Which semi wil be first on Saturday

I was wondering the same thing and assumed it would be Fed/Djokovic as well. So that would be an 11 am eastern start time?
 
BreakPoint said:
Most likely the Federer-Djokovic semi since they played their last match on Wednesday.
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That doesn't matter. Last year's Nadal-Gonzalez QF got rained out Thursday night and didn't finish until Friday, but Nadal-Del Potro was still the first semi-final.

Remember: this is the USO. TV $$$$ matter far more than the players' well-being or even the quality of tennis produced. They almost always put the more compelling semi-final second since it's a more favourable timeslot for TV viewing, which should most certainly mean Nadal-Youzhny will be first and Fed/Djoker after (since Djoker is expected to challenge Fed much more than a tired Youzhny will push Nadal).
 
The saturday/sunday schedule hurts older and/or unfit players. That includes Fed, Youzhny and Novak :). So, pretty much pencil this in as another Nadal slam.

Being scheduled 2nd at night will pretty much kill Fed's chances.
1) he will get less rest for the finals.
2) the cooler temps may help Novak drag the match to 4/5 sets.

Even if Fed is scheduled first on saturday and wins, it is going to be real difficult to turn around and beat Nadal the next day.
 
tennisdad65 said:
The saturday/sunday schedule hurts older and/or unfit players. That includes Fed, Youzhny and Novak :). So, pretty much pencil this in as another Nadal slam.

Being scheduled 2nd at night will pretty much kill Fed's chances.
1) he will get less rest for the finals.
2) the cooler temps may help Novak drag the match to 4/5 sets.

Even if Fed is scheduled first on saturday and wins, it is going to be real difficult to turn around and beat Nadal the next day.
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You underestimate pro athletes' fitness level. Don't compare them to your own. The heat is something that would have affected players more than anything, and now that it's cooled down, anything goes. I think it will be a no-contest semi for Nadal, and as for Fed-Djoker, it's up in the air though Fed definitely has the upper hand.
 
Fed-Djokovic also have two days in between their QF and SF matches, so they're benefiting from that for sure.

Both SFs are before the women's final, right? So at the very least they'll be off court by 5-6pm ish at the worst.
 
tennisdad65 said:
The saturday/sunday schedule hurts older and/or unfit players. That includes Fed, Youzhny and Novak :). So, pretty much pencil this in as another Nadal slam.

Being scheduled 2nd at night will pretty much kill Fed's chances.
1) he will get less rest for the finals.
2) the cooler temps may help Novak drag the match to 4/5 sets.

Even if Fed is scheduled first on saturday and wins, it is going to be real difficult to turn around and beat Nadal the next day.
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Yep....that would do it. Remember that everyone in the world gave Nadal an excuse/pass for losing to Fed in Madrid because Rafa had to play a long match against Joker the day before....I guess the same applies here. Fed plays Joker and is forced to play second? The USO scheduling will rob us of what could have been a great match.
 
The Nadal - youzhny match of course. The night session is reserved for Fed-Djok.
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Yeah, I would be really surprised if it isn't Fed-Djokovic. I've been following the game for 25 years, USO/CBS always puts the better match(or the match involving the bigger draw - see how often Agassi played the 2nd semi) on 2nd for ratings reasons.

FYI in the last 30 years, the winner of the 2nd semi has gone on to win the final 16 times.

Fed played the 2nd semi in '04, '05, '07.
 
my guess is Fed match first since they have been off court for so long.
 
Moose Malloy said:
Yeah, I would be really surprised if it isn't Fed-Djokovic. I've been following the game for 25 years, USO/CBS always puts the better match(or the match involving the bigger draw - see how often Agassi played the 2nd semi) on 2nd for ratings reasons.

FYI in the last 30 years, the winner of the 2nd semi has gone on to win the final 16 times.

Fed played the 2nd semi in '04, '05, '07.
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16 out out of 30 is like 50%

i'd expect it to be way higher considering that, as you say, the match they put in the second SF historically involves stronger players than in the first SF.
 
Fed and Djokovic should just make a deal so that one wins in a quick straight sets so that they have a better chance against Rafa the next day. In exchange the other one would tank their match the next time they meet in a big match at a Slam. If Fed/Djoke goes to 5 sets then it's pretty much a done deal that this year's USO goes to Rafa (assuming he makes the final).
 
Moose Malloy said:
Yeah, I would be really surprised if it isn't Fed-Djokovic. I've been following the game for 25 years, USO/CBS always puts the better match(or the match involving the bigger draw - see how often Agassi played the 2nd semi) on 2nd for ratings reasons.

FYI in the last 30 years, the winner of the 2nd semi has gone on to win the final 16 times.

Fed played the 2nd semi in '04, '05, '07.
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yeah it doesn't matter. and playing the final the next day does not matter either. you still get great matches.
 
wangs78 said:
Fed and Djokovic should just make a deal so that one wins in a quick straight sets so that they have a better chance against Rafa the next day. In exchange the other one would tank their match the next time they meet in a big match at a Slam. If Fed/Djoke goes to 5 sets then it's pretty much a done deal that this year's USO goes to Rafa (assuming he makes the final).
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Let`s be serious.Usually Federer`s matches are quick.There is also a chance that even it would go to 5 sets this match might be quicker in time then a possible Nadal 3 set win.
Rarely does Federer play long matches unless he plays Nadal.
 
abraxas21 said:
16 out out of 30 is like 50%

i'd expect it to be way higher considering that, as you say, the match they put in the second SF historically involves stronger players than in the first SF.
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Probably a good indicator of the effect that the late semi can have on the "better" players in past years.
 
i'd expect it to be way higher considering that, as you say, the match they put in the second SF historically involves stronger players than in the first SF
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uh, I think assuming 'stronger players' were always in the 2nd semi is sort of a stretch. not every year had a youzhny type. many years had all big names/major winners in the semis. look it up.

