Is Federer suddenly 7 years younger?

This is uncanny:

* In 2005
Won Doha
SF in Melbourne
Won Rotterdam
Won Dubai
Won Indian Wells

* In 2012
Withdrew in Doha SF (would probably have won if he could have played)
SF in Melbourne
Won Rotterdam
Won Dubai
Won Indian Wells

Let's see if the trend continues in Miami (win in 2005, so we'll soon know).

Nice thoughts man!
I think it's just because he has nothing to lose this season.. while Djoko has a lot...

Yeah i didn't notice that lol. Probs will win Miami.

I didnt notice that neither. Interesting really, I have been aware of Roger is doing something that he couldnt since 2005 or 2006 (even in 2007 he didnt start it that strong).

Lets see if it will keep going..

A lot is the aging of the Djoko, Nadal, Murray pretenders' troika

They were really old in IW.

Awesome, he should win Wimbledon and the US Open then.

2009: Federer made the final of all 4 slams and won RG and WIM.
2010: Federer won the AO but lost in quarters of RG & WIM.
2011: Federer won no slams but dominated the indoor season.
2012: Federer won no slams.

If Federer doesn't win any slams this year and isn't able to defend all his indoor points, then he is continuing the slide.

On face value some may say Federer is on the rise this year. But look at how Federer started 2010 - he won the AO and made the final of Madrid. What happened after that? He lost in the QF of Roland Garros and QF of Wimbledon. So no matter what kind of form Federer is in early in the season, there really is no way of knowing what will happen when he hits the clay/grass. And what will people be saying if Federer doesn't beat Djokovic at Miami, or doesn't beat Nadal in the final? Sounds like a lot of hype until he actually accomplishes something at a slam.

nadalwon2012 said:

2009: Federer made the final of all 4 slams and won RG and WIM.
2010: Federer won the AO but lost in quarters of RG & WIM.
2011: Federer won no slams but dominated the indoor season.
2012: Federer won no slams.

If Federer doesn't win any slams this year and isn't able to defend all his indoor points, then he is continuing the slide.

On face value some may say Federer is on the rise this year. But look at how Federer started 2010 - he won the AO and made the final of Madrid. What happened after that? He lost in the QF of Roland Garros and QF of Wimbledon. So no matter what kind of form Federer is in early in the season, there really is no way of knowing what will happen when he hits the clay/grass. And what will people be saying if Federer doesn't beat Djokovic at Miami, or doesn't beat Nadal in the final? Sounds like a lot of hype until he actually accomplishes something at a slam.

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We just say roger has a similar start to his 2005 season. Of course that doesnt mean it will be like this all the season, but you must admit that Federer hadn reached such a form for a long time. I am talking about last 6 months where he won six out of eight tournements ( 1 WTF, 2 ATP 1000, 3 ATP 500 ) Its not like he is winning 250 and 500 ones. He won every big tourneys except AO ( he hadnt won it in 2005 netiher !)

sheq said:

We just say roger has a similar start to his 2005 season. Of course that doesnt mean it will be like this all the season, but you must admit that Federer hadn reached such a form for a long time. I am talking about last 6 months where he won six out of eight tournements ( 1 WTF, 2 ATP 1000, 3 ATP 500 ) Its not like he is winning 250 and 500 ones. He won every big tourneys except AO ( he hadnt won it in 2005 netiher !)

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Well he hasn't played Djokovic in 2012. And he's already lost to Nadal at a slam. And he's beaten Nadal in that occasional non-slam. Seems the same as per usual.

nadalwon2012 said:

2009: Federer made the final of all 4 slams and won RG and WIM.
2010: Federer won the AO but lost in quarters of RG & WIM.
2011: Federer won no slams but dominated the indoor season.
2012: Federer won no slams.

If Federer doesn't win any slams this year and isn't able to defend all his indoor points, then he is continuing the slide.

On face value some may say Federer is on the rise this year. But look at how Federer started 2010 - he won the AO and made the final of Madrid. What happened after that? He lost in the QF of Roland Garros and QF of Wimbledon. So no matter what kind of form Federer is in early in the season, there really is no way of knowing what will happen when he hits the clay/grass. And what will people be saying if Federer doesn't beat Djokovic at Miami, or doesn't beat Nadal in the final? Sounds like a lot of hype until he actually accomplishes something at a slam.

