Tennis Forever

[venkkiram]

Superb match. Though I wished for Fed's victory today, தட் கைக்கு வந்தது வாய்க்கு வராத மொமென்ட் for மான்ஃபில்ஸ். பாவம்யா. இந்தமுறையாவது அடுத்த நிலைக்குப் போவான்னு பார்த்தேன்.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Nerve wrecking match from the POV of a Federer fan. But credit to Monfils, he made the match relevant. He was so close to getting to the SFs only to lose it in the latter stages. Both his matches with Federer this year have been close. And to think he did all this without a coach is highly commendable. Guess having no coach is the way to go for him considering his on court tantrums and mood swings.

[VinodKumar's]

Arvind I was thinking of u when fed was 0-2 down... From when will u be watching match in stadium? if possible send a message to roger that he has huge following in India and they are waiting for his visit ;-)

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ Am going for the Mens Final alone, Vinod. Took a chance considering the high possibility of the guy getting knocked out before that. I actually thought it was all over when Monfils had those break points last night. Federer got incredibly lucky I would say.

[venkkiram]

Just asked my colleague who made to yesterday's QF match. He says its one awesome experience where almost everyone from stadium supported Federer.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Mirza-Soares win the US open Mixed doubles title. Wasted 5 Championsip points only to finish it in the sixth. Well done Sania...:clap: :clap:

[raagadevan]

Congratulations to Sania for winning her third grand slam mixed doubles title! :clap:

[venkkiram]

Congratulations to Sania for winning her third grand slam mixed doubles title! :clap:

Well done. I watched the semis of Women's doubles. Sania was the weakest link among the four. ஜெயிக்க வேண்டிய மேட்ச். ஆனால் சானியாவின் மோசமான ஆட்டத்தில் வாய்ப்பு பறிபோனது. Her partner 'Cara Black' played brilliantly but went in vain. Anyhow, Mirza-Soares today won the mixed doubles championship. Consolation.

[JamesDap]

The last time Fed recovered from 2 sets down to win a Grand Slam match, he went on to win the title - Wimbledon 2012. I doubt that the Monfils win will have such an ominous portent but it would nevertheless have served to arouse Fed from his slumber. He was coasting through fairly easy opposition and Monfils forced him to play a lot tighter, more like the kind of tennis required at this stage of the tournament. Cilic pushed Djoko hard at Wimbledon though, and he can't be counted out. Nor can Nishikori though he may be too tired to upstage Djoko after back to back marathons.

[raagadevan]

Nishikori beats Djokovic to reach the finals! Congratulations Kei! :clap:

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Congrats Kei...you deserve it..Barring the second set, he was the better player throughout the course of the match

[raagadevan]

Arvind: Are you there for the semifinals too?

[raagadevan]

Whoever wins the next semi, tomorrow's match will be historic. Kei is the first Asian man to reach a grand slam final!

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Who would have thought....Kei Nishikori vs Marin Cilic in the finals upsetting both Djokovic and Federer. Takes back to the story I heard from my father about the 87 cricket world cup when India and Pakistan lost their semis. Cilic's day. Never put a foot wrong. Anyways gonna witness live, history in some way or the other . New US champ cometh the Final. Off to Ny tonight

[raagadevan]

It sure will be a great match tomorrow. Have fun, Arvind! :)

[VinodKumar's]

Kei vs Cilic.. Surprise at 4 am

[venkkiram]

I thought/had a hope that Nishi would go to final after I watched live his play against Raonic. That was his best game so far in this tournament. I also guessed Federer would reach Semi's. But Cilic claimed up from nowhere.

[venkkiram]

In all 3 previous matches Nishi played, IMO

Against Raonic >> Against Wawrinka >> Against Djokovic

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Thanks...hopefully they put on a good display

[raagadevan]

9 things to know about surprise U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/kei-nishikori-us-open-final-novak-djokovic-who-japanese

[JamesDap]

Was too busy with family engagements to even catch the highlights until now. I think Cilic, if he can keep his head together, has a fair shot at the title, notwithstanding his unfavourable H2H against Nishikori. His groundstrokes are clean and massive (on both wings) and of course his serve is imposing. Perfect game for this surface. While Fed made his characteristic federrors, even on points he played decently, Cilic seemed to overpower him. Shades of the Del Potro final there. Nishikori is also an exciting player though. Should be an interesting match. First 'Big Four-mukt' Grand Slam final since Australian Open 2005.

[omega]

What a great break through for both Nishikori & Cilic.
Both have played incredibly well the past two weeks.
The way Cilic has powered thru' his QF & SF matches gives him the slight edge.
If Cilic even has a slight dip in his serves then Nishi could easily see off him in the final.
Very happy for both these players. Seems like the Big 4 domination is almost over...

[venkkiram]

Here is a final without top 4 seeds but well deserved. I still go with Nishi who is ready to give yet another aggressive game. The only drawback he has right now is the first serve quality. If he manages it during the initial sets then he has the upper edge. Cilic on the other side looks pretty confident on all departments.

[venkkiram]

This USO season 2014 is something unforgettable for 2 main reasons for me.

1) Nishi - first Asian (in our generation) - ability he shown to claim up the ladder with a never give up attitude. Winning or loosing does not matter. He sure entertains you with aggressive rallies.

2) Wozniaki - the girl who we thought never comeback. Disproved everyone by showing excellent ground strokes, baseline winners and classy rallies. I never seen so far any woman consistently played in a single season with such a class. An unique player. Combination of Djoko and Nadal.

I wish these two continue maintaining the same spirit in coming tournaments. A healthy change on both the categories.

[JamesDap]

Wozniacki got all the way to the finals by doing something very fundamental that used to be taken for granted earlier in the WTA but which her rivals, barring of course Serena, utterly failed to do this US Open - play good solid tennis with an emphasis on putting the ball in. These days the women try too hard to strike outright winners from the baseline which usually results in a mountain of UEs. In windy conditions, Wozniacki got the percentages right and deserved to be a runner up for the discipline and patience she showed.

[JamesDap]

Match was over by the time I got up. Had hoped for a tough one for personal reasons and also to silence those voices claiming this final line up was a damp squib in the absence of the big four. Anyway, congrats to Cilic. He just had the bigger game and from what I read Nishikori was too exhausted to counter him.

[venkkiram]

Arvind.. how was your day at Ashes? Hope it was a memorable experience!

[Arvind Srinivasan]

I had a great time over there. Was a little apprehensive about the view I would get from my seat. But it was good. The atmosphere was excellent. As far as the match was concerned, Cilic simply out powered an already battered and bruised Nishikori. And Cilic's game was almost robotic. Other than attempting low percentage shots and playing a tad more aggresively than usual, there was very little Nishikori could do.

[venkkiram]

While going to Ashes expecting match would long for 4 or 5 sets, it would finish by 3 straight sets. When I went there first time on 2012 Women's final, I thought Serena would trash any opponent by straight 2 sets and would be hardly 1 hour duration we would sit in the gallery but that particular match went for 3 sets with lot of suspense elements till the last moment. So, Ashes has lot of surprise treats for the first time visitors. :)

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ I was expecting no more than 3-4 sets actually. That Marin would come up trumps if Kei didn't up his game quickly was pretty apparent right at the early stages of the match. Really lights out tennis from Marin both today and against Roger.

[raagadevan]

Congratulations to Marin for winning the US Open championship! :)

Congratulations to Kei and Marin for changing the face of tennis! :)

I'm happy Arvind, that you had a good time at the match! :)

[raagadevan]

“I think I showed my potential that I can beat anybody now, so if I can keep training hard and also practise hard, I think I will have more chances coming up". “There are a lot of things – positive things – that I learned from these two weeks. I didn't expect anything coming here. [Coming into the tournament] I was injured and practised little. There are so many positive things that I can take away from these two weeks in beating Stan and Novak again. I’m disappointed of course today, but it was a very good two weeks.”

-Kei Nishikori, after the match.

[JamesDap]

Caught the highlights. A fresher Nishikori may have pushed it to four but I don't know that anybody could have stopped Cilic in that kind of form. Even the power hitters who 'reigned' during Federer's peak never produced such a big game. This was massive. I hate to say it but he pretty much did to Nishikori what Kvitova did to Bouchard at Wimbledon. Just totally flattened his opponent. Was again reminded of Del Potro but what's even more lethal about Cilic is he moves better and is a lot more eager to come to the net. Generally also positions himself more aggressively, closer to the baseline. Remains to be seen whether this is a one of a kind dream performance for him or if he can possibly sustain this level in future. If he can, though, he has time on his side and could haunt the big four as well as other top players, especially on fast surfaces.

[raagadevan]

Tennis fans fear end of golden era, but show goes on

"Where's Djokovic? Federer? Thought he'd be here. How about that Scottish dude...Murray. Nadal??? What the heck?!!!"

-The times of India (from Reuters)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Tennis-fans-fear-end-of-golden-era-but-show-goes-on/articleshow/42097196.cms

[JamesDap]

Whether fans like it or not, at least two members of the Big Four are gradually going to drop out of it - Murray and Federer. Either there will be more non big four winners or Djoko or Nadal will prey on weakened competition. But Big Four is on its last legs.

[venkkiram]

If you consider the pool without Big 3 ( Fed + Djoko + Nadal ) -> Wawrinka, Ferrer, Raonic, Dimitrov, Murray, Tsonga, Nishi, Cilic, Monfils, Robredo, Fognini, Kyrgios

It all depends how the following 2/3 years going to be for their consistency in play. Until then the Big 3 can play safely depending on the draw they gets on each GS.

Nadal - I don't think he would continue playing throughout the year going forward. Considering the wear and tear from the countless hours so far from childhood he spent on this sport, he can take rest for 6 months and play for 6 months. But who knows he would get defeated by any one from above 12 on any bad day.

Federer (except Wimbledon) has already become a candidate for QF or at the maximum he can step into SF. But he is active and aggressive and he can play for another 2/3 years. But its going to be tough if he plays with the above pool in the earlier stages of the tournament/grand slam matches

Djoko is pretty consistent comparing the above. He can sustain until SF.

[JamesDap]

^^^ Yeah, all four can get to quarters or semis. My point was neither Murray nor Fed look likely to win more slams in the future. Maybe not even finals that often anymore. In that case, it will become Big 2 instead of Big 4. And as you said, Nadal's fitness is a question mark so that leaves only Djoko as the consistent performer of the big four. Even then, already, in 2014, Djoko only won one slam and two non big four players won one each. So it's already begun. You have to go back all the way to 2003 for a year in which members of the big four put together didn't win at least three slams. In other words, the point where Fed first became a title holder! Which goes to show that big four is mainly about Fed and Nadal's longevity at the top. Djoko is younger yet unable to dominate the tour in the way Fed or Nadal did at a similar stage in their career and Murray has already faded a bit. This period will resemble the 2001-2003 phase a bit, imo, but probably somewhat better since Wawrinka and Cilic had to really outplay competition, including top players, to win their titles (i.e not like Johansson preying on an inconsistent Safin).

It could all well be a flash in the pan but somehow I don't see it turning out that way. Djoko looked really exhausted against Nishikori. He was simply not up for another long, physical match in the heat, having just beaten Murray in a mini marathon under the lights. That is very unlike 2012 when he overcame both Nadal and Murray in back to back five setters at Australian Open. Only Nadal looks capable of producing his peak form on a consistent basis...when he is not injured.

[raagadevan]

"What if..."

5 great U.S. Open finals that never were

http://www.oregonlive.com/the-spin-of-the-ball/index.ssf/2014/09/roger_federer_vs_kei_nishikori.html

[omega]

Only Nadal looks capable of producing his peak form on a consistent basis...when he is not injured.

Yes, with 3-6 months strategic break every year..............

