Federer loses grasscourt final to a player who was 2-7 on grass before this week

[Subway Tennis]

Full credit to Coric for really coming to play today. His strategy was perfect.

There is no hiding that Roger was not at his best today.

I don't think this result affects Federer's favouritism at Wimbledon but it was a bizarre final.

Did anyone read anything into Federer's last service game? His serve was one of the few things that held up throughout the final, then suddenly he threw in a really weak last service game to end the match.

 

[stringertom]

Full credit to Coric for really coming to play today. His strategy was perfect.

There is no hiding that Roger was not at his best today.

I don't think this result affects Federer's favouritism at Wimbledon but it was a bizarre final.

Did anyone read anything into Federer's last service game? His serve was one of the few things that held up throughout the final, then suddenly he threw in a really weak last service game to end the match.

Headline is wrong...Coric was 2-7 entering the week. It is still quite a chrysalis though and deserves congratulations for the breakthrough. It will be interesting to see if he carries it forward to SW19 and into the 2019 grass season.

 

[TearTheRoofOff]

Well, you alluded to the reasons fairly nicely. Coric played his best tennis and Fed was terrible. How else would this have possibly happened?

 

[aman92]

Embarrassing for the Grass GOAT

 

[Subway Tennis]

Headline is wrong...Coric was 2-7 entering the week. It is still quite a chrysalis though and deserves congratulations for the breakthrough. It will be interesting to see if he carries it forward to SW19 and into the 2019 grass season.

I'm an idiot, thanks for the correction RE: grasscourt record. I will ask the moderators to correct the title.

 

[stringertom]

I'm an idiot, thanks for the correction RE: grasscourt record. I will ask the moderators to correct the title.

@TW Staff - please correct thread title to indicate that Coric was 2-7 on grass prior to this tournament

You need to report your OP and state your request.

 

[bjk]

Fed has always lost early at one of the warmups and if this were a normal year he probably would have lost to Ebden in the QFs but maybe he really wanted the #1.

 

[malbaker86]

Watching this match today, if they play at Wimbledon, Fed beats him like 6-4 6-3 6-3

 

[VaporDude95]

Embarrassing for the Grass GOAT

Just like all the losses to Thiem for the clay GOAT?

 

[ik_ben_groot]

Fed wasn't at his best. However, he was clearly trying to work on things. I mean it was like 10-1 on slice backhands to ripped backhands

 

[Subway Tennis]

You need to report your OP and state your request.

Just sent the report. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[unbiased]

I will ask the moderators to correct the title.

@TW Staff - please correct thread title

well that was subtle...

 

[jaggy]

 

[tennis_pro]

Embarrassing for the Grass GOAT

Can't wait to see what Nadal shows on clay at 37.

 

[aman92]

Just like all the losses to Thiem for the clay GOAT?

Thiem is the second best clay courter in the world....who's Borna Coric?

 

[Rosstour]

Coric is on the come-up, he had some brilliant matches this year.

I'm not happy necessarily but also not surprised. He seems to have the right mental game and I really feel that all he needs is 'reps' now. FItness is there, and so is the confidence.

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

Well the grass season is short and Borna has had injuries so a bit difficult to improve his grass record unlike on hc/clay.

 

[heninfan99]

Sampras woulda crushed this kid.

 

[Deleted member 716271]

Legit zero impact for Wimbledon though

 

[Mainad]

Full credit to Coric for really coming to play today. His strategy was perfect.

There is no hiding that Roger was not at his best today.

I don't think this result affects Federer's favouritism at Wimbledon but it was a bizarre final.

Did anyone read anything into Federer's last service game? His serve was one of the few things that held up throughout the final, then suddenly he threw in a really weak last service game to end the match.

It was almost like he tanked that last game and seemed in a hurry to get the whole thing over with. I'm not saying he was happy to lose but more that he seemed to want out of there and was relieved it was all over even if it meant a rare loss of the title for him.

All week he has looked out of sorts and irritable. I don't know if his back was playing up or not but something seemed to be bugging him. Each match was like a chore that he got through by the skin of his teeth until the final when his will to win finally gave out under Coric's unrelenting pressure. It was a very strange week for him.

 

[boredone3456]

Well Federer had a rough week following a long layoff from competitive tournament play....what a shock. This was his 2nd tournament back after a long layoff, the last match before which was a shocking loss. He won Stuttgart and made the finals here...and has Wimbledon next week

Going from not playing competitively for weeks on end to playing multiple tournaments in a row probably wasn't fun for Federer

 

[Deleted member 756486]

Embarrassing for the Grass GOAT

He retired in 2002.

 

[Bobby Jr]

Did anyone read anything into Federer's last service game? His serve was one of the few things that held up throughout the final, then suddenly he threw in a really weak last service game to end the match.

He was in semi tank mode in that last service game. That backhand drive volley he tried to hit confirmed how few ****s Federer gave in that match. He knew he was playing poorly the whole week and also that the real preparation for Wimbledon is the rest and recovery he'll have planned for this coming week.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Full credit to Coric for really coming to play today. His strategy was perfect.

There is no hiding that Roger was not at his best today.

