2007 ATP Discussion Thread

playing in Singapore then having to fly to Madrid?

 

Federer will first be defending his title in Tokyo, then heading to Singapore the week before Madrid Masters, where he is also the defending champion.

 

Usually great claycourt players have difficulties at Wimbledon, but i do think Nadal could improve enough in the next few years to do better here... beat Federer? i dont know, but stranger things could happen

I'm actually dissapointed in Andy Roddick....what the heck has happened to him?! i hope he can get it together, cause he's also one of the young ones with so much talent.

 

Borg dominated at both Roland Garros and at Wimbledon. Was he therefore a better player than Federer?

 

Arguable, though Borg never won the US Open despite reaching the final, just like Federer and the French. Without Rafa Federer wins 8 Grand Slams in a row, and their winning percentages are comparable. At this stage I think they're well matched but if Federer continues he'll soon be clear as the most dominant player of all time. Not necessarily best because Borg had to contend with Jimmy Connors and McEnroe.

 

Olivier Patience gets upset in the 2nd round of Wimbledon qualifying by Golubev of Russia.

 

The Wimbledon draw is out!!!

Okay, the things that have caught my attention straight away.

Roddick is in the same half as Federer. They are on a collison course in the semis, and judging by the recent improvement in Andy's game, it is likely that will happen.

Nadal has got Berdych in his quarter, but will have to go past potential issues with Fish in the first round, and Sabestian in the third. Berdych has shown vast improvements in his game, last year it was only Federer who beat him at Halle final, and Wimbledon fourth round.

To answer the issue with Borg and Federer. What Borg had done probably will never be duplicated, the back to back wins, in what is called the most difficult double to accomplish. French Open and Wimbledon.

However, no one in the history of the game has dominated as much as Federer. The past three years have been incredible. He has matched various feats of Borg. Both won grand slams without losing a set. Both won on three different surfaces in a row, that being Wimbledon on grass, Gstaad on clay, and Toronto on Hard.

Federer's career is not yet over. But many can argue, that if Borg did not retire at the age he did, he would have been the greatest ever. So there is much to talk about between them.

 

Didn't Borg retire at around the same age Federer is now? I suppose if Roger continues his dominance the questions will never be answered, because nobody can say what Borg would have done.

 

Yes, Borg retired in 1981, at the age of 25. What is known as a tennis player's prime. He had lost both the Wimbledon and US Open finals to McEnroe.

In October that year, the players were in Las Vegas for an event. During a game of cards, Borg told McEnroe, along with a few others who he considered his friends on the tour, that he was retiring. They thought he he joking, until he pulled out of the tournament.

It is difficult to compare the two. Borg IS the greatest clay courter of all time, Federer still has many years left in his career. So, tough to call.

 

One can only imagine a Nadal vs. Borg match at Roland Garros.

 

Ancic withdraws from Wimbledon, Tennis magazine had him going to the Semifinals.

 

I can't wait to wkae up and watch Wimbledon tommorrow. Andy Murray withdraws because of a wrist injury

 

I miss the old days of Sampras, Agassi, Rafter and some of the others. Just a shame that Federer and Sampras met but once. The day before it got yanked by youtube, I watched highlights of that epic meeting, and I inwardly cheered when Sampras, even if for one day, gave Federer some of the same stuff that Federer's been giving others for years now. Federer is ruthless on grass, and I don't think there's really anyone close to his level. Nadal is a wizard on clay, but he's mortal on other surfaces (though of course we must remember that all these men and women would crush 99% of the tennis players out there).

Sampras was the one man who could have, and could still, slam Federer back. I'd like to see him give it a shot.

 

A match up between Borg and Nadal would be interesting to say least, as both are the pinnacle of what a clay court player requires to win, in their particular generation. Nadal is quick, extremely quick. But Borg is without a doubt the fastest player to ever play the professional game. Nadal has more power, and that huge topspin generated by the extreme western grip, however Borg is more versatile, and far more adept at the net, the five Wimbledon titles prove that.

The problem is how the game has evolved, it casts a grey cloud over what would actually happen. Racquet technology and training in general is so advanced, that players are able to do things with the ball that they could never do with the wooden racquets.

Nadal is known for his longest clay court streak of 81 wins. However if you look at it, all of those come on the European clay courts. Borg has a 91 match-winning streak on European Clay courts, but he has lost elsewhere, most notably in the States. So, that is something that needs to be addressed?both enjoy the red clay.

