What tactics should Federer use should he meet Nadal in semis?

Federer's slice is generally effective against most opponents, and is rarely effective against Nadal. Now, though, I think it will be, because Nadal is not as athletic as he used to be, and seems to be having a little bit of a tougher time handling low balls than he used to. Also, down-the-line slices will go to Nadal's backhand wing, which is a positive.

I also think he should not try to emulate Djokovic. He just doesn't that kind of a backhand, or that kind of movement.

Well if everything else fails......

fedsmash_zps80fc8c4e.gif~original


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Hahaha.........epic !!! :twisted:
 

Ajosin

Rookie
Go for broke. Hope that you can hit more winners than UE while whacking the ball like Rosol and others have done. Keep all points short so Nadal can't find a rithm.
 

SQA333

Hall of Fame
None. Nadal is that much better than him that any tactics won't work.

Just don't cry in public after the inevitable loss I guess.
 

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
Have you watched any of Nadal's recent matches on grass? He's having trouble bending and getting to low balls. This isn't 2008 anymore.

I've seen Klizan + Rosol. Rosol hardly slices though, Klizan did some.
But was Nadal troubled? On the forehand? Isn't the having trouble bending either
a) a myth of how the warrior overcomes yet another insurmountable challenge or
b) something that isn't the case anymore cause he's got stem cell treatment and his knees are better than ever (paraphrasing NadalRecord, oh boy are you missed).
 

Mayonnaise

Banned
I've seen Klizan + Rosol. Rosol hardly slices though, Klizan did some.
But was Nadal troubled? On the forehand? Isn't the having trouble bending either
a) a myth of how the warrior overcomes yet another insurmountable challenge or
b) something that isn't the case anymore cause he's got stem cell treatment and his knees are better than ever (paraphrasing NadalRecord, oh boy are you missed).
I think you should read my points again, and watch Nadal's matches, before accusing me of never watching Federer-Nadal matches.
 

ACE of Hearts

Bionic Poster
I was looking at the 2008 final and I was amazed at the amount of choking by federer.Its all in his head.Up 4-1 in the second and he implodes to lose the set 4-6.Numerous opportunities to break in the 3rd set.
This guy needs to stop choking on a surface he is comfortable with
 

ps2dcgba

Rookie
Crazy ...... I won't write Federer as easily as everyone else. I don't think he will dominate, but if he is in the zone....he can easily win, however I think if Nadal reaches the semi's, he would of played himself into Championship form, those early rounds of meeting the youngsters and their brutal hard hitting and serving ......he looks good,his return of serve also looks good for grass this year, should be anyone's game. Should be a cracka.
 

swordtennis

G.O.A.T.
I was looking at the 2008 final and I was amazed at the amount of choking by federer.Its all in his head.Up 4-1 in the second and he implodes to lose the set 4-6.Numerous opportunities to break in the 3rd set.
This guy needs to stop choking on a surface he is comfortable with

You are spot on. This is the rivalry's dirty little secret. I hardly ever say choke in match because you lose you lose but Fedal when you get into BP squndered etc etc numbers like these there is an element of pure choke outs. The numbers do not lie. I got sick of the rivalry real fast. Fed outplayed Nadal back in the day but lost. Just got real nervous and was intimidate when all he needed to do was pound one good serve or get and error or winner.
 

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
I think you should read my points again, and watch Nadal's matches, before accusing me of never watching Federer-Nadal matches.

I know you said to the backhand, but
a) Fed hardly ever manages to slice to Nadal's backhand because that's DTL and
b) even when he does, Nadal usually has plenty of time to run around it and rip it as I wrote in my initial post.

Nevertheless, sorry for acccusing you of never watching any of their matches. It was more rhetorical than an actual accusation. I just don't recall anyone being successful with slices vs. Rafa, certainly not a right-hander.
 

