Federer: "Our job each day is to adapt to the conditions that we face."

FlashFlare11

FlashFlare11

Hall of Fame
Federer on Madrid: "If you want to be a good claycourt player, you must be able to play everywhere."

"Madrid has taken a gamble with blue clay. It's always a little different here because of the altitude and we must sit down with the other players to discuss it."

"It is slippy, there's no doubt about that but that has been the case here for a few years. They haven't yet found the perfect balance. Our job each day is to adapt to the conditions that we face."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/...t-madrid-masters/story-e6frf4mu-1226353562898
 
FlashFlare11 said:
Federer on Madrid: "If you want to be a good claycourt player, you must be able to play everywhere."

"Madrid has taken a gamble with blue clay. It's always a little different here because of the altitude and we must sit down with the other players to discuss it."

"It is slippy, there's no doubt about that but that has been the case here for a few years. They haven't yet found the perfect balance. Our job each day is to adapt to the conditions that we face."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/...t-madrid-masters/story-e6frf4mu-1226353562898
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Is he actually implying Nadal and Djokovic aren't good clay court players?. I hope he's being misquotes here. Not much else to say really.
 
Crisstti said:
Is he actually implying Nadal and Djokovic aren't good clay court players?. I hope he's being misquotes here. Not much else to say really.
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I don't know if they're misquotes, but Fox Sports is a pretty credible source. I doubt they'd publish an article with misquotes.

I don't think he's implying that. I think he's just a bit upset over the comments about it. Perhaps he feels that it's overblown?
 
Thank you Federer. Stop your whining and just learn to adapt. If you can't adapt, don't whine about it. Others have adapted and that is why you lost.
 
It appears Serena Williams is on the same page with Roger Federer
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Williams said that while the blue clay courts remain problematic, the issue was not enough to make her consider skipping the event in 2013 as Nadal and Djokovic have threatened to do.

"This is a tough surface and it's extremely slippery," said the 13-time Grand Slam-winner, who is unbeaten against Sharapova since 2005 and is riding a 10-match winning streak, her longest in a year.

"But Djokovic is still in the event and so is Roger (Federer), last time I checked. If I'm not here next year, it won't be because of the clay.

"I don't think there's been any improvement in the courts over the week, but every clay court is different. This is not the best court -- definitely not what they play like at Roland Garros.

"But it's what they use at Madrid. Maybe next year they'll put more clay on it. When it's hot, it gets more slippery. But that's an element you cannot control and it goes for every clay court."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/azarenka-battles-madrid-tennis-semi-finals-142145055--ten.html
 
I think that line of thought is stupid, next time we should have a indoor hard court with basketball floor.
 
Mick said:
It appears Serena Williams is on the same page with Roger Federer
__________

Williams said that while the blue clay courts remain problematic, the issue was not enough to make her consider skipping the event in 2013 as Nadal and Djokovic have threatened to do.

"This is a tough surface and it's extremely slippery," said the 13-time Grand Slam-winner, who is unbeaten against Sharapova since 2005 and is riding a 10-match winning streak, her longest in a year.

"But Djokovic is still in the event and so is Roger (Federer), last time I checked. If I'm not here next year, it won't be because of the clay.

"I don't think there's been any improvement in the courts over the week, but every clay court is different. This is not the best court -- definitely not what they play like at Roland Garros.

"But it's what they use at Madrid. Maybe next year they'll put more clay on it. When it's hot, it gets more slippery. But that's an element you cannot control and it goes for every clay court."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/azarenka-battles-madrid-tennis-semi-finals-142145055--ten.html
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mick with some more good quotes. i think, as a tourney director, player input is important. and if you've got more than one top player saying things like, "This is a tough surface and it's extremely slippery" . . . "I don't think there's been any improvement in the courts over the week" . . . "This is not the best court" . . . then they should take notice. those seem like valid criticisms, and you want the players to be confident and relatively comfortable when they step onto the court.

honestly, this board has gone apesh*t over this story and used it as an excuse to diss nadal and djokovic and call them whiners and crybabies and divas . . . but then again, it's tw.
 
