Federer has Golden chance to deny Nadal GOAT status

[octogon]

There are no good excuses right now. I don't want to hear anything about Fed being "*******" and 32. He's playing great tennis, and beating elite players like Murray and Tsonga.

Nadal is a wounded animal, barely scraping through the last 2 rounds. He's playing poorly but gutting out wins. The blister injury is obviously affecting his level of play.

Fed has a beautiful opportunity right now to protect his own legacy. Normally Fed would never be favored against a fully fit Nadal at any slam, but Blisterdal is very beatable for him right now. If Fed wins, he goes on to claim his 18th slam, and possibly slams any chance Nadal had of passing his slam record.

If Fed doesn't take advantange of this opportunity, Nadal likely gets to the final and gets to 14, completes the double career slam, and will almost certainly get the slam record.

This match is incredibly important legacy-wise, as whomever wins their semi, likely wins the whole thing. The implications are huge.

 

[Towser83]

So you don't want to hear about ******* but blisterdal is ok? Why of course! How fair. Fed could be in a coma and he'd be the favourite, no? Nadal has the advantage, he's number 1 and is fed's worst nightmare, be brave enough to take that pressure instead of passing it on. I mean for once.

 

[heninfan99]

It's seems impossible to beat Rafa if Rafa has 5 sets to fight with but I'm still thinking about this one. Obviously, Roger has to have a great start and attack Nadal's backhand. No slice returns.

 

[Magnus]

Fed has no chance on making the final, none. I don't care though, I'm happy with how he fought and the form he displayed. I expected Fed to fold once he lost that 3rd set after playing 2 MPs, but he kept hanging in there and waited for his chance, and took it. So that's a positive.

 

[Russeljones]

The proverbial six-pointer.

 

[octogon]

So you don't want to hear about ******* but blisterdal is ok? Why of course! How fair. Fed could be in a coma and he'd be the favourite, no? Nadal has the advantage, he's number 1 and is fed's worst nightmare, be brave enough to take that pressure instead of passing it on. I mean for once.

As I said, Nadal is usually the favorite in this match-up on any surface. Especially in best of 5. But his last 2 performance have been poor. It's rare to see Nadal struggle this much at the deep end of a slam. Fed will never have a better opportunity to vulture a win over Nadal in a slam, something he's failed to do for 7 years.

 

[Bobby Jr]

Federer beat Tsonga and Murray but to say he's playing great tennis is a big stretch compared to how he was playing only two years ago. He is consistently caught late on his forehand wing and loses more close (at net) encounters and drop-shot style points than he ever has.

Neither Tsonga or Murray were playing near their best. Federer notched up two good wins no doubt but he's miles off top form.

 

[Towser83]

As I said, Nadal is usually the favorite in this match-up on any surface. Especially in best of 5. But his last 2 performance have been poor. It's rare to see Nadal struggle this much at the deep end of a slam. Fed will never have a better opportunity to vulture a win over Nadal in a slam, something he's failed to do for 8 years.

Nadal has performed poorly in slams before but raised his game. Fed has no chance. Sorry but his IS old and of course you are biased in that you speak of not wanting to hear of ******* on one hand but talk about blisterdal moments later (so making excuses for Nadal is always fine) and no matter how Nadal played in his last 2 matches he still has the advantage.

Fed doesn't have the stamina or consistency to keep producing great tennis when it counts, not to mention Tsonga was lackluster and Murray clearly struggling with his game. despite that, fed still blew serving it out and blew match points in the breaker.

This may be feds best chance in a while but its still slim and Nadal still has the advantage.

 

[ksbh]

Some people need a good dose of reality. Federer hasn't beaten Nadal in a slam for so long I need to look it up! And now he's going to beat the world's No. 1 player who's playing quite well, blister or no blister, and who won the U.S. Open just a few months ago?

I expect normalcy to be restored on Friday. Federer will be lucky to get a set off the world's No. 1!

 

[The Dark Knight]

There are no good excuses right now. I don't want to hear anything about Fed being "*******" and 32. He's playing great tennis, and beating elite players like Murray and Tsonga.

Nadal is a wounded animal, barely scraping through the last 2 rounds. He's playing poorly but gutting out wins. The blister injury is obviously affecting his level of play.