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
You are spot on. This is the rivalry's dirty little secret. I hardly ever say choke in match because you lose you lose but Fedal when you get into BP squndered etc etc numbers like these there is an element of pure choke outs. The numbers do not lie. I got sick of the rivalry real fast. Fed outplayed Nadal back in the day but lost. Just got real nervous and was intimidate when all he needed to do was pound one good serve or get and error or winner.

He did. Though part of the reason for the BP conversatio is that Fed is one of the few guys on the tour who has massive problems with Nadal's serve as they all go to his backhand. And on the normal BP, they are sliced out wide, which opens up the court for an easy put away.
 

Talker

Hall of Fame
Fed just has to play his regular game.
Nadal's not that good on grass but will still have his chances.

I expect Fed to win if he plays well.
 

Mayonnaise

Banned
I know you said to the backhand, but
a) Fed hardly ever manages to slice to Nadal's backhand because that's DTL and
b) even when he does, Nadal usually has plenty of time to run around it and rip it as I wrote in my initial post.

Nevertheless, sorry for acccusing you of never watching any of their matches. It was more rhetorical than an actual accusation. I just don't recall anyone being successful with slices vs. Rafa, certainly not a right-hander.

I said Federer should slice more, preferably down the line. As for Nadal running around it, he can, but not as often and not as effectively as he used to back in 2008. He's nowhere near as agile anymore.
 
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The Green Mile

Bionic Poster
Federer against Nadal at Wimbledon leads the h2h 2-1 and if they play in the semis, Federer will lead the h2h at Wimbledon 3-1 after the match.

Interesting theory.... WHAT IF...I TOLD YOU............that it is unlikely.

Also, what kind of animal do you think Djokovic resembles? Would like to know, thanks....
 

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
I said Federer should slice more, preferably down the line. As for Ndal running around it, he can, but not as often and not as effectively as he used to back in 2008. He's nowhere near as agile anymore.

I think this is one of the cases, where we'll have to disagree. I don't think slicing vs. Rafa is a feasible strategy for Fed or anyone else - perhaps safe of Lopez due to his lefty slice - even in 2014.
His ability to run around it doesn't look too diminished to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AB0GqpLjYs

But I'll be very, very happy to be proven wrong on Friday.
 

vernonbc

Legend
What fun reading this thread! The Fed worshippers are even willing to bash their idol and call him a choker and knock his game with many unflattering comments just to avoid having to give Rafa an ounce of credit for winning 70% of the matches between them. :razz:
 

SQA333

Hall of Fame
1) If Federer plays lights out, Nadal wins in 4 sets.
2) If Federer plays average, Nadal wins in 3 sets.

CLOSE THREAD
 

Chanwan

G.O.A.T.
1) If Federer plays lights out, Nadal wins in 4 sets.
2) If Federer plays average, Nadal wins in 3 sets.

CLOSE THREAD

If Fed plays lights out, he wins in 3 or 4. Hence the reason why he's bageled Rafa on three surfaces and given him a few breadsticks and 2's as well. Problem is, he hardly ever does for more than a set or a set and a half.

If Fed was able to produce his best vs. Rafa most of the time, the rivalry wouldn't be one-sided.
It's the match-up and now it's also mental.
But even on the slow, fairly bouncy end of the 2nd week grass, I still think he's best is quite enough to win vs. Rafa.
But I do have my doubts that he will be able to both produce and sustain it.
 
What fun reading this thread! The Fed worshippers are even willing to bash their idol and call him a choker and knock his game with many unflattering comments just to avoid having to give Rafa an ounce of credit for winning 70% of the matches between them. :razz:
Yes, I thought they thought Federer is God?
 
And my best advice, play with controlled agression, within himself. Allowing the angles, mixing it up. And agree on not being afraid to use the slice sometimes.
 

smalahove

Hall of Fame
I've been a Fed fan for a long time.
Nadal reminds me of Tiger Woods mental strength in his heydays. He's the only player I know of, perhaps besides Hewitt, that is not affected mentally in a negative way being two sets down. He's a mental marathon runner among sprinters :)

Imo, this is the real reason behind the skewed H2H stats, which always seem to be lost in this type of discussion.

