Fed will play Roland Garros this year.
- Thread starter MasturB
- Start date
icedevil0289
G.O.A.T.
Retirement incoming. This place should be happy
MasturB
Legend
Having one of the best serves of all time helps. But his baseline game is a shell of what it once was.
D
Deleted member 742196
Guest
Yeah, I think so too. While it was nice Fed had his swan song in 2017 after years of crushing losses tennis in 2019 does seem like it’s in a good place with a number of players to get behind. I liked the inspired tennis Tsits played today. In his interview he even mentioned percentage tennis - if Shap could learn some of that things get interesting. Zverev, Coric, Karen, Medvedev, Tsits, Shap are all exciting players.
weakera
Talk Tennis Guru
No one will be happy, Federer's absence would be a major blow to the intrigue of the ATP.
aman92
Legend
Only if Federer's ranking falls enough to make them meet in the first round. Otherwise Federer is the master of avoiding Djokodal in slams lately
MasturB
Legend
I just hope those names you mentioned will actually step up and deny Novak and Rafa at slams, the same way Novak and Rafa were denying Fed slams once Fed left his prime.
The Lost Gen ruined the natural order of tennis. They got some upsets of the big 4 here and there, but none of them could consistently play at a high level for a full 2 weeks at a major. The lost gen were supposed to deny slams to Rafa and Novak in the early 2010s but they didn't.
I just hope the Next-Gen returns us to natural order. If Fed loses because they're improving I'm ok with that.
True Fanerer
G.O.A.T.
Good.
Otacon
Hall of Fame
Stefanos played an excellent match overall, he deserves the win.
Deon Sanders
Legend
He has done his time as essentially the face of the tour for 15 years
And then there will be someone else
MasturB
Legend
Will be hard to replace him, unless someone like Stefanos starts winning a lot.
Stefanos has an exciting game to watch. Doesn't have all the tools Roger has, or the delicate balance but he goes to the net and plays a lot of high risk.
VaporDude95
Banned
Heck, his baseline game is a shell of what it was at AO18
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
Best serves of all time among good baseliners yes.
D
Deleted member 742196
Guest
Or maybe Fed/Nadal/Djokovic are just that good? Especially Fed because when Djokovic slipped he was there to grab 3 majors. It cannot have been easy for guys to have been quashed for years on end between these three. Even a great talent like Murray barely emerged from it.
It would be nice if we had some new faces winning majors, the time seems right for it.
I felt even when he had time to set up that trademark I/O FH he wasn't nailing them, they were just rally balls down the middle.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
It’s been that way for almost a year now. The last time I saw Roger hit reasonably penetrating FH’s with confidence was Stuttgart. There were glimpses of some great FH’s in the Hopman Cup, but that’s an exho with no pressure. It’s quite possible we’ll never again see Fed’s normal, amazing FH. The greatest shot in tennis history...
Badabing888
Hall of Fame
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/46937116
Well he’s said it is his intention to play on the clay. I am surprised.
Well he’s said it is his intention to play on the clay. I am surprised.
So sad. His FH was weak in 2014/2015 too, it's a shame he couldn't bring his 2017ao - Wimbledon + Shanghai FH to that year we might have seen him grab a slam.
TennisaGoGo
Semi-Pro
Respectfully disagree. Currently 3/4 of tennis fans (including me) approach every tournament terrified that Rafa will crush Roger and take some shine off 2017. RG will be awesome because there are no expectations. But other than that, I’m ready for him to cash out and thought he should have done it after #20.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
In the Tsitsipas match, Roger’s FH had a shocking lack of depth. Almost none of his FH’s passed even the service line during rallies. And ever since the USO we’ve seen these bizarre Nadalesque bolo FH’s. He has no confidence in his FH and no wonder. It would have been unimaginable to have said that in his peak years.
tennisaddict
Bionic Poster
Looks like the farewell tour has begun !
sredna42
Hall of Fame
I dunno mayne, you are usually spot on with everything, but to me it looked like hoger was off, especially his forehand, he was not hitting cleanly or with depth or anything. He has spent his career facing nadal's forehand so greek freak surely couldn't have anything to surprise or dominate him that he hasn't seen before.
It's like Fed has to zoom through the sets fast, get ahead and while they are dazed quickly finish it, but stefanos was able to run down or get back everything, not got bushwhacked off the court AND made the sets long, which wore fed down, and not just physically, I swear fed lost belief he could even get anything past him sometimes, which is why he did a few drop volleys when it didn't seem he needed to, it's cause he didn't think he could stab the volley well enough to end the point.
Will be good to watch the highlights with post match eyes
D
Deleted member 77403
Guest
The Federer forehand is the greatest shot in tennis history, yes, but even that cannot get the ball past Father Time forever....
Eren
Professional
I hope Federer wins the US Open once more. It used to be his playing ground for five to six consecutive years. Who would have thought the guy would win zero US Opens after 2008 and make only two finals?
Last time Federer won the US Open, I was in high school. Now, I am already working... lol.
The US Open was synonymous to Federer winning a major for years. Unfortunately, that time is long gone. I'd rather want him to win a US Open than Wimbledon and preferably both of course. Those were his tournaments. Somehow, the AO is his second most successful Slam. I don't like that.
Last time Federer won the US Open, I was in high school. Now, I am already working... lol.
The US Open was synonymous to Federer winning a major for years. Unfortunately, that time is long gone. I'd rather want him to win a US Open than Wimbledon and preferably both of course. Those were his tournaments. Somehow, the AO is his second most successful Slam. I don't like that.
