I guess so. Everyone's praising about Federer now whereas last year he was written off.is this even debatable? I am really asking.
I don't recall as many inconsistent results, such as a lackluster spring hard court season, and Federer at his absolute best I don't think would ever have let this U S Open final get away from him (not to take anything away from del Potro), and I certainly don't recall any occasions where he had such a complete meltdown as he did against Tsonga in Canada. Truth is, Nadal had a career year in '08 and Federer still had a terrific one himself even though he lost his Wimbledon crown to Nadal.
It is not totally obvious that Federer at his best would not have let the USO final get away. After all he did lose an epic match to Safin at AO during his best and a master cup final to Nalbandian.
To me, his game hasn't been at its best since 2007, it's more erratic and less precise, his movement has slightly declined as well but does it matter? He still scares the s--- out of his opponents and finds ways to beat them most of the time. But from a purely tennistic perspective, his "golden" years were 2004 to 2006. Personally, I would rate 2004 as my favorite even though resultwise his grand year was 2006.
I don't think there is a significant difference between 2008 and 2009, at least I can't see one. He did in 2009 what he would have done in 2008 if Nadal had been out of the way. I have no doubt that he would have won both RG and W in 2008 if Nadal had been MIA. As for USO, he was a bit tired I think, he had played a lot and just won Cincy. Delpo was fresher.
I think Fed's peak was '04 to '07, but I was making a comparison to '08 and '09. The drop off will start to be quicker now.
He was better when he still had mono?
2009>2008.
Not really. In 08 he didn't have the luck of Nadal being injuried at RG and Wimbledon, he is playing the same really this year.
you forgot to mention the US Open this year, the AO open, and every single match he has ever played. Yes, even the ones he played when he was a little kid.
Nadal was injured before he started playing!
Not really. In 08 he didn't have the luck of Nadal being injuried at RG and Wimbledon, he is playing the same really this year.
Yeah, when he was in the womb, daddy and mommy had sex, and as a result of all the poking going on, it injured his abdomen, and gave him tendonitis in the knees.
How is that? In 2008 he made 3 slam finals out of 4 and didn't win a single master, in 2009 he made all 4 slam finals and won 2 masters. Whatever drop there is in his game, it's slight, major drop off hasn't happened yet and there's no reason to think it will happen in the near future unless his back gets worse or his motivation deserts him.
It is all in the head I guess. Technically speaking, I think he wasn't any better in 2009 than in 2008, but the fact that Nadal crashed out of the FO and then could not play at Wimbledon paved the way for a boost in confidence.
At the beginning of 2009 Fed was frankly playing like crap. He seemed to have lost all his confidence with the racquet breaking incident against Novak as culminating point. I really wonder what a fresh Nadal would have done to his confidence.
Anyway, Fed is still a helluva player, but he is beatable as Delpo showed. His prime is over, but he is still a major threat on any surface.
But all of his losses this year came mostly to players in the top 10. There hasn't been a "Mardy Fish" loss this year.
I agree he was pushed at both FO and Wimbledon but that happened last year as well.To compare the level of a player is not just looking at the results. Sure Fed made 3 and 4 finals in 2008 and 2009 respectively, but the manner in which he made them was not the same as in previous years. For people who actually watch the matches, one can easily see Fed's level has dropped off quite dramatically. His results still being as good as they are, are a testament to how much better he actually was than the rest of the field, including Nadal. It is only now with Fed's level no longer the same that Nadal can have a fighting chance at winning non-clay majors.
Roger is same or worse this year than last, FO was all but handed to him and he almost lost to Haas and Delpo there. Then Andy Roddick almost beat him at Wim.
So if Roger is playing better than that must mean the rest of the feild is much better as they are having better results against Roger. Which means the feild was weak perviously
You can't have it both way.
Roger is same or worse this year than last, FO was all but handed to him and he almost lost to Haas and Delpo there. Then Andy Roddick almost beat him at Wim.
So if Roger is playing better than that must mean the rest of the feild is much better as they are having better results against Roger. Which means the feild was weak perviously
You can't have it both way.
you forgot to mention the US Open this year, the AO open, and every single match he has ever played. Yes, even the ones he played when he was a little kid.
Not really. In 08 he didn't have the luck of Nadal being injuried at RG and Wimbledon, he is playing the same really this year.
......or other up and coming players younger than him continue to improve. Face it, it is inevitable, it happens to everybody.
I dont call *******s logic deluded for no reason..according to them the only way another player wins a tournament is if Nadal dosent play or is tired and injured.Stop being a fanboy, Nadal isn't the only part of the equation. The fact is Federer had some horrible losses in 2008 for other players not called Nadal, and to people he usually owns: Roddick, Fish, Blake, Karlovic, Stepanek. This year his losses, other than to Wawrinka, all have been to top 10 players, and all in very tight matches. Fed's record over top 10 players is fairly good this year as well.
I agree with this..I think we'll see a pretty big drop in his form next year.Underlying level is continuing to drop. I can see some pre Final/SF losses to non top 10 players in the AO and FO next year.
I agree with this..I think we'll see a pretty big drop in his form next year.
Out off curiosity, how much tennis have you played in your life? Im not gonna try and bash you, after all, im not a Nadal-fan!I'm sorry but I don't see where the basis is for such a prediction. I know it's bound to happen one day but who among current players is gonna beat him in a slam before the final rounds? I can't think of a name right now and I don't see a significant decrease in his motivaton either (although that could have happened after the twins' birth).
Out off curiosity, how much tennis have you played in your life? Im not gonna try and bash you, after all, im not a Nadal-fan!
No, sorry, that question from me was not based on this specific topic, just based on some off the things you have written, but ill draw my own conclusions from your lack off answer.What does that have to do with my post? Do you also think Fed is gonna crash miserably in 2010? And is this opinion somehow grounded in your own tennis level and experience? I see Fed fans are widely optimistic about the near future
I don't really get why the doom and gloom but I sure wouldn't mind being wrong, trust me on that ;-)
No, sorry, that question from me was not based on this specific topic, just based on some off the things you have written, but ill draw my own conclusions from your lack off answer.
Absolutely, you write very good things sometimes.?
Feel free to draw any conclusions you like but I still don't see the relevance of my playing tennis in the context of this thread. (And by the way it's not "some off" and "lack off", it's "some of" and "lack of". Well at least , I can write, can't I ?)
Underlying level is continuing to drop. I can see some pre Final/SF losses to non top 10 players in the AO and FO next year.