Fed has a beautiful opportunity right now to protect his own legacy. Normally Fed would never be favored against a fully fit Nadal at any slam, but Blisterdal is very beatable for him right now. If Fed wins, he goes on to claim his 18th slam, and possibly slams any chance Nadal had of passing his slam record.

If Fed doesn't take advantange of this opportunity, Nadal likely gets to the final and gets to 14, completes the double career slam, and will almost certainly get the slam record.

This match is incredibly important legacy-wise, as whomever wins their semi, likely wins the whole thing. The implications are huge.

Perfectly put .

 

[Towser83]

Some people need a good dose of reality. Federer hasn't beaten Nadal in a slam for so long I need to look it up! And now he's going to beat the world's No. 1 player who's playing quite well, blister or no blister, and who won the U.S. Open just a few months ago?

I expect normalcy to be restored on Friday. Federer will be lucky to get a set off the world's No. 1!

Perfectly put.

 

[joeri888]

Its not going to happen but still a good chance. If Federer wins itll likely be 18-13 instead of 17-14. Big big difference That would make. But it aint happening.

 

[Goosehead]

the fedster can win..surely his best chance, he is playing classy high level attacking tennis.

nadal is still favourite I suppose, but his level is down so....now we start. this is tennis.

 

[sureshs]

Some people need a good dose of reality. Federer hasn't beaten Nadal in a slam for so long I need to look it up! And now he's going to beat the world's No. 1 player who's playing quite well, blister or no blister, and who won the U.S. Open just a few months ago?

I expect normalcy to be restored on Friday. Federer will be lucky to get a set off the world's No. 1!

Nadal will relish defeating Youngerer and ******* back-to-back

 

[BHud]

Boo hoo...OP already setting up excuses in the slim chance that Fed beats him? And if Nadal does win, I'm sure you will be hailing it as the grittiest performance ever witnessed by mankind...how he fought through blisters to maintain his #1 ranking.

Give it a rest...

 

[Fedinkum]

There are no good excuses right now. I don't want to hear anything about Rafa getting "Blister"....:lol::lol::lol:

 

[rainingaces]

There are no good excuses right now. I don't want to hear anything about Rafa getting "Blister"....:lol::lol::lol:

Agree with you 100%. How many times has Nadal won a FO with a blister? countless times, it's a real poor excuse.

 

[Devilito]

currently, Federer has a better shot at winning the Powerball than beating Nadal on AO courts. Good run to make the SFs though. His only chance in life to ever win another slam is for Nadal to go out early to someone else.

 

[Forehand Of Doom]

There are no good excuses right now. I don't want to hear anything about Fed being "*******" and 32. He's playing great tennis, and beating elite players like Murray and Tsonga.

Nadal is a wounded animal, barely scraping through the last 2 rounds. He's playing poorly but gutting out wins. The blister injury is obviously affecting his level of play.

Fed has a beautiful opportunity right now to protect his own legacy. Normally Fed would never be favored against a fully fit Nadal at any slam, but Blisterdal is very beatable for him right now. If Fed wins, he goes on to claim his 18th slam, and possibly slams any chance Nadal had of passing his slam record.

If Fed doesn't take advantange of this opportunity, Nadal likely gets to the final and gets to 14, completes the double career slam, and will almost certainly get the slam record.

This match is incredibly important legacy-wise, as whomever wins their semi, likely wins the whole thing. The implications are huge.

I am impressed with Federer's level of play. His first 2 sets against Murray were magical. I say this without sarcasm or resentment of any kind, but just honest admiration.

However, I think Federer winning the semifinal against Nadal would do nothing to hurt Nadal's legacy. It would improve Federer's legacy greatly, but it wouldn't hurt Nadal's legacy in any significant manner.

The reason being that any unbiased observer clearly understands that Nadal's performance at the moment is being very uncharacteristic for him, and quite subpar. I suspect the huge blister in his hand has a lot to do with that, but that fact is beside the point.

Now, what I mean is that Nadal's legacy vs Federer won't be hurt. His overall standing, however, might (since as you very well say, it would prevent Nadal from achieving the double career slam, and from winning his 14th slam).

