Federer vs Djokovic 2006 Davis Cup Play-offs

Gazelle

Gazelle

G.O.A.T.
Just discovered this little gem on youtube. First time I've ever seen footage of this match. This match probably rings a bell with many Fed and Novack fans, despite the fact that most have never seen it before. On the first day of that DC weekend, Djokovic had beaten Wawrinka in a thrilling 5-setter, taking an MTO (or MTO's?) for what some thought were phantom injuries. After that match Federer called Djokovic a 'joke'. This episode was the beginning of the bad blood between the two.

In this match we see a very motivated Federer, firing on all cylinders like only prime Fed could. As a rule back in those days hitting to his forehand was instant suicide. He was also very consistent in baseline rallies, and showing defensive skills that could rival those of the best defenders in the game. Djokovic was already showing his trademark athleticism and had a pretty potent serve, hitting at speeds of over 200km/h regularly, but lacking the variety of his prime years.

ENJOY :)

 
metsman

metsman

G.O.A.T.
Look how good his forehand is here when stretched to that side. Can generate that insane angle no questions asked. Compare that to their 2016 AO match. Hell and heaven difference. The RF 97 has utterly and completely robbed him of the short angle with the forehand which was a routine thing for him at his peak(see the first and third/fourth points in the video) and something he still used to great great effect as late as 2012 against Djokovic (used it to amazing effect on big points in the Wimby semi). He may be playing extremely well against the field (which sucks) at the moment but it's clear that he's lost the high level of weaponry needed with the forehand (and slice) to beat Djokovic over 5 sets.

And in 2006 his forehand was a little more conservative and not the rocket launcher it was in 04 as this video shows. He was a different kind of player in 2006 but probably more effective as courts were slowing further.
 
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H

helterskelter

G.O.A.T.
metsman said:
Look how good his forehand is here when stretched to that side. Can generate that insane angle no questions asked. Compare that to their 2016 AO match. Hell and heaven difference. The RF 97 has utterly and completely robbed him of the short angle with the forehand which was a routine thing for him at his peak(see the first and third/fourth points in the video) and something he still used to great great effect as late as 2012 against Djokovic (used it to amazing effect on big points in the Wimby semi). He may be playing extremely well against the field (which sucks) at the moment but it's clear that he's lost the high level of weaponry needed with the forehand (and slice) to beat Djokovic over 5 sets.

And in 2006 his forehand was a little more conservative and not the rocket launcher it was in 04 as this video shows. He was a different kind of player in 2006 but probably more effective as courts were slowing further.
Click to expand...

Back in the day, Federer never lost a point except when he was temporarily injured. Then that mantle passed to RAFA, who never lost a point except when he was temporarily injured OR lulling his opponents into a false sense of security by not unleashing his forehand DTL. But that was when they were in the peak of their physical primes. Since Federer turned 1,000 and RAFA got bionic knees, a metal back, and lost his confidence, we have been in the goat of weak eras, which is why a scrub like Djokovic has been able to win a few tournaments.
 
N

nowhereman

Guest
I Am Finnish said:
Is today the 10th anniversary of fedole ?
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Not quite yet. They played their first match on either the 17th or 18th, I believe. I don't know which date exactly but those were the opening days of the tournament 10 years ago and they met in the first round, so it had to be either one of those days.
 
metsman

metsman

G.O.A.T.
helterskelter said:
Back in the day, Federer never lost a point except when he was temporarily injured. Then that mantle passed to RAFA, who never lost a point except when he was temporarily injured OR lulling his opponents into a false sense of security by not unleashing his forehand DTL. But that was when they were in the peak of their physical primes. Since Federer turned 1,000 and RAFA got bionic knees, a metal back, and lost his confidence, we have been in the goat of weak eras, which is why a scrub like Djokovic has been able to win a few tournaments.
Click to expand...
Why did you have to reply to me to write this? My post was 100% accurate.
 
metsman

metsman

G.O.A.T.
helterskelter said:
Because the constant references to weak eras and Federer's decline are so utterly boring and predictable. Why did you have to write another essay about it?
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It wasn't a reference...it was a thorough explanation with specific aspects which needs to be said given the crap you see on here and that the aspect in question was on display in the video many times. If you don't like it, don't read it, and certainly don't reply to it.
 
