tennispro492
Rookie
Sure, he played his best in 2004-2007, but I mean the best he was able to considering his age, at the time. Wimbledon final? Vs Murray in London in November? Against Tomic or Raonic? You decide.
When was the last time Fed played the best he was able to?
- Thread starter tennispro492
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6-1 6-3 6-0
Banned
I think federer was playing some of his best tennis in the SF at this year's Australian Open. Federer played quite clutch in those tiebreaks. 
jones101
Hall of Fame
I think federer was playing some of his best tennis in the SF at this year's Australian Open. Federer played quite clutch in those tiebreaks.
Agreed, I actually think he played pretty high level most of his matches.
Just last month at the Aus Open, against Raonic he was absolutely solid, in their last 2 matches Raonic was close to beating Fed, many predicting a possible win for Raonic, but Federer smoked him, broke him about 4 times, hit a backhand winner of a 228kmh serve and made Raonic look like he had no idea what he was doing in the last set and a half, I was there live at the stadium and Raonic hit soo many errors I swear it was an average of 2 per service game, not because he was having a bad night but because he was forced all over the court and forced to do more to beat Fed. Also against Tsonga and Murray, absolute Clutch in 4 Tie-breaks and smacked many winners.
But the last sighting of Federer 2.0 was probably the Australian open 2010, did not drop a set the whole Tournament!
But the last sighting of Federer 2.0 was probably the Australian open 2010, did not drop a set the whole Tournament!
DropShotArtist
Banned
Probably FO2011 semi.
mariecon
Hall of Fame
I think federer was playing some of his best tennis in the SF at this year's Australian Open. Federer played quite clutch in those tiebreaks.
yeah right. He was playing better at 31 than when he was in his prime and Murray beat him? Sure. Nice try. He's just the best ever and can still play well but he can't play 5 heavy hitters in a row and win.
He played his best in 2006-07 before mono got him.
mariecon
Hall of Fame
This is true. Taking out Djoker was amazing.
2012 Cincinatti final 1st set, 2012 Wimbledon Final 3rd and 4th sets, 2011 WTF vs. Nadal, both sets. His level was as high as it's ever been during these stretches of play. I think he's still capable of showing his best stuff, just happens more rarely these days due to age. Plus, the guys he's facing now have grown up seeing and planning for his best, strategizing against his best, and are consequently better able to deal with it than his generation was. They are also purposely grinding him by getting him into long points where his chances of reaching "full flight", especially on medium and slow-speed courts, are much reduced. Djokovic said this was exactly his plan after winning the WTF final last year. Fed played very well in the early stages of that match, but then Djokovic started to find his consistent depth groove, prolong the points, and make Fed hit four winners per point. Even at his best he has a hard time doing that.
Add four or five more fast-court tourneys to the calendar, though, and I think we'd see two or three more years of Federer occasionally achieving full flight. Tournament organizers should probably give that some thought.
Add four or five more fast-court tourneys to the calendar, though, and I think we'd see two or three more years of Federer occasionally achieving full flight. Tournament organizers should probably give that some thought.
tusharlovesrafa
Hall of Fame
If rafa was playing near his best,he could have straight setted him.:shock:
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abmk
Bionic Poster
2011 semi, absolutely ... final, no ...he was just good ..
2012 wimbledon semi, he was very good and djokovic was good ...djokovic seemed worse than he actually was because of federer's brilliant serving and first strike tennis taking him out of his strike zone ...
Steve0904
Talk Tennis Guru
I doubted. If not for a questionable MTO Federer could've won the first set, but it's still his fault that he never.
tusharlovesrafa
Hall of Fame
He played an amazing 1st set until the drop shot fiasco,and that then he just choked.
Steve0904
Talk Tennis Guru
True, so 2 can play that game about Rafa playing his best and straight setting Federer considering Federer choked and therefore didn't play his best either.
Either way, it's not like it changes the result.
tusharlovesrafa
Hall of Fame
True, so 2 can play that game about Rafa playing his best and straight setting Federer considering Federer choked and therefore didn't play his best either.
I am a firm believer that fed always had the ability to beat rafa on clay,it's just that he struggled to get the consistency going while playing on clay,and it somehow just created a road-block in his head..
mariecon
Hall of Fame
well isn't that what tennis is really all about? Playing your best and winning? I'm sure if Soderling was playing his best in 2010 he could have beaten Nadal because after all, he did it the year before at his best! And if Federer had been playing his best at Wimbledon in 2008 he would have beaten Nadal like he did the two years prior. But he was recovering from mono. See how it works.
mariecon
Hall of Fame
more gamesmanship from the GGOAT (Gamesmanship GOAT).:evil:
cc0509
Talk Tennis Guru
TTMR
Hall of Fame
The last time Federer was at his best was Wimbledon 2006. His loss to Murray at Cincinnati close to his 25th birthday indicated quite clearly that peak Federer was finished, and a gradual decline would take place.
The fact that Federer has been able to win so many majors since then simply shows how far elevated above the field he was at his peak. By 2008 he was 30 years old and a mono-ridden shell of his former self. He'd be lucky to win one match out of twenty if he played 2004-2006 Federer.
The fact that Federer has been able to win so many majors since then simply shows how far elevated above the field he was at his peak. By 2008 he was 30 years old and a mono-ridden shell of his former self. He'd be lucky to win one match out of twenty if he played 2004-2006 Federer.
Sander001
Hall of Fame
Seriously?I think federer was playing some of his best tennis in the SF at this year's Australian Open. Federer played quite clutch in those tiebreaks.