Yes, the implications are huge. If Federer takes this slam and prevents Nadal from winning it, the slam gap increases by two. Nadal might never surpass or even equal Federer's slam count, which would secure Federer's place in history as the player with the most slams ever.

I think it's not an exaggeration to claim that Friday's match is perhaps the most anticipated and momentous match in a very long time. And as a Nadal fan, I want to go on record by saying that if Federer won this I wouldn't feel the slightest sadness or resentment. You can only feel admiration for the man, he is a legend.

Some of the radical Federer fans / Nadal haters are absolute idiots. But I'm not going to hold that against the man. Good luck for both Nadal and Federer in this semifinal. I really hope Nadal's blister can't stop this from being a very competoitive match which will be remembered forever.

 

[sureshs]

^^^ LOL it won't even be close.

 

[bluetrain4]

I was thinking about this today, and this really is a huge match-up. First, as we all know, Fed-Nadal matches aren't even close to being guaranteed anymore as they often were a few years ago. So, simply that they're playing again at a Slam is a big deal.

And, think about what's at stake. If Nadal wins, he increases his rather dominant H2H over Fed. He likely wins his 14th Slam, tying Sampras and continues his match towards matching or exceeding Fed's Slam total. And, he becomes the first man in Open Era to win two of each Slam (I think. I keep on hearing that around here).

If Fed wins, while his H2H against Nadal is still relatively poor, he adds a "significant win" and that's important. He'll never close the H2H gap, but adding signifcant wins on the biggest stages makes his resume look considerably better. Further, he likely adds an 18th Slam, which, obviously, increases his career-leading total, and speaks to his longevity as a top player.

[Note: I'm assuming that the winner of this match wins the AO, which admittedly isn't a completely safe assumption. For example, Berdych has taken out Fed at Slams and has led him 2 sets to love at the AO.]

 

[Phoenix1983]

Yes, the implications are huge. If Federer takes this slam and prevents Nadal from winning it, the slam gap increases by two. Nadal might never surpass or even equal Federer's slam count, which would secure Federer's place in history as the player with the most slams ever.

I think it's not an exaggeration to claim that Friday's match is perhaps the most anticipated and momentous match in a very long time.

I agree, I think an 18-13 lead in slams, with Nadal approaching his 28th birthday, is too much for Nadal to overcome.

Whereas on the other hand, 17-14, with Nadal then having the double career slam, would push Nadal ever closer to Fed...indeed, all Nadal would need would be to win three more FOs and then retire, aged 30, as GOAT.

And as a Nadal fan, I want to go on record by saying that if Federer won this I wouldn't feel the slightest sadness or resentment. You can only feel admiration for the man, he is a legend.

Very magnanimous of you.

Some of the radical Federer fans / Nadal haters are absolute idiots. But I'm not going to hold that against the man. Good luck for both Nadal and Federer in this semifinal. I really hope Nadal's blister can't stop this from being a very competoitive match which will be remembered forever.

Hear hear. I am also looking forward to what will hopefully be a classic encounter. Nadal starts as the favourite but only a marginal one, I feel, given his injury and Fed's return to form (slight choke in the 3rd set against Murray aside).

 

[terribleIVAN]

Fed won't have the same success at the net vs Nadal as against other players.

Nadal is quick on the ball, he will pass Fed time and time again.

But if the blisters trouble his game, which is a real possibility,all bets are off.

But Fed will have to do it in no more than 4 sets.

 

[tennisdad65]

Nadal in 4 sets.. First 3 sets will be tough.. Nadal pulls away in the 4th.. just like against Dimi.

I think Nadal will end up at 17 or more slams now. Fed's only hope of denying Nadal GOAT status WAS Djoker.

 

[Forehand Of Doom]

I agree, I think an 18-13 lead in slams, with Nadal approaching his 28th birthday, is too much for Nadal to overcome.

Whereas on the other hand, 17-14, with Nadal then having the double career slam, would push Nadal ever closer to Fed...indeed, all Nadal would need would be to win three more FOs and then retire, aged 30, as GOAT.



Very magnanimous of you.



Hear hear. I am also looking forward to what will hopefully be a classic encounter. Nadal starts as the favourite but only a marginal one, I feel, given his injury and Fed's return to form (slight choke in the 3rd set against Murray aside).

Thank you for your post. Glad there are more sane folks running around the nuthouse.