Eren
Professional
Nadal's FH has been more consistent, same for Sampras. Fed's FH declined, Sampras's and Nadal's much less so.
Peak for peak, Fed's FH beats both because Fed's FH is better on hard and grass than Nadal's (2/3 surfaces played in majors > 1/3 surface on majors).
BGod
G.O.A.T.
USO surface drastically changed. Too slow for him to win now. Only Wimbledon remains.
King No1e
G.O.A.T.
Fedal or Fedovic 1st round? That would be madness!
Awesome but still madness
augustobt
Legend
Only on your fantasy world. Do you want me to enlist Nadal's losses to avoid his rivals in the past few years? If you want, I could change to months too.
Eren
Professional
Agree, but one can hope.
I don't think staying in the top 4 is that important.
Even seeded #3 or #4, he'd have to defeat both #1 and #2 in a row in they both hold their rank (likely Djokovic and Nadal) - and that'll be tough to climb. On the other side, the other players that could get #3 and #4 may not be much more dangerous to Fed than some of those between 5-8, maybe even 5-16. I'd even say having more time between facing #1 and #2 could help him - more recovery time.
And let's not forget Wimbledon has its special seeding formula - Fed will keep some bonus from his 2017 title if I'm correct.
Even seeded #3 or #4, he'd have to defeat both #1 and #2 in a row in they both hold their rank (likely Djokovic and Nadal) - and that'll be tough to climb. On the other side, the other players that could get #3 and #4 may not be much more dangerous to Fed than some of those between 5-8, maybe even 5-16. I'd even say having more time between facing #1 and #2 could help him - more recovery time.
And let's not forget Wimbledon has its special seeding formula - Fed will keep some bonus from his 2017 title if I'm correct.
D
Deleted member 763024
Guest
Agree with you for the most part in that Tsitsipas should get massive credit for the way he performed and made Roger uncomfortable.
I wonder though if comments such as yours don't go the opposite extreme of saying "Roger lost because he didn't play well"
I mean, do you believe in unforced errors, or are you of the opinion that there is no such thing?
I watched the match quite intently and there were at least a couple times where Roger whiffed a completely makeable forehand crosscourt into an open deuce side - one was at 15-40 on Tsitsipas' serve. It did not even have to be a winner but would have forced Stefanos who was completely out of position to try and go for a very difficult defensive shot.
MeatTornado
Talk Tennis Guru
That's ridiculous. There were legit injury concerns after his surgery in January 2016. He tried playing on the clay but said it didn't feel right. Why else would he play MC & Rome but skip RG? You think he was making it up? He missed all of Feb-Mar by that point and certainly need the points then.
Heading into 2017 they were obviously more cautious. The 4000 point cushion of AO-IW-Mia afforded him extra leeway. Realizing how winnable Wimbledon would be, they chose to not even bother risking it, because there was little to gain and everything to lose if something went wrong. It worked so well in 17, that they did it again 18. Unfortunately, he let that MP slip away in the Wim QF, so it made it look like it was all for nothing in many peoples' eyes.
Now here we are in 2019. He's struggling to even make the 2nd week of slams, so there's much less to lose anymore and I guess he really misses Paris.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Federer cannot keep it up where his strokes actually are effective anymore, but he will grind it out with younger players on clay?
He is making a mistake, if he proceeds to play like he normally does on clay, or plays RG.
Anyway, at least we will see his beautiful style on the red dirt again.
He is making a mistake, if he proceeds to play like he normally does on clay, or plays RG.
Anyway, at least we will see his beautiful style on the red dirt again.
D
Deleted member 77403
Guest
Federer cannot keep it up where his strokes actually are effective anymore, but he will grind it out with younger players on clay?
He is making a mistake, if he proceeds to play like he normally does on clay, or plays RG.
Anyway, at least we will see his beautiful style on the red dirt again.
Tickets prices will go up again.
Pheasant
Legend
I don’t want to see Fed play on clay. It was his worst surface by far before he took off 2 years and before the doctors said that it is bad for his surgically repaired knee. Fed already gets gassed from his current schedule. Adding clay is going to wear him out drastically increase his chance for an injury.
Djokovic2011
Bionic Poster
There was at least one at the beginning of the 4th set tiebreak.
Djokovic2011
Bionic Poster
Djokovic hasn't played Dubai in three years and as far as I'm aware doesn't intend to play any tournaments between the AO and IW.
Stilljonesing
Rookie
Medvedev
D
Deleted member 742196
Guest
Fed lacks movement to hit penetrating I/O forehands. It’s an extremely offensive stroke that involves running around the backhand a fair amount and if you don’t get it right the court is wide open for the opponent to redirect DTL.
I think he knows he lacks that movement and doesn’t hit them as sharply anymore - no more I/O forehands from tramlines to the service box. They aren’t so much for winners as they are a baseline rally pattern nowadays. His emphasis on DTL FH has helped him compensate for the loss of movement.
Set 3 onwards was high level baseline rallies and the kid was in a groove playing a type of tennis we don’t usually see anymore. Barring Fed’s return foibles I think he played pretty damned well.
In sports sometimes you just have to tip your hat to an opponent having their day. I hope Tsits shows this isn’t a one time thing and that he can bring this form out consistently.
If Fed can do something about his return life would be much easier. The rest of his game to me is where it should be given the loss of movement. What are people expecting in here - Fed 2007 to show up?
Last edited by a moderator:
HetTheGreaterer
Banned
There was at least one at the beginning of the 4th set tiebreak.
I meant a whole game in which fed FH was on fire
There wasn't any