If Fed is mentally there, and his forehand doesn't let him down, he's def got a good chance.
 
I've been a Fed fan for a long time.
Nadal reminds me of Tiger Woods mental strength in his heydays. He's the only player I know of, perhaps besides Hewitt, that is not affected mentally in a negative way being two sets down. He's a mental marathon runner among sprinters :)

Imo, this is the real reason behind the skewed H2H stats, which always seem to be lost in this type of discussion.

If Fed is mentally there, and his forehand doesn't let him down, he's def got a good chance.

Nadal has almost never come back from 2 sets down. When he goes down 2 sets, he's going home.

Federer has had way more 2 set come-from-behind victories than Nadal.

I'm sick of hearing about Nastall's "mental strength." He's not mentally strong, he's physically strong with his PEDed up body and he uses all kinds of gamesmanship/cheating tactics when he's losing or in a tough match.

It's not mental strength when you're breaking the rules.
 

Mayonnaise

Banned
I think this is one of the cases, where we'll have to disagree. I don't think slicing vs. Rafa is a feasible strategy for Fed or anyone else - perhaps safe of Lopez due to his lefty slice - even in 2014.
His ability to run around it doesn't look too diminished to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AB0GqpLjYs

But I'll be very, very happy to be proven wrong on Friday.

I think you should rewatch the 2008 match. Nadal is still very quick, but the Nadal of 2008 would shame the Nadal of today in terms of movement and adjustability :)
 

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
What do you think?

I would expect the usual repertoire – badmouthing Nadal in press interviews before the match, MTOs for fake back injuries, unclipped toe nails, unshaved nose hair, etc. Scorning the umpire and checking clay marks on grass – the usual stuff. Possibly breaking down in tearful tantrums after sets lost, maybe other new and creative loser techniques…
 

JanowiczJ

Professional
I'm sorry if this may sound rude but the strategy of slicing even more against nadal because supposedly he have difficult bending his knees is as smart as double jabbing prime Tyson.

Federer needs to slice when he needs to slice, not once more than that. Nadal's forehand is an uppercut, ffs. He have no problem at all firing of winners even if you feed him a very good slice.

A. He's a leftie, so you gotta slice DTL to not go for Nadal's forehand, and no one ever in tennis had a better DTL slice than a crosscourt slice. B. His strokes were build on the principle of 'elevating balls with tremendous topspin to hit it consistently deep' or deep enough.

A slice does nothing to him. If anything, if you believe he have problems bending his knees, hehe, Federer can only help Nadal's subsequent opponent by using this strategy, not himself.

Btw, Nadal can't move as well as he did in the past because he's older and that was not sustainable anyway but I doubt he got any significant problem on his knees.
 
^^ Agree with you on the slice. Even on the DTL slice, I have never seen anyone else do what Rafa does - run around a deep and low slice, position in the doubles alley and hit the ball cc for a winner.

It's been said here before - the only way to beat Rafa is by playing power tennis the way Djoko does, and Stan did at the AO. Even then Rafa may find a way, but there's a better chance with the power game.
 

JanowiczJ

Professional
As I kept saying, any power server / shotmaker should be the favorite against Nadal on grass.

Federer losing to him on grass is just an aberration. A mental aberration aka a choke job. I'm sorry fed fans, but that's the truth.

Btw, Kyrgios couldn't care less on his returns haha. He'd run the hell of his backhand to hit forehands on Nadal's serves and that played a huge factor into keeping Nadal adjusting to him, not the other way around. Consolidated players keep adjusting to Nadal, easily giving him the control of the match and Nadal is a mental cannibal. He'll eat up with pleasure anyone that surrenders his mind to him.
 
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