The U.S. Open title is coming down to the top two players in the world–Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Sunday’s championship match pits the game’s best against each other at this stage of a second major in succession.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will be meeting for the 42nd time in their careers when they battle for the U.S. Open title on Sunday afternoon.
The head-to-head series could not be any closer, to the extent that it may be all tied up again by the time this one ends. Federer holds a 21-20 edge after beating Djokovic 7-6(1), 6-3 in this summer’s Cincinnati final. Djokovic, however, has won three of their five 2015 encounters–including a 7-6(1), 6-7(10), 6-4, 6-3 victory in the Wimbledon championship match. The Serb is 7-6 at his rival’s expense in Grand Slams despite losing four of their first five such showdowns.
Since toppling Djokovic in Cincinnati, an on-fire Federer has not looked back. Playing without question the best tennis in the world right now, Federer has not lost a set so far this fortnight. The 34-year-old Swiss punched his ticket to the title match by disposing of Leonardo Mayer, Steve Darcis, Philipp Kohlschreiber, John Isner, Richard Gasquet, and Stan Wawrinka. Only Isner pushed him to a pair of tiebreakers and nobody else even came within 7-5 in any set.
An aggressive Federer is striking winners from all over the court and he has continued to execute the Sneak Attack By Roger (SABR) tactic–although to what extent depends on the opponent. The world No. 2 never did it against Isner for obvious reasons, but he fared well with it on occasion versus Djokovic in Cincinnati.
“For me, if it makes sense–which I think it does–I’ll use it in the finals,” Federer commented. “I used it to great effect against [Djokovic] in the tough situation at 4-1 in the ‘breaker in Cincy. We will see if the occasion presents itself. It’s got to be the right point, right frame of mind, the right place to do it. I hope I’ll have the opportunity to do it.”
Djokovic has an opportunity to win his third major title of the year and effectively come within one match–besting Serena Williams, who was two matches away–of capturing the calendar-year Grand Slam. The top seed previously triumphed at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon to go along with his runner-up showing at Roland Garros. So far in New York he has defeated Joao Souza, Andreas Haider-Maurer, Andreas Seppi, Roberto Bautista Agut, Feliciano Lopez, and Marin Cilic–dropping sets to Bautista Agut and Lopez in the process.
“I came here with a wish and a mission: to reach the finals and fight for the trophy,” Djokovic assured. “So I got myself in that position. It’s already a great result. But I want to get that final step on Sunday and get my hands on that trophy. Obviously I’m not the only one who wants that. [A] Swiss player will be on (the) opposite side of the net. We will definitely want to have the same kind of mission.”
When the world’s two best players with the same goal collide, the result should be another instant classic. Federer is showcasing the better form, but can he sustain his incredible level from start to finish in a best-of-five situation? He has not been able to do that against Djokovic in recent times–and he will once again come painfully close.
Pick: Djokovic in 5
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I hope fed gets big lead early because if he does’t and it gets tight, Djokovic’s fitness will be the end of roger, plus roger could go away if he lets novak get up early.
i hope djokovic wins in 3 or 4.
Reblogged this on Tennis Abides.
The result will be the same as Wimbledon. Tight competition in the beginning and Fed will fade away eventually. Novak in 4 sets 67 75 64 63
Yep
Yep.
I hope he wins. I am always for rafole.
I will stick with Fed this time. Although there are a lot of factors which speak in favor of Novak I will go with Fed being ready to counterattack the Serb…
I always appreciate improvements and varieties in someone’s game. Fed has worked hard to find solutions for his much younger nemesis. If he holds it together mentally he will win his 18th and become yet again history. Serena couldn’t do her piece. Hope we witness another historic moment in men’s tennis.
Fed in 4
Yep.
(Except Fed in 3 is more likely)
No way 3
Two of the all time classy, great competitors….Fed in 4.
Classy?
Ricky is adamant and has been steadfast in his believe from the outset. He’s there in NY so privy to all the inside gossip which he’s not sharing with us 😉
Ricky: btw. I didn’t mean to cast aspersions on your analytical/prediction skills. Apologies if it came across that way.
Fed in 4. This surface is where Fed has the greatest advantage and he’s only been broken twice in 81 service games.
.. and Fed’s much more aggressive with his forehand and approaches, forcing Djokovic into error by coming forward. This has been a work in progress since Edberg took over and I believe we are witnessing the complete product right now. The maestro is at the peak of his powers.
… and Fed hasn’t dropped a set all tournament whereas Djokovic has dropped 2. Cilic is a terrible form-line because Djokovic knows Cilic can’t hurt him so I’m not convinced Djokovic is where he needs to be to win this.
yes but nole didn’t play well at wimby until the final when he really raised his level..he had to go 5 against anderson and was pretty desultory against gasquet although again never threatened…he is capable of being a completely different beast in finals…
by the same token fed was sublime against andy but couldn’t maintain that level against nole..and wimby is fed’s best surface…
Wait. What’s Nole’s final record for GS? Barely .500
amy,
Don’t you know that if you pick Novak then you don’t know what you are talking about? 🙂
It has to be Fed. It’s a done deal. It’s in the stars. I don’t know why they even have to play the match at all.
That’s what I love about this sport. These two guys have to go out on the court and try to win, no matter what anyone predicts.
nny, ha ha..well said…am not sure i am picking nole….a bit hard for me to pick anyone given i haven’t seen any of the uso and have yet to witness the famous scoundrel attack by roger….(see what i just did there!?)
i just don’t think you can rule nole out in best of 5….but he will have to show tonight why so many rate him the GOAT returner and also not let the crowd get to him…
^ Good point.
My responses don’t appear where they should. My comment @ 4:40 pm was meant in response to Mark’s comment @ 1:39 pm.
Cilic had an injury guys wake up
The Ashe stadium minimizes the wind effect. Unless it’s blowing a gale Nole wins for that reason.
I meant new Ashe with roof almost blocking out all wind.
amy,
I didn’t know that you had not seen the matches. Hey, I like it! Scoundrel attack. It was funny because I didn’t know what they were talking about on ESPN with this SABR, so then they realized that maybe not everyone realized what was going on and they explained it. The first time I saw Fed do it was against Stan.
I have been going back and forth as to who will win. It really could go either way. We went through this before Wimbledon. Fed was playing great, it’s Wimbledon, done deal. But Novak just outplayed him. It could happen again. I agree with the points you made about him being the best returner. The ESPN commies have talked about that all week. Can he break Fed’s serve? Also, will the crowd support for Fed get to him? That could be one of the intangible factors in the match.
