drwood
Professional
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interviews/2009-09-14/200909131252827286093.html
What do other people think?
What do other people think?
Last edited:
Federer just said he didn't know if Delpo's FH was better than Blake's. LOL!!
- Thread starter drwood
- Start date
stormholloway
Legend
When did he say that? I didn't hear it.
drwood
Professional
He said it during the postmatch press conference.
Conquistador
Banned
Well, Gonzalez has the best forehand in the world right now, as evidenced by his play these last two weeks. Hes always had a bigger, badder, and more explosive forehand than anyone. Gonzalez has made more money on his forehand alone than anything else tennis wise. Federer forgot about gonzalez --and so did everyone here--but I did not.
tennis_hand
Hall of Fame
because it is flat and fast.
but fed today couldn't counter it. it probably is just a joke. and u fans get upset.
but fed today couldn't counter it. it probably is just a joke. and u fans get upset.
drwood
Professional
I don't need a 10 page analysis. Blake's FH has never been consistent enough to beat 7 players in a row in an ATP event (or even 5 in a row in a slam), while Delpo's has, and Blake's FH now is not anywhere close to where it was from 2005-2007. End of discussion.
dysonlu
Professional
LOL. But tennis is more than just consistency in the FH.
jamesblakefan#1
G.O.A.T.
No it's DelPotro.
Slams:
JMDP 1
Bozo Gonzo 0
Get off of Gonzo's rooster, what are you his GF or something? :lol:
drwood
Professional
No, Fed said that Gonzo's FH was the best (true), and then mentioned Blake in the same sentence (laughable)...maybe Blake of 3-4 yrs ago, but not now.
drwood
Professional
If Blake's FH was really that top-notch, he would have at least made a slam SF by now...even Gonzo has made a slam final, and made the French SF this year.
Halba
Hall of Fame
verdasco's pretty good. nadal's on clay is the best.
SAFINATORZ
Hall of Fame
that means he could improve his forehand even further.!
There's more to the game than the forehand, you know. Neither Blake nor Gonzalez have as good of backhands as Del Potro.
Comparing results tells you who the better player overall is. It does not tell you about individual shots. Blake's forehand was always deadly - but his backhand was inconsistent and he couldn't play good defense despite his speed.
I of course agree that Del Potro is a significantly better player than either Blake or Gonzalez - compare results and see that easily. However, their forehands, not as easy to compare. Both Blake and Gonzalez rely on their forehands a LOT more than Del Potro, because their forehands have to cover up for inadequate backhands.
Blake actually beat Federer the last time they played on hardcourts, a year ago at the Olympics. That might be why Federer remembers his forehand as being that deadly.
federerfanatic
Banned
LOL Federer totally beat himself in that match. It was nothing like today were Del Potro was overpowering and outplaying him often after the 1st and a half. Federer had I think 58 unforced errors in only 2 sets of tennis. Probably one of his worst matches ever, and pretty much nothing to do with Blake being on the other side.
If Federer did say that it was stupid. Blake's forehand is his best shot but it still isnt in the league of Federer, Del Potro, and some others. Del Potro dominated Federer off the forehand side at times today. Blake and Gonzalez have never done that even in their one fluke win each and never will.
Please, anybody who actually buys that statement must be brain dead.
Can Blake smack the ball around about as fast as Del Potro when he really feels like it? Sure he can but like somebody mentioned about consistency the same holds true for power. Power isn't everything.
His running forehand passing shots were ****ing clutch tonight. His normal rally ball is much much more effective than Blake's normal rally ball. His consistency is much better than Blake's.
Maybe if you compare Blake when he's on fire to Del Potro when he's playing normally I can see the comparison, but to state otherwise is just ridiculous and absurd.
Can Blake smack the ball around about as fast as Del Potro when he really feels like it? Sure he can but like somebody mentioned about consistency the same holds true for power. Power isn't everything.
His running forehand passing shots were ****ing clutch tonight. His normal rally ball is much much more effective than Blake's normal rally ball. His consistency is much better than Blake's.