 

[Crisstti]

Nadal has performed poorly in slams before but raised his game. Fed has no chance. Sorry but his IS old and of course you are biased in that you speak of not wanting to hear of ******* on one hand but talk about blisterdal moments later (so making excuses for Nadal is always fine) and no matter how Nadal played in his last 2 matches he still has the advantage.

Fed doesn't have the stamina or consistency to keep producing great tennis when it counts, not to mention Tsonga was lackluster and Murray clearly struggling with his game. despite that, fed still blew serving it out and blew match points in the breaker.

This may be feds best chance in a while but its still slim and Nadal still has the advantage.

You're bringing into it how Fed played his last two matches but what to ignore how Rafa has played his. He has been poor by his standards. The're no going around that. He has been making a lot of uncharacteristic errors. He has been poor sometimes in slams he's won, like in RG last year, but he was poor in the first matches and consistently improved throughout the tournament, which is not happening here.
And yes, the blister is obviously a problem.

 

[Sentinel]

So you don't want to hear about ******* but blisterdal is ok? .

Precisely.

You can't also talk about ******** but it's okay to talk about Nadal's poor form because "that's true, can't you see ?"

And what's this about a blister as big as Rosie's bum (FOD)/ Federer's nose (ksbh). How did he get it ? Another frying pan episode ? I'll need to rent a new storage facility to store all of Nadal's injury and loss excuses, lol.

EDIT : FOD, pls change your ava. That reminds me of "GOAT Baah!!".

 

[robert.s]

There are no good excuses right now. I don't want to hear anything about Fed being "*******" and 32. He's playing great tennis, and beating elite players like Murray and Tsonga.

Nadal is a wounded animal, barely scraping through the last 2 rounds. He's playing poorly but gutting out wins. The blister injury is obviously affecting his level of play.

Fed has a beautiful opportunity right now to protect his own legacy. Normally Fed would never be favored against a fully fit Nadal at any slam, but Blisterdal is very beatable for him right now. If Fed wins, he goes on to claim his 18th slam, and possibly slams any chance Nadal had of passing his slam record.

If Fed doesn't take advantange of this opportunity, Nadal likely gets to the final and gets to 14, completes the double career slam, and will almost certainly get the slam record.

This match is incredibly important legacy-wise, as whomever wins their semi, likely wins the whole thing. The implications are huge.

Really? How about Wimbledon, the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world? I believe he's 2-1 against him there.

 

[octogon]

Really? How about Wimbledon, the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world? I believe he's 2-1 against him there.

Federer last beat Nadal on grass 7 years ago. The only chance Fed would have against Nadal at Wimbledon was if he faced him in the first week, when Nadal is traditionally always vulnerable to being upset. But Fed would never face him till the 2nd week at this point, so if Nadal made it that far, then yes, he'd be the favorite as usual (assuming he was fully fit).

 

[The Dark Knight]

Really? How about Wimbledon, the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world? I believe he's 2-1 against him there.

Not all matches are created equal .

Nadal was a boy clay court specialist the first time around. He never won anything outside of clay.....everyone including Nadal was shocked he made it to the final.

Second one ....legit but still a clay court specialist .....

And then Nadal won the greatest match of all time on grass in Feds house......worth way more than Feds measley wins.

Sorry .....I'll take the greatest match of all time but have a 1-2 record any day if the week.

On a quality scale at Wimbledon it's more like Nadal 100 and Fed 2.....barely 2.

 

[monfed]

I do agree with the overall theme of the OP's post, just not how he put it.
But the facts are loud n clear. Nadal denied Fed, 2 clear CYGS opportunities,atleast 1 that was a total lock in 06. Not just that but 2 shots at a double career slam as well, so this is Fed's opportunity for revenge and he has Edberg in his corner to guide him and atleast come out with a working strategy and not look like a complete tool after winning a set. Another thing to note is that Nadal effectively denied Fed two AOs, atleast 1 clear one in 09 and if he doesn't turn up , it will be 3 AOs, that's too costly for a HC GOAT.