[raagadevan]

Congratulations to Serena Williams for winning her 18th grand slam singles title! :clap:

[JamesDap]

Level with Evert and Navratilova. Four behind Graf! What was interesting was the very first time there was no big four in the men's final coincided with a star matchup in the women's final - Serena v/s Wozniacki.

[omega]

Congratulations to Serena Williams for winning her 18th grand slam singles title! :clap:

Bull will just bulldoze the entire field next year to win his 18th GS by this time, winning his first Calendar Year Slam in the process.

[JamesDap]

I don't see him winning Wimb again unless he starts playing offensive tennis on grass again, as he did in 2006-2008. He's become very tentative on grass for some reason. Even in 2013 when he was serve volleying on hard court, he didn't play well at Wimb.

[raagadevan]

Roger Federer focuses on Davis Cup tie

Having coming up short in his bid for an 18th Grand Slam title, Roger Federer is quickly turning his focus to the Davis Cup - a trophy still missing from his collection.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/tennis/10486671/Roger-Federer-focuses-on-Davis-Cup-tie

[raagadevan]

Roger Federer beats Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(4) to lead Switzerland to the Davis Cup finals against France.

[JamesDap]

India draw level with Serbia with Devvarman winning the first of the reverse single rubbers. A creditable show then, even if they don't win. Serbia is one of the really strong teams.

[raagadevan]

Serbia beats India 3 matches to 2, and out of a place in the Davis Cup World Group in the 2015 season. India will now play in the Asia/Oceania zone.

[raagadevan]

Rafael Nadal Will Play in Doubles With Pablo Andujar in Beijing

Source: Tennis World

"Rafael Nadal chose to compete both in singles and double at the China Open this year, to find his rhythm back as soon as possible."

"Following Nadal's decision is World No.1 Novak Djokovic. The Serb - who faced an upsetting lost to Nishikori at the US Open this year - will team up with a compatriot too, as Novak will play in doubles side by side with Filip Krajinovic."

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Rafael-Nadal-Will-Play-in-Doubles-With-Pablo-Andujar-in-Beijing-articolo20343.html

[CEDYBLUE]

I doono if already shared, but one that is absolutely sweet from Djokovic :) This man is a delight.

http://www.upvines.net/you-might-know-novak-djokovic-but-this-video-will-make-him-great-in-your-eyes/#

[raagadevan]

Federer replaces injured Nadal in Indian team for IPTL

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/tennis/federer-replaces-injured-nadal-in-indian-team-for-iptl/article6435559.ece?homepage=true

[VinodKumar's]

Not happy with top players like Roger/Rafa playing this IPTL. Cricket maari Tennisum naasam aagama irundha seri. 1 set aatamlam oru aatama .. oru point pothum match resultku ....

[VinodKumar's]

Davis cup final will be played in clay court :lol2:.

[raagadevan]

Leander Paes wins Malaysian Open doubles title

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Leander-Paes-wins-Malaysian-Open-doubles-title/articleshow/43738173.cms

[raagadevan]

Rafa Nadal & Pablo Andujar beaten by Tomas Berdych & John Isner in the first round of the China Open Men's Doubles!

[VinodKumar's]

Stan lost to Ito (Rank 103) in Tokyo first round

Rafa wins Gasquet in Bejing first round (6-4 , 6-0)

[JamesDap]

Was watching the Nadal-Gojowzyck match yesterday. Nadal still not back to form, backhand wing is not working. Even Gojowzyck began to work him on that side by the end of the match but was too inexperienced to execute his tactics well. That Nadal may still win the tournament is another matter. ;) Court was pretty fast, pleasant surprise after the extremely gritty Shenzen surface. However Tokyo seems to have slowed down.

[JamesDap]

Klizan levels with Nadal in the QF, deciding set in progress. Nadal lost a first serve to time violation while facing set point. Evidently pissed him off and commentators are making apologies on his behalf since then. I don't understand why it has to be such a talking point every time. A rule is a rule. Even Sampras was given penalties for time violation back in the day.

Meanwhile, Cilic went off to sleep against Murray, the Brit triumphing quite easily and showing glimpses of the form that got him two slams not so long ago. Some spectacular and unbelievably effortless passes in that game. And Dimitrov did as Dimitrov does against Djokovic, waiting one more year to 'emerge' as the next big thing of tennis. Hope it will be before his retirement at this rate?

[JamesDap]

Under pressure, Nadal pulling off some great volleys to defend his first service game of the third.

[JamesDap]

Klizan was not to be denied in the end, won the third 6-3. The shot he came up with on match point - a leaping crosscourt forehand smash hit almost to a right angle and just painting the singles alley on its way - summed it up. He was fearless and even getting broken by Nadal didn't seem to daunt him. Nadal did try to mix it up a bit by coming in more often in the third but he didn't ultimately pursue that tactic with enough conviction and even lost some points as he netted the volley. Massive upset. Klizan did trouble him at Wimbledon and this time, he saw it through. It might be a once in a blue moon event, still Berdych better not take Klizan for granted.

[raagadevan]

Djokovic wins the China Open, and Nishikori the Rakuten Japan Open!

[JamesDap]

Nishikori's court coverage was amazing. If he can take care of his injury issues, he surely has the best chance of the emerging players - i.e. Raonic, Dimitrov, Nishikori himself - to win a slam. Djoko was clinical. Actually the tournament was won once he beat Murray.

[raagadevan]

US Open champion Marin Cilic out in the first round of the Shanghai Masters; beaten by fellow Croatian Ivo Karlovic (5-7, 6-2, 6-7)

[JamesDap]

Only Cilic fossible. Geez, how does the US Open champion manage to lose to Karlovic! *facepalm* Cilic has been in absolutely horrendous form since winning USO. Meanwhile Tomic inexplicably managed to lose to Jack Sock after leading in the third set.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ Guess these are some of the vagaries associated with Tennis or for that matter any sport. Hope the guy doesn't turn out to be a one slam wonder.

[JamesDap]

Yeah, hope so. But DP has drawn a blank so far after 2009. Hasn't even made a slam final since then. Cilic's game is somewhat similar to DP except he is better at moving forward. Let's see.

[raagadevan]

It looked like Rafa had injured all possible areas and parts of his body already, but here it is... :rotfl:

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/tennis/rafael-nadal-to-play-shanghai-masters-despite-appendicitis/article6478744.ece?homepage=true

[JamesDap]

Don't know why he would want to play with appendicitis. I can only imagine that it would be unbearable.

[VinodKumar's]

Another early exit for Wawrinka .. lost to Simon in Shanghai second round ... Davis cup :shaking: ...

Dimitrov also lost his second round to Benneteau ... Unpredictable year of the game continues ...

[VinodKumar's]

Nishikori out too ... Four players in top ten (Stan,Kei,Cilic and Dimitrov) are out of tournament in second round. Ferrer somehow managed to win today ...

[raagadevan]

...and add Rafa Nadal to the list of players out of the Shanghai Open! Feliciano Lopez beats him 6-3, 7-6!

[VinodKumar's]

Aanalum neer remba fast ya ...

[JamesDap]

Players crumbling in the season end. Evidently exhausted and out of gas. Again, it is a point worth repeating, that ATP should simply ignore their selfish pleas for slow courts and speed up the courts as well as balls again. Because not having enough of the top guys making it to the business end of tournaments will hurt viewership even more than fast courts ever did.

[JamesDap]

Fed scrapes through to the next after a very unconvincing performance against Leonardo Mayer. Fortunately for him, he was up against a guy who was so brainy as to serve volley on match point in the third set tiebreak. And allowed Fed to pass him and get back on even terms, eventually winning the tiebreak and with it the match. Time for Nadal fans to whine about his luck again but they need hardly worry because in this kind of form Fed looks like a walking bye. Would much rather he loses in a 'tough' match against some journeyman than getting brutalised by Djoko in the final who is playing very well at the moment.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Feel sorry for Mayer. He was on the verge of tears. A very underwhelming performance from Federer though. On current form he is sure to get bumped off by Djokovic in the semis if they meet

[VinodKumar's]

Murray lost to Ferrer ...

[JamesDap]

Djoko made to work hard to get past Kushkushin. Fed had an easy outing against Batistuta Agut. But the next one against Benneteau could be tricky, esp since the conditions could favour a big hitter like Benneteau. Still, 'Olderer' to use the nickname given by some tennis forum is back to no.2 yet again. Is it time to call the bluff on the weak era-strong era argument often made to discredit Fed's achievements? Esp because, Agassi in 2005 was the last player of age 33 or more to be ranked no.2. Fed has played brilliantly in patches and has been horrendous at other times. To still get to no.2 (and probably in a good position to finish the year on that ranking) doesn't say much for the quality of competition, I am afraid. At least he had to play far better, used to commit far fewer errors in the 2004-2007 dream years.

[VinodKumar's]

It's Lopez vs Simon and Novak vs Roger in semi finals

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Great first set. Benneteau was playing very well till he derailed in the second. It would have been a lot more interesting if he had converted the mini break chances he had in the tie break.

[JamesDap]

From the highlights, looks like Fed has found some form again. But Djoko also played some unbelievable shots against Ferrer. And while Shanghai is fast, it's not quite Dubai/Cincy fast so the conditions should favour Djoko. Betting on Djoko but this is always a tricky match up, maybe it's the best serve v/s best return contrast.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ Will be a good match. Just bundled out a statistic. Of Novak's 17 wins against Federer, only 6 have been straight set victories. Mind you, 11 out of the 17 wins came after the year 2010. So will be very interesting to see as to how this one pans out. Djokovic's defense has been great this week. Will see how it holds up against Federer.

[omega]

Have a good feeling about Fed's chances against Nole. Offcourse he has to bring his game from last couple of rounds.
Both have met in 2 SF & 2Finals this year. Fed has won both their SF matches (Dubai & Monte Carlo) and Novak has won their F matches (IW & Wim) however both were taken to the deciders. 3/4 matches they have played this year has been very close. Very interesting match & hope it is competitive..

A washed out 33 year old weak era champion will become No. 2 in couple of days. Gee Whiz!!

[VinodKumar's]

Roger takes the first set and got early break in set 2 ..

[JamesDap]

^^^ Who would have thunk, right? Fed in simply amazing form. Seems to have rolled back the years all over again. Hope he gets past the finish line without choking from hereon.

[JamesDap]

Very cunning hold there by Djoko. Fought tooth and nail to hold it. After all the effort, Fed still with only one break. Did Djoko just manage to wear him down a bit? Next few games will make it clear either which way.

[VinodKumar's]

Not watching it live but from the score looks like Novak is fighting hard and coming back strongly.. Roger shud get thru the line asap... Hold the serves Roger

[JamesDap]

Fed prevails. In straight sets. Unbelievable but then so was the tennis he produced. Djoko really pushed him to his limits in the last few games but this time he was up to the task and held his nerve. Brava!

[raagadevan]

Federer wins...

[JamesDap]

Well, I hope he doesn't lose to Simon after this string of amazing matches. That would truly be anti climactic.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^You just dont know. And its a day match. Federer's played all his matches in this tourney at night. We have seen him struggle for balance with a change in conditions. Toronto finals for example. Will not be surprised if that's the case tomorrow as well.

[JamesDap]

Yup, nailed it. On the flipside, it doesn't look like the wind is that bad at Shanghai vis a vis the North American courts. So let's see. He did win Cincy so maybe he can do a repeat tomorrow. Has not been troubled much by Simon in the past, even beat him at RG last year.

[JamesDap]

Fed gets his second ATP 1000 title of the year. Much more scrappy affair, this one, with a lot of attritional tennis. Fed looked a shadow of the player from yesterday but nevertheless got the job done. Simon kind of choked on the big points, again underlining the difference between the Big Four and the rest of the field.