Are you going to be watching the final?
nny, i would love to watch the final but i just don’t think i can risk it, especially as there was a bizarre incident last night where the people in the flat below locked themselves out and had to get someone round to help which seemed to involve them virtually breaking the door down!! so i’ve had very little sleep!
don’t think it’s just about nole’s return…remember wimby 2014?? fed had a lot of problems returning nole’s serve (which is very underrated) and if he struggles with that how is he going to break him?? nole usually plays well in tie breaks….
i do think that the crowd baying for fed could rattle nole…he got through it at wimby but the us crowd will be a lot lot louder….this is where boris needs to earn his dollar and i don’t think he’s helping going on about the scoundrel attack…….!!!
Brad Gilbert saying Fed in 4 tight sets.
That’s interesting from BG.
By his own admission as he got older Federer had become risk averse and was playing the percentage game. He is now playing with a greater sense of freedom and is prepared to take risks which is a fundamental change in his approach.
In recent years, when he has talked about playing purely for the love of the game, I suspected it was bravado to cover up disappointment at losing matches to players he once owned. The next time I hear those words I will believe him. It is clear for all to see he has rekindled his joy in playing tennis.
Which is why he will win.
i guess in that case you have to take your hat off to him ed….
that’s what rafa needs again isn’t it…to be able to love the sport again…be able to access his old heart and passion…
Yes, I sincerely hope that Rafa can find that again. Because he sure didn’t look like he was enjoying himself for most of the year. I hope we see Rafa back to his best next year.
I lifted my hat to him before the start of this tournament. Albeit reluctantly ;-
And yes. Time for Rafa to throw away what he’s doing and get back to those winning ways. If Federer can do it, so can he.
I think a lot of people are playing safe by relying on results in past years.
what is your pred ed? Fed?
^^ Fed in four.
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/09/us-open-mens-final-preview-novak-djokovic-vs-roger-federer/56314/#.VfWgvhGqqko
Tignor picking Djoko..good article
http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen15/story/_/id/13637603/us-open-one-two-points-decide-novak-djokovic-roger-federer-finale
Debate on the final. Bodo and his utter disdain for Rafa is shocking. He calls Fed Djoko the best rivalry and says the last best rivalry was Pete Agassi. He forgets Rafa Nole and Rafa Fed completely 🙂
Sanju,
You know that Bodo has never been a fan of Rafa. So I am honestly not surprised at his disdain. He’s been trashing Rafa for so long. That’s why I don’t read him anymore.
The best rivalry has been Rafa/Fed, except that recently it’s gotten even more lopsided. But when Fed dominating and then Rafa came along to challenge him, their matches were outstanding. Now I think Rafa/Novak has been the best rivalry up until this year.
Some say Rafa/Fed is not a rivalry it’s a Rafa domination.
BTW.. i don’t remember nole hitting a single competent lob against fed at wimby….in fact that shot was a borderline atrocity giving fed some pleasant easy smashes and endless free points…
i hope that boris has had nole out practicing it and that he can hit a few good ones tonight because he needs that shot in his arsenal to put doubts in fed’s mind going to net…
also nole’s second serve is excellent…i hope that shot really holds up tonight and gets fed frustrated because he can’t break….
“Brad Gilbert saying Fed in 4 tight sets.”
Brad he has been picking against nole for so long and was wrong most of the time (last one was wimbledon 2015). It is is important what Darren Cahill says tho.
Anyone have Darren’s pick?
i’m sure Darren is taking Fed
he picked nole to win the whole thing. not sure if he changed his opinion.
Ricky is incorrect.
Cahill just picked Nole in five.
Unfortunately, Cahill is incorrect.
Odds are suddenly dropping on Djokovic. Was 1.8 earlier now down to 1.6.
Rumours are circulating that Fed is limping.
no there aren’t
Yes they’ve dropped from 1.8 to 1.6 since this morning but betting odds are probably confusing to you.
I’m not going to watch the match, I shall be watching the 2013 USO final instead. 🙂
#joke
it would be awesome if you would also stop posting. 🙂
Awesome for whom?
Its raining (:-
I don’t know that I want to sit here waiting for the rain to stop not unless they put on highlights of the 2010 and 2013 finals.
They just said on ESPN that there is a slight rain delay.
Apparently, it will rain for about 1 1/2 hours.
it’s ending at 4:30 per weather channel
No it isn’t
Now they said it will be a twenty to thirty minute delay. They are replaying Serena’s match.
http://flip.it/3RvA2
Apparently GOAT is between Nole and Roger.
Who knew?
Federazzi are everywhere.
it will be shocking for everybody when Rafa wins AO 2016 and RG 2016..let them talk the talk…Rafa will walk the walk… 🙂
As far as I’m concerned, Rafa’s GOAT unless Roger wins tonight.
tonight has little impact on it
Haha!!! Like the spirit Nats! I wish Rafa can come roaring back at least to a level where we can pencil him in for the weekend of a tournament
Agreed. Nor does any single title. It has about one in seventeen to do with it but GOAT margin is small ATM.
ESPN has just announced that the rain delay will continue at least to 5:30 local eastern time.
not very helpful when they announce that at 5:10
Ricky was incorrect.
They said 6 PM.
no, i was correct
No
You must be watching a different match.
You’re probably confused by the replay of the women’s match on now
ESPN did not say 6:00 pm initially. They said 5:30. I’ve been watching and hearing every update.
how much more delay???
Nole will have to grind this out… make fed play as many balls as you can, nole….
And this will be the most aggressive fed has ever been in a grand slam final . This is REAL aggression from him these days….
Now ESPN says play will not begin until 6:45 pm
I wonder how this will affect both players. Now this is a night match.
Well fed loves night matches so this should be more beneficial to him.
In fact he has lost only one night match in his career!
Here we go! Players are out on the court getting ready! Finally!
Go Novak! Finally i have decided to root for Novak….
Novak fans must be nervous! Fed’s been playing really really well
I am with you.
IMac just reiterated that Nole is the greatest returner in the history of the game.
Fed has only lost one night match in New York.
Ajde Nole!!!
Same with Novak
Fed had won a lot more.
Novak cant break with 3 BP’s . Now if he breaks Nole, I will e sure Fed is destined for this
Fed had to work to hold his first service game. Novak already pushing pressure on Fed’s serve, but Fed did well to fight off a few break points.
Djokovic missed some second serve returns in that game but held so easily….. wow massive forehand 0-30 roger 1-1
Novak has come out playing really sharp. Another chance to break Fed at 0-40.
Fed is hitting some big second serves but nole is ready. 0-40
S&V behind a second serve on BP! Wow roger
Ajde Nole!!!
Wow! Novak breaks! He’s really pummeling his groundstrokes, overpowering Fed. I haven’t seen Fed work this hard to hold serve in the entire tournament.
Vaamos Djoko!!!! 🙂 No mercy! COme on
Brilliant from novak! Not only does he breaks serve but sends a clear message to roger who is the boss when it comes to baseline rallies
Nole won’t consolidate.