I don't think this result affects Federer's favouritism at Wimbledon but it was a bizarre final.

Did anyone read anything into Federer's last service game? His serve was one of the few things that held up throughout the final, then suddenly he threw in a really weak last service game to end the match.

Well, it happened in the fourth set of the AO final too. Don't remember but some ridiculously low first serve percentage in that set. I am saying, be prepared. These things will happen more and more often. Fed played incredibly well last year. This year, his age is starting to show again. He was fresh from a long rest last year so it may be both physical and mental fatigue. There is also now the pressure of defending a target and of living up to expectations all over again. Fed had never been the underdog after 2003 all the way up to last year.

And Coric's previous grass court record has no bearing on the matter. He played well all week. Importantly, he played smart tennis with generally well chosen moments to come in behind the serve. Unfortunately, I think Coric's game works better on fast grass than the green clay of SW19. I don't think he will have much success outslugging players from the baseline because his own power is a bit limited. Halle allowed him to place his shots well and move his opponents out of position.

 

[Pheasant]

Last year, Fed lost his first match after his two month layoff. That loss made sense. He followed up that loss with 12 consecutive straight-set wins on grass. Fed dominated everybody on grass. This year, Fed is rusty. He looks his age, which was bound to happen. It was an awesome run while it lasted. I will be happy if Fed gets to the semis. Anything beyond that will be a pleasant bonus.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Embarrassing for the Grass GOAT

Was it embarrassing for the clay GOAT when he lost to Thiem in Madrid?

 

[BeatlesFan]

Can't wait to see what Nadal shows on clay at 37.

He'll be chilling with Pico in a pool house cabana. Tennis? Fugettaboutit.

 

[Subway Tennis]

He was in semi tank mode in that last service game. That backhand drive volley he tried to hit confirmed how few ****s Federer gave in that match. He knew he was playing poorly the whole week and also that the real preparation for Wimbledon is the rest and recovery he'll have planned for this coming week.

I was going to mention that backhand drive volley. That last game did feel a bit like a slight tank. Not in a passive aggressive way (ala Kyrgios) but more in terms of him not caring too much about margin for error and just going for whatever shot he wanted.

 

[Subway Tennis]

It was almost like he tanked that last game and seemed in a hurry to get the whole thing over with. I'm not saying he was happy to lose but more that he seemed to want out of there and was relieved it was all over even if it meant a rare loss of the title for him.

All week he has looked out of sorts and irritable. I don't know if his back was playing up or not but something seemed to be bugging him. Each match was like a chore that he got through by the skin of his teeth until the final when his will to win finally gave out under Coric's unrelenting pressure. It was a very strange week for him.

Agree. In my mind this week resembled Indian Wells where he was just surviving match to match. I think this final was another step down, the second worst match he has played this year after the Kokkinakis match in Miami.

 

[WeakEraKing]

Coric GOAT

 

[mellowyellow]

Headline is wrong...Coric was 2-7 entering the week. It is still quite a chrysalis though and deserves congratulations for the breakthrough. It will be interesting to see if he carries it forward to SW19 and into the 2019 grass season.

Thinking 1st rd exit...

 

[junior74]

At least it looks like a take off.
One last round of vulturing, and then straight to the sauna?

Vamos, Rogah!

 

[Big_Dangerous]

More like this: "Into Finnair!"

 

[Big_Dangerous]

Thiem is the second best clay courter in the world....who's Borna Coric?

Thiem is the second best clay courter in the world?

 

[Bukowski]

Yeah.. well, at least he didnt lose to Corretja on grass 3/5.

 

[KINGROGER]

I was going to mention that backhand drive volley. That last game did feel a bit like a slight tank. Not in a passive aggressive way (ala Kyrgios) but more in terms of him not caring too much about margin for error and just going for whatever shot he wanted.

I don’t understand his poor grass play in the Halle final.

More slice, chip & charge, S&V, net approach, drop shots needed. He was needlessly trading topspin BH/FH with a ball basher.

Poor tactics. Fedberg would’ve got it done in 4 and 2.

 

[li0scc0]

Sampras woulda crushed this kid.

Not at 37.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Can I please just point out that Rafa has been upgraded from King of Clay to God of Clay.

The King of Grass will bounce back at Wimby BTW

 

[Subway Tennis]

Can I please just point out that Rafa has been upgraded from King of Clay to God of Clay.

The King of Grass will bounce back at Wimby BTW

Im inclined to agree about wimbledon. Roger remains an overwhelming favourite despite this result imo.

 

[Sport]

Thiem is the second best clay courter in the world?

 

[mike schiffer]

Roger won eight more points than Coric in that match....I think he tried to push thru and play gutsy...sometimes I guess thats not enuff...

 

[Mainad]

Roger won eight more points than Coric in that match....I think he tried to push thru and play gutsy...sometimes I guess thats not enuff...

Unfortunately for him, not the important ones!

 

[jstr]

I think players, especially two handers, have figured out how to neutralize his back hand slice. A few down the line shots missed by Fed, a player such as a Djokovic / Coric specializing in consistent corner to corner shot making ( such as Wimbledon 2015 and most recently Halle ), combined with age, is a potent combination towards victory …