Would you rather lose like Bouchard or Federer?

[TeamOB]

If you were to lose a grand slam final, how would you prefer it to happen: getting destroyed by a GOATing opponent or losing an epic 5 setter that you had chances to win? I would rather be destroyed by someone playing the match of their life. It would be much easier to accept and live with the loss since I would know I had no chance. Bouchard definitely realizes that there was no way in hell she could have beaten Kvitova on that day. Kvitova was just playing too well. Fed, on the other hand, has to live with the regret of blowing a very winnable 5th set in what was probably his last chance to win a slam. How would you rather lose?

 

[Down_the_line]

Losing an epic 5-setter would be more painful but obviously that's what I'd rather in the long run. Who wants to get destroyed like Bouchard did??

Although, with the right mindset, getting destroyed can be good for you. A good player with the right attitude will vow to never to never be embarrassed like that again.

Not the best example because he wasn't exactly destroyed, but think Pete Sampras vs Stefan Edberg after the 1992 US Open final. Pete became a 14 time Slam champion and never looked back.

 

[tennisaddict]

Tenets of TTW :

(1) Early round loss is better than final rounds as it shows lack of mental strength when dealing with adversity.

(2) Losing in straights is better than choking in the fifth.

(3) Better off to losing to juniors than your contemporaries.

 

[Mainad]

Either is going to be painful, but I'd much rather lose like Federer. At least it would prove that I had been in with a real chance and it would give me hope and encouragement for the future!

Losing like Bouchard can be dispiriting. It would mean that I had still to prove I could perform on the biggest stages against the best players!

 

[dirtballer]

When you lose a tight match, you're very close to being where you want to be and you only have to make small improvements. When you get crushed, you're nowhere near where you need to be and must make many improvements.

 

[TeamOB]

When you lose a tight match, you're very close to being where you want to be and you only have to make small improvements. When you get crushed, you're nowhere near where you need to be and must make many improvements.

I don't really think Bouchard has to improve all that much. She just got unlucky that Kvitova happened to play frickin amazing that whole match. Everyone knows that Petra will probably never play like that again. If Kvitova had played at her average level, Bouchard would have actually had a decent chance.

 

[BGod]

In my experience it's easier to forget a drubbing than it is to forget opportunities for victory.

 

[Sysyphus]

I actually think this is a great and difficult question.
I have no know how i'd rather lose, as I see the pros and cons with both.
When you are close to winning, obviously you can take pride in that, but it will hurt much more and nag your mind much longer.

 

[BGod]

When you lose a tight match, you're very close to being where you want to be and you only have to make small improvements. When you get crushed, you're nowhere near where you need to be and must make many improvements.

When you lose a tight match, it often means you need to work on the mental aspect which is hard to improve.

When you get throttled it usually means you need to just practice.

 

[dominikk1985]

of course lose a tight match. anyone who claims otherwise has never played competitive tennis. getting creamed is a terrible feeling.

 

[Backspin1183]

Losing in epic 5 setter like Federer. It would be painful for sure. But I'd also look at my opponent like 'look! You got lucky today. Next time, my friend, next time!'

 

[BGod]

of course lose a tight match. anyone who claims otherwise has never played competitive tennis. getting creamed is a terrible feeling.

I don't like these comments much. If you play 10 matches in a month's span and get throttled in 3 of them, win 6 and lose 1 after multiple chances, all things equal the 1 will stick with you longer.

Also, as an embarrassing as it is to get beat badly in an early round of a tournament, it fades quick as oppose to losing a tight final.

 

[Supertegwyn]

*cough*

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=505326

*cough*

 

[TeamOB]

of course lose a tight match. anyone who claims otherwise has never played competitive tennis. getting creamed is a terrible feeling.

Getting creamed is not always a terrible feeling. One of the best matches I remember having was at a tournament against one of my buddies. I typically play close matches with him, but on that particular day he was just in an untouchable mode. I was actually playing well, but nothing I hit was giving him trouble. He was getting to everything with seemingly all the time in the world and just placing the ball anywhere he wanted. Even when I hit the ball a foot from the corner, he would still get there and hit an effortless DTL winner. I could do nothing but watch him hit winners at will and destroy me 6-1 6-1. After the match I wasn't even upset. I just shook his hand and said: "Dude, that was amazing! I'm glad I got to see it!" I never saw him play at a similar level again, but that one match was pretty darn impressive.

 

[mental midget]

i think you have to consider the devastating blow it would have been to federer to lose like that. getting demolished would have raised a lot of questions. as it stands, the guy hung tight with the world #1 and came close to digging out an improbable win. that's some good career sustenance right there.

 

[Sid_Vicious]

Federer-style please. I would want to leave the court with my dignity intact.