[omega]

I thought this was an excellent win from Federer.
Contrary to the SF where both were hitting clean the conditions today was a touch slow inspite of closed roof.
With Simon not giving any pace during baseline exchanges, Fed found it very difficult to rip his ground strokes which is his strength.
Simon is the type of player who can shake off the free flowing tennis from Fed. He has done so on most of their meetings.
However Fed quickly adapted to both the conditions and Simon's style of play and was more patient in the back court..
These are the type of matches he would lose pretty easily when things are not going his way. Now he is showing lot of fight.
Truly remarkable & well deserved.

[raagadevan]

Congratulations to Roger, the #2 ranked player in the world!

This week's "Race to London" rankings:

#1 Novak Djokovic 8650
#2 Roger Federer 7020
#3 Rafael Nadal 6735
#4 Stan Wawrinka 4795
#5 Kei Nishikori 4255
#6 Marin Cilic 3980
#7 Tomas Berdych 3765
#8 Milos Raonic 3740
#9 Andy Murray 3565
#10 David Ferrer 3535

[JamesDap]

True that Simon was not giving Fed any pace. He was very patient and stuck resolutely to his gameplan. Still, Fed shanked some forehands early on, I think right in the first game, which probably shook his confidence. He didn't seem to trust either DTL drive, forehand or backhand, though he did rip a brilliant backhand pass to win the first set tiebreak. It was his slice that worked for him today. Yes, do agree that it was great how he adjusted his tactics and settled for a more ugly style of play to wear out Simon, realizing he was not going to be able to out hit him today.

[JamesDap]

Fed didn't do too well in the year ending indoor season last year. So he has a chance to leapfrog to no.1 in the rankings should Djoko have a below par outing in these last few tournaments....and..should he able to hold onto his rhythm that long. It will be very interesting if he actually winds up to no.1 so late in his career. He would be the oldest ATP no.1, older than Agassi by a few months then. Let's see.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Good win for Federer. Simon can be tricky. Little by little he chips you away and then he can hit winners if the ball is sitting up. I really don't get it as to people call this guy a pusher as seen in many a forum. It's not the case I would have to say. He can be very infuriating for his opponent across the net. And CK, with regards to the wind, they had closed the roof 30 minutes before the start of the match fearing it.

[JamesDap]

I can see why he gets called a pusher. Like Murray, he often hits regulation rally shots over and over, placed decently enough that it won't come back with interest but not nearly powerful/fast enough to be a winner. Fed or Djoko (even Nadal in top form for that matter) are more offensive and hit every baseline shot with the intent to go for a winner or at least build up to a winner rather than waiting for an error. Of course, Simon is a very smart player with great depth in his game. Even the so called pushers in men's tennis tend to be very interesting and technically accomplished players so we're definitely not thinking of WTA-style pushers when the label is applied here. I do think it is used derisively when there's no need to as it's just another style of play. I would put it down to the North American obsession with first strike tennis so anybody who doesn't come up with a winner within 5 shots is branded "pusher" and "boring".

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ True. Also its gonna be interesting to watch as to how the race for the Year End Championships plays out. Will Federer play all the remaining tourneys considering what's in the line? Or will he opt against it with hopes of clinching the elusive Davis cup ? And what of Djokovic and his wife's imminent delivery?

[raagadevan]

Latest ATP Rankings:

#1 Novak Djokovic 11,510
#2 Roger Federer 9,020
#3 Rafael Nadal 8,105
#4 Stan Wawrinka 5,385
#5 David Ferrer 4,585
#6 Kei Nishikori 4,355
#7 Tomas Berdych 4,325
#8 Marin Cilic 3,945
#9 Milos Raonic 3,88
#10 Grigor Dimitrov 3,745
#11 Andy Murray 3635
#12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2,705
__________________________

Latest "Race to London" list:

#1 Novak Djokovic 9,010
#2 Roger Federer 8,020
#3 Rafael Nadal 6,745
#4 Stan Wawrinka 4,805
#5 Kei Nishikori 4,265
#6 Marin Cilic 3,990
#7 Tomas Berdych 3,945
#8 Milos Raonic 3,750
#9 David Ferrer 3,715
#10 Andy Murray 3,655

The top 8 will qualify.

[JamesDap]

Making up 2400 points is a long shot. But the thing is Fed did not win any of those last three tournaments (will he play Basel by the way?) and only got to semis at London. Djoko on the other hand won both Paris and London and if he performs poorly at both, will LOSE a lot of points. In other words, Fed doesn't have to earn 2400 more points to get there. But Djoko will have to play well and defend enough points to keep Fed at bay.

The odds favour Djoko finishing no.1. But the fact that Fed should even figure in that discussion at all is itself amazing, considering how badly 2013 ended for him.

[raagadevan]

The adventures of Photoshopped Roger Federer in India

By Sheena McKenzie, for CNN - September 26, 2014

"When Swiss sports star Roger Federer announced he would be travelling to Delhi for the International Premier Tennis League later this year, he asked his 2.2 million followers not just for their holiday tips – but to send him there via Photoshop. They kindly obliged, imagining a fantastical Indian itinerary for the 17-time grand slam champion, including music..."

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/25/sport/the-adventures-of-photoshopped-roger-federer/index.html

[ajithfederer]

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/10/42/Federer-Challenges-Djokovic-YearEnd-No1.aspx

[raagadevan]

Roger Federer: The renaissance of a ‘half-broken’ man

"All the more surprising because Federer must, over recent years, have grown used of hearing and reading that he is in decline, past his peak and, in this 30s, inevitably heading towards retirement."

http://www.thesportreview.com/tsr/2014/10/roger-federer-the-renaissance-of-a-half-broken-man/

At this rate, Roger will be #1 (again) at the end of the year! Obviously, something or someone is helping... Keep it up Roger!

[JamesDap]

Rafa down and out. Nole's wife is expecting a baby. These circumstances are aiding the possibility of a first slamless (for that year) no.1 in ATP in ages. I am afraid it does not reflect very well on the health of the game. ATP is perhaps (or will be in the foreseeable future) in the same stage as Aus cricket was just after the golden age. The cupboard looks empty. I hope Kyrgios gets/stays serious (as applicable) and steps up. Maybe Luke Saville will eventually play well on grass, has a great netgame. I was just watching how young Fed bearded the champ Sampras in his own den. Only Kyrgios beating Nadal at Wimb comes to mind for something similar and with due respect, neither were the conditions as fast as 2001 nor did Nadal play as well as Sampras did that day. I recall that Fed too was very temperamental in his early days and can only hope that Kyrgios too will settle down in the next few years. But his game is not nearly as complete as even the 19 year old version of Fed at any rate. The 'real' weak era is upon us. We kind of need Nole to continue to take tennis seriously post wife's delivery and for a good few years at that, else be prepared for shitfests.

[raagadevan]

Marin Cilic beats Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 to win the Kremlin Cup.
Andy Murray beats David Ferrer 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 and wins the Erste Bank Open (Vienna).

[raagadevan]

...and Tomas Berdych wins the Stockholm Open beating Grigor Dimitrov 4-7, 6-4, 6-4.

[ajithfederer]

In, other news you know who withdraws from WTF.

[raagadevan]

Tweet from Novak:


Novak Djokovic@DjokerNole

Stefan, our baby angel was born! I am so proud of my beautiful wife Jelena! Thank you so much for your love and support. We love you all!!!

3:29 AM - 22 Oct 2014

[JamesDap]

Young Coric up against Nadal today. Baby Fed takes on Olderer in the other quarter. Expect the old guns to trump.

[JamesDap]

Goffin beat Raonic in three. Basically the guy with the better shots beat the guy with the better serve. Raonic served reasonably well but leaked errors in the rallies at a rate that would have made Sharapova blush. I have been waiting, like many others I am sure, for Goffin to break through. Maybe this is the moment. He has great variety and is tactically way ahead of Raonic or Dimitrov. It's a question of how long he can hang out with the big boys, being so frail.

[JamesDap]

Federer and Nadal had a near identical scoreline, except Nadal was on the wrong side of it! Losing 6-7, 2-6 to teenager Coric. Coric produced astonishing depth on his forehands for someone so young. Nadal has to do something about the backhand as and when he is through with surgery and recuperation, he is trying to convert everything to forehand now and even the bh slice lacks depth. Fed simply toyed with Dimitrov and his aggression was ultimately too hot to handle for the younger player. Started fluffing his second shot at the mere sight of Fed rushing to the net by the end.

[raagadevan]

Nadal To Miss Remainder of 2014 Season

-ATP News; October 24, 2014

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/10/43/Nadal-To-Miss-Remainder-Of-2014-Season.aspx

[JamesDap]

Teen Coric couldn't get it done ultimately against Goffin. Meanwhile, Karlovic gave Fed a real scare. Outstanding display of serve.

[ajithfederer]

6-2 1st set fed!!!!

[raagadevan]

As expected, Roger Federer easily wins the Swiss Indoor (Basel) tournament... Didn't even have to take the bathroom break during the final match against David Goffin! ;)

[JamesDap]

Poor Goffin just got bullied. Fed was so quick on his feet and Goffin couldn't handle the pace.

[raagadevan]

Sania Mirza-Cara Black clinch WTA Finals title

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Sania-Mirza-Cara-Black-clinch-WTA-Finals-title/articleshow/44938851.cms

[JamesDap]

Bercy is damn slow this year too. Might as well play it on the Roland Garros clay if it's going to be this way. The smaller courts seem to be fast but centre court is slow. Usually means that London too will be slow/medium. Fed fans can breathe easy :| because Karlovic won't have the same impact on such a slow surface (he COULD meet Fed as per the draw if he beats Lucas Poulle). He was scary at Basel, which was lightning fast.

[omega]

As expected, Roger Federer easily wins the Swiss Indoor (Basel) tournament... Didn't even have to take the bathroom break during the final match against David Goffin! ;)

Its a shame that King of MTO couldn't show up to initiate a bathroom break from the 33 yr old weak are chump!!

[raagadevan]

Proud dad Djokovic already feels 'number one'

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Proud-dad-Djokovic-already-feels-number-one/articleshow/44956220.cms

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Bercy is damn slow this year too. Might as well play it on the Roland Garros clay if it's going to be this way. The smaller courts seem to be fast but centre court is slow. Usually means that London too will be slow/medium. Fed fans can breathe easy :| because Karlovic won't have the same impact on such a slow surface (he COULD meet Fed as per the draw if he beats Lucas Poulle). He was scary at Basel, which was lightning fast.

Very slow surface. Kind off feel its even worse than last year. Not against slow surfaces, but it's very odd, viewing indoor hard courts playing this slowly. And since the same surface is used at the WTFs, I seriously don't think there would be any improvement at O2. Nadal would have felt at home playing on this. Wonder if it would have been a better option for him to have gone for the surgery asap after Shanghai and hit the ground running for Paris. Wishful thinking. As for Federer, its going to be mighty difficult for him to grind his way to the title. Djokovic seems an easy pick considering the surface.

[JamesDap]

On the topic of court speed, this is what Wimbledon would look like too if the grass was still the way it was in those epic Becker-Edberg matches. And it's no wonder that the serve and volleyer Mahut beat Wawrinka here, who is a decent grass court player but primarily a baseliner and a bit uncomfortable when the ball stays so low.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA1ie6ppw5c

It's a shame that it's only in such minor tournaments that we get to see something resembling grass court tennis the way it used to be for years and years (Halle is about the only reasonably high profile tournament that still plays the way grass is meant to and no prizes for guessing who's dominated the tournament in the last decade or so). Now that there will be an extra week between RG and Wimbledon, can they please make the grass a bit more slick again? And contrary to the popular argument, serve-bombers like Raonic and Karlovic won't necessarily become Gods once grass gets fast. Because the ball keeps so low, it would be very uncomfortable for giants to play on. Sampras wasn't a giant, not by today's standards nor even by those of the 90s. He just served brilliantly, which in itself is a skill and one that's been unfairly hammered. People should try tossing the ball up a few feet in the air and serving before mocking players who serve well as serve-bots.

