Papa Fed and Baby Fed on collision course

corners

Legend
One man to beat each and Roger Federer and Grigor Dimitrov will meet for the first time in the Basel semis.
 

librarysteg

Hall of Fame
We play a lot of Mario Kart so I love the "Baby Fed" nickname...like Baby Mario, Baby Peach. I like picturing Dimitrov like a little mini video game version of Federer.
 

Clarky21

Banned
Dimitrov is no "Baby Fed". Dimitrov is a wannabe Roger who attempts to copy everything he does,but isn't nearly good enough to pull it off.
 

PCXL-Fan

Hall of Fame
The son shall inherit the thrown. That is how it has always been since time immemorial.

Gregor is the real deal, 12+ slams almost guaranteed bar terrible injury.
 

corners

Legend
Dimitrov is no "Baby Fed". Dimitrov is a wannabe Roger who attempts to copy everything he does,but isn't nearly good enough to pull it off.

I disagree. I think he's top 5 in the world on talent. He just needs more seasoning, and some wins to get his confidence rolling. The real question, as it always is for young and unproven players, is: Does he have it upstairs? If he does I think he'll make the top 10 within the next year. If not, I still think he has the talent to have a better career than someone like Gasquet, but it will be a painful career.

He's also not the first player to mimic the technique of an all-time great. Laver copied Hoad's game nearly stroke for stroke, and then Navratilova copied Laver's. Once you start winning slams nobody calls you a wannabe; they say you're smart for learning from the best. But I do think Grigor needs to build on the Federstroke foundation and develop something like his own style. But just with Fed, it takes time to figure out how to use your stroke equipment and your own individual talents to win.
 

corners

Legend
Dimitrov will probably have to beat Davy in the quarterfinals, and this will be a very tough match for him.

Yeah, Davy's always been tough for Fed, will be tough for the Babe too. But Nikolai is pretty old, I think Grigor has an even money chance. (Wiley veteran could also crush him:(
 

Clarky21

Banned
I wonder how much tennis do you watch...



Enough to know that Dimitrov isn't the next Federer. And enough to spot someone who has been hyped to the sky for years yet hasn't won a single ATP singles title yet. I'm not saying he isn't any good,it's just the comparisons to Fed are ridiculous and overblown.
 
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cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Dimitrov is no "Baby Fed". Dimitrov is a wannabe Roger who attempts to copy everything he does,but isn't nearly good enough to pull it off.

I agree. Dimitrov is a million miles from being anything Federer, let alone "Baby Fed!" Dimitrov is way overrated imo.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Enough to know that Dimitrov isn't the next Federer. And enough to spot someone who has been hyped to the sky for years yet hasn't won a single ATP singles title yet. I'm not saying he isn't any good,it's just the comparisons to Fed are ridiculous and overblown.

Yep.........................
 

PCXL-Fan

Hall of Fame
I disagree. I think he's top 5 in the world on talent. He just needs more seasoning, and some wins to get his confidence rolling. The real question, as it always is for young and unproven players, is: Does he have it upstairs? If he does I think he'll make the top 10 within the next year. If not, I still think he has the talent to have a better career than someone like Gasquet, but it will be a painful career.

He's also not the first player to mimic the technique of an all-time great. Laver copied Hoad's game nearly stroke for stroke, and then Navratilova copied Laver's. Once you start winning slams nobody calls you a wannabe; they say you're smart for learning from the best. But I do think Grigor needs to build on the Federstroke foundation and develop something like his own style. But just with Fed, it takes time to figure out how to use your stroke equipment and your own individual talents to win.

But Dimitrov won't win slams. Look at where all male muiltiple slam winners were in master series/slam level performance between between 19-21.
Dimotrov doesn't have the massive weapons (eg delpos preinjury forehand). Nor great footspeed seen in current top 4. Nor great nerves, nor great court tactics. Half of those things given the age he's at now he won't be improving on much.

I'd be blown away if Dimitrov wins 17 ATP tour titles (I don't count Challengers as those aren't atp level).
 
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cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Well we really don't know that yet, however I would tend to agree. If Dimitrov has 0.00001% of the career Federer has had that will be an accomplishment.

We do know if past greats and their results by their teens have been any indication.
 

corners

Legend
But Dimitrov won't win slams. Look at where all male muiltiple slam winners were in master series/slam level performance between between 19-21.
Dimotrov doesn't have the massive weapons (eg delpos preinjury forehand). Nor great footspeed seen in current top 4. Nor great nerves, nor great court tactics. Half of those things given the age he's at now he won't be improving on much.

I'd be blown away if Dimitrov wins 17 ATP tour titles (I don't count Challengers as those aren't atp level).