I don't watch much tennis these days, but all I was thinking during that match was: Poor Federer, time is definitely catching up with him.
sportsfan1
Legend
Cincy 12 final vs Djok, set 1: 6-0.
veroniquem
Bionic Poster
AO 2007 vs Roddick.
i think the guy who played in the 2011 FO semis was capable of beating any version of Federer on clay.
His last best performance on grass was probably 2008 wimbledon.. I don't think the 2009 Wimbledon or 2012 Wimbledon Federer could've touched the 2006-2008 guy.
On hard courts it's the 2010 AO version. He was fantastic
His last best performance on grass was probably 2008 wimbledon.. I don't think the 2009 Wimbledon or 2012 Wimbledon Federer could've touched the 2006-2008 guy.
On hard courts it's the 2010 AO version. He was fantastic
zagor
Bionic Poster
Agree with whom? Bullzilla? I'm surprised he didn't go as far to say Fed's loss to Berdych at USO last year. or something
If your definition of classic mega-fed is a 30+ year old version of Fed who can't return serve, is slow moving to his right and has a loopy FH then yes that was classic mega Fed indeed.
zagor
Bionic Poster
Oh hardy, har har, such razor sharp wit.
Two and a half years of playing at your best is still better than a single year and some change and being in massive decline, having no BH, WTA serve, being old etc. at the age of 24.
The-Champ
Legend
How old is he today?
The-Champ
Legend
Utter BS. Any Federer of 2006 on clay would destroy that Federer of 2011 plus Rafa in the final. 2006 Federer on clay would have beaten 2010 Nadal on clay too, convincingly. I say that as a Nadal fan...
zagor
Bionic Poster
He's being sarcastic, in reality, he's one of the Nadal fans who believe that Fed is playing as good as ever at 31 while Rafa is a delicate flower that played his best for about one year in his career so far all things considered (during all other periods of his career he was either a baby, old or injured).
Sid_Vicious
G.O.A.T.
Dude.. 2010 Nadal was a beast on clay. No way Federer wins. IMO, Nadal's speed and passing shots were as impressive as they ever have been in that tournament
Federer20042006
Banned
Cincinnati last year.
The-Champ
Legend
IMO 2006 federer would have beaten him. Badly too. Nadal's form on clay has deteriorated since 2009. I don't care what he's won after that.
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The_Order
G.O.A.T.
Yes, the SF he played his best level because he won. However, due to losing the final we can draw the conclusion that he wasn't playing his best level.
Let's forget that he lost SP in the first set due to a drop shot that missed by half an inch (apparently this is choking), then Rafa breaks back with 2 UEs from Fed and 2 FEs. I can tell you now that in Federer's highest level matches there have been service games where he's made 2 UEs before. When Nadal broke him to get the set he outplayed him. The only time Fed's level dropped was the 4th set. In the previous 3 sets he was playing just as well as in the SF and was still getting outplayed by a below his best Rafa.
Just like Fed seemed worse in 08 WIM final because of Nadal's level being higher than the previous year. Nadal's improved serving and defence/movement on grass was causing more errors from Federer.
TTMR
Hall of Fame
Personally, I've always been of the belief that the shorter your prime/peak, the more talented of a player you are.
Safin's peak was September 2000 and January 2005. No player could beat that Safin. I've never cared about consistency. If you've worked in a factory for 30 years, that doesn't make you a great worker. It just makes you reliable. If you worked in a factory for a year and then became the boss and radically improve the company in a month and then retire to your yacht and Mercedes, then you're a great worker. You've done more in that month than the roughneck has done his entire career.
abmk
Bionic Poster
this is plain BS ...the missed dropshot wasn't choking ... what happened after that was ... he lost 8 games in a row from 5-2 up in the first set to 5-7 and then 0-3 in the second .......that would never happen to a federer playing well at that stage, let alone federer playing close to his best ...
he lost 8 games in a row .... it was suddenly starting to feel like RG 08 , only this time without rafa at his best ...
and of course his level dropped in the 4th ...
rafa's serving improved in 2008 for sure, but then there were several errors from federer on easy 2nd serves that he should've put back into play ..Like I've said before, it was a combination of rafa's better serving and federer's worse returning that resulted in lot more free points for rafa on serve in 2008 compared to 2007 ...not just one factor ...
improved defense/movement ? LOL wut ? are you serious ?
abmk
Bionic Poster
IMO, borg is clearly better and I rate kuerten above federer on clay too in terms of playing level ...
The_Order
G.O.A.T.
Borg is better? LOL Borg WAS better, I doubt he still is...
Feather
Legend
There is a huge difference. I am an IT professional. I have few years of experience in s/w development and I have only improved with time. I can safely say that I am much better than what I was when I got the job. If I work few more years, the better I become. If I use Tennis words, am in my prime and my peak is yet to come
I mean the work is not related to my physical conditions. Tennis or sports is not like that. As you get older, its tough to compete with younger professionals. You obviously would know that. You can't expect Roger or Nadal to be better in playing skills after five more years. So your comparison is an utter failure!I think am a fool to write all this to a guy who posts 99.99 % of the time sarcastically. You should be laughing when you read my response
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heninfan99
Talk Tennis Guru
Cincy 2012 when he bageled Djoker. He can tap into this level sometimes.
interesting.
So you'd say 2006/2007 Clay Federer was fantastic clay tennis and if it weren't for Rafa's clay ceiling GOATness that he (Federer) was turning in performances that were absolutely noteworthy historically?
Also it sounds like you're saying that 2006/7/8 Nadal on clay would wipe 2010/11/12 Nadal off the dirt?
