Battle of the Drop Volleys: Federer [3] vs Thiem [7] - Stuttgart 2016

Who wins?

  • Fed in 2

    Votes: 15 34.9%
  • Fed in 3

    Votes: 5 11.6%
  • Thiem in 3

    Votes: 15 34.9%
  • Thiem in 2

    Votes: 8 18.6%

  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .

Meles

Bionic Poster
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SF showdown in Stuttgart.
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D

Deleted member 743561

Guest
Slightly torn here (believe it or not). Rooting for some younger contenders with awesome games to move on up, but I'm also coming to terms w/ RF's new role in the tennis universe! Plus, he needs that Benz! ;)
 
Unless Thiem has really improved on grass I don't see him taking this. Before this tournament I think he had only ever won 2 matches on grass. Hope I'm wrong tho, don't know how rusty Fed is
 

Gytha

Legend
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.
 

Meles

Bionic Poster
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.
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.
 

TheMusicLover

G.O.A.T.
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. :)
 

Krish872007

Talk Tennis Guru
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!
 

Big_Dangerous

Talk Tennis Guru
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!

So then Thiem is pretty match tough, while Fed is not so much. Should be a dandy though!
 

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
Thiem is a slow starter, and Fed is such a fast starter than he'll be a set and a double break up by the time Thiem starts playing half decent
 

Fedeonic

Hall of Fame
Roger in 3, or maybe in 2, but I don't think Thiem has got the grass game yet to beat the best in grass.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
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.
 

Meles

Bionic Poster
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.
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Thiem may have a better first serve return game than Agassi on hard courts.:eek: (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%.:confused:)
"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?
 

Meles

Bionic Poster
Let us hope This goes to 1 TB. Fed needs some clutch match play like today against better players
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.
 

Meles

Bionic Poster
You're enjoying this, aren't you? ;)
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.
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Meles

Bionic Poster
My heart says Thiem in 2 because it's time that the young generation finally takes over. My brain says: "who the hell knows?"
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):
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stringertom

Bionic Poster
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.
laugh_above.gif
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.
 

Checkmate

Legend
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. :)

Fed was clearly injured in Rome. You didn't watch the first set ?
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
KPIBeG8VnXsl2.gif

Thiem may have a better first serve return game than Agassi on hard courts.:eek: (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%.:confused:)
"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?

I can't take you seriously. Please you're killing me with some of your comments. :oops: Thiem's ROS is not better than Agassi's was anywhere. Agassi and Djokovic have the best ROS in the history of tennis. Connors was up there too. Thiem isn't mentioned in the same breath with any of those guys. Come on.

If Thiem beats even a sick Federer on grass, Federer should retire immediately. :p
 

Fedole

Semi-Pro
Lets just see a good, high quality match. Would like Thiem to win but don't mind if Roger gets it going and puts on a show.
 

Raindogs

Hall of Fame
Federer takes this in straights 2 and 3.
This is going to be a masterclass beatdown of monstrous proportions and should cool of the TT coronation of the young wunderkind NextGen Thiem.
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Match_Point

Rookie
Depends on how Thiem handles Feds variety which often than not makes the opposing players beat themselves. But thiem has a really solid ground game so its going to be close! but the old master in 2!
 
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