[raagadevan]

Milos Raonic beats Tomas Berdych (6-3, 3-6, 7-5) to reach the Paris Masters Finals.

[raagadevan]

...and Kei Nishikori loses (2-6, 3-6) to Novak Djokovic in the other semi.

[raagadevan]

IPTL: Ticket sales begin for Roger Federer's matches in Delhi

"The tickets have been priced from Rs.3,240 to Rs.49,680".

http://news.oneindia.in/sports/iptl-ticket-sales-begin-roger-federer-s-matches-delhi-1549805.html

[JamesDap]

Unless Raonic can somehow beat Djoko, the no.1 ranking is all but wrapped up for Djoko now. Raonic has never won an ATP 1000, though, and pulling that off against the no.1 player and defending champion at Paris will be a very tough ask. Besides, cannot say I particularly want to see Raonic win anyway, and especially against Djoko. The slow surface helps Raonic stay with the big guys on points, otherwise his movement would be exposed. It's a paradox but most of these giant serve specialists (with the exception of Karlovic who is more in the Taylor Dent mould) are better on slow surfaces, especially slow hard courts rather than fast courts.

[raagadevan]

Novak Djokovic will remain #1, at least for now! Beats Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-3.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Novak wins Bercy as expected...:clap: :clap:...as for the year end number race its squarely on Novak's racquet. The only way for Federer to be world number 1 is Djokovic tanking the WTF which I believe is close to impossible. All that Novak needs to do is win all the group stage matches in the WTF or get to the finals with just one. Hopefully we get a Djokvic-Federer final.

[raagadevan]

Djokovic on top of the world after Paris win and fatherhood

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Djokovic-on-top-of-the-world-after-Paris-win-and-fatherhood/articleshow/45018477.cms

[Arvind Srinivasan]

The ATP TOURS FINALs draw is out-

Group A-

Novak Djokovic
Stan Wawrinka
Tomas Berdych
and
Marin Cilic

Group B

Roger Federer
Andy Murray
Kei Nishikori
Milos Raonic

[raagadevan]

Rafael Nadal recovering in hospital after appendix surgery

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/tennis/29884997

[JamesDap]

The ATP TOURS FINALs draw is out-

Group A-

Novak Djokovic
Stan Wawrinka
Tomas Berdych
and
Marin Cilic

Group B

Roger Federer
Andy Murray
Kei Nishikori
Milos Raonic


Wow, looking at that group, there is a possibility that Fed may not get through to the semis, leave alone the finals. :( Both Nishikori and Raonic could be very tough for him, especially if London too plays slow.

[raagadevan]

Nishikori goes from Project 45 to Elite 8

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/interviews/Nishikori-goes-from-Project-45-to-Elite-8/articleshow/45037406.cms

[omega]

Wow, looking at that group, there is a possibility that Fed may not get through to the semis, leave alone the finals. :( Both Nishikori and Raonic could be very tough for him, especially if London too plays slow.

Even Murray will be tough who seem to have got his mojo back!!
I am not expecting much as far as WTF goes.
Will be happy if he could win the Davis Cup atlast.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^^ Surely a possibility. The conditions in Bercy for the past few years have been made to mimic the O2. Will not be surprised if we get another slow, high bouncing court at London. That would be a nightmare for Federer.

[omega]

Amazing how one guy can be both fans' & his peers' favorite for such a long period of time.
Roger Federer wins 12th consecutive Fan favorite award.
He also wins Edberg Sportsmanship award of the year for 10th time as well.

While I am happy for him it really is not good for tennis at all. There has to be someone picking up atleast the fan favorite award by now.
I know this is afterall an internet poll but hard to imagine how Rafa & Nole who are so popular in the social media world not able to win during their peak years.
Rafa has managed to win the Edberg Sportsman award in 2010 which is voted by fellow ATP players.

Tennis is going to suffer big when this guy put his racquet down!!

[JamesDap]

Well, that's what people thought when Sampras was on the decline. I know people who say with not a little pride that they stopped watching tennis after Sampras hung up his boots. It was even worse, popularity wise, given Agassi's tendency to blow hot and blow cold. ATP was virtually a one horse race. At least Nadal and Djoko have their share of rabid fanboys, who, annoying though they can be (well, just like rabid Fed fanboys), point to more depth in the game's popularity. The fact that Fed still wins the polls may be down to the fact that the US is completely sold on him. Given their liking for first strike tennis, maybe they find the Djoko-Nadal, Djoko-Murray matches rather reminiscent of the Lendl-Wilander epics...in other words, not their cuppa.

I am more concerned about the collective vacuum the Big Four will leave behind. They are all getting on gradually. In a couple of years, Djoko and Murray will also be past their best. All four have been just great athletes AND so technically accomplished. It's going to be very difficult to find a fresh lot to replace them. And in comparing the new players to the Big Four, people are going to feel disappointed even if the new ones play very well. Unlike how things have panned out in WTA, the Big Four actually used the power of modern equipment to take the baseline game to unthinkable heights and push tennis to the absolute limits. The post-Big Four phase is going to be very much like how WTA is now or, worse, how WTA will be after Serena retires.

[JamesDap]

Fed is fairly cruising through the RR. Knocked down both Raonic and Nishikori pretty easy. Didn't watch the Raonic match but Nishi was clearly below par today, missing lots of groundies on a regular basis. If Murray loses to Raonic later today, Fed is already through to the semis.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

The quality on display till now has been horrible. Up till today, there had been five breadsticks in eight sets. And today's match wasn't that great quality wise either. THe ATP better contemplate speeding up the courts for this one atleast. It's been a absolute borefest.

[JamesDap]

More than the surface, it's the heavy balls that hurt the quality of play most. With light balls, it's easier to hit outright winners. Becker and Sampras both won Aus Open twice without changing their serve volley style. You cannot even win US Open with a predominantly serve-volley game anymore, let alone AO. We know why they made the balls heavier....because the no. of aces began to go up like anything, especially at Wimbledon. But they have probably gone too far now with this business of making balls heavy. Just look at this Fed-Djoko clip from AO 2007. Tennis these days is not as fast as even this. Interesting that both players were willing to attack the net in that match, Djoko was a lot more attacking at that time.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaawe4NbQHs

[JamesDap]

Also, at the year end, players are tired and drained anyway. Rarely is the WTF exciting as prestigious as it may be; this year the race to no.1 has created some interest in it. The heavy balls and medium paced courts don't help.

[raagadevan]

Also, at the year end, players are tired and drained anyway.

Looks like all players are not "tired and drained" this year end! ;-)

[omega]

Humble Bull surely is.........

[JamesDap]

Djoko thrashes Berdych and, with it, clinches the no.1 spot for the year. Made no mistake. Only he and Fed seem to be in form in this tournament. Without Nadal and with Murray joining the rest of the pack, ATP is banking heavily on Fed-Djoko. Hope the new kids like Coric step up soon. If there was no prospect of a Fed-Djoko final (and that could still be spoiled depending on the outcome of the semis), this would be as bad as the WTA finals.

[raagadevan]

Humble Bull surely is.........

He surely is... "Humble Bull" still has not perfected the art of doing the right "stuff" before certain matches and/or during bathroom breaks when he is just about to lose the match! :)

[raagadevan]

Djokovic Clinches No. 1

-By ATP News; November 14, 2014

"Being No. 1 in the world is probably one of the most difficult and biggest challenges that a tennis player can have, so it's incredibly fulfilling and I'm very happy with this achievement,” Djokovic said.

http://www.barclaysatpworldtourfinals.com/en/news-and-media/tennis/djokovic-clinches-number-one

[omega]

He surely is... "Humble Bull" still has not perfected the art of doing the right "stuff" before certain matches and/or during bathroom breaks when he is just about to lose the match! :)

Exactly. Just for this quality alone the King of MTO, Emperor of Time Violation etc has been awarded the "Best Sportsman award" voted by his peers year after year.....
What a role model for the future generation. Hail the Fake Bull!!

[JamesDap]

Hopefully the semis will be a little more exciting. Wawrinka-Fed should be close but depends on which Wawrinka and which Fed turn up. Nishikori did beat Djoko at The Open but he has been very erratic in this tournament. Looks like a third straight WTF title in the offing for Djoko.

[raagadevan]

Exactly. Just for this quality alone the King of MTO, Emperor of Time Violation etc has been awarded the "Best Sportsman award" voted by his peers year after year.....
What a role model for the future generation. Hail the Fake Bull!!

In spite of all those "titles", "Humble Bull" wouldn't even come close to some of the other "greatest of all time" ("goat") players... He has so many disadvantages! For example, he is not the "legend" around whom his fanatic fans, ATP and Nike want to build their fairy tales, fantasies and business interests! Unlike at least one of the other "goat"s, "Humble Bull"'s father and mother never worked for any big multinational pharmaceutical & research company that could develop undetectable performance enhancing drugs! He has taken bathroom breaks, but those breaks did not reward him like the bathroom breaks (and whatever happens during those breaks) that some other "goat"s took in the last few years!

For example (to quote just a few); [ஒன்றா இரண்டா எடுத்து சொல்ல...! :)]

US Open 2014:

"Today against [Gael] Monfils on the fifth set once again Roger Federer left the court with something (not a make-up bag for sure), 3 or 4 minutes later comes back and oddly enough gets to his chair and proceeds to change his shirt! Woaw! 4 minutes in the bathroom and did not have time to change his shirt?…and then trashes Monfils 6/2 in the fifth!
Anyone with a very smart explanation to that please do!"

http://www.tenniscruz.com/us-open-roger-federer-vs-gael-monfils-the-questions/#axzz3GW9N0rit


2014 Cincinnati Open Finals:

"Ferrer’s level and intensity was not likely to drop thus Federer had to re-charge and so he did. After a quick bathroom break between the final two sets, Federer came out a new man. He served first in the 3rd set, opening with an ace and continued this fine serving till the end of the match, dropping only 3 points on serve in the set."

http://www.ubitennis.com/english/2014/08/18/atp-cincinnati-federer-survives-ferrer-scare-6th-title/


2013 French Open Round of 16:

"At that point of time [end of third set], Federer was looking down & out & clearly, [Gilles] Simon looked a different player in the 2nd & 3rd set from what we saw in the first set & the match in Rome which Federer won comfortably in straight sets. Roger Federer took a quick bathroom break and started to look a bit more charged-up and motivated from the very first game (of the fourth set), his come-ons both in English, Swiss Germans were audible to everyone."

http://www.rogerfedererfans.com/forum/topic/1352-match-report-pics-video-highlights-from-roger-federers-win-over-gilles-simon-french-open-roland-garros-2013/


2012 Wimbledon 4th round:

"[Julien] Benneteau raced to 6-2 in the tiebreak, and took a two-set lead as Federer dumped a backhand into the net, his 19th error.
After a bathroom break, Federer won the next two sets as he regained the initiative, hitting 30 winners, 11 more than his opponent, and reducing his error count to eight."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-29/roger-federer-comes-back-from-2-sets-down-to-win-at-wimbledon.html


2011 Wimbledon Quarterfinals:

"After winning the first two sets, Federer, who had never lost a grand slam match, was feeling pressure because Tsonga had won the third and fourth sets. He reverted to a tactic many players use when they are about to lose. He went to the bathroom to disrupt Tsonga’s momentum and to stall for time."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/773603-tennis-should-ban-bathroom-breaks-timeouts-and-arguing-with-umps


2010 Australian Open Quarterfinals:

"Federer made 11 unforced errors in the opening three games. The first went to five deuces before Federer prevailed. He was 4-1 down in 20 minutes. It could have been five had [Nikolay] Davydenko converted the break points in the opening game. Federer opted for the bathroom break after the first set. Judging by the prolonged time it took to go through his ablutions the principal motive for the hiatus was not the need to spend a penny."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/australianopen/7081743/Australian-Open-2010-Roger-Federer-beats-Nikolay-Davydenko-to-reach-semi-finals.html
__________________________________________________ _____________

I know that many tennis enthusiasts would find my comments blasphemous... The "goat" is the 11th avathar and/or the second coming of the Messiah! I hope I did not offend or upset any of my net friends! :)

[JamesDap]

I would not be surprised if Fed does a Lance on everyone but I find it strange that you would willfully ignore the dramatic increase in er musculature of The Bull between 2003 and 2004. The somewhat skinny teenager of Wimbledon 2003 was suddenly all biceps in Miami 2004. Rather dramatic, eh! I am not going to accuse him of doing drugs because I have no evidence to do so. But of the two, it's Rafa's career that raises many more red flags, including his increasingly frequent injury hiatuses. Everybody sympathises with injuries surely but if Fed's longevity is too good to be true, what does one make of Rafa's countless 'miraculous' comebacks from injuries as if nothing had changed? Disadvantage my ass! If Fed has done the dirty stuff, then as sure as eggs is eggs, Rafa would have too.