I know what you mean. He hasn't shown us much so far and maybe that means he won't. But I think it's still a hard call. Game is very tough at the moment - consistent quality deep into the rankings. I also think about his massive form/technique changes - the whole Federstroke graft he did a couple of years ago. That's some pretty radical change for a player his age and may have set back his career trajectory by a couple years. I remember Sampras saying that 19 year olds can't or shouldn't change their strokes. Well, Grigor did it, and he's already higher ranked now than he was with his old strokes. That's an accomplishment in itself, and his shots can only get better from here. If he can get some confidence and firm up his mind I think he's got GS potential. (And that's where beating Papa Fed this week comes in ! :) ) But who knows? Part of my optimism comes from my desire to see the free-flowing style continue on into the next generation. I'm not looking forward to watching Djokovic vs. Raonic and Murray vs. random power baseliner that much once Fed's retired.
 

BrooklynNY

Hall of Fame
I remember Sampras saying that 19 year olds can't or shouldn't change their strokes. .

Where did he say that

Grigor has a nice looking game because its virtually a watered down version of Federers....

His problem is that his strokes are still pretty frail and he lacks that pop and power that Fed has seemingly effortlessly.

Having all the game and talent in the world is great, but sometimes you need to just rely on good old power tennis, I don't think he has that yet, or ever will.

We'll see.
 

hyperwarrior

Professional
Enough to know that Dimitrov isn't the next Federer. And enough to spot someone who has been hyped to the sky for years yet hasn't won a single ATP singles title yet. I'm not saying he isn't any good,it's just the comparisons to Fed are ridiculous and overblown.

You really don't get it, do you? Maybe we're saying he's a Baby Fed because his groundstroke is quite similar to Fed...didn't you thought about it? Obviously not!
 

Clarky21

Banned
You really don't get it, do you? Maybe we're saying he's a Baby Fed because his groundstroke is quite similar to Fed...didn't you thought about it? Obviously not!


I think it is you who doesn't get it. I already said that just because Dimitrov tries his hardest to copy everything Fed does,doesn't make him Fed. He's not even near good enough to deserve all the hype he gets,and has done a whole lot of nothing to be compared to the GOAT the way he is. The only reason he is even talked about is because he's a Fed copycat. *******s hope and pray he will turn out to be as good,but it's never going to happen. He's never even won an ATP title yet folks around here are talking up his slam chances. It's ridiculous.
 

Zarfot Z

Professional
If this does happen, they may as well give Federer a walkover into the finals. Dimitrov is a smaller, flatter hitting version of Federer. It's like pitting a child against an adult in a game of Scrabble.
 

PCXL-Fan

Hall of Fame
Well joeri888, Dimitrov's is Swiss, has been beating top 10 players consistantly, is still only 19, and winning numerous small ATP250, so its easy to see why we might get a little ahead of ourselves.
 
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joeri888

G.O.A.T.
Well joeri888, Dimitrov's is Swiss, has been beating top 10 players consistantly, is still only 19, and winning numerous small ATP250, so its easy to see why we might get a little ahead of ourselves.

??
You ARE getting ahead of yourselves. Not saying he wont do nothing, but the things I like Roger for the most (footwork, forehand) Grigor does not seem to have.
 

NDFM

Rookie
Or maybe we're worrying about the wrong person. Federer's lucky if he gets through let alone Dimitrov, the way Fed played yesterday.

I haven't seen how Fed's playing in Basel but I how bad was he, was it similar to how he was in Shanghai? But i know he can beat Paire/Kubot
 

augustobt

Legend
Or maybe we're worrying about the wrong person. Federer's lucky if he gets through let alone Dimitrov, the way Fed played yesterday.

If he plays like the first set, he will win Basel, Paris and WTF again.

If he plays like the second, probably will ending losing for some clown in Paris 3R.
 

Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
I haven't seen how Fed's playing in Basel but I how bad was he, was it similar to how he was in Shanghai? But i know he can beat Paire/Kubot

Bellucci served well, I'll give him that, but it was more Fed's returning that was the problem IMHO. First set was ok, not spectacular. He just got an early break in the 2nd game because Bellucci made a few rusty errors, and held serve the rest of the way. The 2nd and 3rd sets however, were nothing short of brutal. He still held serve of course, because he can get ahead in most rallies from the start with his serve or just hit aces or service winners, his FH was alright, but his BH was terrible. He could barely string two good BH's in a row together so he was losing a lot of groundstroke rallies, and thus not breaking serve hence the tight scoreline.
 

Steve0904

Talk Tennis Guru
Wasn't that good? Man, the set took almost the same time that he had to bagel Nadal in WTF last year.

Yeah so? Time means nothing. The only reason it probably took the same time is because Nadal plays slower than Bellucci/everyone except maybe Djokovic.
 
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