Federer V Sampras. When they played at Wimbledon in 2001, the actual surface favored the serve and volleyer. However, that all changed, and one of the reasons was Ivanisevic serving a record 211 aces on his way to the title. They changed the grass to help more rallies develop. Sure the grass still favors the attacker, but the ball does not stay as low, and a lot of the baseliners get a chance to play. Sampras at this stage in his life would certainly give Federer a match, unlikely he will win a best of five.

In their primes, if the surface was the way when Sampras won, he would certainly be winning his fair share.

 

In modern Tennis: Nothing interesting on day one except for the Henman/Moya match which will resume tommorrow at 5 all in the 5th set.

 

Typical day at Wimbledon with the rain. Federer showing that he is still the man to beat.

Henman and Moya was the best match of the day. It is the best that I have seen Moya play on grass, exceptional skill at the next. Infact, he matched Henman in the volleying, and saved four match points with heavy serving.
Shame we could not get the conclusion to the match today.

 

For those stuck at work like me, u can watch the scores live here: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/scores/index.html

 

The heavyweights are making their mark early. Nadal, and Hewitt both through quite comfortably. Rafa's adjustment on grass is quite amazing. He is standing in alot more on the baseline returns, and some of the cross court backhand winners were stunning. Hewitt, solid as always on grass.

Henman winning the best match of the tournament so far, 13-11 in the fifth. He will have to come back tomorrow to play Lopez, who has a big lefty serve.

Ljubicic is doing really well this year, having won his first tournament on grass just days before the biggest event of the year. Blake also making strides, against Andreev, who took out Roddick at the French. Had trouble closing it out in the third, but eventually did.

 

Ah, disappointed that Molik couldn't quite get there in her match against Serena Williams. Close first set, but then Williams went away. I now wonder if she'll now play the other Aussie hope in the draw....

 

Rain delays as usual at Wimbledon. Roddick through, showing good signs of going deep into the tournament. I think Federer V Roddick is on the cards, and the likely winner will come from that.

Federer improving on his first match against Del Potro, the promising teenager from Argentina. Federer doing just enough so far, with two sets and a break in the third.

 

Safin/Federer in the 3rd round should be a good match if Safin gets by Quereshi

 

Federer V Safin is now official, and is potentially the best match on paper for the third round. The last time they met on grass, was Halle in 2005, which Federer won is three sets. However, the most famous meeting between the two was won by Safin, the classic from the Australian Open 2005, when Safin beat Federer in the semis on route to the title. The unfortunate thing about that is, Safin never won another title. Federer went onto win another six Grand Slams.

Safin has always expressed his discomfort for grass, despite having the game for it, it has always been mental. The best he has ever done was the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2001, losing to eventual champion Goran. Safin has stated his lack of confidence, if he can find his game, he can trouble Roger, otherwise, on this surface, Federer just has too much game to let him win. Hopefully, it will be a good match.

 

So much for Federer-Safin.... Safin couldnt even take a set off him

Also Serena, Roddick, Henin and Haas won; but James Blake, Fernando González and Martina Hingis lost

 

Federer rolls on.

If there was any doubt that Federer was not match ready for the biggest event of the year, then his match with Safin smashed that. It was his first tough hurdle in the pursuit of history, and though he had a 7-2 head to head, including winning their last match on the rough grass of Halle, Safin won the big one in Australia in 2005.

Federer was extremely comfortable, it was his best surface, and Safin?s worst. Safin managed to stay with Federer during the third set, but his lack of feel in comparison to Roger proved costly, as he netted a forehand volley. What was so interesting was that a lot of the other players commented in their interviews, including Rafael Nadal that they will watch this match, hoping Safin would at least exploit Roger?s weakness from not playing competitively on the grass courts of Halle.

I think he stands as the strong favorite, playing Haas next, who has an anti-inflammatory patch on his stomach.

Biggest shock was Gonzalez going out to Serbian Tipsarevic. The fifth seed was ahead, and should have closed it out, but played to passive towards the end, and allowed Tipsarevic to become more aggressive.

Roddick dug deep against Verdasco. These two have quite a rivalry. Verdasco had hurt Roddick in Miami and Rome, and Roddick returned the favour at the US Open last year. First meeting on grass, had some great points.

Many others falling, but Roger and Andy are heading for their showdown.

 

Haas is dangerous but then again it seems no one is a threat to Federer right now