Fed does atleast have that golden chance of stopping Nadal with his own racquet, and in doing so prevent him from getting the double career slam(though I don't see it as a big deal) and effectively shutting out Nadal's slam chase. 18-13 might prove to be too much for Nadal so Fed's destiny is in his own hands and at the end of the day he'll only have himself to blame if Nadal does overtake his slam record because he had a great chance of preventing that(granted Fed's not in his prime and the courts being slow as s***,atleast they're quicker than the last two editions thanks to lighter balls but Fed is the aggressor so he'll have to be the one to go out there and snatch it right under the beast's nose, so to speak.)

 

[ksbh]

LOL, Herr Sentinel!

On a serious note though ... I doubt Nadal's blister will play much of a role in his semi-final against Federer.

A title here will pull him level with Sampras at 14 majors and with the French Open coming next, a chance to get to within a mere 2 of Federer's slam total. Some optimistic Federer fans are in for a rude shock on Friday if they don't lower their expectations. It's true that Nadal has looked off-color in his last couple of matches but with history at stake here, fully expect him to raise his game a level or two.

I don't see Nadal losing this one. Federer will be hard-pressed to take a single set, leave alone 3!

Precisely.

You can't also talk about ******** but it's okay to talk about Nadal's poor form because "that's true, can't you see ?"

And what's this about a blister as big as Rosie's bum (FOD)/ Federer's nose (ksbh). How did he get it ? Another frying pan episode ? I'll need to rent a new storage facility to store all of Nadal's injury and loss excuses, lol.

EDIT : FOD, pls change your ava. That reminds me of "GOAT Baah!!".

 

[monfed]

LOL, Herr Sentinel!

On a serious note though ... I doubt Nadal's blister will play much of a role in his semi-final against Federer.

A title here will pull him level with Sampras at 14 majors and with the French Open coming next, a chance to get to within a mere 2 of Federer's slam total. Some optimistic Federer fans are in for a rude shock on Friday if they don't lower their expectations. It's true that Nadal has looked off-color in his last couple of matches but with history at stake here, fully expect him to raise his game a level or two.

I don't see Nadal losing this one. Federer will be hard-pressed to take a single set, leave alone 3!

Sure, but it's not like Fed's gonna be sitting on his honches, clapping at Nadal's victory lap. It's good to dream and hope, that's what life's all about if you ask me.

 

[ksbh]

Fully agreed, Sir Monfed!

Sure, but it's not like Fed's gonna be sitting on his honches, clapping at Nadal's victory lap. It's good to dream and hope, that's what life's all about if you ask me.

 

[Forehand Of Doom]

LOL, Herr Sentinel!

On a serious note though ... I doubt Nadal's blister will play much of a role in his semi-final against Federer.

A title here will pull him level with Sampras at 14 majors and with the French Open coming next, a chance to get to within a mere 2 of Federer's slam total. Some optimistic Federer fans are in for a rude shock on Friday if they don't lower their expectations. It's true that Nadal has looked off-color in his last couple of matches but with history at stake here, fully expect him to raise his game a level or two.

I don't see Nadal losing this one. Federer will be hard-pressed to take a single set, leave alone 3!

Let's hope you are right, Señor ksbh. As much as I enjoy Federer play (provided the camera lense has a wide enough angle and his nasal appendage doesn't obstruct the view), we can all agree that a revival of the Federer cult would be as detrimental as a return to the Dark Ages.

 

[Deleted member 3771]

Looks like the blisters are worsening. Blisterdal's average first serve speed was just 168k/hr v Dimitrov, that is almost 20k slower than it was v Nishikori. This will be Shankenstein's best ever chance to knock off the king.

 

[RF20Lennon]

LOL already setting up excuses for Nadal are we? Not to worry you won't need one.

 

[monfed]

Looks like the blisters are worsening. Blisterdal's average first serve speed was just 168k/hr v Dimitrov, that is almost 20k slower than it was v Nishikori. This will be Shankenstein's best ever chance to knock off the king.

Do you have anything good to say about Fed? Like anything at all? Suppose Fed wins, will you keep bringing up this excuse till we're bored out of our minds?

 

[Deleted member 3771]

Do you have anything good to say about Fed? Like anything at all? Suppose Fed wins, will you keep bringing up this excuse till we're bored out of our minds?

you mad bro?

 

[monfed]

you mad bro?

Little bit.