H

helterskelter

G.O.A.T.
metsman said:
It wasn't a reference...it was a thorough explanation with specific aspects which needs to be said given the crap you see on here and that the aspect in question was on display in the video many times. If you don't like it, don't read it, and certainly don't reply to it.
Click to expand...

It was this sentence that I found to move away from analysis towards the same old, same old topic, and was why I replied. There's no analysis at all in the claim that the field sucks, at least not in this post.

"He may be playing extremely well against the field (which sucks) at the moment but it's clear that he's lost the high level of weaponry needed with the forehand (and slice) to beat Djokovic over 5 sets."
 
T

Tiki-Taka

Guest
They sure have had one amazing rivalry. Their absolute peaks being a decade apart doesn't ruin it, too many great matches happened anyway for true tennis lovers to think about all that hypothetical rubbish. We are lucky to witness both play and clash.
 
N

Nashvegas

Guest
Djokovic has really cleaned up a lot of the extra body movement in his shots since then... in the follow through in particular.
 
beltsman

beltsman

G.O.A.T.
Gazelle said:
Just discovered this little gem on youtube. First time I've ever seen footage of this match. This match probably rings a bell with many Fed and Novack fans, despite the fact that most have never seen it before. On the first day of that DC weekend, Djokovic had beaten Wawrinka in a thrilling 5-setter, taking an MTO (or MTO's?) for what some thought were phantom injuries. After that match Federer called Djokovic a 'joke'. This episode was the beginning of the bad blood between the two.

In this match we see a very motivated Federer, firing on all cylinders like only prime Fed could. As a rule back in those days hitting to his forehand was instant suicide. He was also very consistent in baseline rallies, and showing defensive skills that could rival those of the best defenders in the game. Djokovic was already showing his trademark athleticism and had a pretty potent serve, hitting at speeds of over 200km/h regularly, but lacking the variety of his prime years.

ENJOY :)

Click to expand...

Always fun to watch Novack get clowned by a Fed that isn't a grandpa.
 
D

Deleted member 512391

Guest
Peak Roger's game is joy to watch.
I watched the highlights against Bautista Agut from today...man, those loopy forehands looked so sad compared to the ones in this video.
 
D

Deleted member 512391

Guest
By the way, this Serbian commentator was full of praise for Federer and his game, nice to hear.
 
NoleFam

NoleFam

Bionic Poster
Nice throwback with 25 year old Federer and 19 year old Djokovic. You could see then that this would be a great rivalry in the future. Novak's talent was very evident from the very beginning and Roger is Roger. It would have been very interesting to see 25 year old Roger against 28 year old Novak though.
 
D

Deleted member 743561

Guest
NoleFam said:
Nice throwback with 25 year old Federer and 19 year old Djokovic. You could see then that this would be a great rivalry in the future. Novak's talent was very evident from the very beginning and Roger is Roger. It would have been very interesting to see 25 year old Roger against 28 year old Novak though.
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Wouldn't last very long, I reckon. If you had to bet everything on the outcome, who would you pick?
 
okdude1992

okdude1992

Hall of Fame
NoleFam said:
Nice throwback with 25 year old Federer and 19 year old Djokovic. You could see then that this would be a great rivalry in the future. Novak's talent was very evident from the very beginning and Roger is Roger. It would have been very interesting to see 25 year old Roger against 28 year old Novak though.
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Novak was really good at 19. Obviously hindsight is 20-20 but I think it was pretty clear Novak was going to be a slam winner. This cemented it for me

Still waiting for that next phenom to come along. Maybe Zverev, Rublev or Fritz will be the one, but I'm not entirely convinced yet.
 
metsman

metsman

G.O.A.T.
okdude1992 said:
Novak was really good at 19. Obviously hindsight is 20-20 but I think it was pretty clear Novak was going to be a slam winner. This cemented it for me

Still waiting for that next phenom to come along. Maybe Zverev, Rublev or Fritz will be the one, but I'm not entirely convinced yet.
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yup...even in 2006 he showed considerable game but he had a number of excellent matches and tournaments in 07 that made it clear he was a future multi-major winner. I did not think he would be this good however. I thought he'd be a 6-8 slam guy at most.
 
