
Djokovic on whether he’d prefer to play against Nadal in the quarterfinals or in final at RG?
“I have no preferences, I’ve never won against him in Paris so if I don’t play against him, it’s better. Sometimes it seems like his game improves while the tournament proceeds. Nobody would like to play against him, me neither. It’s better if others play against him, but I have to be ready for any challenge. If I find him in the quarterfinals it’s okay, but I can’t focus on this thought”.
Djokovic has to be the clear favorite going into RG. However, he may feel a different kind of pressure this time. Remember the pressure federer faced when rafa was knocked out in 2009? Federer ALMOST lost to Haas…then he went down two sets to one against a young Del Potro in the semis before peaking in the final when he could see the finish line! One could say he was not in great form as he struggled in second and third round matches too but I think the match againts Haas was a perfect demonstration what burden of expectations can do.
Djokovic now feels this is the year he can get it done. He has been very close but now rafa is not at this best. Additional pressure could definitely creep in ! If he plays against nishikori in the qtr final, a red-hot murray in the semis, things could get complicated for him.
As for rafa, it is impossible and unreasonable to make any predictions! He continues to shock us these days. However, he insists he is heading in the right direction and can turn things around at RG. I hope there is belief inside of him.
I really hope he gets the luck of the draw at RG ! I would not want him to draw Nishikori/Novak/Murray in the qtrs but even the other qtrs federer, berdych, stan, ferrer will be very challenging. Ferru/berdych would be perhaps ideal?
IF novak faces rafa in the final, that would mean rafa winning six best of five matches! So he would face an in-form rafa at least. That would be quite a battle. The bigger problem for rafa right now is reaching the final! Who knows, he could face djokovic in the semis/qtrs ! I hope they rig the draw to avoid that lol
He cannot draw Ferrer, Berdych. They are seeded 5-8 and Rafa will have to draw wither of Novak, Roger, Murray, Nishi in qtrs.
I have a feeling Rafa will draw Murray in qtrs. The organizers will prevent Rafa drawing Novak or Fed in qtrs. 🙂
Sorry for the mistake. You are right! I also kind of feel he will draw either Murray or Berdych !
Berdych nahin re baba. Berdych is not ranked in Top 4. It will be Murray or Nishikori.
I know finding positives is too difficult right now and that rafa has disappointed quite a lot whenever we have felt he is close to finding his form. This crisis in unprecedented but, let us try to analyze things anyway.
2014:
Remember , last year rafa had a terrible clay court season and there was luck involved in his win against nishikori in madrid. He lost to ferrer, almagro , djokovic , had some positive wins (against berdych in madrid, and headed to RG playing at a decent level. He had a soft draw for week 1 and played at a good level but was then tested sternly by ferrer in the qtr finals! I remember people were saying he would have a tough time against Andy! THAT was the point where he turned it around for the first time that clay court season. We saw the vintage rafa and then he comprehensively beat novak in the final (special thanks to rafa’s forehand DTL). Also, rafa had minor back issues in his third round match where he reduced his service speed. He also overcame physical issues.
2013:
Rafa looked like superman heading into RG esp after dismantling federer in rome but then began RG . He then ran into daniel brands in the first round of RG and played a tentative match. rafa was VERY close to going down two sets to love before pulling off a comeback win. He struggled against Klizan in round 2 and then even though he won in straight sets against Fognini, his performance was FRUSTRATING AND BAD. His backhand was hopeless and the Fog helped him in winning! I remember being scared of djokovic after that match as rafa only had two matches left for the big semi. Thankfully, he blasted Nishikori and Wawrinka away and then overcame Novak (who could not handle the pressure as well as rafa did in the 5th set).
I know the challenge is different this time. Bigger and more daunting than ever. But, RG is a different animal. Rafa will have a full week comprising four best-of-five sets matches to really sharpen his game and build momentum before the real tournament begins qtr final onward. CAUTION: rafa winning his first four matches with ease is FAR from being a lock. he can struggle there too!
I don’t know how much pressure rafa will feel as compared to previous years but when it gets to business end (assuming he reaches there), lack of confidence will plague him. I hope the memories at RG and a solid week 1 will muster enough confidence for him!