Mr Nostradamus 🙁
🙂
Weird game..and Novak took a nasty fall
Congrats to me.
? in waiting.
Whats with Djoko! He has gone into FO 2013 third set mode after the fall
Vamos Nole!!
Novak breaks Fed for the second time. They posted the stats for Fed’s serving % tonight – 46% well below what he has been averaging for the tournament.
The fall is the only reason Novak didn’t consolidate that first break. He lost his concentration. Now he seems back on track.
Federer’s serve and FH both are missing their mark by a lot.
Nole will quickly end this encounter.
No
Chokeovic
no
^This!
Federer already lost serve twice in 1st set
God so many errors by both in 1st set..esp Roger on that FH
I started seeing from 3 2 in 1st..Has SABR been used yet?
Of Roger continues to play like this, Nole is getting this done in straights.
yep…
he needs to use SABR and he needs to use it now
No
Nole missed a lollipop on set point 🙁 Have a feeling he is going to be broken here
Roger loses his guts facing Novak/Rafa as usual.
Hey, there’s a long way to go yet. This is just the first set.
But you have a point 😉
No
The problem is that they are getting into long rallies and the ESPN commies said that’s not what Fed wants to do in this match.
Novak seems to have gotten it together after that fall.
Yes! Exactly
vmk1,
🙂
Roger is missing sitters of FH by miles..15 UE already in 1st set
Same strategy by novak as in the wimbledon final!
Too solid for RF so far….
^Yep!
Vaaamos Nole!!! 🙂 🙂
Fed making way too many errors off the forehand. Novak is really showing why he’s the best player in the world. He’s managed to find the answers to Fed in the first set.
For a guy who has not lost a set and serve too many times, Djoko has got into each and every Fed service game, save the one after the fall
^Great point!
For a person serving so well..he had 8 BP against him in 1st set itself.
Crowd also seems kinda split..not overwhelming in Rogers favour
And where is the SABR? Use it Roger, plant seeds of doubt in Novaks mind a bit.
No
I think we are going to see a SABR very soon…
Roger needs to find solutions here… novak’s Keeping the match on his his terms…
Fed needed to hold that first service game because Novak is putting pressure on his serve in every single game. The script has been flipped in this match. Fed is feeling the heat.
vamosrafa,
You were right about the SABR!
Haha yeah….roger is trying to change the dynamics…almost did that…. great consistency frm novak
SABR comes out
3 BP wasted by Roger so tamely..routine errors
Djokos counter is hit many 2nd serves on Rogers body mostly to BH to avoid him using SABR much.
Did you see Beckers face when Roger hit that SABR?
Haha yes! Jelena was smiling but BB was pissed
YES! I did! Good tactics from Novak to counter the SABR.
People having fun using good acronyms for Roger
SEBR : Stupid error by Roger
BABR : Breakpoint allergy by Roger
🙂
SEBR is funny lol
Yes, I like these! I am so sick of hearing about the SABR all week long!
Fed tried the SABR but Novak’s return was too low and too good. Fed lost the point. Novak holds, saving 5 break point.
Novak is also dealing with the pro-Fed crowd really well. I was looking that speeds on Novak’s second serves. In that last game he had so much trouble getting a first serve in. I saw 104 mph on one second serve. That’s nice for a second serve. That last game was a reminder that Novak can still be okay when he’s not getting his first serves in, because h can back it up with a solid second serve.
I’m getting the disticnt feeling I backed the wrong horse in this race
Those two lobs!!#
epic
Amy, I hope you were satisfied with those lobs by novak! Flawless..
So another SAB was used…
Masterclass
Some SOBD(Sick overheads by djokovic) in that game 🙂
vmk1,
Brilliant! Love it! So true! BB said Novak would be ready for it!
Barring below.500 on lobs overall though
Batting. Wtf
Hey look at those lobs! That’s the answer to the SABR!
I still feel that Federer will win. His game has been too good to not show up.
Lobbing when the time is right and getting it done is what is important. Not overall percentage.
Intensity has picked up in 2nd set a lot compared to 1st.
amy,
Where are you girl? Asleep? Well you are missing some good stuff from your guy!
Novak looking like no way he’s gonna take eye off the ball tonight. Just too good for Roger. 3 sets should be enough.
What I feared the most that Fed would not been aroused enough, so as the crowd.
No way Roger gonna take noble by rushing the net.
2nd set much crisper overall than 1st. I feel Roger will sneak out the 2nd (serving ahead) . Its a MUST WIN for him. He has no margin at all.
Like nole’s 70s soccer shirt.
Djokovic is winning just 18% of return points in Set 2. Far from ideal.
RF serving 64% 1st serves, and also winning 29% of return points.
He’ll come good when he needs to;-)
What a major volley botch by RF
Federer is botching FH like crazy. Sitters missed.
Feds BH clearly better than his FH today. It is sturdy. FH way off.
My word! What is the Djokovic cerebrum made of!!
Now it’s mole to turn thumb screws 🙂
Any match between these 2 HAS to have a 7 5 or 7 6. As Federer said straight shootout.
Hope Djoko holds so that he starts first in third irrespective of the TB result
Great solid serving by roper. Incredible consistency of service motion. Against anyone else he’d walk away with this, serving like that. Against nole might not even take a set.
Tie break may be easy for Fed
no
Fed missed his chance at 5:4. Djokovic wont give him many of those.
Roger deserves the 2nd. He had like 7 BP in this set. He deserves it more.
YES YES YES..what a BH to clinch it.
as I said Fed will counterattack…good job Maestro!
Gotta hand it to the old dog, took the set. Gonna be some match now:) Watch nole come on strong in set 3.
Doh!!! 🙁 🙁 He is not going to win from one set down, is he!
great return game by Roger. Getting all the returns in play when he needed them to be.
Great for a game that Fed took the set, no matter who wins. Im sure that Becker thinks it is still a winning game for Djokovic because the set was so tiring for Fed like in Wimbledon.
Federer will feel comfortable ONLY when he will be in control. Djokovic still in lead.
Nole gut his set.
No more sets for you.
RF clearly the better player in Set 2. Had all the BPs. Djokovic won just 24 return points, RF was up to 37. Djokovic created 0 BPs. RF 9.
Right now Federer more confident than Djoko.
Fed playing on a whole nuther level than Nole now.
Never in doubt.
No
Yes
That FH at 30-15 in the 3rd game is the shot that reeled down his opponents in his prime. Doesn’t posses the same mojo now.
Yes but he backed it up with DF and 2 glaring FH misses
Just like I said yesterday @Sanju
If Fed’s FH doesn’t show up, Nole will run away with the match
Right out of nowhere a break.
Horrible horrible by Federer
This has Wimbledon final 2015 written all over it.
Spoke too soon.
Nole won’t consolidate.
Chokovic.