RunDatGame

RunDatGame

Semi-Pro
okdude1992 said:
Novak was really good at 19. Obviously hindsight is 20-20 but I think it was pretty clear Novak was going to be a slam winner. This cemented it for me

Still waiting for that next phenom to come along. Maybe Zverev, Rublev or Fritz will be the one, but I'm not entirely convinced yet.
Click to expand...

Wow that was unbelievable tennis! Such a high level from both in a very tense moments. And they were so young, of course these battles made them mental giants later.
 
RunDatGame

RunDatGame

Semi-Pro
metsman said:
nadal was pretty much a mental giant already.
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I agree. Also comparing them at that age to players like Zverev, Coric, Thiem etc is laughable really. In 2006/2007 they were already at the top having matches like this... These kids have a long way to the top...
 
okdude1992

okdude1992

Hall of Fame
metsman said:
yup...even in 2006 he showed considerable game but he had a number of excellent matches and tournaments in 07 that made it clear he was a future multi-major winner. I did not think he would be this good however. I thought he'd be a 6-8 slam guy at most.
Click to expand...
Nobody foresaw it. If you look at old threads from 2008-2010 many people were suggesting he would be a one slam wonder. I never thought that, but yea figured maybe 3-6 slams.

I think a lot has to do with the fact that he stayed healthy and continued to improve while his rivals didn't. Who else has made such large improvements as he did in 2011? I'd say Wawrinka is the only one even close. Federer is older and past his prime, Nadal and Murray had injuries and also stagnated a bit I feel, Soderling and Delpo were extremely unlucky with the injury/health problems. Tsonga, and Berdych to a lesser degree never realized their potential.
 
AnOctorokForDinner

AnOctorokForDinner

Talk Tennis Guru
RunDatGame said:
I agree. Also comparing them at that age to players like Zverev, Coric, Thiem etc is laughable really. In 2006/2007 they were already at the top having matches like this... These kids have a long way to the top...
Click to expand...
That's where the weak era cries gain ground, and sadly there is a point. The upcoming youngster generation of 2005-2007 was one of the best ever, with Nadal and Djokovic as ATG youngsters, but also flashes of Gasquet (too bad he just remained at that level) and Murray, then in 2008-2009 there was the birth of Murray as a top player and the fiery ascension of DelPo. The youngsters of these days pale in comparison. 19 y.o. Gasquet had a more impressive season in 2005 than any of them so far. Not just because he beat Federer, but he also got to the finals of Hamburg and had a remarkable season in general, ending #16 despite missing the first and the last two months (smallpox and elbow injury respectively), whereas at the start of the season he barely in top 100 (#101 at the time of beating Fed, last time he ever lost to a non-top-100 player before the Stakh loss). And Gasquet has been a non-threat to the Big 3, beating them a grand total of 3 times in nearly 50 matches. So if new kids can't even match Richard, what are they going to achieve any soon?
 
okdude1992

okdude1992

Hall of Fame
RunDatGame said:
I agree. Also comparing them at that age to players like Zverev, Coric, Thiem etc is laughable really. In 2006/2007 they were already at the top having matches like this... These kids have a long way to the top...
Click to expand...
About a year ago the comparison wasn't so ridiculous. At that time I was hoping Coric would have a 'Novak 2007' type of year this year.
Now however... I still think Zverev could do it. He's improving fast and by the end of the year it's not inconceivable that he could be top 10ish. Fritz is another one who's improving quickly. Thiem is quite good but he's a bit older.