 

[Mick]

when playing against a player who is at the same level, a good player doesn't think he is going to lose until the match is over, let alone a great one like Federer. As the saying goes, "winners never quit and quitters never win."

 

[happyloman]

depends on at which point of my career i am currently at.

if I were fed i'd rather lose an epic.

if I were starting out like bouchard u would rather lose to a goating opponent

 

[Chico]

Would you like to lose 3-2 playing almost equal to your opponent or like Brazil today 7-1, in the WC semifinal/final?

The former of course. What king of question is this?

 

[roundiesee]

What a question! Five-set epic any time! To be part of a hard- fought contest is an honour in itself!

 

[Noleberic123]

I would rather be part of an epic match, that will be remembered in history than lose 10 minutes like bouchard

 

[cc0509]

I would rather lose like Federer did. Who would want to be embarrassed in a thrashing the way Bouchard was? Luckily, she is young and can rebound quickly and learn from that loss. Nobody was beating a zoned-in Kvitova on that day.

 

[smoledman]

Obviously Hewitt preferred getting destroyed 6-0 7-6 6-0 instead of an epic 5-setter.

 

[britam25]

If you were to lose a grand slam final, how would you prefer it to happen: getting destroyed by a GOATing opponent or losing an epic 5 setter that you had chances to win? I would rather be destroyed by someone playing the match of their life. It would be much easier to accept and live with the loss since I would know I had no chance. Bouchard definitely realizes that there was no way in hell she could have beaten Kvitova on that day. Kvitova was just playing too well. Fed, on the other hand, has to live with the regret of blowing a very winnable 5th set in what was probably his last chance to win a slam. How would you rather lose?

If I HAD to lose, I'd rather lose like Bouchard did. Some days you're the dog, some days you're the fire hydrant, it just wasn't her day. They mentioned during the men's final the last time a man had a championship point at Wimbledon but still lost was John Bromwich in 1948. Jack Kramer in his excellent book "The Game" detailed the match-Browich lost to American Bob Falkenburg, whom the crowd despised-and said that Bromwich was never the same player after that match. McEnroe claims he has never watched a tape of his awful '84 fold up vs Lendl at the French Open to this day. Those kinds of losses are way worse, IMO, than getting "blowed OUT."

 

[Deleted member 307496]

I'd rather leave it all on the court and lose like Federer did.

 

[dominikk1985]

Getting creamed is not always a terrible feeling. One of the best matches I remember having was at a tournament against one of my buddies. I typically play close matches with him, but on that particular day he was just in an untouchable mode. I was actually playing well, but nothing I hit was giving him trouble. He was getting to everything with seemingly all the time in the world and just placing the ball anywhere he wanted. Even when I hit the ball a foot from the corner, he would still get there and hit an effortless DTL winner. I could do nothing but watch him hit winners at will and destroy me 6-1 6-1. After the match I wasn't even upset. I just shook his hand and said: "Dude, that was amazing! I'm glad I got to see it!" I never saw him play at a similar level again, but that one match was pretty darn impressive.

I agree. I played some of my best matches getting creamed against People above my Level. you can just have fun and swing for the fences.

however when you are a pro in the top10 there should be no "Level above" Players. getting creamed if you feel he is the same Level is not a good Feeling.

 

[Paul Murphy]

What a question! Five-set epic any time! To be part of a hard- fought contest is an honour in itself!

This covers it.

 

[edk1512]

According to TW, Losses don't matter whatsoever to a player's legacy, so why would it matter the way he loses?

 

[burn1986]

Tough question. Federer was physically in shape, but in the 5th set it looked like he got mentally tired.

 

[West Coast Ace]

Tenets of TTW :

(1) Early round loss is better than final rounds as it shows lack of mental strength when dealing with adversity.

(2) Losing in straights is better than choking in the fifth.

(3) Better off to losing to juniors than your contemporaries.

Awesome. Sums up the mentality of the mostly non-playing keyboard warriors on this site.

 

[Fugazi]

Difficult question... In my experience, losing after having match points (happened to me once in tennis, 5 MPs, and twice in squash, 1 MP and 3-4 MPs) was extremely painful, and yet I also felt pride. I never forgot most of these MPs, and years later I still painfully replay them in my head from time to time. Very hard to accept, especially because out the three occasions, two were finals.

 

[djokovicgonzalez2010]

Bouchard tbh. Preferably somewhere in between. Neither heartbreaking nor humiliating. A nice clean 6-3 7-6(2) 6-4

 

[Magnetite]

Federer. Bouchard got Molly Whopped, with a bagel.

 

[firepanda]

Someone doesn't play tennis. There is nothing worse than getting completely and utterly outplayed. Sure, it's disappointing if you miss opportunities, but at least you can improve. An absolutely crushing loss where you can do absolutely nothing is one of the worst feelings in tennis. One of the best is being on the other side of the net.