#Nostrahawkus
I stick to my prediction, Nole in 4
This has Federer’s name all over it. Djoko just cannot break away 🙁
#NID
I stick to my prediction. Federer losing no more than a set.
Nole seems tuckererd out! A 34 year old fresher than the 28 year old.
ALLEZ Roger!!!!
It is easy to see that Fed is better, but Djokovic makes such a pressure, like Rafa really.
That doesn’t make sense LOL
Just like Mac says, nothing seems to bother the guy.
Which is why he will win.
Three double faults …Djo
Riveting stuff.
Ricky has disappeared now he knows he picked wrong lol.
Djoko seems to be in a funk. SOmething is up with him and this does seem the usual “put Murray off guard” stuff
Yeah there is. He’s playing Roger inn the final of the US open.
If Ricky’s pick is right I’ll be the first to congratulate him on his superior pick.
Doubt he’ll reciprocate as it’s not his style.
Djokovic is so brave, amazing…
Can Djoko steal the set ala Rafa USO 2013
No
Perhaps
Well cant compare. Rafa was down 3 break points there at crucial point
Djokovic on the ropes now.
Whole nuther level.
NID
At 4;3 Becker stood up and was clearly signalling to Djokovic.
He was doing an uncle Toni
Signalling what? To break?
Nothing. Just like Uncle Toni was supposedly signaling Rafa.
I saw Becker stand up and did not see him signaling anything to Novak.
He very deliberately stroked his nose three times just before Nole served.It was quite blatant.
Just when you think Novak is not doing well, then he comes up with some great shots. He struggled to hold his serve and then gets the break to give him the shot to serve it out for the third set.
Again Fed loses serve being 40 15 up.
Overall this match has drama and excitement but is very sloppy. Too many errors from both.
Please serve it out nole . No dramas 🙁
Chokovic hitting short
There’s been drama throughout this match.
Chokovic won’t consolidate
Good call on this
Happier than you I was wrong.
You’ll learn.
Djokovic breaks Fed. If he holds his serve that effectively decides the match.
NID
Federer just cannot convert BPs. He is horrible at it.
Cna you believe some 28 BP in this match
Gee whiz, Novak wins the third set! Imagine that! I guess he didn’t choke after all!
Said the person that couldn’t even make a pick lol.
From the person who posted that truly rude and tasteless comment when I did make my pick! I saw what you wrote! No class! You did everything to make me feel stupid for my original pick of Novak in four or five sets!
So how does it feel to be wrong now!
I say I had the balls to make a pick LOL
NNY..the scant respect shown to Djokovic by some people on this site is stifling. Djokovic is not world No 1 for nothing.
It is very clear..Roger has a huge huge mental block in slams against both Novak and Rafa. This match says it all. Some 16 BP chances and only 5 converted.
Tell me about it! Did you see what was said after I made my prediction of Novak in four or five sets? I was laughed at! Then when I decided that I couldn’t make a pick and didn’t go with my original belief, I am getting trashed for that, too!
Shameful!
I have said all along that Novak is the one who has been the best player this year. Then there was all this hype over Fed. It’s okay to support him playing so well, but to just have so little respect for the #1 player, the one who has been in every slam final this year, is just pathetic.
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Yeah, it takes a lot of balls to take cheap shots all week at someone who doesn’t agree with you. Now that’s funny! LOL! What a joke! I stood up for Novak all week long. You couldn’t shut up about how right you were about Fed. No one knows anything but you.
#NID
Indeed! LOL
I believe you didn’t back him to win though.
Revisionism helps some.
Fed missed golden chance..
Vaamos Nole!!! *Does the Rafa lawnmover* 🙂
Idemoooooo!!!!
Nole loosen up please
Shut the N.Y. Crowd up Nole!!!
And me too LOL!!!
It will be precisely same scenario like Wimbledon.
The scar just will not heal in grand slam matches again Rafa/Novak.
Walk in the park playing all others, but mission impossible again these two. Wait until both retire for Roger to win another slam 🙂
Yes huge huge mental block against both Rafa and Novak. It was only Rafa earlier..2011 onwards it is against Novak too, esp after losing that 2011 semi in USO to Novak holding 2 match points.
No
Aha!!
Novak breaks Fed in the first game of the fourth set. It’s not over until the last point is played. Fed won 3 of 17 break points. I think that was the stat from the ESPN commies. That’s the story of this match.
Everybody who believed Federer could win was unanimous it would have to be in 4 sets.
I reckoned without Djokovic’s awesome defensive skills being brought to bear. He carefully hid his light under the bushel leading up to the final.
I remember saying a few times here that Novak brings his best in the semis and the finals of slams. That’s exactly what he did.
Everybody who believed in Djokovic was banking on him saving his best till the final.
That said expect more drama in 4th set. Novak wmay lose serve again 🙂
Forehand errors thus far:
Djokovic, 9
Federer, 23
abhirf here is your stat
But there has not been a single tantrum from Nole this match
I clocked that too. I would have bet my house on him losing the plot. Instead he regrouped and dug deep.
Fed will break here
Fed will break here now
Chokovic
NID
Almost every BP miss by Federer is a FH error..that too wayward
Classless fedfans cheering on service faults all night
Roger has been as bad on crucial points in the later part of his career as he was untouchable on crucial points during his peak.
Eva is fab fab as an umpire. She has performed better than both Roger & Novak 🙂
53 UE for Roger and 35 for Novak
IDEMIOOOOO!!!!
#Shhh… Antijinxings@work
Novak is a very smart and clever actor.
Most likely he deliberately lost some games and sets in earlier rounds to make his opponents think he was not in very good form.
Strike when the opponent is not ready for it.
It does not make logical sense that Novak would be so upset losing a set to the player at the level of Agut or Feli. He knows well they are not at his level.
That is the clever deceptive act in “Art of War”
No
I reached the same conclusion a few games into the match. Bluff and double bluff.
Federer going down fighting.
Roger well break now!
Are we going to see Wimby 2014 final again played out. Djoko was up 5 2 there too.
Djokovic made the classic mistake is thinking it was over.
It’s not
Total points won:
Djokovic – 142
Federer – 142
2014 Wimby written all over
I cant believe how tight Djoker is
Awesome pick from Ricky and all those who picked Nole especially those who picked him in four!!
Happy to be wrong.
Rafa is the GOAT!!!
i tried to tell everyone
Ricky,
So did I. But I was laughed at.
LMFAO
But now there is another contender.
Yeah, you did it again. But in the end, the laugh is on you! Making fun of people who are giving their opinions and then end up being right, is nothing to be proud of at all.
Well I believe you implied I was “absurd” for having an opinion on GOAT.
Somewhat pot and kettle methinks but that is ok,
However like Nole, I don’t get bent out of shape about it (unlike some).
LMFAO!!!!
IDEMOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
I am not being a typical fed fan when I say this because I think Novak is a beast and deserved it but honestly Federer really disappointed me tonight and I think he could’ve switched the result around. Honestly his break point conversion was totally awful. Just horrible. Honestly.
I think that was one of the keys of the match. What was the final stat? Something like 3 BP’s converted out of 17 or more?
I think it was three out of 23.
Yes, I just heard the final stat for BP’s converted for Fed. Out of all those chances. That along with Novak’s ROS and great defensive skills were the keys of the match.
I said it all week long. Novak is the best player this year. I don’t mind some of the hype because Fed was playing so well. But you cannot discount a guy who has played so well consistently throughout the year.
Nole came within one match from winning the calendar slam.
That could be said of Fed twice in 2006 and 2007. All thanks to Rafa and Stan. Its always the FO that they faltered Not even the great Serena Williams could do it (thats a bit surprising to me though).
But Serena won twenty-six straight matches before checking out. With Federer and Djokovic, the Roland Garros final losses came after just thirteen match wins. Who is to say what tricks the mind could have played on them had they ever arrived in New York in search of a calendar slam?
Serena also won a non-calendar slam twice. Federer twice came within one match of achieving that, Nadal is next on twenty-five wins, while Djokovic is on fourteen and counting.
Kudos to the Serb for becoming just the second man after Federer to win three slams in a calendar year on more than one occasion, though. He also joins a select club of players to have won three of the slams at least twice? With Fed old, Nadal gone, Andy not managing his anger, Stan hot and cold, Sleevie Wonder and Nishikori semi-permanently hobbled, Del Potro permanently so, and the remainder simply not up to the task or too young yet, Djoker must have a good chance to catch and surpass Borg, Laver and even Emerson before long. After that, watch out Sampras and Nadal.
Good point lucky.. Of course. Fed came within one match twice during the weak era.
The fedfan crowd was classless but Nole outclassed them all.
Brad Gilbert is a terrible predictor and probably couch as well.
He’s no Lazy Boy that’s for sure.
So Djoko evens it up by stopping Roger three times like he stopped Rafa three times 🙂
Glad he won. That crowd sucked.
#rafole
There were moments when the match was gripping but on balance neither man were at their very best and it was a final that failed to deliver the anticipated drama and excitement.
Congratulations to Djokovic and to all those who believed in him – particularly Ricky who insisted all along the winner was NID.
I thought Fed winning was NID. I guess it depends who you listen to or believe. That’s how it seemed from reading some comments here. That’s all well and good if people thought that Fed would win. They have a right to their opinion. But trashing anyone just because they don’t agree is just not cool.
The match wasn’t a classic by any means.
Apparently I had an opinion on GOAT that someone took offence to. Maybe you slept on it and discovered that “they have a right to their opinion.”
Thanks nny!!!
You’re right ed, far from a classic but some great drama at times through out and the best man won!!!!
ADJE!!!!!!!
#NoleFam
#LetsDoThis
#Idemooooooo
When you hear a crowd cheering when a player double faults or misses a serve or a shot, that’s bad. But Novak showed that he could handle it. Not an easy thing to do.
The best thing when that happens is to win! 🙂
Thankfully the SABR rattling will cease.
Yes please! No more SABR!
Roger plays unbelievably awesome against opponents not at his level. His movement, shots and variety are the most beautiful when he is playing great.
But against tough opponents, he hits low first serve percentage, double fault, make easy mistakes on breakpoint though in winning position, forehand not working, even when hitting winners his head is facing down, a sign of low confidence compared to Novak/Rafa.
He is Roger, in all his strength there is his weakness which makes him human.
IF not, nobody would want to watch tennis if someone is winning 25 grandslams 😀
As expected Novak wins. Congrats to him. In a way its a victory for the Novak/Rafa generation; just imagine the smugness by many of the Fed supporters if Fed were to win this, beating the domineering no.1 ranking player whos from the Rafa generation. Imo that’ll be unbearable and we’ll have the endless talk of Fed is the confirmed Goat.
Exactly Lucky, the outcome of that match leaves the debate wide open.
But the Nole monster is quite scary. Finals of all the major tournaments in the last year, save Shanghai. And Federer @34 years the closest competitor. IF he keeps this up, he can sweep next year. But the beauty of ATP has been that just when a player seems destined for multi year dominance, someone puts him back in place.
Cant say who is going to do that for Djokovic, but if someone does not, we could be in for another 2004 – 2007
It takes another monster to beat this monster that is Novak. I think Fed’s dominance during 2004-2007 looked more scary than this one. Novak needs to grind out wins from jaws of defeats, Fed made his looked less daunting.
Rafa was also a monster in 2008 right up to Rome 2009 and then 2010 clay season till the end of the season. If not for his injuries he would also be a scary monster who could dominate at least from 2008 to beginning of 2011. I’m hopeful Rafa wull revamp his game (according to Spanish DC captain Rafa is in the process of changing his game) and come back strong to continue his rivalry with Novak, and getting the upper hand!
more daunting you mean?
I hope that’s not the case. I want Rafa to come back strong next year. But now we see just how tough it is to take out Novak at a slam. Not bad for a guy who was called a three set specialist. It was Fed who beat him in a best of three match at Cincy, but couldn’t get it done at the USO.
Fed is not really a competitor. He did well to reach two slams this year at his age. But with Novak waiting there for him, he wasn’t able to win either one. Rafa was the only one who could stay with Novak. He has to come back to make things interesting.
I have to say that I have not liked much about Novak and the way he has handled himself at times. But I have been really impressed watching him this year. He is able to elevate his game in the crucial moments, especially at slams. I don’t know how he got his racket
on some of Fed’s serves. The way he fights so hard to save break points is pretty awesome.
I respect what he’s done this year. I also think he showed some toughness and maturity in dealing with a raucous pro-Fed crowd. He stayed strong and didn’t crumble. So I have to say that this was a well deserved win. Maybe not the best match in terms of pure tennis, but still entertaining and filled with drama and ups and downs. In the end, the best man won.
No, he can’t keep this up more than a year or two most. He’s fried. I think he wanted to put Fed in his place and his fans with this massive win.
I don’t see fed winning another GS and rafole will stop fed in MC and Rome from ever winning those.
I would like to humbly point out that Rafa has also held 3/4 slams twice. It may not be in same year but FO 2008 – AO 2009 and FO 2010 – AO 2011 – Rafa won 3/4.
Today’s match again proves only a good Rafa can stop Novak. I am sorry Murray and Federer just cannot outlast him.
I feel sorry for Fed too. 4th chance gone away. Wimby 2014, Wimby 2015, USO 2014(after Novak lost Fed was confirmed for the win but caught an on song Cilic) , 2015. It must hurt .