Anyway I really hope it happens because Novak needs a rival. But like I said, not entirely convinced yet
 
NoleFam

NoleFam

Bionic Poster
okdude1992 said:
Novak was really good at 19. Obviously hindsight is 20-20 but I think it was pretty clear Novak was going to be a slam winner. This cemented it for me

Still waiting for that next phenom to come along. Maybe Zverev, Rublev or Fritz will be the one, but I'm not entirely convinced yet.
Click to expand...

Yea that match was insane quality really. We were watching two future ATGs go at it at 19 and 20 years old. You can't really compare the new generation to them because that kind of talent is rare.
 
okdude1992

okdude1992

Hall of Fame
NoleFam said:
Yea that match was insane quality really. We were watching two future ATGs go at it at 19 and 20 years old. You can't really compare the new generation to them because that kind of talent is rare.
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To be quite honest I don't think it is a coincidence that 3 of the "ATG" just happened to come along in the last 12 years.
The current environment of the tour makes it possible to dominate like never before. I don't want to derail this thread with that discussion. Fed-al-ovic is certainly a special trio. But in the next decade or 2 they might not seem as rare.

But you are definitely right that the Lost Generation doesn't compare! Too bad Grigor or Kei haven't done more. They had the right foundation. Would have been cool to see those guys batting Novak for slams.
 
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Mainad

Mainad

Bionic Poster
okdude1992 said:
Novak was really good at 19. Obviously hindsight is 20-20 but I think it was pretty clear Novak was going to be a slam winner. This cemented it for me
Click to expand...

I always think that 2007 Montreal was Djokovic's first breakthrough on the Masters circuit and the first time he beat Nadal. I keep forgetting he had already beaten Nadal and won Miami that year. Thanks for the reminder! ;)
 
3

3Sets22

New User
Gazelle said:
Just discovered this little gem on youtube. First time I've ever seen footage of this match. This match probably rings a bell with many Fed and Novack fans, despite the fact that most have never seen it before. On the first day of that DC weekend, Djokovic had beaten Wawrinka in a thrilling 5-setter, taking an MTO (or MTO's?) for what some thought were phantom injuries. After that match Federer called Djokovic a 'joke'. This episode was the beginning of the bad blood between the two.

In this match we see a very motivated Federer, firing on all cylinders like only prime Fed could. As a rule back in those days hitting to his forehand was instant suicide. He was also very consistent in baseline rallies, and showing defensive skills that could rival those of the best defenders in the game. Djokovic was already showing his trademark athleticism and had a pretty potent serve, hitting at speeds of over 200km/h regularly, but lacking the variety of his prime years.

ENJOY :)

Click to expand...

6 years too late. Anybody still got footage of this match? Vid is gone and hasn't been archived either. Only footage I can find is a <2 minute vid.
 
Bender

Bender

G.O.A.T.
helterskelter said:
Back in the day, Federer never lost a point except when he was temporarily injured. Then that mantle passed to RAFA, who never lost a point except when he was temporarily injured OR lulling his opponents into a false sense of security by not unleashing his forehand DTL. But that was when they were in the peak of their physical primes. Since Federer turned 1,000 and RAFA got bionic knees, a metal back, and lost his confidence, we have been in the goat of weak eras, which is why a scrub like Djokovic has been able to win a few tournaments.
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Hypothetical confident peak Federer vs hypothetical uninjured peak Nadal is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

This is the hero matchup tennis deserves, but not the one it gets right now. Instead, we have an unstoppable farce meets an immovable objection, ie the current field vs Djokovic's vaccination stance.

When Federer finally comes back, oh, boy, you'll be in for a show that night, son! I'm so sick of getting scarred by this weak era of weak tennis. You wanna know how I got these scars? My father, was a gambler, and a Fraud. And one night, he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the Nadal poster to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So, me watching, he takes the poster to her, laughing while he does it. He turns to me and says, "Why create polemics?" Comes at me with the poster. "WHY CREATE POLEMICS?" He sticks the crumpled poster in my mouth... "I gonna put a smile on your face no?" And...
 
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