[omega]

In spite of all those "titles", "Humble Bull" wouldn't even come close to some of the other "greatest of all time" ("goat") players... He has so many disadvantages! For example, he is not the "legend" around whom his fanatic fans, ATP and Nike want to build their fairy tales, fantasies and business interests! Unlike at least one of the other "goat"s, "Humble Bull"'s father and mother never worked for any big multinational pharmaceutical & research company that could develop undetectable performance enhancing drugs! He has taken bathroom breaks, but those breaks did not reward him like the bathroom breaks (and whatever happens during those breaks) that some other "goat"s took in the last few years!

For example (to quote just a few); [ஒன்றா இரண்டா எடுத்து சொல்ல...! :)]

US Open 2014:

"Today against [Gael] Monfils on the fifth set once again Roger Federer left the court with something (not a make-up bag for sure), 3 or 4 minutes later comes back and oddly enough gets to his chair and proceeds to change his shirt! Woaw! 4 minutes in the bathroom and did not have time to change his shirt?…and then trashes Monfils 6/2 in the fifth!
Anyone with a very smart explanation to that please do!"

http://www.tenniscruz.com/us-open-roger-federer-vs-gael-monfils-the-questions/#axzz3GW9N0rit


2014 Cincinnati Open Finals:

"Ferrer’s level and intensity was not likely to drop thus Federer had to re-charge and so he did. After a quick bathroom break between the final two sets, Federer came out a new man. He served first in the 3rd set, opening with an ace and continued this fine serving till the end of the match, dropping only 3 points on serve in the set."

http://www.ubitennis.com/english/2014/08/18/atp-cincinnati-federer-survives-ferrer-scare-6th-title/


2013 French Open Round of 16:

"At that point of time [end of third set], Federer was looking down & out & clearly, [Gilles] Simon looked a different player in the 2nd & 3rd set from what we saw in the first set & the match in Rome which Federer won comfortably in straight sets. Roger Federer took a quick bathroom break and started to look a bit more charged-up and motivated from the very first game (of the fourth set), his come-ons both in English, Swiss Germans were audible to everyone."

http://www.rogerfedererfans.com/forum/topic/1352-match-report-pics-video-highlights-from-roger-federers-win-over-gilles-simon-french-open-roland-garros-2013/


2012 Wimbledon 4th round:

"[Julien] Benneteau raced to 6-2 in the tiebreak, and took a two-set lead as Federer dumped a backhand into the net, his 19th error.
After a bathroom break, Federer won the next two sets as he regained the initiative, hitting 30 winners, 11 more than his opponent, and reducing his error count to eight."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-29/roger-federer-comes-back-from-2-sets-down-to-win-at-wimbledon.html


2011 Wimbledon Quarterfinals:

"After winning the first two sets, Federer, who had never lost a grand slam match, was feeling pressure because Tsonga had won the third and fourth sets. He reverted to a tactic many players use when they are about to lose. He went to the bathroom to disrupt Tsonga’s momentum and to stall for time."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/773603-tennis-should-ban-bathroom-breaks-timeouts-and-arguing-with-umps


2010 Australian Open Quarterfinals:

"Federer made 11 unforced errors in the opening three games. The first went to five deuces before Federer prevailed. He was 4-1 down in 20 minutes. It could have been five had [Nikolay] Davydenko converted the break points in the opening game. Federer opted for the bathroom break after the first set. Judging by the prolonged time it took to go through his ablutions the principal motive for the hiatus was not the need to spend a penny."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/australianopen/7081743/Australian-Open-2010-Roger-Federer-beats-Nikolay-Davydenko-to-reach-semi-finals.html
__________________________________________________ _____________

I know that many tennis enthusiasts would find my comments blasphemous... The "goat" is the 11th avathar and/or the second coming of the Messiah! I hope I did not offend or upset any of my net friends! :)


Excellent "stuff" ......OMG this is all you could find about the "Swiss Lance" in a career spanning over 15 years..... I pitty you.
Humble Bull will blow off this easily in one season!! Whats about all those frequent breaks this year.... Introduction of BP must be driving Humble Bull & his uncle crazy for sure!!

[JamesDap]

In any case, I highly doubt either Rafa or Fed would use bathroom breaks to administer drugs. That would be too late, by the time they take effect the match would be over. Come on, we know why the players do it. Just to buy themselves time, recover some energy and disrupt the other guy's momentum. It's gamesmanship. The point is well taken that Fed is not above that himself. However, that is one of the very few such aspects where he's culpable. The difference in time taken between serves of Fed and Rafa is very visible and not something that even the diehard Rafa apologists are going to be able to account for.

[JamesDap]

Er, meanwhile, Nishi did take a set off Djoko but completely fell apart in the deciding set and got bagel-ed. Lacks consistency and goes for high risk patterns of play too often.

[raagadevan]

The silence here is deafening!

[leosimha]

waiting for the bull to roar back... :) when will it happen....

[raagadevan]

waiting for the bull to roar back... :)

:)


when will it happen....

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/tennis/rafael-nadal-to-return-to-playing-in-january/article6611705.ece?homepage=true

[JamesDap]

The silence here is deafening!

Was busy man, don't know about the others. Some mouth watering developments in the last two days :D, wonder if Wawrinka chopped Federer in the back in the locker room. ;) So will Federer be 'fit' for the DC finals or not? Golden opportunity to win it against a so-so French team and he has a tiff with Wawrinka! Wow! I would not ordinarily attach much importance to the rumour mills but it seems even McEnroe has mentioned a long argument between the two after the match. I sympathise with the spectators who must have been excited about the Fed-Djoko final that wasn't. Bad advertisment for ATP, I am afraid.

[raagadevan]

Some mouth watering developments in the last two days :D, wonder if Wawrinka chopped Federer in the back in the locker room. ;)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/rogerfederer/11235838/Roger-Federers-wife-Mirka-sparked-row-by-heckling-Stan-Wawrinka.html


So will Federer be 'fit' for the DC finals or not?

Looks like it would depend on whether or not he thinks he could win!

“I'm sorry I'm not fit to play. I hope you understand. I wanted to come out personally and explain. I did everything I could. I took pain-killers, had rest until the very end, but I just cannot compete at this level with Novak.” – Roger Federer, November 16, 2014.

“Here's the really damning bit: ‘I just cannot compete at this level with Novak.’ Federer went on to say he was not ‘match fit’ - unable to play to the standard he wanted. This at the year's most prestigious non-Grand Slam event, from which he will take over a million dollars back to Switzerland for reaching this year's final. He pulled out not because he was too injured to play, but because (he thought) he was too injured to win.” –Alex Chick; Eurosport, November 17, 2014.

[JamesDap]

lol, farcical and sad at the same time. Made a bloody joke out of the finals. WTF indeed.

[raagadevan]

Federer Fit To Play

Roger Federer is fit to play for Switzerland in the Davis Cup final and will play Gael Monfils on Friday.

-ATP News; November 20, 2014

http://www.atpworldtour.com/


"Things have been going well out there this morning. I was really happy with the way I felt." -Roger Federer, November 20, 2014.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Federer-set-to-face-France-in-Davis-Cup-final/articleshow/45218673.cms

[Arvind Srinivasan]

A lot of things have transpired over the past week huh.... While it would have been great for him to get the number one ranking albeit without the slam, I always had the small thought of as to whether Federer was guilty of overplaying...He should have skipped either Basel or Paris. Opting to go for the YE No.1's come to bite him back. it Hope it doesnt have a big repercussion going into 2015.

[JamesDap]

Drubbed by Monfils in his singles rubber, though Wawrinka beat Tsonga. Suddenly, the final has become a tricky affair.

As for no.1, well, if he had given up Paris, he would have fallen even further behind in the race. But it was a red herring chase banking on the hope that Djoko's form would flag, which it didn't. If Fed had won either of Wimb or USO, he would have probably BECOME no.1 anyway. He should have given up the pursuit then and there. There's no great honour in getting to no.1 without a slam for the year. In a way, it's good because his feat might have got equated to the slamless no.1s of WTA like Wozniacki, Jankovic, Safina, etc. It seems, however, that it was Edberg who convinced him to just keep playing on because after a certain age, not playing, and the resulting rustiness, is more likely to cause injuries than fatigue from playing too much.

[JamesDap]

Switzerland win the DC. Tsonga got injured and Gasquet filling in was easily put away by Fed in the reverse singles. So that's a tick against one column that was blank: a DC title. Olympic gold quest remains, but, barring mass bunking by the rest of the big four, is probably out of reach. Good job, Swiss are not going to get another DC title in a hurry, unless Fed-Wawrinka pull off a repeat in the remainder of their careers.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Guess the bait of facing the opener against Monfils payed off. Though he lost badly, it gave him the much needed match practice and time to test his battle-worn back. He looked all imposing over Gasquet. Gasquet would have got the call for his two clay wins over Federer one as recent as the 2011 Rome masters. Wonder how good an opponent Julien Benneteau would have been. He's given Federer some headaches in the past.

[raagadevan]

Congratulations to the Swiss team for winning a a strategically played Davis Cup Finals! The last minute switch in the doubles team and Tsonga's reported injury also helped. Federer reportedly didn't feel he had to "tick against one column that was blank". As tweeted by Barry Flatman of Sunday Times,

Barry Flatman @Barry_FlatmanST

Federer: I've won enough in my career, I didn't need to tick any empty boxes. This was for the boys.

9:12 AM - 23 Nov 2014

[raagadevan]

Roger Federer arrives in India to play in IPTL

Tennis "legend" Roger Federer arrived in the capital to play his first match in Indian soil when he turns up for Indian Aces during the third leg of [Mahesh Bhupathi's] International Premier Tennis League (IPTL).

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/international-premier-tennis-league/Roger-Federer-arrives-in-India-to-play-in-IPTL/articleshow/45401313.cms

[ajithfederer]

This whole ITPL is an unwanted nuisance matter. These guys complain the whole year that they need breaks but right at the year end they are ready to play this. What happens if one sustains injuries in the process?. Not to mention this whole team/franchise model which has corrupted every sport in the planet now has come to Tennis also. Really pathetic.

[VinodKumar's]

I said this when this tournament was announced ...tennis will be ruined ...

[ajaybaskar]

I kinda like it, guys. They are not going to spend time playing more than a set or two a day and injury concerns will be less i believe.

[JamesDap]

One set of tennis really isn't very taxing, especially so in doubles. Believe me, I am a non athlete and I play a set and sometimes two, time permitting, everyday and I haven't got injured at all in the last several months.