16 out out of 30 is like 50%
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53% to be exact.

pre 1996 it was even harder to play the 2nd semi & come back on Sunday, because the 2nd semi was played AFTER the womens final! Guys would finish around 10 pm often. Now players rarely finish the 2nd semi after 5 or 6.
 
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topsltennis said:
I was wondering the same thing and assumed it would be Fed/Djokovic as well. So that would be an 11 am eastern start time?
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No, the semis start at Noon EST.

Li Ching Yuen said:
The Nadal - youzhny match of course. The night session is reserved for Fed-Djok.
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There is no night session for the men's semis. The night session is the women's final. The men's semis are back-to-back, both in the afternoon.
 
Murrayfan31 said:
Youzhny can thank Wawrinka for exhausting himself in order to beat Murray and Querrey. But yeah a Murray/Nadal semi would've been great. Great for Murray that is. :twisted:
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But then Murray would just get spanked by Federer in straight sets in the final anyway. :) :oops:
 
As a Nadal fan, I have to ask: why is Nadal scheduled first on saturday?

Federer played on the first day of QF, Rafa played the last QF and Roger should have gotten the start on saturday IMO.
 
namelessone said:
As a Nadal fan, I have to ask: why is Nadal scheduled first on saturday?

Federer played on the first day of QF, Rafa played the last QF and Roger should have gotten the start on saturday IMO.
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I don't know why either. But it's good cuz more rest time for Rafa I guess. Plus he'll be playing in the warmest part of the day.
 
namelessone said:
As a Nadal fan, I have to ask: why is Nadal scheduled first on saturday?

Federer played on the first day of QF, Rafa played the last QF and Roger should have gotten the start on saturday IMO.
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Because more people want to see Federer than see Nadal. Nadal's early match will be on when people on the East Coast are having lunch and people on the West Coast are having breakfast so hardly anyone will see it. The 2nd semi is the one in which everyone will be watching.

The Nadal-Youzhny semi is just the opening act for the main event, which is the Federer-Djokovic match. :)
 
meg0529 said:
I don't know why either. But it's good cuz more rest time for Rafa I guess. Plus he'll be playing in the warmest part of the day.
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It's warmer in the late afternoon than early afternoon so Nadal will be playing when it's cooler. The hottest time of the day is 3pm - 5pm.
 
BreakPoint said:
Because more people want to see Federer than see Nadal. Nadal's early match will be on when people on the East Coast are having lunch and people on the West Coast are having breakfast so hardly anyone will see it. The 2nd semi is the one in which everyone will be watching.

The Nadal-Youzhny semi is just the opening act for the main event, which is the Federer-Djokovic match. :)
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It's a weekend so plenty of ppl will be at the first match. But definitely in NY, Fed, and maybe even Djoker, is a bigger draw than Nadal.
 
posted in an earlier thread:

USO Champions
2009 Del Potro: 1st semi
2008 Federer: 1st semi(actually had a day off due to rain, while Murray had to finish up his semi on Sunday for the Monday final)
2007 Federer: 2nd semi
2006 Federer: 1st semi
2005 Federer: 2nd semi
2004 Federer: 2nd semi
2003 Roddick: 2nd semi
2002 Sampras: 1st semi
2001 Hewitt: 1st semi
2000 Safin: 1st semi
1999 Agassi: 2nd semi
1998 Rafter: 2nd semi
1997 Rafter: 2nd semi
1996 Sampras: 2nd semi

prior to '96, the 2nd mens semi was played AFTER the womens final, so players in these years had even less rest time for the Sunday final.

1995 Sampras: 1st semi
1994 Agassi: 2nd semi
1993 Sampras: 2nd semi
1992 Edberg: 1st semi
1991 Edberg: 1st semi
1990 Sampras: 2nd semi
1989 Becker: 1st semi
1988 Wilander: 1st semi
1987 Lendl: 2nd semi
1986 Lendl: 1st semi
1985 Lendl: 2nd semi
1984 McEnroe: 2nd semi
1983 Connors: 2nd semi
1982 Connors: 1st semi
1981 McEnroe: 1st semi
1980 McEnroe: 2nd semi(this gets my vote as most impressive USO ever. Mac beats Lendl in 4 set QF on Thursday night. Plays a 5 set DOUBLES final on Friday. Beats Connors in a 5 setter that goes well into the night on Saturday. Then beats Borg in 5 on Sunday. Borg hadn't lost a 5 setter in 6 years at the time)

So in the last 30 years, the player who played the 2nd semi went on to win the USO 16 times.

Also USO(& Wimbledon) used to be only 12 day events in the early to mid 70s, so playing back to back 5 setters(with no tiebreaks either) was sort of the norm in those days, not just SF/F days. Wonder if we'd have some different champions back then if they used todays much more favorable format.

And John Newcombe played six best of 5 set matches in 7 days to win the 1975 AO(3 of them were 5 setters, one was a 4 setter. Wow. Even had the energy to jump over the net after he won the final)
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also there were some years where it was advantageous to play 2nd. Mac played a 5 set SF with Wilander with oncourt temps at 110, while the sun had set by the time of the 2nd mens semi(a straight set Lendl win over an injured Connors)
 
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wangs78 said:
It's a weekend so plenty of ppl will be at the first match. But definitely in NY, Fed, and maybe even Djoker, is a bigger draw than Nadal.
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I was referring to the TV viewership. CBS tells the USTA which match to put on when since they pay the USTA the big bucks.
 
According to Tom Tebutt (I believe he writes for Canadian press) Federer asked to play the 1st SF and Nadal asked to play the 2nd but USTA/CBS said no thanks.
 
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