Mr Topspin
Semi-Pro
I am sure the result is known by now and if anyone does not know then you may want to avert your eyes now! I did put spoiler in the title so please dont blame me for spoiling it. Nadal won in 4 sets 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. I must admit i thought initially that the match was quite boring! IMHO the first two sets were dramatic but lacked real top quality - it was more of an emotional match swinging between the two players than a spectacle IMO.
My first impressions about the match was that Fed should have won the 1st set. He had about 10 breakpoints and was bossing the match in the early exchanges and came out playing relatively well. Both fh and bh were working well. And then if you look at the stats it will tell you that although Federer had 10 bp's, his 1st serve percentage was around 38% whilst Nadal was at 77%. Federer basically played the 1set on his 2nd serve and yet managed to earn numerous bp's on Nadal's 77% average percentage; strange! Very strange!
So after a strange 1set where the stats did not tally with the play on to the second set. And once again the match went through a strange phase. Nadal was playing better and had an opportuntity to break early on but Federer saved 2 bp's and then negotiatated a bp which he converted in game 5. Nadal then had opportunities to break back and squandered 2 further bp's in game 8 and Fed managed to hold and later served out the set for 1set all. So far IMHO the wrong man won each set. Fed should have won set 1 and Nadal probably should have taken set 2.
Set 3 was boring in my eyes and both guys level dropped. It seemed like Fed was relieved to be on the board with set 2 and he may have tanked the 3rd set after squandering an early bp. Set 4 refer to set 3.
In conclusion, Federer lost the match in set 1, He had all those bp's and yet the irony was he was serving far too low a percentage and yet never faced a bp on his own serve untill he failed to take the bp's in game 6. Once Nadal held for 3-3 Federer lost the next 3 games! No surprise there, as the spurned chances must have taken their toll on Fed. However, despite a good showing in set 2, I think mentally Federer was finished after set 1! It's a shame as thought it was his time! Well done Nadal he really is the King of Clay!
My first impressions about the match was that Fed should have won the 1st set. He had about 10 breakpoints and was bossing the match in the early exchanges and came out playing relatively well. Both fh and bh were working well. And then if you look at the stats it will tell you that although Federer had 10 bp's, his 1st serve percentage was around 38% whilst Nadal was at 77%. Federer basically played the 1set on his 2nd serve and yet managed to earn numerous bp's on Nadal's 77% average percentage; strange! Very strange!
So after a strange 1set where the stats did not tally with the play on to the second set. And once again the match went through a strange phase. Nadal was playing better and had an opportuntity to break early on but Federer saved 2 bp's and then negotiatated a bp which he converted in game 5. Nadal then had opportunities to break back and squandered 2 further bp's in game 8 and Fed managed to hold and later served out the set for 1set all. So far IMHO the wrong man won each set. Fed should have won set 1 and Nadal probably should have taken set 2.
Set 3 was boring in my eyes and both guys level dropped. It seemed like Fed was relieved to be on the board with set 2 and he may have tanked the 3rd set after squandering an early bp. Set 4 refer to set 3.
In conclusion, Federer lost the match in set 1, He had all those bp's and yet the irony was he was serving far too low a percentage and yet never faced a bp on his own serve untill he failed to take the bp's in game 6. Once Nadal held for 3-3 Federer lost the next 3 games! No surprise there, as the spurned chances must have taken their toll on Fed. However, despite a good showing in set 2, I think mentally Federer was finished after set 1! It's a shame as thought it was his time! Well done Nadal he really is the King of Clay!