 

[Djokovic2011]

I am impressed with Federer's level of play. His first 2 sets against Murray were magical. I say this without sarcasm or resentment of any kind, but just honest admiration.

However, I think Federer winning the semifinal against Nadal would do nothing to hurt Nadal's legacy. It would improve Federer's legacy greatly, but it wouldn't hurt Nadal's legacy in any significant manner.

The reason being that any unbiased observer clearly understands that Nadal's performance at the moment is being very uncharacteristic for him, and quite subpar. I suspect the huge blister in his hand has a lot to do with that, but that fact is beside the point.

Now, what I mean is that Nadal's legacy vs Federer won't be hurt. His overall standing, however, might (since as you very well say, it would prevent Nadal from achieving the double career slam, and from winning his 14th slam).

Yes, the implications are huge. If Federer takes this slam and prevents Nadal from winning it, the slam gap increases by two. Nadal might never surpass or even equal Federer's slam count, which would secure Federer's place in history as the player with the most slams ever.

I think it's not an exaggeration to claim that Friday's match is perhaps the most anticipated and momentous match in a very long time. And as a Nadal fan, I want to go on record by saying that if Federer won this I wouldn't feel the slightest sadness or resentment. You can only feel admiration for the man, he is a legend.

Some of the radical Federer fans / Nadal haters are absolute idiots. But I'm not going to hold that against the man. Good luck for both Nadal and Federer in this semifinal. I really hope Nadal's blister can't stop this from being a very competoitive match which will be remembered forever.

Classy post from a classy poster.

 

[KillerServe]

^^^ LOL it won't even be close.

You know you betray your true hidden allegiance to Federer with these kinds of posts

 

[KillerServe]

p.s. Nadal level in one match has no correlation with another, especially when it's a semi final against Federer. Can't see it going past 4 and surely in favour of Nadal. We saw how Murray raised his game and Federer folded in the 3rd. Nadal can do that 10x better than Murray. No chance for Fed I'm afraid.

 

[ksbh]

LOL, Brilliant Sir Doom!

Let's hope you are right, Señor ksbh. As much as I enjoy Federer play (provided the camera lense has a wide enough angle and his nasal appendage doesn't obstruct the view), we can all agree that a revival of the Federer cult would be as detrimental as a return to the Dark Ages.

 

[Bud]

Agree with you 100%. How many times has Nadal won a FO with a blister? countless times, it's a real poor excuse.

It's not the blister but the location - right in the middle of his palm. Taping in that area is awkward and apparently affecting his feel of the racquet handle.

 

[Defcon]

Its going to be a privilege watching these 2 play in the 2nd week of a slam. Lets just hope for some good tennis, at this point even as a Fed fan I'm prepared for any outcome, I just want to see a competitive, well played match.

 

[Forehand Of Doom]

Classy post from a classy poster.

Thank you, Djokovic2011. As serious as I am about what I say in that post, I find myself unable to completely separate Federer from this cult surrounding him. The classless comments from so many of his fans which constantly attempt to denigrate Nadal and who will never accept Nadal's superiority over Federer at face value, are very tiring. There is always some excuse (Federer is too old, or his backhand is just a weak point, etc). So even though I can appreciate Federer's technical excellence, I can never embrace him as a favorite player I can root for.

Besides the external circumstances surrounding Federer (predominantly arrogant fan base, and the PR image which has sold Federer as an almost godly player with otherworldly talents) he also has many faults that I find offputting, like the relative lack of a fighting spirit, arrogant (at times) attitude, mental weakness, etc.

I guess that you and other Djokovic fans have probably felt the same at times from Federer or even Nadal fans. But the stench of divine entitlement and cult-like devotion from many Federer fans is just too much for me.

Nadal, you better win this you beast! Attack that weak backhand until it crumbles likle a house of cards, carajo!

 

[Forehand Of Doom]

LOL, Brilliant Sir Doom!

Thank you, Sir!

I was checking betting odds earlier and they are 3.45:1 that Princess will cry again if he loses.

 

[swizzy]

if fed wins it will have a blisterisk attached

 

[rodrigo_palacio88]

federer can



federer can play good but he is still *******.

is not close to his peak level , murray never was a real real rival for roger in slams even when all his matches in slams were post-2007 and tsonga a similar case.

and is not only age , is a match-up too.