And the rules kind of force players to attack and take the net. I'd really like the 20 second timer to be implemented in ATP also. It's not just about serving within a certain point of time. Players will expend less energy on long rallies if they know they won't be given too much time to catch their breath thereafter.

At the moment, tennis is too wealthy and too strong a sport to be really affected by a league at the end of the season. The 'fun' will start when say Fed retires and Djoko and Nadal cross 30, Serena retires, etc. Unless new players become stars and keep interest alive, the official tour will start to struggle. And then, IPTL will actually become competition. At the moment, it's just a fun tournament that brings tennis to non traditional centers. This tournament also shows that people will actually come to watch doubles and enjoy it very much...IF the big singles stars also play in it.

[raagadevan]

2014 ends on happy note for Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza grabbed her third mixed doubles Grand Slam title and wrapped up her dream season with the year-end finale trophy even as India’s established male tennis players found the going tough in 2014.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/tennis/2014-ends-on-happy-note-for-sania-mirza/article6700779.ece?homepage=true

[JamesDap]

Watched an ITF match for the first time. It was at a posh club just 10 minutes away from my place and entry was free so I thought why not.

Must say I was astounded by the level of play even in an ITF match. It was women's singles. One was a Russian ranked almost 290 and the other a Serb ranked 500 -odd. There was no let up in intensity throughout the match and both struck groundstrokes with awesome power. I can only imagine how good top 10 players would be to watch live in the stadium. TV simply doesn't do justice to the pace at which tennis is actually played. All I can say is, just try net rushing like a lamb to slaughter to the baseline game of today.

On the other hand, in my previous experience of watching cricket in the stadium, I felt TV was better because it allows you to switch off, mentally or even physically (I mean the TV set) and wade back into the match when you want. Things happen too slowly in cricket and compared to the match I saw yesterday, the intensity level was pretty low in the cricket matches I watched. Granted, those were IPL matches but yesterday's was ITF too, not WTA/ATP.

[omega]

Nadal loses to Berrer in his first ATP match of 2015 (Doha) 6-1, 3-6, 4-6.
Nadal has kept his amazing streak of "never defending a non-clay title" intact..

[raagadevan]

Djokovic loses to Karlovic at Qatar Open (Doha) 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-4.

Nadal & Monaco reach the doubles finals beating Djokovic & Krajnovic 7-6, 6-1.

[raagadevan]

Give him an audience. Watch him perform.

-On the eve of starting his 25th season on the ATP World Tour, at the Aircel Chennai Open, Indian writer Deepti Patwardhan pays tribute to Leander Paes.

Hold them. Wow them. With a backhand drop volley; with a ferocious, lunging forehand volley. Poacher’s move. Squeeze the ball in the little space that neither men across the net can reach. The joy for his art. The joy his art can bring people.

“Magic”. That’s what Leander Paes plays for now. To create such moments, to add to his legacy. Now, that he has ticked most boxes. Now, that he starts in 25th year on the ATP World Tour.

Paes, the showman; Paes, the strategist.

“My own sense of competitiveness makes me put the hours in and then when the magic happens, in a big tournament or in a shot, it is very clear to recognise it,” he says. Dressed in a neon orange tee-shirt, he’s just finished yet another practice session in yet another off-season grind.

“We talk about athletes having an ego. But it is probably not ego. It is the pride of performance. The years of perseverance. I know every inch of that court. The difference between winning and losing lies in whether, when the pressure is on, you can hit a bottle cap on a tennis court.”

Eye of the tiger. Thrill of the chase. That’s what’s kept him in the hunt so long.

Andre Agassi, in his autobiography ‘Open’ describes Paes, whom he faced in the semi-final of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, as: “…a flying jumping bean, a bundle of hyperkinetic energy, with the tour’s quickest hands. Still, he’s never learned to hit a tennis ball. He hits off-speed, hacks, chips, lobs…Then, behind all his junk, he flies to the net and covers so well that it all seems to work.”

Paes makes it work. He wills it to work. “You cannot waver on the hunger.”

Son of an Olympic medal winning hockey player, Vece Paes, and basketball player, Jennifer, he is a natural athlete. Blessed with fast-twitch fibres. Blessed with a great hand-eye co-ordination. But the passion and the smarts it takes to stay in the game for so long were relentlessly developed and nurtured.

Paes, Bruguera, AgassiHe won the Wimbledon boys’ title in 1990. Became the No 1 junior in the world in 1990. Changed the way India looked at its athletes in 1996, by winning bronze at the Atlanta Games while ranked 126 in the world. For 44 years India had waited for an individual to win an Olympic medal.

“My god! I had worked my butt off for that one.

“The number of seven kilometre beach runs on the sand that I used to hate. But eventually when I stood on that podium I knew they were well worth it. I played the bronze medal match with a broken wrist, but the power, strength and speed in the legs got me through. It is probably the most important trophy I have. At that point no individual athletes from India were winning medals. So that was special. To move the whole country (into thinking) that we could be world beaters.”

At every Olympic Game event since, India has returned with at least one individual medal.

He went toe-to-toe with the Agassis of the world. He beat Pete Sampras on one occasion. In Davis Cup, he beat Goran Ivanisevic and Henri Leconte. The ‘flying, jumping bean’ was indefatigable when playing for the flag. He constantly punched above his weight in singles. He tirelessly played all three days on the Cup weekend. A record of 89-32 puts him fourth in the list of most successful Davis Cup players. First in the list of active players.

He has won 14 doubles Grand Slams with seven partners. Competed in 30 Grand Slam finals. “That number speaks of my longevity more than anything else.” He has won 54 doubles titles and one singles title on the ATP World Tour.

A serial overachiever - The legend of Leander.

For me, and many of my generation, he has been like the north-star in the Indian sporting galaxy. Always there. Seasons have come and gone. Good, bad and ugly. But once the clouds disperse, he’s found the vigor to shine on.

“I come from a country where you’ve got to be hungry. I come from a space where you have to be very, very hungry. Where I grew up, in Calcutta, you don’t get a free ride; you don’t get a free lunch. I’ve slept in enough locker rooms to know that feeling that you never want back. That taste in the mouth is so relevant, that even now when I don’t have to worry about it. I use it as a motivation”

So he keeps his body battle-ready and mind ticking.

He has no vices. “I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs.” The reflexes haven’t dulled. Neither has the zeal. “Lots of athletes have lost their careers to alcohol.” Not him. “Not me.”

“The showcase has got more trophies than I ever thought I’d have, it’s got more Wimbledon trophies and Grand Slams than I’d ever thought I’d have. The Olympic medal, which was the one trophy I really wanted, is already there. At this stage in my career I am playing for pure passion. It is actually quite a refreshing feeling.”

Despite that, 2014 was not a good year. “Probably the hardest I had as a professional athlete.”

There were problems on the personal front. And there were problems on the professional front. Not enough matches – win-loss record of 26-16. His ranking dropped to 35 before he made up some ground. Brought it to 29. Still the lowest he has been ranked in the year-end list in more than a decade. At the age of 41, with Raven Klaasen of South Africa, he will start the long climb back. He’s looking forward to the long climb back.

When will he take the eye off the ball? When will he give up the chase?

Not yet. “Not till Rio.” His seventh Olympics, in 2016. Not many believed him when he said it after 2012 London. After one of the most trying times in his life, one of the most trying times in Indian tennis. When the power struggle between India’s top three doubles players — Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna — meant Paes had to play with Vishnu Vardhan, ranked beyond 300 in doubles then. When his historic sixth Olympics began without hope and ended in tears in the second round.

Not till Rio. They may start believing him now.

He looks the fittest he has in five years. No more one-hour sessions. “They are not enough.” He puts in a minimum of three to four hours a day. “Playing, training, stretching, recovering.” Midnight runs, midnight swims, midnight football sessions. And he needs to find a mental space to enjoy that pain. “I drive myself very hard, physically because I still have many goals to achieve. No point turning up at Rio for the sake of it.” He wants to go there to win.

“My mantra has been to find a way. I am not the most talented cat on the planet, I am not the tallest, I am not the strongest; I don’t have the best technique. Some people think I don’t even have technique on my backhand. But I only have to be better than the guys across the net. Life goes through a journey. Deal with adversity. This is another journey, I have to re-invent myself.”

Dance with the demons. Dance with the angels. “How you play the game of life is well within your control.” For years he’s been doing it. And with nothing more left to prove, he’s really starting to enjoy it.

Posted with thanks to ATP News: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/01/1/Feature-Paes-25-Years.aspx

[raagadevan]

Roger Federer tells next generation the Big Four aren't finished yet

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Roger-Federer-tells-next-generation-the-Big-Four-arent-finished-yet/articleshow/45824098.cms

[raagadevan]

Aircel Chennai Semifinals:

Wawrinka -vs- Goffin
Bautista Agut -vs- Bedene

Quatar ExxonMobil (Doha) Semifinals:

Ferrer -vs- Karlovic
Berdych -vs- Seppi

Brisbane International Semifinals:

Federer -vs- Dimitrov
Nishikori -vs- Raonic

[raagadevan]

Rafa Nadal wins the Doha Doubles Crown (with Monaco)

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/01/1/Doha-Friday-Doubles-Final-Nadal.aspx

[JamesDap]

Karlovic bombed Djoko out of Qatar. Lost in three sets to Ferrer.

[JamesDap]

Fed beat Raonic for his 1000th win but it was mighty close. Raonic has improved phenomenally over the off season.

[raagadevan]

Wawrinka retains his Aircel Trophy in Chennai; and Ferrer wins the Qatar ExxonMobil cup in Doha!

[raagadevan]

Australian Open 2015 - Seeded Players:

1 Novak Djokovic
2 Roger Federer
3 Rafael Nadal
4 Stan Wawrinka
5 Kei Nishikori
6 Andy Murray
7 Tomas Berdych
8 Milos Raonic
9 David Ferrer
10 Grigor Dimitrov
11 Ernests Gulbis
12 Feliciano Lopez
13 Roberto Bautista Agut
14 Kevin Anderson
15 Tommy Robredo
16 Fabio Fognini

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/players/index.html

[raagadevan]

...and the draw:

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/ms/index.html

[omega]

AO Draw......

Djokovic:

1R - Qualifier
2R - Kuznetsov
3R - Verdasco
4R - Isner
QF - Raonic
SF - Wawrinka/Nishi
F - Nadal / Fed


Federer:

1R - Lu
2R - Monaco
3R - Chardy
4R - Karlovic/Robredo
QF - Murray / Dmitrov
SF - Nadal/Berdych
F - Novak/Wawrinka


Nadal:

1R - Youzhny
2R - Saville
3R - Rosol
4R - Anderson/Gasquet
QF - Berdych/Gulbis
SF - Fed/Murray
F - Nole/Waw

[JamesDap]

Nadal has a relatively easier draw than Fed and Djoko, though it's tricky for all three with potential upsets lurking.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ Federer's got the toughest of the three though. Faces Jeremy Chardy (a guy who's beaten him once and has taken him to three sets in all his matches) in the 2nd and Karlovic/Robredo in the third. They've all beaten him alright. Robredo's done in it even in a grandslam 4R. So I am sure its not a path full of roses to traverse to get to the finals.

[JamesDap]

Federer and Sharapova already stretched. Nadal pushed to the brink.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ I would rather put it like - Federer stretched. Nadal and Sharapova pushed to the brink. Federer found his footing after the first set and a half

[JamesDap]

I somehow had the hunch Sharapova was winning (she just lost the second as I was leaving for work). Because it's happened so many times that she fights back from a set down and clinches the decider, so unless it's one of the top 5 players, I'd bet on her seeing it through. While Nadal has lately been losing a lot to unheralded players.

