What happened???

[jtreed2000]

I think Blake is capable of being a top 3 in the world for a short period. He will probably be top 10-15 for the rest of his career if he's healthy. I hope he doesn't let the loss get him down. At the same time, I believe he still takes too many chances and the bottom fell out in the PLO final. No one can expect to play at the level he reached for any length of time, but he insists on the aggressive style. He goes for too many great shots, rather than rally or wait for the best opportunity.

I wanted Nadal to win as well. I like Nadal's charisma and day in day out he works very hard for his points and plays a very high percentage game.

[jtreed2000]

Hewitt can't do as much damage from the left side of the court and his ball doesn't doesn't have such heavy topspin. I think that's a point that's been brought up before. Safin, Nadal, Gasquet, and Nalbandian, all who beat him last year are strong from the left side.

I noticed during the match that Thomas Blake said "He's beating James forehand with his backhand," referring to Fed obviously. Fed was just more consistant and Blake lost patience it seemed to me.

[snark]

Originally Posted by jtreed2000

Hewitt can't do as much damage from the left side of the court and his ball doesn't doesn't have such heavy topspin. I think that's a point that's been brought up before. Safin, Nadal, Gasquet, and Nalbandian, all who beat him last year are strong from the left side.

I noticed during the match that Thomas Blake said "He's beating James forehand with his backhand," referring to Fed obviously. Fed was just more consistant and Blake lost patience it seemed to me.

I agree, Nadal being a lefty has a lot to do with it. Also Nadal is generally a better player I think. Still, the difference is striking.

In the first set, if you recall, Blake played a few of weak points and Fed played two fantastic points in a row. Once Blake started losing confidence, the game was over quickly.

[bengy088]

Originally Posted by jtreed2000

I think Blake is capable of being a top 3 in the world for a short period. He will probably be top 10-15 for the rest of his career if he's healthy. I hope he doesn't let the loss get him down. At the same time, I believe he still takes too many chances and the bottom fell out in the PLO final. No one can expect to play at the level he reached for any length of time, but he insists on the aggressive style. He goes for too many great shots, rather than rally or wait for the best opportunity.

I wanted Nadal to win as well. I like Nadal's charisma and day in day out he works very hard for his points and plays a very high percentage game.

agree. he works very hard and plays every point the same no matter it's 5-0 or 0-5! how can you not like a guy like the way he plays.

[fastdunn]

Originally Posted by snark

What is strange to me is why Fed beats Hewitt so easily, while having hard time with Nadal.

Good question. Nalbandian kinda showed how to beat Roger.
He basically ties Roger to his backhand side and occasionally
stretch him wide on forehands. He also attacks Roger's serving
game pretty aggressively. Counter punching is also important.

IMHO, Hewitt does not have foreceful shots to counter-punch.
Especially his forehand is not forcefull enough to tie Federer
to his backhand or stretch him wide. Roger just does not have
pressure because hewitt just does not have power.

Now Nadal.. He isn't forcefull as some other players but he has
lefty's angle. He can do 200% of Nalbandian's tactic effectively.
He can put Roger deep into his backhand side and stretch him
really wide to his forehand. He can also hit aggressive return on
Roger's serving game.

I don't think Roger will ever be able to turn the table against Nadal
convincingly. If Roger develops stronger atacking games, he can
probably beat Nadal most of the time. Even if that happens,
it will be always close, IMHO.

[ssuHeartsRivald]

You know federer is man who mostly overlate to get rithym. Once he got it, he would take form to something nuts. That's what Blake've done in the earlier match was right, you know, be aggresive, get the heavy burden pressure to opponent and actually it's only way to challenge Fed. Consistency and mentality maybe a major problem to everybody when they met federer.
Nadal's 'nothing to loose' game is very effective to figure out this case. He's young, agressive, massive power, and no pressure on his shoulders.

[Slazenger]

Ok, this is what happened.

James was playing freaking amazing and killing Feds and was up 2 breaks for 4-1 I believe.
James was serving still with his momentum and he proceeds to play the loosest game in history. He basically went back to old James and made some unbelievably ridiculous errors trying to go for too much too soon.
I'll watch the match again tonight, but if you recorded it check it for yourself.
It was James himself who handed the momentum over to Feds.
Even Fed said at the post match interview that James played a loose game and he was back in it.
James, Feds is not Tommy Robredo!!! You can't let up for a minute with Feds. That is all he needs!!!!!
He probably thought ok, bye bye insurance break, I still have one more. Against anybody else, that would probably be true, but the Fed express knew once James had made those error HIMSELF, that the extreme confidence he was feeling would have subsided a bit and he could have a chance at the set and Fed played with #1 experience and didn't go for too much to soon but changed strategy and outplayed James.

Hopefully James will learn from this and not try to hit spectacular shots at key points in a match. When you are up 2 breaks, increase the gap by doing EXACTLY WHAT GAVE YOU THE 2 BREAKS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!! Resist the temptation to play spectacular shots and go for too much.

James should've won that first set.

[tom-selleck]

i can't remember the exact events, but blake's game went way off the rails near the end of the first set... i presume it was the pressure, but some of his shots were 4.0 level mistakes.... then i went to bed fairly early in the second set as i've seen that movie before (didn't know it was best of 5 though).

[FalconX]

Nadal will get Blake. It's only a matter of time. I don't think Nadal enjoys playing on US soil. He's lost to Blake in America on all occasions and on both occasions I thought the crowd was a bit rude and agressive. I heard a lot of cheering when Nadal missed a first serve especially in the US open. Nadal needs to be a little more patient with blake. I think on both occasions he kind of understimated Blakes scrambling abilities.

[crosscourt]

Federer changed the rhythm of the match -- slices, angles, shortish balls --and that upset Blake, who likes pace and bounce on the ball. That's one of the reasons why Blake has a good match uo with Nadal, that and Blake's speed. It will be interesting to see whether Nadal can vary his game to beat Blake consistently.

Nadal gives Federer trouble because he is a left hander, and for no other real reason. If Federer works out how to play Nadal's left handed game it will be over for Nadal as far as Federer is concerned.