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Supporting Nadal is one thing. Ignore Fed mad final at RG last year and go on to say he won't will a slam is pure hatred. Nobody say word about your lover Nadal. Why don't you change your name to Fedhater?

nadalwon2012 said:

Well he hasn't played Djokovic in 2012. And he's already lost to Nadal at a slam. And he's beaten Nadal in that occasional non-slam. Seems the same as per usual.

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Its not roger's fault that Djokovic cant reach finals in these days ! Plus, Federer is about taking down Nadal which will be unusual seeing Rafa as no3 if you want to see something unusual !

sheq said:

Its not roger's fault that Djokovic cant reach finals in these days ! Plus, Federer is about taking down Nadal which will be unusual seeing Rafa as no3 if you want to see something unusual !

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I would prefer Nadal was ranked number 3 so he can get more encounters with Djokovic. 16-14 is too close for comfort, so Nadal needs to increase that to 17-14 as soon as possible. Whereas I couldn't care less if Nadal loses to Federer, the h2h is 18-10, and we know Federer doesn't have the ability to beat Nadal in a slam, (except for 2006/2007 Wimbledon when Nadal was still learning how to play on grass - he'd played only 4 matches on grass before 2006).

Marius_Hancu said:

A lot is the aging of the Djoko, Nadal, Murray pretenders' troika

They were really old in IW.

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Roger is maturing with age, like wine, the others are just going bad (like this )

nadalwon2012 said:

I would prefer Nadal was ranked number 3 so he can get more encounters with Djokovic. 16-14 is too close for comfort, so Nadal needs to increase that to 17-14 as soon as possible. Whereas I couldn't care less if Nadal loses to Federer, the h2h is 18-10, and we know Federer doesn't have the ability to beat Nadal in a slam, (except for 2006/2007 Wimbledon when Nadal was still learning how to play on grass - he'd played only 4 matches on grass before 2006).

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Nadal is still learning how to play tennis

Maybe he is learning the "methods" of the Spaniards or he's just using the isobaric chamber... just like someone else does ...

nadalwon2012 said:

2009: Federer made the final of all 4 slams and won RG and WIM.
2010: Federer won the AO but lost in quarters of RG & WIM.
2011: Federer won no slams but dominated the indoor season.
2012: Federer won no slams.

If Federer doesn't win any slams this year and isn't able to defend all his indoor points, then he is continuing the slide.

On face value some may say Federer is on the rise this year. But look at how Federer started 2010 - he won the AO and made the final of Madrid. What happened after that?

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For the record..after that lung infection happened followed by a slump in form and some injuries until Wimbledon. Federer played Wimbledon 2010 carrying an injury , but since he isn't as great a warrior like Ralph who made the finals in 2011 with a fractured foot, he crashed out in the quarters to Berdych.

Anyway, great and insightful poast. If multiple accounts were allowed on this forum, I would create one for myself named "federerlost2012"

nadalwon2012 said:

I would prefer Nadal was ranked number 3 so he can get more encounters with Djokovic. 16-14 is too close for comfort, so Nadal needs to increase that to 17-14 as soon as possible. Whereas I couldn't care less if Nadal loses to Federer, the h2h is 18-10, and we know Federer doesn't have the ability to beat Nadal in a slam, (except for 2006/2007 Wimbledon when Nadal was still learning how to play on grass - he'd played only 4 matches on grass before 2006).

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You are too much obsessed with H2H records. I reccomend you to look with some more perspective. dont stuck in H2H's.

henryshli said:

Nadal is still learning how to play tennis

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good one even if I respect Nadal for what he has able to achieve over the years, people should see the realty.

rcglider said:

Supporting Nadal is one thing. Ignore Fed mad final at RG last year and go on to say he won't will a slam is pure hatred. Nobody say word about your lover Nadal. Why don't you change your name to Fedhater?

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I have no idea what you just posted. It looks like a collection of English words.

sheq said:

You are too much obsessed with H2H records. I reccomend you to look with some more perspective. dont stuck in H2H's.