Crisstti said:
Is he actually implying Nadal and Djokovic aren't good clay court players?. I hope he's being misquotes here. Not much else to say really.
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No he is saying that not every clay court can be identical and there will be some differences. The most professional and best players learn to adapt even in tough situations. Unbelievable how unprofessional Nadal and Djokovic have been at this tournament. Disgusting.
 
cc0509 said:
No he is saying that not every clay court can be identical and there will be some differences. The most professional and best players learn to adapt even in tough situations. Unbelievable how unprofessional Nadal and Djokovic have been at this tournament. Disgusting.
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Yes, I agree. The same could be said for hard courts, as there are a variety of them and learning to play and adapt to all the different kinds of hard courts is what makes a great HC player.
 
cc0509 said:
No he is saying that not every clay court can be identical and there will be some differences. The most professional and best players learn to adapt even in tough situations. Unbelievable how unprofessional Nadal and Djokovic have been at this tournament. Disgusting.
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It's embarrassing that anyone tanks a match. Both did this week and threatened to not come back. Terrible for our sport when such a bad attitude is displayed.
 
Federer can play anywhere, that is why He is who He is, the greatest.

Federer plays against 20-30 MPH wind gusts, slippery clay, slow clay, altitude, rain, storms, etc, the guy does not suffer much.

Nadal whines too much, it is only good when it is suitable to him.


It could be Nadal's shoes and Djokovic's as well. I didn't see Wawrinka and Tipsarevic falling and slipping on the courts, I guess they have better tennis shoes, Yonex and Fila.
 
tistrapukcipeht said:
Federer can play anywhere, that is why He is who He is, the greatest.

Federer plays against 20-30 MPH wind gusts, slippery clay, slow clay, altitude, rain, storms, etc, the guy does not suffer much.

Nadal whines too much, it is only good when it is suitable to him.


It could be Nadal's shoes and Djokovic's as well. I didn't see Wawrinka and Tipsarevic falling and slipping on the courts, I guess they have better tennis shoes, Yonex and Fila.
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It's not just that he can play in those conditions, as I believe Nadal and Djokovic can as well. It's that he almost never says a word about the conditions, whether they favor him or not. That's what I really admire about Roger.
 
Very arrogant of Fed to continue wining on the blue clay and possibly take over the number 2 spot. Who the hell does he think he is anyway?

RAFA FOREVA!!!
 
Murrayfan31 said:
It's embarrassing that anyone tanks a match. Both did this week and threatened to not come back. Terrible for our sport when such a bad attitude is displayed.
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Well I don't think Nadal tanked his match but Djokovic certainly did and for once I agree with you that their bad attitudes are simply disgusting.
 
cc0509 said:
No he is saying that not every clay court can be identical and there will be some differences. The most professional and best players learn to adapt even in tough situations. Unbelievable how unprofessional Nadal and Djokovic have been at this tournament. Disgusting.
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Oh, boo hoo. At least Nadal and Djokovic are speaking their minds. They don't like the surface and aren't afraid to say so. If the authorities continue to show contempt for the views of the players, this is all going to boil over one day. Did last year's US Open teach the authorities nothing?
 
Mustard said:
Oh, boo hoo. At least Nadal and Djokovic are speaking their minds. They don't like the surface and aren't afraid to say so. If the authorities continue to show contempt for the views of the players, this is all going to boil over one day. Did last year's US Open teach the authorities nothing?
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There is a bit of difference between scheduling and a court surface.
 
A couple multimillionaires are crying because they lost tennis matches. They lost to players who had to play on the same court as they did. Not all red clay courts play the same anyway. I'll be interested in whether the winners of the men's and women's events say they won't be back if the courts are blue next year.
 
Mustard said:
Oh, boo hoo. At least Nadal and Djokovic are speaking their minds. They don't like the surface and aren't afraid to say so. If the authorities continue to show contempt for the views of the players, this is all going to boil over one day. Did last year's US Open teach the authorities nothing?
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Interesting they didn't boycott the French after they went to the Babolat ball without approval from the players.
 
Mustard said:
Oh, boo hoo. At least Nadal and Djokovic are speaking their minds. They don't like the surface and aren't afraid to say so. If the authorities continue to show contempt for the views of the players, this is all going to boil over one day. Did last year's US Open teach the authorities nothing?
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That is only because they can't win on it.

You really have a problem with "The Corporation" and "corporate types" don't you? Not everybody is content to be the little guys you know?
 
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He's agreeing with them, no? He says it's slippery, he's just adding that's it's always been slippery.

