Ferrer to beat Federer in French Open semis?

[federerfanatic]

I found it amazing Jon Wertheim, albeit one of the poorest excuses of a tennis "expert" out there today, picked David Ferrer of all people to beat Roger Federer in the French Open semis.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/05/23/french.men/index.html#?eref=T1

I wonder if he knows anything about their history. Any thoughts?

 

[DarkSephiroth]

Ferrer's pretty tough on clay though... If Federer is having his off day, I can see it happening.

 

[federerfanatic]

Yeah there might be a 2% chance of it happening. Still ridiculous to actually predict that though in a slam semi, and shows that he is pretty oblivious to past matches between the two. I wish I had an archive of his crazy (and almost always failed) predictions over the years.

 

[tennis08tarheels]

Ferrer won't even make it to the SF, he has to beat JC (or possibly Davydenko) to get there.

 

[grafrules]

I remember in 1999 when he first picked Graf to beat Seles in the French Open, then Seles to beat Graf at Wimbledon. Granted both Graf and Seles were clearly past their primes at this point, really hard to say which one was more, so any match between them had question marks. Also he did turn out to make a lucky guess on Graf beating Seles in the French Open semis. However the logic between picking Graf over Seles on clay, and then Seles over Graf on grass right after that, makes no sense whatsoever. If you are going to pick Graf over Seles on clay, it is baffling to then pick Seles over Graf on grass; and likewise vice-versa.

 

[cucio]

I think he always lets a dark horse in his predictions, it is a small-loss-high-gain situation. Look at it like this: if he misses nobody will put much stock on it, it was a long shot anyway, but if for some lucky guess he is right, he can claim guru status. A regular trick of the trade, probably.

Ferrer has looked alright this season, winning Valencia and being the only player that has taken a set from Nadal on clay besides Federer and Ferrero. He is always a tough contender on any surface, but he hasn't any great results either in RG or any of the clay MS. Thinking he can beat either Federer or Nadal who regularly play the clay finals is indeed a long shot, but stranger things have happened.

 

[Nadal_Freak]

Ferrer is the only the only to take a set off Nadal on clay that matters.

 

[deme08]

Ferrer is the only the only to take a set off Nadal on clay that matters.

No he is not. Djokovic the new king has done it also!

 

[Nadal_Freak]

No he is not. Djokovic the new king has done it also!

Hamburg is much different from Roland Garros. Heck even Hewitt got a set off Nadal in Hamburg. It is not real clay. The height of the bounce is about half to Roland Garros.

 

[tennis08tarheels]

Djokovic the new king has done it also!

LOL.

+10 char.

 

[deme08]

Hamburg is much different from Roland Garros. Heck even Hewitt got a set off Nadal in Hamburg. It is not real clay. The height of the bounce is about half to Roland Garros.

Here goes the word "bounce" again, and again, and again. You should put "hamburg has low bounce" in the signature so you don't have to type it in every single post of yours.

 

[federerfanatic]

Ferrer is the only the only to take a set off Nadal on clay that matters.

You mean in a small tournament as oppose to a Masters event like where Federer and Djokovic took their sets. Small tournaments are where Ferrer excels for the most part. Big tournaments is where he folds mentally like a lawn chair, especialy the French Open.

 

[Nadal_Freak]

Here goes the word "bounce" again, and again, and again. You should put "hamburg has low bounce" in the signature so you don't have to type it in every single post of yours.

Yeah well Nadal is the topspin king. No one relies on spin as much as Nadal so it would be fitting to say the height of the bounce is very important to Nadal. Roland Garros is the only slam that has a high bounce these days unfortunately.

 

[joeri888]

David Ferrer won't make the semis, I think. Roger will, but it's premature ''Bracketstuff" to predict they meet in the semis, let alone see Ferrer beat Roger. Sure, it's possible. Everything is.. (yes even Rafa not winning the tournament) But I think it's unlikely. IMO Roger is playing a claycourt season just as good as last years. He never lost to Ferrer, they played on clay three times. Last time they played Ferrer got totally destroyed by Federer(masters Cup), and the second half of clay season has been poor for David Ferrer. Especially his early loss in Rome.
I don't see it happening, but stranger surprises have happened in the past.

