Federer had the momentum in 5th set, so why does he blame momentum?

[HAPPYforTHEvictory]

Q. A lot of us felt at the end of the fourth set that the momentum probably had swung back in your direction. How tough is Nadal in a fifth set?

ROGER FEDERER: Tough like many other guys. You know, in a fifth set, anything can happen. That's the problem. Not usually the better player always wins. Just a matter of momentum sometimes.

You know, maybe I should have never been there, you know, in the first place. But, I mean, I think he played well. You know, I definitely played a terrible fifth set, you know. I kind of handed it over to him.

Federer won the 4th set comfortably (most comfortable set of the match for either player and was up 30-0 on his serve when score was 1-2 on serve in 5th.

 

[egn]

He clearly lost momentum early in the fifth set and could not swing the ball back in the other direction.

 

[Zaragoza]

In this case the better player won the 5th set.

 

[HAPPYforTHEvictory]

In basketball terms the player who is most "CLUTCH" is considered the best player. Michael Jordan, for all his greatness was not considered the greatest until he won a series of NBA Championships (and Finals MVPs). Before then he was just seen as being a scoring machine who wasn't a winner the way Magic Johnson was. So by winning 6 Championships and always delivering in the biggest games, he became THE GREATEST.

Likewise, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game and averaged 50 points for a season and 20 rebounds per game and all kinds of records, but he only won ONE championship (and did without being the leading scorer), so people find it hard to put his legacy ahead of Jordan's.

With every CLUTCH victory Nadal is firming as the GOAT

 

[Deleted member 3771]

Nadal has gained the momentum in the last set of the match on the last 5 times they have played. The better player tends to do this.

 

[matchmaker]

Well, you don't hand a set over to your opponent. If you do you are mentally weak and should not complain about having lost that set. Nuff said.

 

[roundiesee]

"You know, maybe I should have never been there, you know, in the first place"
Fed's English is not the best, but it may appear that he feels he should have won the contest in 4 sets, hence "I should never been there", ie "been in a fifth set" with Rafa. Hence he probably felt he "lost" the momentum because it "should" have been done and dusted in 4 sets.
Difficult to exactly interpret but this is my guess as to what he actually meant.

 

[TheTruth]

"You know, maybe I should have never been there, you know, in the first place"
Fed's English is not the best, but it may appear that he feels he should have won the contest in 4 sets, hence "I should never been there", ie "been in a fifth set" with Rafa. Hence he probably felt he "lost" the momentum because it "should" have been done and dusted in 4 sets.
Difficult to exactly interpret but this is my guess as to what he actually meant.

He was down two sets to one so it wasn't possible he could have finished it off in the fourth set

 

[1st Seed]

How come he didn't capitilize on 20 break points.Thats the stat I can't even phantom.If it was pistol serving than I could understand.

That fith set should have been his just went away mentally.Never seen him breakdown like that before.Spraying balls, double faults,easy misses.Just proves to me that he's only human.

Matchmaker avatar is also as nice as mine.lol Roger should get sponsered by Kleenex tissues.

 

[veroniquem]

He was down two sets to one so it wasn't possible he could have finished it off in the fourth set

Maybe he meant he shouldn't have been in the final? Like he should have lost to Berdych? :twisted:

 

[Andyk028]

A confusing thread.

 

[rubberduckies]

"You know, maybe I should have never been there, you know, in the first place"
Fed's English is not the best, but it may appear that he feels he should have won the contest in 4 sets, hence "I should never been there", ie "been in a fifth set" with Rafa. Hence he probably felt he "lost" the momentum because it "should" have been done and dusted in 4 sets.
Difficult to exactly interpret but this is my guess as to what he actually meant.

His English is fluent. Not without accent, but fluent nonetheless. I agree with you. That's what he meant - that he should have won it in 4. Another classless remark by Federer to add to the tally. If anyone should've won it in 4 it was Nadal, who practically gifted those breaks to Fed and threw his own BPs away. Fed didn't even save these the way Rafa did in the 3rd.

 

[TheTruth]

Maybe he meant he shouldn't have been in the final? Like he should have lost to Berdych? :twisted:

Bite your tongue! I can't see him ever saying that!

 

[Leoboomanu]

"You know, maybe I should have never been there, you know, in the first place"
Fed's English is not the best, but it may appear that he feels he should have won the contest in 4 sets, hence "I should never been there", ie "been in a fifth set" with Rafa. Hence he probably felt he "lost" the momentum because it "should" have been done and dusted in 4 sets.
Difficult to exactly interpret but this is my guess as to what he actually meant.

OOOOOOOOOOPs my bad... Veroniq already said it...

 

[egn]

Yes I think Fed was referring to his awful third set where he could have closed the match that lead to his fifth set collapse. But he collapsed none the less and that is what I have come to expect from him none the less.

 

[roundiesee]

He was down two sets to one so it wasn't possible he could have finished it off in the fourth set

Yes, but maybe Federer felt he should have won the third set because he had all those breakpoints he couldn't convert. And he won the 4th set 6-3 rather handily, so I guess he thought he should have had it all wrapped up in 4. Again, just guessing because he was not exactly very articulate.

 

[TheTruth]

Yes, but maybe Federer felt he should have won the third set because he had all those breakpoints he couldn't convert. And he won the 4th set 6-3 rather handily, so I guess he thought he should have had it all wrapped up in 4. Again, just guessing because he was not exactly very articulate.

I see. Only Nadal didn't convert a lot of his breakpoints either so I was a bit confused. I thought Federer was initially down a break in the third set, therefore I couldn't imagine him thinking that set was on his racket. Unless he felt he should have won it in the tiebreak since he is usually so superior to Rafa in the tiebreaks due to his serve. OK. I got it. He probably meant the breaker.

 

[Deleted member 3771]

Actually Fed's usual break point conversion rate v Nadal is about 14%, and Nadal about 50% v Fed. Fed overachieved in this area in this match because Nadal gifted a few entire games to Fed by making 4 UE in 1 game in the 2nd set and 4 UE in 1 game in the 4th set to break himself. Nadal could have and should have won in straight sets and it should never have gone to 5.

Anyways Fed shouldn't whine so much, he's lucky Berdych choked 3 or 4 easy volleys to be broken in the 3rd set when he was leading 2 sets to 0.

How come he didn't capitilize on 20 break points.Thats the stat I can't even phantom.If it was pistol serving than I could understand.

That fith set should have been his just went away mentally.Never seen him breakdown like that before.Spraying balls, double faults,easy misses.Just proves to me that he's only human.

Matchmaker avatar is also as nice as mine.lol Roger should get sponsered by Kleenex tissues.