It wasn't that long ago he got dragged over hot coals for saying something he didn't actually say, there's nothing wrong with being diplomatic.

Besides, he speaks his mind often enough. This surface seems to be affecting him less than Nadal and Djokovic, it's not surprising that they're more vocal about it than he is, they're more annoyed by it. The reactions of all three of them are understandable.

Hopefully these courts will be fixed next year, but I remember Verdasco being pretty vocal about them a year or so ago too, so maybe not :?
 
Biscuitmcgriddleson said:
Oh yes because he B!tched about the grass at Wimbledon 2008, about the darkness, about everything. Federer complains if there is a slight breeze that disturbs his hair.

Your boy lost, now eat some humble pie.
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Look, I was upset with Noles performance too. He should of done better but this blue clay is a joke. This is a disguised hard court with some sand. It's faster than a outdoor hard court and is basically a indoor hard court but outside. And don't give me the "change style" BS when Federer hasn't played anybody in this tournament beside Raonic who by the way choked.
 
That's the reason why Federer has the most fans in the world, by far!

He likes new challenge, unlike other players are too afraid of failure, so they back off. Fed and Ljbubic is correct...a pro player should be able to adapt.
 
TheF1Bob said:
Look, I was upset with Noles performance too. He should of done better but this blue clay is a joke. This is a disguised hard court with some sand. It's faster than a outdoor hard court and is basically a indoor hard court but outside. And don't give me the "change style" BS when Federer hasn't played anybody in this tournament beside Raonic who by the way choked.
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Maybe that says something about outdoor hard then because they are slow as molases. Raonic, Gasquet, and Ferrer aren't chumps.

To your hard court with sand comment, what the hell happened to Wimbledon. If no one wanted tennis to change they should have stayed with wood rackets.
 
Mustard said:
Oh, boo hoo. At least Nadal and Djokovic are speaking their minds. They don't like the surface and aren't afraid to say so. If the authorities continue to show contempt for the views of the players, this is all going to boil over one day. Did last year's US Open teach the authorities nothing?
Click to expand...

So is Federer, but at least he's more mature and not some whiny, selfish ones who only think for themselves.
 
Federer is right...as per usual.

quite frankly they should just eliminate all of the surfaces so that this isnt a problem going forward.
 
Mustard said:
You know very well that they were criticising the surface before their losses to Verdasco and Tipsarevic.
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But in the end their inability to adapt on the surface caused them to lose, Nadal by choke and Djokovic by tank. After they lost they both complained even more.
Seriously, why can't Nadal fans admit that Nadal went too far with his complaining here. I can admit when Federer acts like a dufus.
 
Biscuitmcgriddleson said:
Maybe that says something about outdoor hard then because they are slow as molases. Raonic, Gasquet, and Ferrer aren't chumps.

To your hard court with sand comment, what the hell happened to Wimbledon. If no one wanted tennis to change they should have stayed with wood rackets.
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LOL I'm all for changing but for the good. This isn't it. Agree with the hard court comment, a lot of them are way, way to slow. It's affected Noles game the most as this is his natural game now is to defend than attack these days. You overblowing the Wimbledon part. Yes, it's change as the years have gone by but not drastically as this smurf clay has, not even close.
 
GOAT BAAH!!! said:
Federer is right...as per usual.

quite frankly they should just eliminate all of the surfaces so that this isnt a problem going forward.
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They need to keep the grass at W19 and install a lamp, so Fred doesn't psychotic breakdown over twilight next time he loses to Nadal there, if he is given the honour and permission to play Nadal again at W19.
 
The blue clay in Madrid is slippery, everyone agrees with that, even Federer. So, there definitely needs to be some improvement there. Yet, let's not use this as an occasion to assert that Federer doesn't complain about conditions. I think a lot of this is to be expected when you have three great players vying for the top in terms of rankings and big titles. All three of those guys truly believe they are the "best" and each wants to prove it all the time on the court.