Maybe if you compare Blake when he's on fire to Del Potro when he's playing normally I can see the comparison, but to state otherwise is just ridiculous and absurd.
federerfanatic
Banned
When Blake (or Gonzalez) plays even a single match where he has almost double the forehand winners than Federer (not regularly, just even one match) than this can be a discussion maybe.
M
Morrissey
Guest
Blake? Gimme a break. Delpo actually uses his forehand very wisely. He'll rip some, he'll hit with spin and will surprise you with a flat crosscourt shot out of nowhere. Really, a smarter player than people think. He's just as varied and intelligent while serving too.
Lendl and Federer Fan
Hall of Fame
Delpo's FH is the biggest W M D at the moment. 
S
SerbWhoLovesDelPo
Guest
His backhand is more stable, that's true. But FH is a monster when it's on.
When did Federer say this?
navratilovafan
Banned
His forehand and backhand are both outstanding.
His BH is his setup shot. Without it he doesn't win matches, despite the bazooka forehand. His FH finishes points, but his BH is the one that wins matches. Similar to Agassi.
drwood
Professional
Postmatch press conference -- http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interviews/2009-09-14/200909131252827286093.html
Q. Could you talk about his forehand, just talk about it and how it compares to other big forehands on the tour.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, it's different. I guess he hits it well on the forehand side. The inside‑out is good, too. But I mean, there are some better ones out there. He definitely strikes it with great pace and good margin, too. Sometimes he hits crazy ones, too, but that's what happens when you go for it a lot. He has a great technique at backhand. Rock solid.
Q. The other ones, you've spoken highly of González's forehand. Who are the others, the better ones?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, his is different. I don't know if I could put it up to González and Blake and Nadal. He's got a very good forehand, but I don't know if it's the best in the world right now. I don't think so. But it doesn't matter. He won the match, right? Doesn't matter if you have a great backhand or forehand.
S
SerbWhoLovesDelPo
Guest
This sums it up nicely.
Maybe he doesn't have quite the power of Gonzo, but he is much more consistent. Guys like Gonzo and Blake have to be in form, or else they make a ton of errors. DelPotro can hit hard without making too many errors.
He hardly made UEs today with the inside-out shot. Federer's BH broke down in the fifth after all the pummeling from DelPo. It seems to me that was what decided the match?
grafselesfan
Banned
Then he would still be wrong. Blake and Gonzalez are both overrated players period. Their forehands are not better than Del Potro in anyway, not bigger, not more lethal, not more consistent, not better placed, not more productive.
grafselesfan
Banned
This sums it up nicely.
Maybe he doesn't have quite the power of Gonzo, but he is much more consistent. Guys like Gonzo and Blake have to be in form, or else they make a ton of errors. DelPotro can hit hard without making too many errors.
He hardly made UEs today with the inside-out shot. Federer's BH broke down in the fifth after all the pummeling from DelPo. It seems to me that was what decided the match?
Why on earth do you think Gonzalez or Blake even might have more powerful forehands. They have never overpowered Federer off the forehand side like Del Potro did today.
S
SerbWhoLovesDelPo
Guest
Well, if you measure the fastest they ever hit, Gonzo and Blake probably hold the record over DelPo. I think so, at least....
But Del Potro still has more consistency IMO.
grafselesfan
Banned
The fastest ever recorded was actually Monfils and I still wouldnt say he has the biggest forehand in the game. Overall I am completely sure Del Potro is hitting his forehand even harder than Gonzalez and Blake, two vastly overrated players.
jamesblakefan#1
G.O.A.T.
Right, I think Conquistador is the only person on here to overrate Gonzalez, constantly making him seem as though he's in Fed and Nadal's league, when he's clearly 1-2 rungs below it.
S
SerbWhoLovesDelPo
Guest
Oh, yeah, Monfils has the fastest. I guess it just goes to show that the fastest speed doesn't mean much. Monfils doesn't do a lot with his forehand.