You know I forgot about how last year played out. Once Nishi beat Novak, then the path did seem clear for Fed to get to the final and win. But Cilic came out and played an outstanding match to thwart Fed’s dreams of another USO. It’s always something in the way. But Fed had his time. I think this is Rafa, Novak and Murray’s time.
I have said that I did not think Fed would win another slam until this one. I got caught up in all the talk about Fed being supposedly invincible. Now I am back to thinking it’s not going to happen.
I am not sure that Novak can keep this up for a few years. He has had so much success this year, but there have been signs of the mental strain. He had a tough time closing out this match. At times he has seemed out of sorts and a bit fried. So we will have to see what happens next year.
I always feel that as long as Novak or Rafa is still in the draw, Fed has no chance of winning a slam. He needs someone to stop Novak and Rafa and then he may win one.
As for who’s going to stop Novak, I would say first and foremost a fit and healthy Rafa playing his best tennis, followed by an on fire Stan at AO and FO. Murray may do it at Wimbledon provided hes not stopped by Fed. Hmm…it takes a group effort to beat a montrous Novak at the slams!
^This.
Ahaa..Roger in presser kinda saying he lost it rather than Novak winning 😉
Q. He seemed to find another gear. When you had those break opportunities, it was like he just elevated. Is that sort of the key to his…
ROGER FEDERER: I didn’t feel that way, to be quite honest. I had too many break chances. Of course some of them I could have done better, should have done better, you know, all these things.
Surely he didn’t give me much, you know, and all that, that’s for sure, but still I should have done better
I should have never been down in the first place two sets to one and 5-2. That was a bummer there.
ROGER FEDERER: I’m feeling confident doing it, you know. I think it was the right game plan. Just execution sometimes was missing in some crucial moments. But other than that, I think I played a good match.
Maybe I haven’t played this offensive for a very long time, and that’s maybe the reasons, as well, why maybe I was slightly shaky when it came to the crunch on the break points. Who knows?
Q. I didn’t hear the first question, but 19 break points out of 23 you missed; many with the forehand. Normally when we look at your stats your forehand is always the winning point. Tonight you were probably playing better on the backhand. Am I right? Am I wrong? How do you feel? How was it in your opinion?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. A lot of opportunities miss the. If it’s backhand, forehand, volleys, it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day.
I know why I lost the match very clearly the moment I sat down at 5-2 down in the fourth or after the match was over.
So something I will work on, and keep moving forward, you know. It’s no problem for me.
Q. When you say you know why you lost the match, is it just because of those mistakes or the reason why you made those mistakes?
ROGER FEDERER: Because of the mistakes I made. I have to get better at that. It’s just pretty simple.
Lets forget about Novak and roger. They are anyway doing great. Rafa, please regroup and focus and come back fast.
Very unlikely for Roger to come back winning slam with Novak around. He is mentally not ready for this sort of challenge.
Neither it is likely for Rafa to come back winning slam like back in 2010/2013 except at RG.
It is no surprise by end 2016, Novak has 13 slams.
Rafa had never had worse achievement than this year in slam. Even when he was injured, he did better than 2015. He had never lost to so many low ranked players in the long stretch of time except 2015. He owned those names who beat him in 2015 until mid 2014.
Two currently best players in the world either one of them winning is not a big surprise. I admire Fed’s efforts, but last night he was not mentally ready to fight for the 18. Not converting 23 break points says a lot. Hmmm, facing 23 break points speaks of the quality of the match. Roger lost this match but also Novak won it on those crucial points.
Fed was broken twice in the first set and that was essential for the match. On many occasions Fed reminded me of Rafa 2015 last night ? Novak was fighting like a lion and deserves every praise.
Watching these two made me realize how much will Rafa need to improve to get to their level…
Congrats to Novak and his fans! This was a well fought and deserved win.
Congrats to Fed for being in two finals at the age of 34 something both Novak and Rafa can only dream of…
Fed lost the match as much as Novak won it. The FH errors at crucial moments were shocking from Fed. Some were sitters. Fed could have actually won this match. Novak won Wimby 2015 fair and square, USO 2015 was lost by Fed as much as was won by Nole. Feds presser says the same thing.
I do not agree nats. Rafa played at a higher level than both Fed & Novak today in USO 2013, USO 2010, AO2012 , even AO 2014 till the back injury. The level today was not high, it was a sloppy match with 90 plus UE and many costly mistakes. It was very evenly matched though as neither played well to the best of their abilities.
No, you misunderstood. I was talking about Rafa of 2015. He would have been easily dealt with by either of these two if he was facing them. I don’t observe Rafa’s past records and his brilliance in the past. I am talking about 2015 onwards…Fed had similar slump and improved and modified his game to have results. Unless Rafa does similar thing he will be easy target for many…
Call me crazy, but that was not such a high level of tennis that Rafa with his game today and a level head could not overcome.
Have to agree with Sanju here. I dont think its really a high quality match with so many errors and so many missed BP opportunities! Its just that its a fast paced match for the most part of it making it seemed like its a great match. The Rafa of 2010 and 2013 would have no problem finishing off Fed or Novak here with fewer errors.
Watching this USO and in particular this final match made me appreciate Rafa even more, for Rafa rarely played a slam match thats full of errors esp in a final. Rafa is known for playing at a consistently high level in a BO5 match, something I notice Novak finds it hard to do, Fed too .
Rafa had a brilliant 2008 March – 2009 May and we all thought he would dominate, he went off the boil .
Rafa won 3 slams in 2010 and we all thought he would dominate in 11, Novak 2.0 happened.
Rafa had a stellar 2-13 and we thought he will continue in 2014, he again went off the boil.
Novak had a stellar 2011 and we all thought he will keep dominating, he won only 3 slams/12 for the next 3 years.
Novak again has dominated 2015, what will happen 2016?
Rafa is going to dominate in 2016, goes without saying…..(right?)
we certainly hope so… 🙂
Shireling,
No, it doesn’t go without saying and it’s not impossible either.
I still believe but wish he would put his head out of the ground and look for some external help, I think he’s in denial of his situation.
that…
Outcome was never in doubt in my mind. Of course it was going to be tight – it would have been, no doubt who won – but, alas, this is now the Djokovic era. Roger still great but, at his very best, on nole’s shoulder now.
It would have been a different matter had noble limped in, in the same state as the cincy final, but the draw was kind to him and his ruthlessly dispatched Marin in the SFs, meaning there was nothing bar injury that would stop him this week-end, and Nole over Fed in 3/4 sets is pretty much where it’s at these days.
I was saved the burden of staying up to watch this bore fest because of the rain delay. I watched the recording this morning before making my comments. It was a shame the spectators didn’t have a scintillating match to watch.
Tennis is much poorer without Rafa at the top.
I’m still trying to comprehend whether Federer lost the 3rd set or Nole won the 3rd set.