What about darkness on Centre Court at the Wimbledon 2008 final though? Who was complaining about the conditions that day? It wasn't Nadal. In that scenario, even though it was a very tough set of circumstances with the rain delay, tight match, and an epic matchup in the final, it was Nadal adapting to the conditions they faced quite well in the fifth set. Meanwhile, Federer was doing what? He complained a LOT about some of the calls during the match and then later of course he wanted the match halted due to the darkness. Both players were facing the same conditions, but Nadal adapted better and he was definitely the one not complaining. I know it just one match, but it's an example of how it's easy to say that it's "our job each day to adapt to the conditions that we face", but even Federer doesn't do always do that without "complaining". Easier said than done.
 
borg number one said:
The blue clay in Madrid is slippery, everyone agrees with that, even Federer. So, there definitely needs to be some improvement there. Yet, let's not use this as an occasion to assert that Federer doesn't complain about conditions. I think a lot of this is to be expected when you have three great players vying for the top in terms of rankings and big titles. All three of those guys truly believe they are the "best" and each wants to prove it all the time on the court.

What about darkness on Centre Court at the Wimbledon 2008 final though? Who was complaining about the conditions that day? It wasn't Nadal. In that scenario, even though it was a very tough set of circumstances with the rain delay, tight match, and an epic matchup in the final, it was Nadal adapting to the conditions they faced quite well in the fifth set. Meanwhile, Federer was doing what? He complained a LOT about some of the calls during the match and then later of course he wanted the match halted due to the darkness. Both players were facing the same conditions, but Nadal adapted better and he was definitely the one not complaining. I know it just one match, but it's an example of how it's easy to say that it's "our job each day to adapt to the conditions that we face", but even Federer doesn't do always do that without "complaining". Easier said than done.
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Hmm, but the point( that you seemed to have missed) is that yes, Fed has complained about surfaces being slowed down, which the majority of court surfaces at various tournaments have been slowed down for the past 9 years or so, that is not debatable..and yet, while Fed has complained or groussed..never has he called for boycott, or threatened that if a tournament didnt make a surface exactly to his liking, he would not attend.

And yet, for all that the court conditions have been slowed til even the USO has been slowed from previous years..not a peep from the players who have benefited from such slowing...yet once one tourny plays like slippy fast grass from the mid 90's..all of a sudden its a travesty and a crime against humanity that must be boycotted..when other players have just gotten on with things and tried to adapt as best they can.
Get it?
 
joechiang said:
Arrogant Federer.How dare he maintains his own image while lets others burn themselves.
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Thanks for your comment. Would you mind posting in Chinese, so we can look up a lucid English version of your post using the google translation tool?
 
The organizers are arguing that it isnt the blue but the fact that the put in/tear out courts were over-compacted.

So just maybe blue works as long as its left in and curated well. Courts that can only be curated at the last moment are a risk.

They've been prepraring the grass at Wimbledon for a year!
 
SLD76 said:
Hmm, but the point( that you seemed to have missed) is that yes, Fed has complained about surfaces being slowed down, which the majority of court surfaces at various tournaments have been slowed down for the past 9 years or so, that is not debatable..and yet, while Fed has complained or groussed..never has he called for boycott, or threatened that if a tournament didnt make a surface exactly to his liking, he would not attend.

Get it?
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Yes, I get it, but I think that's a distinction without a real difference. That's a distinction, that he's not asking for a boycott due to the surface, but basically throwing a fit DURING the Wimbledon final that it was "too dark" to play while its still going on is an example of him not practicing the general point he's preaching here. Just because he hasn't called for a boycott due to surfaces does not mean that Federer simply adapts because it's his "job" while other don't. Let's face it, in general each of the top players likes conditions and circumstances that favor their odds of winning. They all engage in a certain amount of "gamesmanship" and tennis politics in order to get things to go their way. That even occurs during matches, as we saw during the '08 final. I don't blame them too much though. What they do week in, week out is incredibly difficult.
 
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borg number one said:
The blue clay in Madrid is slippery, everyone agrees with that, even Federer. So, there definitely needs to be some improvement there. Yet, let's not use this as an occasion to assert that Federer doesn't complain about conditions. I think a lot of this is to be expected when you have three great players vying for the top in terms of rankings and big titles. All three of those guys truly believe they are the "best" and each wants to prove it all the time on the court.