 

[deme08]

Hamburg is much different from Roland Garros. Heck even Hewitt got a set off Nadal in Hamburg. It is not real clay. The height of the bounce is about half to Roland Garros.

and you should read your own post again, it said "clay" not "Hamburg clay"

 

[joeri888]

and you should read your own post again, it said "clay" not "Hamburg clay"

With clay that matters, he means Hambrg doesn't matter. He's a bit of a *******, don't you think? Only clay on which Rafa wins easily, matters.

 

[zagor]

The guy is a complete idiot in my opinion.The so called "tennis expert",hilarious.

 

[Nadal_Freak]

Clay that matters is Roland Garros. Any other country trying to change the characteristics of clay don't matter. It's like making hardcourts high bouncing. It doesn't make sense.

 

[joeri888]

Clay that matters is Roland Garros. Any other country trying to change the characteristics of clay don't matter. It's like making hardcourts high bouncing. It doesn't make sense.

Yep.. But clay is clay.. and in the end only RG matters, but it's not like Roger and Novak putting up a fight doesn't mean anything. The surface at Hamburg is definitely closer to Roland Garros' surface than to US open's or wimbledon's surface.

 

[deme08]

With clay that matters, he means Hambrg doesn't matter. He's a bit of a *******, don't you think? Only clay on which Rafa wins easily, matters.

I know that (both what he really meant and the fact he is a *******), was just messing with him

 

[Nadal_Freak]

Yep.. But clay is clay.. and in the end only RG matters, but it's not like Roger and Novak putting up a fight doesn't mean anything. The surface at Hamburg is definitely closer to Roland Garros' surface than to US open's or wimbledon's surface.

Of course but Monte Carlo is the best representative to Roland Garros. Nadal won that clearly.

 

[Magix]

Hamburg is much different from Roland Garros. Heck even Hewitt got a set off Nadal in Hamburg. It is not real clay. The height of the bounce is about half to Roland Garros.

Hewitt has also taken a set off Nadal at Roland Garros.

So there!

 

[quest01]

If Ferrer and Federer meet in the semi's I'd go with Federer in 4 sets.

 

[coloskier]

Ferrer will be lucky to make it past the 2nd round the way he playing lately.

 

[Defcon]

Ferrer the human backboard has a game that plays right into Roger's strengths. He matches up much better against Nadal because nadal doesn't hit on the rise and is perfectly content to do a lot of running, which Ferrer himself likes to do. Its a completely different game against Fed. Of course who knows with the way Fed is playing these days.

 

[veroniquem]

I agree, Ferrer has always been an easy opponent for Fed even on clay.

 

[carlos djackal]

I can see it happening granted he reaches the semis and raises the level of his game coz he looked to be struggling lately maybe tired.....and of course if RF game dips a bit....

 

[luckyboy1300]

i happened to watch ferrer's match vs kohlschreiber and man!, he was eaten alive 6-1, 6-0. i think it was on atp world team cup in duesseldorf? if he can recover from that nightmare then he could have a chance, for a set that is.

 

[CyBorg]

I found it amazing Jon Wertheim, albeit one of the poorest excuses of a tennis "expert" out there today, picked David Ferrer of all people to beat Roger Federer in the French Open semis.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/05/23/french.men/index.html#?eref=T1

I wonder if he knows anything about their history. Any thoughts?

Yeah - this was an eye-roller for me when I read it. I don't see anything to Ferrer's game at the moment to suggest that he's going to make a run. Davydenko is a much better player at the moment.

If Wertheim really wanted to go off the wall he could have picked someone like Almagro to make a run. Picking Ferrer to make the final is just lame.

 

[cucio]

If Wertheim really wanted to go off the wall he could have picked someone like Almagro to make a run.

Almagro is in Nadal's quarter and has to face Nalbandian first. Difficult to see him beyond QF. At any other quarter he might have been the perfect choice.

I have seen Andreev playing some good matches this season and his quarter looks ok for a dark horse, so that would be my choice for a long shot.

 

[TheTruth]

You mean in a small tournament as oppose to a Masters event like where Federer and Djokovic took their sets. Small tournaments are where Ferrer excels for the most part. Big tournaments is where he folds mentally like a lawn chair, especialy the French Open.

Gotta go with you on that one. Ferrer is a mental midget. Can he play? Sure! Will he play? Doubt it!