Found a great video of Davydenko when he was a baby, his hair really hasn't changed much in all these years :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcPCLHL29hM
It seems Fed has incorporated it more lately into his game. I see Fed using it in new situations. Of course everyone has used it on the running forehand cross. But I see him using it more on down-the-line forehands (something Rafa may do better than anyone, especially as he curves it from the...
It is a better backhand. Less wrist, and less overall shoulder rotation, which isn't needed much in the 1H backhand, and with that compactness comes more power and more consistency. I think it's better than Gasquet's as well.
In years past I never saw Fed follow through over his right shoulder - it was always the windshield wiper. But lately, even in Halle I see him hitting lots of Nadal-esque forehands. Not as insane and exaggerated as Rafa's but he's doing it, no?
Fed also seemed to have gained confidence from his match with Nadal. I was in Madrid with my wife at the Fed/Soderling match. Fed was making incredible gets, and out-forehanding Soderling in a lot of important points - which really looked like the clash of the titans. But for his first few...
Good luck to Grigor, I would really love to see him play a first round match on national TV.
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/scores/schedule/index.html
He's very Swiss. He will schedule his retirement years out. And let everyone know. They will be saying goodbye and kissing him on the cheek for 12 months straight.
He's had the dream career. No, the fantasy career. No, the career that no one on earth could possibly have imagined in their wildest dreams. In early interviews he says he hopes he wins a slam some day. He's very grounded and realizes that he was blessed with the most amazing experience beyond...
Do you think his second serve has improved also? It looks like t-time on his second serve even against qualifiers. Btw, I am watching him now in the Stockholm final and it looks like he's borrowed stan's backhand for the day. Never seen him hit it with as much confidence and power.
Seems like Federer gets broken a lot these days, and generally struggles to win points on his serve. And guys seem to completely blast away on his second serve. Has it slowed down over the years, or are the returners that much better?
A friend saw him signing autographs around 57th and 6th in the afternoon a couple days ago. I think he's making appearances - and it's probably connected to his sponsors.