[raagadevan]

Andreas Seppi beats Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Andreas Seppi was very clutch throughout the match up. Incredible winner at MP. And Roger was so unclutch. Had chances in 2nd and the 4th in the tie breakers. Failed to take them both. And it was a pain to watch Federer become an unforced error machine. And his serve deserted him when it was needed. Well done Seppi, the better player in the match

[omega]

Seppi played a great match and deserved it. Roger looked like was rushing way too much the first two sets. Things settled down a bit in the 3rd but couldn't stop the unforced errors. He should have taken the 4th set tiebreaker but his serve deserted him when he needed the most. Time to take an extended break...

[JamesDap]

We've seen this movie before. Won Cincy and then never looked convincing at USO (though he went all the way to the semis). Looked solid in Brisbane but ran out of steam at the big one, and pretty early on in the tournament too. Oldererer indeed. Can't be helped.

[JamesDap]

Baghdatis-Dimitrov seems to have been an epic one. Baghdatis was unbelievably good (given how long he has been out of form) and Dimitrov was brilliant at the net.

[raagadevan]

"I Couldn't Really Get The Whole Game Flowing"

From ATP News; January 23, 2015

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/01/3/Australian-Open-Friday-Federer-Reaction.aspx

[raagadevan]

Leander Paes, Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza crash out in Australian Open doubles

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/australian-open-2015/indian-challenge/Paes-Bopanna-Sania-crash-out-in-Australian-Open-doubles/articleshow/45989227.cms

[JamesDap]

Madison Keys played a pretty amazing match to upset Kvitova. Her game is pretty advanced, forehand technique similar to the men. Great serving under pressure too, notwithstanding double faults.

Routine win for Djoko, Ferrer made to limp, literally, en route to beating Simon.

[raagadevan]

Tomas Berdych defeats Bernard Tomac 6-2, 7-6, 6-2.

Kevin Anderson loses to Rafa Nadal 5-7, 1-6, 4-6.

[JamesDap]

Nadal gets the opportunity to play his favourite punching bag Berdych (er, at least excluding Federer ;) ) and with it a chance to play a third straight AO semi (he was absent in 2013).

[raagadevan]

Nadal is “whipped” by his second most favourite “punching bag”; 2-6, 0-6, 6-7!

[JamesDap]

Ha ha, Berd bagelled Nadal. Guess it's the Rosol effect. Everybody wants to just have a swing against Nadal and see how it goes, even guys like Berdych who used to lose all the time to him.

[venkkiram]

Berdych waited this long to break the losing streak. And the bright future is waiting for him to march toward. On the other side, Nadal's future looks very dark with this pathetic loss. When we witnessed Nadal in past without winning a single game in a set? Right from first serve of the match, Berdych looked so composed and his first serve was lethal. Gutsy play.

[JamesDap]

Wawrinka v/s Djoko for the third straight year at the AO. Murray v/s Berdych. Pretty tough semis...on paper, anyway.

[raagadevan]

Oh! AO is still going on? I thought it was all over and done with! :)

[JamesDap]

Madison Keys may have lost but was sensational even in defeat. Move over Bouchard, Keys is the next big thing of women's tennis and she sure hits a pretty big groundie. The aces she fired facing match points, and knowing full well Serena would serve out the match comfortably in the next game, were amazing. After a long time there is an exciting new player on the WTA.

[ajithfederer]

Comeon Stan....Unleash those killer/destructive backhands....

[JamesDap]

Another five set epic and this time Djoko prevails.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ Epicaa....The quality was way down when in comparison to their last two bouts....The better UE machine lost.

[JamesDap]

It was but nevertheless the match of the tournament. Djoko is clearly disconcerted by Stan's backhand. This match made it clear that Stan loses matches more in his head. He can beat just about anybody on the ATP when he's on. I can understand the power of the stroke but the sheer variety of angles he creates is astounding. He converted even out of court positions into DTL winners yesterday!

[raagadevan]

Brain Game: Djokovic's Mental Resilience

-By Craig O'Shannessy (of braingametennis.com); From ATP News, January 30, 2015

"Novak Djokovic employed a boxer’s mentality of jabbing, weaving and enduring to defeat Stan Wawrinka in five sets in their Australian Open semi-final on Friday night." "Like a classic 'Rocky' theme, Djokovic absorbed countless groundstroke punches from Wawrinka, making the Swiss take one more swing, until there was no gas left in his mental tank. It was not a classic encounter like the last two years at Melbourne Park, but style points were of no concern to the Serb."

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/01/4/Australian-Open-Friday-Brain-Game-Djokovic-Wawrinka.aspx

[JamesDap]

Murray could pip Djoko at the post this time. As in the 2013 Wimb final, Djoko might just be rather drained after a long drawn out semi and struggle to slug it out against Murray. Murray has shown more aggressive intent than usual, esp against Berdych. If he carries that into the final, Djoko could have his work cut out.

[raagadevan]

Congratulations to Novak Djokovic for winning his 8th Grand Slam! He deserved this win, as he is the best player currently on the ATP tour.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/01/4/Australian-Open-Sunday-Final-Djokovic-Murray.aspx

[raagadevan]

India'd Leander Paes wins his 15th Grand Slam Trophy

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/01/4/Australian-Open-Sunday-Mixed-Doubles-Final.aspx

[JamesDap]

This was probably the most attacking, entertaining of their recent GS encounters say from the 2011 AO final onwards. Which may not be saying much but still it was good to see both guys try to take the net away. Makes sense since both are evenly matched from the baseline so neither holds the ace from the back court. That probably also caught Murray a bit off guard and his usual reliance on attritional tennis was ultimately not nearly enough to beat Djoko.

Djoko draws level with Connors and Agassi with this win. The double digit club beckons.

[raagadevan]

Nadal's Risky Wardrobe Manoeuvre

Source: ATP News; February 20, 2015 & Youtube

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/02/7/Rio-Friday-Nadal-Shorts.aspx

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Rt-GzP7qc

[VinodKumar's]

Nasal lost to Foggini in Rio semi final.

[raagadevan]

Nasal lost to Foggini in Rio semi final.

Well... As you say, "Nasal lost to Foggini in the Rio semi final"! Remember; "Nasal" played his quarterfinal match until 3:18 a.m. (the game started at 2:00 am on Saturday night), and he had to play his semifinal against "Foggini" at 7:00 pm on the same day (Saturday)! If this was the fate of the player that some people call the "G.O.A.T", you and ¾ of the world would have cried out that it was a "conspiracy" by and between the tournament organizers, the ATP, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Damodardas Modi, Sonya Gandhi and of course Kim Jong Un! :)

[VinodKumar's]

Shabba nasal was a typo ...i thought it was an upset and worth news to share here ...can't help if u expected it already !!!

[JamesDap]

I agree. This kind of scheduling is unacceptable. Even if Nadal is only complaining because he was at the receiving end, it's still a legitimate point to make. I do not know of too many other games where players are repeatedly forced to bear the brunt of scheduling going wrong. And let's not blame players for playing out long matches and thus indirectly stretching schedules. Back in the day when Wimbledon was fast, there was no retractable roof and matches would get held up and then restarted whenever possible. Can't imagine players gaining any kind of rhythm in such circumstances.

[raagadevan]

Roger Federer apologizes for the picture of him admiring the blue shirt of World Cup India (Cricket) team

"It was more of a Nike thing to be quite honest," said the Swiss star on the eve of the Dubai Open. "It was a Nike campaign they had because I met some of the Indian players and I had just spent some time in India so they presented the shirt to me." "I support South Africa, and everybody knows that."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/icc-world-cup-2015/top-stories/World-Cup-2015-Roger-Federer-sorry-for-India-bleed-blue-upset/articleshow/46343638.cms

[raagadevan]

Roger Federer beats Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-5 to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship! :clap:

[omega]

Great win for Federer. It has been long since he beat Novak in a final (probably after 2012 Cincinci)
He was extremely clutch today saving 7/7 break points & converting 2/2. We have never seen this in a long while.
Normally it would be the other way round. Winning Dubai always augurs well for Roger's season. Lets hope he can win one slam this year.
Looking at his schedule (which seems loaded till Wimbledon) it may be too much to ask. I would have thought he would have a lighter clay season to keep himself in best physical condition for Wimbledon. Playing all 3 masters + French may not be a good idea at this stage of his career. Anyway it is still just on paper. Hope he picks his tournaments wisely.

[ajithfederer]

FEDERER SURPASSES 9,000 ACES MARK, RE-LIVE MATCHES WITH MOST ACES
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
by Elena Scuro | 28.02.2015

© Getty Images

Roger Federer surpasses the 9,000 aces milestone in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final.

Roger Federer served his way to yet another milestone on Saturday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: The 33-year-old Swiss served 12 aces in his 6-3, 7-5 win over Novak Djokovic to surpass the 9,000 aces threshold.

Federer became the fourth player to achieve the feat since 1991 when records began, joining a group that includes Ivo Karlovic, former World No. 1 Andy Roddick, and Goran Ivanisevic, who is firmly planted in the number one spot with 10,183 aces.

"I think I remember which one it was even because I was even counting a little bit!" said Federer. "I think it was one of the swinger wides maybe. I'm not sure. But I think it happened in the second set at some point. But clearly it is nice to get past that so now I don't have to think about it ever again for the next 9,000 or so!"

How did Federer reach the 9,000 aces club? Here’s a look at the top five three-set matches and top five five-set matches in which he served the most aces:

Most Aces In Three-Set Matches

20: Federer needed two hours and 26 minutes to defeat Andre Agassi 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(7) in the round robin stage of the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston on 10 November 2003. The win marked the Swiss' first of eight consecutive wins over the American. Federer also went on to win the season finale, defeating Agassi again in the final for the prestigious title.

*Tied for fifth: Federer also served 20 aces in his 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3 win over Jeremy Chardy in the semi-finals of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp on 30 December 2013.

“It’s very hard to return it; technically is the best I’ve seen," David Ferrer has said about Federer's serve. "Mainly because he always tosses the ball the same way and hides very well which side he is going to serve to. Aside from this he also manages all the effects very well.”

21 – Tie: Federer needed two hours and 13 minutes to defeat Robby Ginepri 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-0 in the second round of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati on 28 July 2008. Federer won 70 percent of his total service points to advance to the Round of 16, where he lost to another ace aficionado, Ivo Karlovic.

21 – Tie: Federer defeated Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-4 on 5 January 2015, adding the Brisbane crown to his resume and notching the 1,000th match win of his career. The Canadian served 14 aces in the two-hour, 13-minute match.

23: Federer defeated Juan Martin del Potro 3-6, 7-6(5), 19-17 in an epic semi-final match at the London Olympics on 30 July 2012. At four hours and 26 minutes, their battle clocked in as the longest three-set men’s match of the Open Era. Federer went on to loes to Andy Murray in the gold medal match.

25: Federer defeated Feliciano Lopez 7-6(13), 6-7(1), 7-6(7) in the second round at the Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid on 2 May 2011. The Swiss won 80 percent of points off his first serve, aided by his large number of aces, in the 2 hour, 46-minute match. The Spaniard, who recently surpassed the 7,000 aces mark, served 23 aces in the match.

All-Time Ace Leaders
Player Aces
Goran Ivanisevic 10183
Ivo Karlovic 9375
Andy Roddick 9074
Roger Federer 9007
Pete Sampras 8858
Ivan Ljubicic 8318
Richard Krajicek 7694
Greg Rusedski 7605
Feliciano Lopez 7038
Mark Philippoussis 6709
*Does not include aces in Davis Cup matches

Most Aces In Grand Slam Matches

25: Federer came back from two sets down but still went on to lose to Rafael Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon final 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7. The Swiss served 19 more aces than his opponent in the epic four hour, 48-minute match.
*Tied for fifth: There were three other Grand Slam matches in which Federer served 25 aces. Most notably was his 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 win over Pete Sampras in the fourth round at Wimbledon on 25 June 2001.