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Unfortunately there isn't much to talk about until the slams arrive. H2H is all there is at the moment. The countdown to 16 slams is the only thing more important, but that is not relevant at Indian Wells or Miami.

henryshli said:

Nadal is still learning how to play tennis

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Rafa is learning about things like when to take MTO's, bathroom breaks, and blaming the elements for losing to older people.

Actually Federer is beginning to look like an old fart, like moi.

Maybe he's on Djoko's gluten-free diet and using his egg chamber?

Or maybe he's been secretly bathing in the blood of virgins (procured for him each night by Mirka) to restore his youth?

Or maybe Mirka has started refusing her 'favours' unless he wins a match?

This is a pretty incredible streak, no matter how you look at it. This is essentially Federer's response from losing to Novak at the USO last year. He beat Nadal twice in this streak, both times in straights (Nadal, by contrast, couldn't beat him in straights at AO), he beat Murray, del Potro 4 times, Tsonga thrice, and a multitude of other players.

The indoor season is going to boost Federer, last year's and this year's. He is the best indoor player (by far, Murray can beat him, and even that's an "if", Djokovic and Nadal can barely touch him there). I don't see any reason why he can't defend his points during that stretch this year.

I really want to see him regain the top ranking!

Start of the 'Federer for World Domination 2012' Campaign?

I really hope he wins Miami.. he'd have so much confidence going into clay who KNOWS what could happen. I mean look, last year he played Rafa better at RG than he ever has, and Rafa was actually in decent form going into Roland Garros, whereas at the moment Rafa is on a terrible stretch.

The next few months shall be interesting.

He is.

And I'm perfectly fine with him going 81-4 in a year winning 11 titles, 2 of which are majors.

nadalwon2012 said:

I have no idea what you just posted. It looks like a collection of English words.

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Those are real tears I see behind your bitter words. You can crawl back to your hole now. Ralph is toast.

nadalwon2012 said:

I would prefer Nadal was ranked number 3 so he can get more encounters with Djokovic. 16-14 is too close for comfort, so Nadal needs to increase that to 17-14 as soon as possible. Whereas I couldn't care less if Nadal loses to Federer, the h2h is 18-10, and we know Federer doesn't have the ability to beat Nadal in a slam, (except for 2006/2007 Wimbledon when Nadal was still learning how to play on grass - he'd played only 4 matches on grass before 2006).

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The only surface Nadal has an advantage over Fed is clay. Unfortunately Nadal wasn't good enough on fast hard courts to make a final at the US Open when Fed was dominant. Fed was good enough to play Nadal in 12 finals on clay, which is the only reason he is ahead in the match total. Fed has more wins on grass, which plays so much like clay now, indoors 4-0, and hard courts 7-5. What would Sampras' head to head be if he had to play Kuerten on clay 12 times. McEnroe, if playing Borg on clay 12 times but never at the US Open would have been way behind in their head to head match ups as well.

nadalwon2012 said:

I would prefer Nadal was ranked number 3 so he can get more encounters with Djokovic. 16-14 is too close for comfort, so Nadal needs to increase that to 17-14 as soon as possible. Whereas I couldn't care less if Nadal loses to Federer, the h2h is 18-10, and we know Federer doesn't have the ability to beat Nadal in a slam, (except for 2006/2007 Wimbledon when Nadal was still learning how to play on grass - he'd played only 4 matches on grass before 2006).

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lol at counting 2007 as nadal still learning how to play on grass..

so winning winning 6 mathes at wimbledon 2006 and then another 6 at Wimbledon 2007 before the final left him still a novice, but a further 6 the following year made all the difference?

Also the fact that Nadal didn't even play Federer at a HC slam until 2009 when Federer was almost done winning hardcourt slams means Federer missed out on defeating Nadal a few more times in slams.

Gotta give it up for the GOAT, he is doing damn well at 30 still keeping up with Novak and Rafito.

I think it is ridiculous that the same argument keeps coming up.

If you take clay out of the equation, I believe Roger has a winning or even record against Nadal.