Really gutted after today’s loss.
Anyways, congrats to Nole for winning his 10th Major!!
Atleast Roger’s SABR did some damage.
Commies to you abhirf. Tough loss indeed with so many chances unconverted. Nole stole the third set similar to how Rafa stole the 3rd set from Nole at the ’13 open.
Roger couldn’t bring near the same level he had in the semis but of course so much of that had to do with Nole.
Just great to see Federer still being a relevant force having made finals at three of the last six slams just cements his unmatched longevity.
Poor Henri Laconte had to fill hours with mindless chat during the rain delay. He was clearly the worse for wear – he called it tiredness lol – and was discussing Federer’s longevity. The only problem was he couldn’t pronounce ‘longevity’ : one of the other presenters had to come to his rescue.
Rafa of today makes more errors than any of these guys last night…Rafa would stand no chance in the match like this with his current ROS, his movement, his weaknesses in his own service games and his mental lapses and I guess you all know that…unless you have been watching a different Rafa…
it is easy to say Rafa would have been better than these two…that is just pure speculation and unfounded I dare say…Rafa used to do this…Rafa never made as many errors in the finals…Wait: Rafa does not get to the finals these days…you don’t sit around thinking of the glorious past…you seek answers for the future…
but I trust Rafa will do what is necessary: among other things, seek for external help, work on his tactics and improve his serve…I hope Rafa and his team will make it happen…I just hope Rafa decided to do something about his mental strength which I dare say will involve a whole lot more than just living on the past glory…
Well said nats.
nats,
Great post! You said it all! 🙂
hear hear natashao2013!
🙂 it’s time for some serious action in Rafa’s camp…hope to see it sooner than later…
adje nole!! very very happy and relieved that he won….!
not well enough to watch but i see that nole did manage to hit some winning lobs!! no idea why other players haven’t been doing that more to roger….
commies to benny and abhirf and other fed fans….you still have to give him huge credit for playing this well at 34…
what i am bummed about when i put on the bbc news today is that there was no headline saying nole beats fed..but one about nole being booed and jeered and saying that he has to earn the crowd’s support…!! very unamused at this lack of respect towards a great champion who is world number one and has double digit majors…
amy,
While live blogging the match, I actually wrote a post to you. I was calling out and asking if you were up. I was talking about those lobs from Novak to counter Fed’s SABR attack and being so aggressive coming into the net.
Maybe it was best that you didn’t see the match, though. I was not proud of my fellow New Yorkers last night. Their behavior was quite boorish. When Novak would miss a serve or double fault, they would cheer loudly. That is the one thing that I truly cannot abide. But you would also have been proud of how Novak handled it. He fought and fought throughout the match despite the crowd being against him.
I have said that I don’t like Novak because of some behaviors at times. But watching him this year and especially last night, I had great respect for him. I have to give him credit for what he’s done this year. Well done!
nny, glad i didn’t see nole being booed….i hate booing crowds unless there are very good reasons ie in canada after kyrgios made those awful remarks…
my lob remark turned out to be prescient no?? he didn’t hit a single one at wimby so am glad he managed a few good ones…any-one playing fed needs that in their armour to put doubts in his mind going to net….
seems like bb earned his corn again…who would have thought that relationship would work?!
Fed should have won. Great match though. Throughly entertaining tennis by Federer. Novak was solid as usual. Fed was a treat to watch. And the return winner in the beginning on the 2nd set from the service line? I have never seen anything like this. Hope Federer plays for a few years and continues to entertain
amy,
Yes, you are a mind reader! That’s why I was calling out to you during the match, even though I realized that you were most likely asleep. I don’t know why the crowd got so intense, but I will tell you that at times it reminded me of a soccer match. I think abroad it’s called football. Novak would shake his fist at the crowd and get in their face after he hit a winner. The worst was in that second set, when the crowd seemed to be behind Fed so that he wouldn’t go down two sets. Novak fought off a few set points despite the crowd, but in the end he was broken and Fed won the second set. I wondered if he could regroup for the third set. That’s exactly what he did by breaking Fed in the first game. He showed a lot of poise and sheer guts in that match. It’s not easy when you have the crowd against you.
It’s interesting that after the match JMac and PMac were talking about maybe there being a time when Novak will have the crowd on his side. They said, what does he have to do. So they were aware of it. But winning is the best revenge.
Did you get to see a replay of the match?
Amy: Much of the time Djokovic brings the opprobrium of the crowd upon himself. A classic example was during the 2nd set at 4:5 when he saved multiple break points to level at 5 all.. He gave vent to a vulgar showboating display – screaming at the top of his lungs with a manic look in his eyes and beckoning the crowd to applaud his feat as if he’d actually won the match..
In fact his level had dropped in this set and the stats show Federer raised his apart from his failure to convert BP opportunities and to win more points from ND’s second serve.
Fed’s high risk strategy failed to work in this match largely due to poor execution at crucial moments.
ed, i am not blind to nole’s faults but it must be very hard to play in front of a huge crowd which is so pro-fed….
given the way that the crowd has got to him in the past i think you have to give him some credit for managing to get through without a really major melt-down…
these maniacally pro-fed crowds are a real turn off IMO….
i actually struggle to understand quite what is behind their blind adulation….it is SO extreme!!
amy,
Do you remember what happened with Novak in 2008 at the USO? He and Andy Roddick had words publicly. Then Novak beat him in the quarterfinals, but made the mistake of going after Roddick even in victory during his on court post match interview. The sound of 20,000 New York fans booing let him know that they did not appreciate what he said. Novak made a big mistake. But he learned from it. Today he would not do that. He’s grown up a bit.
Novak does have his faults, as you acknowledge. I have had issues with him in the past. But I thought the crowd was really just over the top with their insane support for Fed. I guess they really want him to win another slam. I don’t understand it, never have, never will. For myself, I feel that Fed’s had his day. Now this is Rafa, Novak and Murray’s time. If Fed does manage to win another one, then good for him. But I don’t know that it’s going to happen because of what we saw yet again last night.
The one thing I cannot tolerate is when the crowd applauds and cheers when any players misses a serve, double faults or misses a shot. I have seen it happen in other slams at other times. Last night it seemed particularly mean-spirited. Not good.
I watched the match and have to agree with most opinions here… neither were at their best even though there were spectacular points and some drama.
Congrats to Nole, fully deserved. Rafa’s being at 50% for more than a year has made things a little easier but even so, 3 slams in a year!
Again impressed with Fed at his age. It is true that he was never quite as tough mentally as rafa and as nole has become… this was part of what made him vulnerable to rafa.. don’t know whether this is due mostly to an easy first part of his career… or mostly due to more personal characteristics of his. Still, gotta admire him for what he can accomplish despite this. Few names will continue to mean ‘tennis’ for a long time like ‘Federer’. (Don’t flame me: I am still an ardent rafan, and rafa’s name too will mean ‘tennis’ for a long time.)