Well, who knows, but today for sure he beat Fed from that side. Federer should have chosen a better time for those comments.
grafselesfan
Banned
Tsonga slightly overpowered Gonzalez but lost the match since he was slightly less consistent and Gonzalez played the big points better. If Gonzalez had the most powerful forehand he wouldnt be owned in the forehand rallies everytime he plays Federer, he wouldnt have been overpowered overall by the Soderling forehand in the FO semis (Gonzalez's determination is the only reason he came close to winning that match), and he would atleast have a Masters title by now in the current modern style game even with just that forehand alone. A player who flucuates between 8-20 in the rankings in todays field is typically miles behind the perennial top 5 or 6 guys anyway (as Gonzalez most certainly is) so it doesnt mean even their best shot is close to the best.
Pwned
Hall of Fame
No he wouldn't be wrong. For one, it is impossible to be wrong as better is entirely subjective. Two, Federer has actually played these people. You, on the other hand, are a complete idiot who posts on a message board and tries to find fault in anything Federer says.
Well I was there during the finals and had nosebleed seats(last minute purchase). I can tell you that Juan's shots had more thud when he hit the ball, Roger you could barely hear a sound. All you can hear when Roger plays is the squeaking of his shoes otherwise very quiet, looks more effortless live. Del Po's shots traveled faster as well where as Federer seems to float most of the time. Federer though, you can notice the little spins and little adjustments he adds to some particular shots.
stormholloway
Legend
"I guess he hits it well on the forehand side."
Fed loses all credibility on this one. He guesses he hits a good forehand? Yeah, I guess so. That forehand just blasted him off the court.
They randomly clocked two winners and both were 108 mph. It's huge. That forehand got him back in the match in the 3rd set and may have won him the championship in the 5th.
Blake and Gonzalez? Who?
Fed loses all credibility on this one. He guesses he hits a good forehand? Yeah, I guess so. That forehand just blasted him off the court.
They randomly clocked two winners and both were 108 mph. It's huge. That forehand got him back in the match in the 3rd set and may have won him the championship in the 5th.
Blake and Gonzalez? Who?
Pwned
Hall of Fame
I never said whose is better moron. Learn how to read. And again, it is impossible to say someone is wrong when BETTER is an OPINION.
grafselesfan
Banned
90% of their matches Federer owns Gonzalez in forehand rallies. I have seen almost all their matches and I stand by that comment completely. TMC you refer to was the only time Gonzalez ever beat Federer, and the only time he even played him sort of even in the forehand to forehand rallies.
Blake's forehand is also overrated and also clearly inferior to Federer, Djokovic, Del Potro, Nadal, Verdasco of today, and several others. If your forehand was even close to the best, even if it was your only major weapon, yes you would atleast win a Masters title in todays game. In todays baseline oriented, similar surface conditions, baseline bashing coached and practiced game, there is no way to have a forehand equal to the very best in the game and not have achieved alot more than either Gonzalez or Blake have even with that shot alone. If this were say the 80s your comment would make sense. Even Federer relies alot more on his forehand alone than people realize, especialy before he improved his serve alot more. His return of serve is defensive based and not a weapon other than neutralizing the big serves and getting into so many points. His backhand is obviously not some grand weapon. His net game is suspect and hardly a go to strength. Yet look what he has achieved reliant an awful lot on the forehand, along with his court movement/ability to play overall defense, and more and more his serve of course. Gonzalez and Blake would not look as bad as they do vs Federer and others with dominant forehands if they had even close to the best one out there.
Last edited:
C
ceberus
Guest
His forehand is crazy when he gets it right, but I thought the BH was more consistent and had better angle.
Datacipher
Banned
Exactly, I was going to point that out as well. It's VERY CLEAR if you read the whole interview that some sour grapes were going on, in typical Federer passive-aggressive style.
"Well, it's different. I guess he hits it well on the forehand side. The inside‑out is good, too. But I mean, there are some better ones out there."
YEAAHHH.......there may well be, but it sure isn't a clear call Roger. I "guess" he does hit it "well" on the forehand side...it was...you know...OK...today...I guess.....nothing special...
drwood
Professional
Unfortunately, Fed is starting to mirror Sampras in the passive-aggressive department, though he'll never be as annoying, insincere, condescending and two-faced as Pete was.
