Thiem is kind of like Agassi with no return game on grass. If Thiem can keep it together and servebot his way into a TB then maybe some Thiem magic might take place. Problem with Thiem as servebot is his serving is a mess right now; like 14 DFs in last two matches. Expecting slaughter unless Thiem survives til breakers.Honestly don't know... Fed's matches have been quite close, but idk if Thiem is strong enough on grass to take it. Likely to be a 3 setter.
Excited for this one!
Clearly Thiem has the superior drop volley, no?
SF showdown in Stuttgart.
This is a case of "Underplaying" vs. "Overplaying". Federer about to play just his 17th match of the season, Thiem with well over 50 now!
Federer's got the experience and the better game for this surface so he should win if he plays well - his return game needs to click though.
Interested to see how Thiem fares!
You're enjoying this, aren't you?
Haha. Just trying me new dimitroll gif on you buddy.
blasphemy!Battle of wasting bp's
Thiem is kind of like Agassi with no return game on grass. If Thiem can keep it together and servebot his way into a TB then maybe some Thiem magic might take place. Problem with Thiem as servebot is his serving is a mess right now; like 14 DFs in last two matches. Expecting slaughter unless Thiem survives til breakers.
Never put Thiem's name beside Agassi's when you are talking about return game. Never. Agassi was one of the best returners of all time.
Clash of the Titans. Thiem does not mess around usually at the end of set when its close. Nadal found this out in Rio to the tune of something like 7-2. TBs in all three sets would be pretty amazing, but I think Thiem would be lucky to survive into one breaker and take his chances. From what I've seen this week expecting a Federer romp.Let us hope This goes to 1 TB. Fed needs some clutch match play like today against better players
I can see Thiem being a good grass courter but who would bet against the grass master?
Haha. See the article a couple posts up. Generally Thiem had been converting 52% of BPs on hard courts, off of first serves! (Djoko 33 ). Thiem can break at will.Battle of wasting bp's
I made the two gifs in OP. Only CC has really bit on this thread where I was hoping to discuss the shot making of both players and he brought up Agassi. If Fed doesn't blitz Thiem off the court kind of hoping for a lot of interesting shots rather than clay bludgeoning 101 for geriatrics that Thiem dished out last time. I like to claim Thiem has more shots in the bag then anyone whose every played the game. Fed is a maestro, but just on serve, forehand, and backhand he does not have the nuke setting available to Thiem. I don't think anybody hits that drop volley of Thiem's and I saw it several times at the French; its not a fluke shot. Thiem also hits two handed backhand pass on occaission (Fed not.) Super kicker first serve is another. Six shots Thiem has over the maestro and I'm just getting started. I may need like animated gifs for all these shots to shut up the geezers on TTW. So here's hoping for a host of animated gif worthy shots from both players.You're enjoying this, aren't you?
The Pouille avatar looks like a woman; I keep looking at the long hair and v neck and expecting cleavage to pop out. Pouille deserves a better photo (maybe not):My heart says Thiem in 2 because it's time that the young generation finally takes over. My brain says: "who the hell knows?"
Please send free samples of whatever you're smoking to stringertom c/o IWannaGetThatHigh, 1234 RanOutOfCrack Rd., Jonesville FL 32819. Seal the package tightly so drug-sniffing canines cannot intercept this much needed CARE package.I made the two gifs in OP. Only CC has really bit on this thread where I was hoping to discuss the shot making of both players and he brought up Agassi. If Fed doesn't blitz Thiem off the court kind of hoping for a lot of interesting shots rather than clay bludgeoning 101 for geriatrics that Thiem dished out last time. I like to claim Thiem has more shots in the bag then anyone whose every played the game. Fed is a maestro, but just on serve, forehand, and backhand he does not have the nuke setting available to Thiem. I don't think anybody hits that drop volley of Thiem's and I saw it several times at the French; its not a fluke shot. Thiem also hits two handed backhand pass on occaission (Fed not.) Super kicker first serve is another. Six shots Thiem has over the maestro and I'm just getting started. I may need like animated gifs for all these shots to shut up the geezers on TTW. So here's hoping for a host of animated gif worthy shots from both players.
The only thing I'd like to place an actual bet on regarding this match, is that it will most likely be a three setter!
Now for the winner... 50-50 or 49-51 chance imho.
Fed has been looking rather shaky so far, and Thiem... well, about the same.
Of course, grass is Fed's fav surface, but I surely wouldn't underrate Thiem.
I was one of the few who thought that Fed would have a hard time against Thiem in his Rome match, whereas nearly everybody thought he'd easily dispatch Thiem.
We all know how *that* turned out eventually... back injury or no - I don't do 'excusitis'.
Going with Thiem in three - and hoping I'll be very, very wrong.
In all, like @WeeDiM already said: TENNIS wins.
Thiem may have a better first serve return game than Agassi on hard courts. (On grass Thiem is very, very bad as in "no return game") Read for yourself:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/thiem-infosys-2016-return-improvements
(Last three hard court tournaments Thiem was 39% first return points won. Agassi career on hard 31%.)
"Thiem is winning a commendable three per cent more points returning opponents' first serves from 2015 to 2016, but is enjoying a substantial 16 per cent improvement in converting break points against first serves. He has won 37 per cent (58/161) of break points against opponents' first serves in 2015, but in the first two months of 2016, that has elevated to a remarkable 52 per cent (62/70). That’s substantially better than the top three ranked players in the world during the same two-month period. World No. 1, Novak Djokovic, was only at 33 per cent (27/82). Andy Murray clocked in at 35 per cent (21/60), while Roger Federer was at 42 per cent (21/51)."
So if Thiem beats a sick and ailing Fed on grass does that count for something?