Also, apart from confidence/consistency issues, I am also concerned about rafa’s physical strength. I know he is carrying no injuries but his fitness is definitely not top notch. He complained of getting too tired against Fognini in Rio , then against djokovic in MC and SHOCKINGLY, against stan in Rome! (How?!). Seems like he has not gotten enough match toughness right now. I hope he overcomes this.
He also got very tired while winning last year’s RG final! Rafa had to see a trainer right after the ceremony and he admitted that had djokovic broken back in the fourth set, things might have been over for him as he had started feeling cramps.
Too much to worry about :/ But , may be he can defy the odds again? He has been getting slightly more and more vulnerable at RG but has survived so far. May be this time too? VAMOS!
Really wishing and praying right vamosrafa..the eternal optimist. 🙂
haha…I know very hard to be optimist right now Sanju. To be honest with you, my confidence level is much lower even as compared to last year but I think we should wait for this RG to unfold. On many fronts, RG has been very different for rafa than the rest of the clay court season has been. This time, he has no such momentum heading into
RG so we don’t really know what will happen. What I do know is that rafa will try harder and his opponents are also aware of the threat rafa can pose.
As far as rafa’s game is concerned, he is missing some routine shots on important moments. He is defending well….it is not like he is not moving well or something. In fact, he has been getting good length on running forehands CC against powerful shots but what’s letting him down is is the inability to punish short balls, miss neutral balls in rallies and of course, not going enough for shots that do most damage. HIs serve has been decent too and ROS has not been shabby . What’s lacking is a well-rounded performance. He did so well against ferrer in MC and then against berdych in Madrid and against Isner in Rome. He would need to play excellent first few matches as he himself admitted that to sustain the highest level, you need to play at a high level for a few successive matches! (said this after losing to Andy in madrid).
We can hope and pray!
I am also more worried about his physical capabilities. The tiredness is more of an issue than the inconsistency which can get fixed. How can he take care of the legs. He has used this getting tired statement multiple times. RG is all a physical slugfest and if he cant keep physical momentum, people will take advantage of it.
Last RG yes he had cramps, but it was way too hot..it was dehydrating. Even Novak was out of gas in the final. So I would not read much into it.
I am not sure if you all noticed. There is a big good news. Berdych is ranked 4 and will be seeded 4 for RG. Now that can mean good news. Rafa can draw him too and drawing Berdych will be better than drawing Kei (if he was 4).
I just feel it will be Murray or Berdych, he wont draw Novak or Fed. I hope it is Berdych.
Also if Raonic withdraws, Stan gets No 8..So Rafa avoids Kei, Stan in qtrs which we would have had he been in top 4 and in current form, both would be dangerous. There is always a silver lining.
Stan or Kei would be more dangerous for Rafa in QF than Berdych and both Kei and Stan would be as tough as Murray or Fed for Rafa.
You guys see the silver lining? Cheer up!!
So as long as he avoids Novak, it does not matter who he faces in QF. Whether he was in top 4 or top 8, quality of other opponents based on bucketing is the same.
And for all of Rafas poor form, see the race rankings. Federer who many people say is playing good is barely 265 points ahead of Rafa. Even Look at Kei, barely 190 points ahead.
ank, Name & Nationality Points Week Change Tourn Played
1 Djokovic, Novak (SRB) 6,385 0 8
2 Murray, Andy (GBR) 3,760 0 9
3 Berdych, Tomas (CZE) 3,030 0 10
4 Ferrer, David (ESP) 2,555 1 10
5 Federer, Roger (SUI) 2,465 2 9
6 Nishikori, Kei (JPN) 2,390 -2 10
7 Nadal, Rafael (ESP) 2,200 -1 10
8 Wawrinka, Stan (SUI) 2,185 0 10
Federer is playing sporadically well. I don’t know anyone who’s claiming that he’s playing consistently well. He also skipped Miami and Monte Carlo.
He did not skip Montecarlo..he got defeated by Gael Monfils.
Right you are sanju.
Still Federer is 25-5 win loss on the year with three small titles whereas Rafa is 25-9 with one small title. Federer has played two less tournaments then Rafa but still has more points so to be fair it’s more than just the points differential. After 2013 I never thought we’d see Federer pass Rafa in ranking certainly not the several thousand point lead hee currently holds at that.