“Roger has one of the most natural and fluid serves in history,” Santiago Giraldo has said about the Swiss. “He has such an ease, for not being excessively tall, he generates a lot of acceleration, a lot of accuracy, security, in both his first and second serve. I think he knows his serve is one of his best weapons…. It’s a serve to admire; a great technique for a coach to learn and teach their players.”

28: Federer defeated Robin Soderling 6-0, 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(6) in the quarter-finals of the US Open on 31 August 2009. The Swede served just 11 aces while the Swiss saved all five break points faced in the two hour, 33-minute win.

How Federer Compares To Big Servers
Player
Aces Per Match
Ivo Karlovic 19.3
John Isner 16.6
Milos Raonic 15.9
Andy Roddick 11.9
Goran Ivanisevic 11.5
Feliciano Lopez 10.3
Pete Sampras 9.3
Roger Federer 7.7
*Excludes aces served in matches with retirements or walkovers

29: Despite the numerous free points on his serve, 16 more aces than his opponent, Federer lost to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 in just shy of four hours on 23 June 2014.

39: Federer needed four hours and 25 minutes to fend off Janko Tipsarevic 6-7(5), 7-6(1), 5-7, 6-1, 10-8 in the third round of the Australian Open on 14 January 2008. The Swiss won 88 per cent of his first serve points, with the help of his numerous aces.

50: In the most dramatic of their 24 meetings, Federer recorded his most aces in his 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 3-6, 16-14 win over Andy Roddick in an epic Wimbledon final on 22 June 2009. The American, ranked third in the all-time ace leaders, served 27 aces during the match. The win, which clocked in at four hours and 16 minutes, secured the record for being the longest Wimbledon final in terms of games played. It also gave Federer his 15th Grand Slam crown, breaking Sampras' record for most Grand Slams won.

Federer Match Record Based On Aces Served
Aces Served W/L Win Percentage
Less Than 10 701/172 80.30%

Between 10-19 263/52 83.49%

More Than 20 22/4 84.62%

*Excludes aces served in matches with retirements or walkovers

Statistical assistance from Graham Edgar

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/02/8/Dubai-Federer-9000-Aces-Milestone.aspx

[ajithfederer]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10649658_942912172399587_7608182667093212791_n.jpg ?oh=3f9158403e0311720660422888f31fba&oe=5585796A&__gda__=1435543259_dff9e0de1762dffaad7eef9be7875ac f

[raagadevan]

New APT Rankings (with points) - March 1, 2015:

1 Novak Djokovic (13165)
2 Roger Federer (9205)
3 Rafael Nadal (5675)
4 Kei Nishikori (5415)
5 Andy Murray (5370)
6 Milos Raonic (4980)
7 Stan Wawrinka (4595)
8 David Ferrer (4535)
9 Tomas Berdych (4340)
10 Marin Cilic (3450)

[raagadevan]

Fish caught in net! :)

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/03/10/Indian-Wells-Thursday-Fish-Hot-Shot.aspx

[raagadevan]

Milos Raonic serves 19 aces, and beats Rafa Nadal at the Indian Wells (BNP Paribas) Quartetfinals! :clap:

Tomorrow's semifinal lineup:

Novak Djokovic –vs- Andy Murray
Roger Federer –vs- Milos Raonic

[JamesDap]

Raonic's groundies have improved quite dramatically this season though he's still not above dubious shot selection at times. Also, ever since Wawrinka beat Nadal at AO, players are not afraid to use serve and volley against Nadal. Raonic was using it today and he's not even a particularly good volleyer. Nadal's movement is not what it used to be in his peak and his returns are getting weaker too, so this tactic has started to work.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

A repeat of last year's final. Djokovic to take on Federer tomorrow. Gonna be good.

[raagadevan]

I hope it is gonna be good! :) This will be the 38th time these two are playing each other in major tournaments. Where are all the "new generation" guys!?

[JamesDap]

The only saving grace is we are already done with Murray Djoko. This is the second fed djoko final in a row and there may be more this year if Nadal and Murray continue to fall behind. Dimitrov couldn't even beat Robredo. Only Raonic is showing signs of improvement.

[raagadevan]

Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza Capture Doubles Title at Indian Wells

http://www.bnpparibasopen.com/en/media-and-news/news/2015/03/21/hingis-mirza-capture-doubles-title

[raagadevan]

Djokovic wins 6-3, 6-7, 6-2! :clap: Hello Arvind: Yes, it sure was very good tennis!:) The score does not reflect how close it was. As Djokovic had predicted before the match, it sure was the “ultimate final”. Congratulations to both players! :clap:

[raagadevan]

"It's great that I managed to win this match in the big tournament and to win it in a way that I felt like I was the better player on the court," Djokovic said. "It's going to give me confidence, not just for future matches that I play against [Federer], but just for Miami and the rest of the season."

"Novak did well to sustain the lead for most of the match; I think he found an extra gear in the end," Federer said. "It was tough. You know, I enjoyed the match; it had a bit of everything. Controlled aggression was the key out there to try to play like that from the baseline."

Source: ATP News, March 22, 2015

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/03/11/Indian-Wells-Sunday-Final-Federer-Djokovic.aspx

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ There were glimpses of brilliance from both, but overall it was the tension filled drama that really made the match worthwhile not the tennis quality. If someone had told me in the beginning that Djokovic would commit three DFs in a tie break I would have certainly dismissed the notion as mere fantasy. But it happened. And Federer repaid Djokovic with one of his own to lose his service game in the third. The drama was nerve wrecking but the tennis quality a tad sub par. Federer had a bad service day, had an even worse baseline game for the first set and a half. And with Novak being so solid as he is nowadays, it was always going to be an uphill task for Federer to win. Federer missed an overhead and lost a point to give Novak a mini break in the tie break. If not for Djokovic's DFs in the tie break the match may have finished in two sets. Overall the better man on the day won.

[raagadevan]

Miami Open 2015

Update:

Verdasco beats Nadal, Mannarino beats Wawrinka, Monfils beats Tsonga, Berdych beats Tomic, Murray beats Giraldo, and…

[raagadevan]

Miami semifinals:

Murray -vs- Berdych
Djokovic -vs- Isner

[ajithfederer]

idhai ellam edhukku velayadittu, cup-ae ippove djokovic-kku kodutharalam.

[JamesDap]

I swear. Djoko made mincemeat of Isner in the second. Poor Isner came in on half decent (but not deep enough) approaches only to find Djoko pulling off the most amazing passing shots. Djoko's backhand was absolutely on fire in the match. Yet another Miami title very much on the cards unless Muzza can spring a surprise.

Key Biscayne used to be considered a fifth slam and was by far the most prestigious of the Masters series tournaments but with Fed and Rafa's chronic underperformance at the event, it has become a poor cousin of Indian Wells. Sad.

[raagadevan]

Djokovic beats Murray 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-0 to win his 5th Miami Open! :clap:

Novak Djokovic has now won the Miami Open on five separate occasions, becoming
the first player to win Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back for three consecutive years.

http://www.miamiopen.com/en/news-and-media/news/djokovic-wins-fifth-miami-open-title

Sania Mirza & Matina Hingis win the Miami Open Doubles Crown :clap:

Beat the Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 7-5, 6-1

http://www.miamiopen.com/en/news-and-media/news/hingis-and-mirza-win-2015-miami-open-doubles-crown

[Arvind Srinivasan]

The Clay Court season officially starts tomorrow with The Monte Carlo Masters . Expecting some hard, gritty tennis from all the top seeds. Here's the draw

(1)Djokovic (SRB) BYE
Q - Almagro (ESP)
Tomic (AUS) - Rosol (CZE)
Haider Maurer (AUT) - (13)Gulbis (LAT)

(11)Tsonga (FRA) - Querrey (USA)
Q - Goffin (BEL)
(WC)Youzhny (RUS) - F.Mayer (GER)
(8)Cilic (CRO) BYE

(3)Nadal (ESP) BYE
Thiem (AUT) - (WC)Pouille (FRA)
Troicki (SRB) - Klizan (SVK)
Johnson (USA) - (15)Isner (USA)

(10)Simon (FRA) - (WC)Balleret (MON)
Q - Q
Estrella Burgos (DOM) - Bolelli (ITA)
(5)Ferrer (ESP) BYE

(6)Berdych (CZE) BYE
Carreno Busta (ESP) - Stakhovsky (UKR)
Kolschreiber (GER) - Kukushkin (KAZ)
Becker (GER) - (12)Bautista Agut (ESP)

(16)Robredo (ESP) - Seppi (ITA)
Granollers (ESP) - Mannarino (FRA)
J. Sousa (POR) - Q
(4)Raonic (CAN) BYE

(7)Wawrinka (SUI) BYE
Vesely (CZE) - Monaco (ARG)
Fognini (ITA) - Janowicz (POL)
Verdasco (ESP) - (9)Dimitrov (BUL)

(WC)(14)Monfils (FRA) - Q
Coric (CRO) - Dolgopolov (UKR)
Chardy (FRA) - Q
(2)Federer (SUI) BYE

[raagadevan]

Sania Mirza seals historic world no. 1 rank with Charleston title

Sania Mirza on Sunday created history by becoming the first female tennis player from India to achieve the world number one rank in doubles, following her stupendous title win at the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner Martina Hingis.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Sania-Mirza-seals-historic-world-no-1-rank-with-Charleston-title/articleshow/46898608.cms?
Congratulations Sania! Mother India is proud of you! :clap:

[raagadevan]

International Premier Tennis League (IPTL)

Novak Djokovic will play for Singapore Slammers; Roger Federer for UAE Royals; Rafa Nadal, Gael Monfils and Sania Mirza for Micromax Indian Aces; and Serena Williams for Manila Maverics.

[VinodKumar's]

Sania :clap:.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Congratulations to Sania. A proud moment for Indian tennis

[venkkiram]

http://s.ndtvimg.com/images/content/2015/apr/806/sania-mirza-hingis-world-no.jpg

[ajithfederer]

Sheer waste of time/energy. Surprising that players who complain that the tour is long and gruelling don't complain for a private event as long as money is involved.

International Premier Tennis League (IPTL)

Novak Djokovic will play for Singapore Slammers; Roger Federer for UAE Royals; Rafa Nadal, Gael Monfils and Sania Mirza for Micromax Indian Aces; and Serena Williams for Manila Maverics.

[raagadevan]

Monfils Stuns Federer in Monte-Carlo; Dimitrov Knocks Out Defending Champion

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/04/15/Monte-Carlo-Thursday-Wawrinka-Dimitrov-Monfils-Federer.aspx

Federer's reaction:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/04/15/Monte-Carlo-Thursday-Federer-Reaction.aspx

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Federer's at a point in time in his career where he's going get such losses. Age catches up to you. And that too on clay when the chances of closing out points early are minimal. You have to rely on your baseline game and Federer today was just getting pummeled from that front. He's been successful in the last year and a half due to his rejigged attacking play, but that really will not be of much use on clay. And Federer knowing this never tried to come to the net that often in the first set. But when he did in the second, he was just being passed mercilessly on both wings from Monfils. If Federer wants to make a mark in this year's clay season, he needs to find a way to improve his game from the baseline. Going by today's result, any half decent baseliner will fancy his chances against Federer on clay. All that guy has to hope is for Federer to have poor day at the baseline which invariably happens once at least in every two matches. But all said and done, Monfils was unrelenting. He was mentally in control throughout. I fancy his chances of making it to the finals. Good job mate...:clap:

[raagadevan]

But all said and done, Monfils was unrelenting. He was mentally in control throughout. I fancy his chances of making it to the finals. Good job mate...:clap:

Monfils demolishes Dimitrov 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinals... to meet Berdych in the semis! :)