2004 Miami R32: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-3, 6-3)
2005 Miami F: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1)
2005 French Open SF: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3)
2006 Dubai F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (2-6, 6-4, 6-4)
2006 Monte Carlo F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6)
2006 Rome F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6)
2006 French Open F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6)
2006 Wimbledon F: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3)
2006 Masters Cup SF: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (6-4, 7-5)
2007 Monte Carlo F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-4, 6-4)
2007 Hamburg F: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (2-6, 6-2, 6-0)
2007 French Open F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4)
2007 Wimbledon F: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2)
2007 Masters Cup SF: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (6-4, 6-1)
2008 Monte Carlo F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (7-5, 7-5)
2008 Hamburg F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (7-5, 6-7, 6-3)
2008 French Open F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-1, 6-3, 6-0)
2008 Wimbledon F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7)
2009 Australian Open F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2)
2009 Madrid F: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (6-4, 6-4)
2010 Madrid F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-4, 7-6)
2010 World Tour Finals F: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (6-3, 3-6, 6-1)
2011 Miami SF: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-3, 6-2)
2011 Madrid SF: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (5-7, 6-1, 6-3)
2011 French Open F: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1)
2011 World Tour Finals RR: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (6-3, 6-0)
2012 Australian Open SF: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer (6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4)
2012 Indian Wells SF: Roger Federer def. Rafael Nadal (6-3, 6-4)

In Grand Slams, Federer has a terrible record from the FO against Nadal.

Nadal is a great player. He isn't, however, Roger Federer. He won't reach him in slam count, and won't ever be as good as Roger was across all surfaces.

I mean realistically, Roger is the second best clay player of all time, and the best on every other surface.

wouldn't say Federer is the 2nd best Clay player of all time, there is a man called Borg who might be the best or second best and there are others too, but Federer is one of the best. I mean if he focused on playing a clay court game he probably could have been even better but his primary style is for the hardcourts.

Mainad said:

Maybe he's on Djoko's gluten-free diet and using his egg chamber?

Or maybe he's been secretly bathing in the blood of virgins (procured for him each night by Mirka) to restore his youth?

Or maybe Mirka has started refusing her 'favours' unless he wins a match?

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I'd go with the last. But how long will she keep poor Roger starved?

MichaelNadal said:

Gotta give it up for the GOAT, he is doing damn well at 30 still keeping up with Novak and Rafito.

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Appreciate your magnanimity, as rare as it may be.

Towser83 said:

wouldn't say Federer is the 2nd best Clay player of all time, there is a man called Borg who might be the best or second best and there are others too, but Federer is one of the best. I mean if he focused on playing a clay court game he probably could have been even better but his primary style is for the hardcourts.

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Always wondered if Kuerten is far and away better than Fed on clay, if it's a chasm or not. Kuerten's game was more suited to clay though so that's in his favour, but it's still unclear.

monfed said:

Always wondered if Kuerten is far and away better than Fed on clay, if it's a chasm or not. Kuerten's game was more suited to clay though so that's in his favour, but it's still unclear.

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dunno, 20 year old Federer did beat Guga at Hamburg 6-0 1-6 6-2. Guga didn't have a great year in 2002 but he was defending RG champion at the time, so still a good win. Of course 2 years later they met at RG and Kuerten won 6-4 6-4 6-4

Towser83 said:

dunno, 20 year old Federer did beat Guga at Hamburg 6-0 1-6 6-2. Guga didn't have a great year in 2002 but he was defending RG champion at the time, so still a good win. Of course 2 years later they met at RG and Kuerten won 6-4 6-4 6-4

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best chance for Fed to win the CYGS, no Ralph.

monfed said:

best chance for Fed to win the CYGS, no Ralph.

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I know, the next yeah he almost certainly would have won it without rafa around - he missed it by one year! If rafa was born a year later he's probably have won it :lol:

Towser83 said:

I know, the next yeah he almost certainly would have won it without rafa around - he missed it by one year! If rafa was born a year later he's probably have won it :lol:

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He lost the AO in 05 though.

Towser83 said:

I know, the next yeah he almost certainly would have won it without rafa around - he missed it by one year! If rafa was born a year later he's probably have won it :lol:

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True. :lol:

Fed also entered his clay prime in 05, 04 he had a weird BH swing.

Biscuitmcgriddleson said:

He lost the AO in 05 though.

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ah yeah true, would have had all 4 at the same time the following year though. Well maybe, you never know how winning the french might have altered things, maybe it would have added pressure, but i stillthink he'd have ended up holding all 4 at the same time in Australia 2006

The big reward for this consistency would be winning a slam. FO is looming.