Speaks both to Federer’s longevity and Rafa’s frailty both of which I’d underestimated.
I appreciate the thoughts and analysis of what could happen at RG. We are really in uncharted waters this year. Of course, the draw will be important. But my concern is where Rafa is at now. He has not won any titles this clay court season. He is having a lot of different issues. He has been inconsistent and at times has struggled with tiredness.
I can’t look at the past history of Rafa’s journeys at RG because this year things are so completely different. Rafa’s inconsistency is a real concern. Also, three out of five set matches take a toll physically.
I just don’t know how you go into a slam without having won anything. Will Rafa just get on the court and feel at home again?
I don’t know that I am pessimistic as much as I am just not sure what to expect. I honestly have no idea what will happen.
Agree with your concerns..all valid especially for a confidence player like Rafa for whom winning breeds winning.
However Cilic went into USO 2014 without winning anything much..Stan went into AO 2014 without winning anything much.
Enjoy folks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pI8bCZ2FM0
Old times glory days.
Federer played ok, he was neither great nor abysmal. But Djokovic was too good, after watching a lot of matches from this year’s European clay court season I think its obvious Djokovic is the clear favorite entering Roland Garros and this year he will complete his career slam, unless Rafa can somehow roll back the years.
yeah, by watching this video above I realize how good Rafa was but also how better Novak is now when compared to his game in 2013…it’s hard to believe that Rafa can reinvent himself now…we hope for the miracle…it’s the only way…
Lots of bared teeth over on tennis-x blog between erstwhile comrades, Fedfans and Nolefans. I think we can safely say the “marriage” is heading towards splitsville. Veritable destination for all marriages of convenience.
#FairWeatherFans
#AntiRafaAlliance
#Shameful
I read the same on atpworldtour.com too. It was acrimonious.
All because Fed said Rafa is the favourite to him and Nole fans went on a furious lash and Fed fans started retorting calling Nole all kinds of names.
I haven’y been over to “The Dark Side” in over a week. Must pop on over.
Came across this summary of the cool Fedole relationship up to 2011…
http://tennis-column.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-relationship-between-federer-and.html
The writer is quite obviously a Djokovic fan but he got everything pretty accurately over the years including this gem regarding the 2011 FO SF meeting between the two…
“But as the match wore on – not only did Djokovic have problems with his footing, something that he seemed to have resolved with significantly improved footwork, there seemed to also have a problem with the crowd – again! Over and over again, they seemed to take Federer as an adopted Frenchman. While Nadal has grown accustomed to this treatment by the French, at the hands of Federer, he had (and still has) the game to let all of that wash over him like a cool breeze. But Djokovic had no answer to Federer’s brilliance that day. And, as is most often the case, with Federer serving as well as he did, Djokovic was left to respond to point after point with sarcastic, head-shaking incredulity at how his winning streak, and his almost certain coronation as the champion against a Nadal, a player he owned at the time, was fading away like the light on Phillipe Chatrier that twindled so poetically at the end of the match.
If you watch the clips, you can see, at one point, Ion Tiriac, a fellow eastern European, angrily and fervently gesticulating in support of Djokovic as he stood alone, with the exception of his entourage, struggling to keep the match alive, while the French crowd ruthlessly bayed for his blood. Tiriac, no stranger to being unappreciated by the game, appeared to be the only one not related, in love with, or working for Djokovic that wasn’t. It is at these times when tennis can be its most cruel. After all, as a global sport, why should one player, who has won so much, be so heavily supported by the crowd? So the reception Federer received must have been an arrow in the heart to a player who so obviously wants to be loved.
That’s why that little index finger of Federer’s, shaken after hitting an ace on match point, at once dismissively and defiantly, in the direction of Tiriac, Djokovic and his entourage, was so unexpected. After all, were they the only ones Federer saw in the crowd? Could he have better blocked out the undying support from the French spectators (who so desperately willed him to win), than Djokovic (whom they so desperately willed him to lose)?”
^^Priceless!
Federer really is the King of Snideful remarks.
Too see them all in one spot is hilarious.
There is a similar one for him and Murray but it seems the link is broken. This one about his comments after losing gold to Murray is a decent runner up…
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/08/roger-federers-backhanded-complimenting-is-in-peak-form/1#.VVteXPlVhBc