What about darkness on Centre Court at the Wimbledon 2008 final though? Who was complaining about the conditions that day? It wasn't Nadal. In that scenario, even though it was a very tough set of circumstances with the rain delay, tight match, and an epic matchup in the final, it was Nadal adapting to the conditions they faced quite well in the fifth set. Meanwhile, Federer was doing what? He complained a LOT about some of the calls during the match and then later of course he wanted the match halted due to the darkness. Both players were facing the same conditions, but Nadal adapted better and he was definitely the one not complaining. I know it just one match, but it's an example of how it's easy to say that it's "our job each day to adapt to the conditions that we face", but even Federer doesn't do always do that without "complaining". Easier said than done.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/sports/tennis/07tennis.html?_r=1

The photo in this article gives a much better depiction of how dark it was towards the end of the match. TV cameras made it look as though there was more light than there actually was. The photos in the link below show both ones taken via the TV cameras and other ones that were present. Amazing how it looks so much brighter on TV isn't it?

http://bit.ly/KvMcWg

Also, here is the press conference after Federer lost. Doesn't seem to be anywhere near as bitter as you paint him. I am shocked he didn't make a bigger stink given how dark it was. This isn't a problem now given the lights on center court, but to anyone who says that match shouldn't have had play halted isn't a fan of tennis. How can you play if you can't see the ball well?

http://bit.ly/KvMOv6
 
borg number one said:
Yes, I get it, but I think that's a distinction without a real difference. That's a distinction, that he's not asking for a boycott due to the surface, but basically throwing a fit DURING the Wimbledon final that it was "too dark" to play while its still going on is an example of him not practicing the general point he's preaching here. Just because he hasn't called for a boycott due to surfaces does not mean that Federer simply adapts because it's his "job" while other don't. Let's face it, in general each of the top players like conditions and circumstances that favor their odds of winning and they engage in a certain amount of "gamesmanship" and tennis politics in order to get things to go their way. That even occurs during matches, as we saw during the '08 final. I don;t blame them too much though, what they do week in, week out is incredibly difficult.
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so basically you are saying complaining in the heat of the moment and calling for a boycott of an entire event are one in the same.

tells me all I need to know.

Nobody said fed never complained. he just never was such a d!cik about it as to say that if an event doesnt meet his preferred specifications, he would boycott it.

I dont see how I can make the point more clear.
 
SLD76 said:
so basically you are saying complaining in the heat of the moment and calling for a boycott of an entire event are one in the same.

tells me all I need to know.

Nobody said fed never complained. he just never was such a d!cik about it as to say that if an event doesnt meet his preferred specifications, he would boycott it.

I dont see how I can make the point more clear.
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No, they are two different things, but in both situations, you have players not adapting to conditions without complaining. It is their job to do that, I think Federer is right, but people often disagree about exactly how players should adapt and how much they should adapt. We want to have the best quality tennis possible and we also want it to be "fair" to both players. You have just provided an example of that. Just look back at tennis history and see how much complaining top players engage in regarding scheduling, prize money, you name it. Pro players, especially top pro players, can cause changes in the Tour. It's also true that adapting to conditions during a match is also the "job" of pro players. That's what they get paid to do. Yet, it can become subjective when we discuss what the exact court conditions should be. There is no one "ideal" as no matter what you do, you are left with conditions that may favor one player over another. On this blue clay topic in Madrid, I just hope they tweak it next year and allow for players to get a bit more traction. It doesn't have to play just like MC or RG, but when you have this many players saying it's too slippery, well, it probably is too slippery and they should mke some adjustments.
 
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borg number one said:
No, they are two different things, but in both situations, you have players not adapting to conditions without complaining. It is their job to do that, I think Federer is right, but people often disagree about exactly how players should adapt and how much they should adapt. We want to have the best quality tennis possible and we also want it to be "fair" to both players. You have just provided an example of that. Just look back at tennis history and see how much complaining top players engage in regarding scheduling, prize money, you name it. Pro players, especially top pro players, can cause changes in the Tour. It's also true that adapting to conditions during a match is also the "job" of pro players. That's what they get paid to do. Yet, it can become subjective when we discuss what the exact court conditions should be. There is no one "ideal" as no matter what you do, you are left with conditions that may favor one player over another. On this blue clay topic in Madrid, I just hope they tweak it next year and allow for players to get a bit more traction. It doesn't have to play just like MC or RG, but when you have this many players saying it's too slippery, well, it probably is too slippery and they should mke some adjustments.
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Im sorry but, I cant take the rest of what you said seriously when your opening statement makes no sense.

The issue was never about one player or not complaining.

the issue is, one player not being happy with a certain circumstance.

and one player calling for a boycott of an entire tournament because it didnt suit his game.


again, do you understand this basic difference?
 
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