#Tignor
“Djokovic’s second U.S. Open and 10th major title will go down as a signature achievement, and perhaps his most impressive. He held off a charging Federer, 19 break points, and a tsunami of booze-filled humanity.”
“For now, in this individual sport, no one represents the stubborn spirit and ultimate worth of the individual the way Djokovic does. Again he was the man alone in the arena; and again he was the one who walked out of that arena a winner. ”
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/09/lions-den/56324/#.VfbXfxGrSUl
Interestingly the third set stats for each of them were closer than I thought at the time – apart of course from BP conversion and ineffectual net play from Fed. There were some horrors in this department when he repeatedly missed attempted volleys sending them smashing into the net.
Not their finest hour for either of them. It will be interesting to see if Djokovic continues to go on the rampage for the autumn swing or decides to take it easy. I’m guessing the former in his quest to break more records but the signs are there he could be suffering from match fatigue.
(if you don’t like long post please skip, I haven’t the time and inclination right now to make this one shorter 🙂 just typed it fast)
As to Nole seeming fried..
We have seen glimpses of this over the last years now and then and more often lately. I find this interesting. He used to have his health issues prior to mid-2010. In the same years he used to be mentally much weaker. So the new skills he learned, such as self-talk, visualization (I’m sure that’s part of the package), meditation, yoga, disciplined lifestyle, etc…. have made a huge difference. Yet… they are add-ons… tools he uses for the sports / fame / money goals he is pursuing. Nothing wrong with that. But, they are still add-ons. So I wonder how differently these disciplines (meditation, yoga, for example) would have helped him with mental strength if he had been inclined to integrate them into his way of life in a deeper way. I mean, as would someone who adopts them for the more usual reasons, to find increasingly deeper harmony in his mind and between the mind and the body, and such…
These thoughts come in part from watching his extremely angry outburst on court when he gets emotionally heated up. E.g. the incident with the ball boy. I understand that a player can get that worked up in a match at the top level. But has he been practicing those disciplines for the purpose of increasing harmony inside and an increasingly peaceful mind for five years now then I think his outburst would be fewer, less over-the-top etc.
If I am right about this speculation, then it is a bit paradoxical, no? If Nole wanted to get even more ego-results out of his practices and nearly monastic every-day discipline… he could have achieve this by pursuing these practices first and foremost for their own sake, to quiet the ego a little and find more harmony between it and the rest of who he is. I wonder how many of these disciplines he will keep after he hangs up his racket.
Human, all too human.
Skipped ?
Brevity is the soul of wit?
Chloro, you are right but I think Novak is who he is it’s not easy for him to bottle up his emotions. What I don’t understand is why he gets so angry, breaking his racquet in every other match or other piece of furniture and losing his temper with the crowd. It’s not as if he is not doing well. What would he do were he in a slump like Rafa is atm.
in these five years he might have found his emotions coming out less violently (no need to bottle, for sure)
It wasn’t a great match in terms of quality, but I thought it did have its moments. Novak came out and played extremely well in that first set. He did well to rebound quickly from a nasty fall. He broke Fed a few times in just one set. That didn’t happen in all Fed’s previous matches.
However, in the second set I though that Fed started playing better and his aggressive tactics were working well. Novak had to struggle mightily to hold his serve more than once. I thought the crowd really helped to energize Fed. He had to win that second set.
But in the third set I thought that Novak regrouped well to start out with a break. He seemed to be in control again. I will say that I never thought he would have so much trouble closing out the match. Maybe it was some nerves, but also Fed just kept coming and didn’t quit. Maybe it was kind of too little, too late but I give him credit for that.
I just want Rafa to work on his game and come back better in 2016. Tennis needs him and so do his fans.
NNY: I am allergic to Novak. Period. But that was not why I picked Federer for the win.
I agree he did well to keep his emotions and temper in check when he was heckled. I also appreciated the way he showed respect to Federer by not going in for his usual triumphalism when he won.
Federer must be bitterly disappointed but he seemed very calm and accepting and graciously acknowledged he’d been outplayed. Not sure whether it was wishful thinking on his part or simply bravado but I do wonder if we will ever see him again in the later stages of a USO.
For that reason alone I am pleased I stayed up till 5a.m to watch the match. It will seem strange when he is gone.
re: The crowd. It only takes a relatively small number of badly behaved hooligans to make an awful lot of noise and sound like the whole stadium is booing and hissing. And there is always somebody making their voice heard by calling out at crucial moments.
I don’t understand why the marshalling people and security men don’t eject them immediately.
I’d wager a bet most of hecklers don’t give a damn who wins. They are just out to stir up trouble. Full blooded Fedfans are a race apart. Both my best friend and my sister are complete devotees and think it’s weird I worship Rafa. We have a pact not to discuss the subject.
ed,
I know your feelings about Novak. I respect that absolutely. But even the ESPN commies were talking about the intensity of the noise from the crowd, especially in that tight second set when Fed could not afford to go down two sets. For me it did sound like almost everyone was cheering for Fed.
I actually understood why Novak got in their faces and shook his fist and screamed. For one thing, it let out some of the pressure he was feeling. But there were some moments where he let the crowd know how he left. I can’t criticize him for that. The one thing that I truly cannot abide is any crowd cheering when a player double faults or misses a serve or a shot. The crowd did it and there were enough to make it quite audible. That I find so gross and boorish.
Maybe it was a lot of Fed fans or those who wanted Fed to win for whatever reason. But it was ugly and nobody deserves that. I do agree that security should eject those who call out to disrupt players. Someone did that late in the match when Novak was serving.
I understand what you are saying about Fed. I think that I am allergic to Fed! There is so much that I do not like about him and some of his fans are right behind. But there was something poignant about watching him sitting there after yet another loss. It’s obvious that he wants one more slam. He keeps on trying. It will seem strange when he’s gone.
I think this was a match worth watching, even if Rafa wasn’t there.
I don’t get the blind adulation for Roger either. Djokovic can’t understand why he doesn’t gain the affection of fans with all he’s achieved but as far as Rafa and Roger fans are concerned he is just encroaching on their patch and they want him to just go away.
He will catch Rafa soon at this rate.
in the earlier years Nole did much _not_ to endear himself with tennis fans, besides the encroachment on fedal’s patch
^^ Exactly.
^This.
I wonder if Roger had a blazer embroidered with 18 ready to wear as he lifted his 18 GS Trophy.
^ cheeky 🙂
No but I’m quite sure Nike does.
It’s probably 3 years old now!
^^ROFL
The crowd was drunk coz of the late start.
Yeah and nadline10 thinks that any match not involving Nadal is a snoozefest, but she couldn’t provide any evidence to support this claim.