Roger Federer is now a 5-time champion in his home tournament of Basel after defeating surprise finalist Kei Nishikori 61 63 in the final. Roger is also a 5-time champion at Wimbledon, Halle, the World Tour Finals, and the US Open. With the win, Roger won his second title of the year and added to his illustrious career.
From the start, the match was never really close. Roger won it very easily with some superb serving and ball-striking, and Nishikori was a little overwhelmed by playing the Fedmeister, who plays unlike anybody he had ever faced before. Roger took the ball early and robbed Nishikori of time that he would receive playing against a counterpuncher like Simon or Nadal. Nishikori was never in the match, but he did shows glimpses of why he has had such a good run since the US Open. He attacks well off both wings, and his forehand is a huge weapon. Look for him to have a breakout 2012 season as he is a rising young star.
What struck me most about the win for Roger was how much it meant to him. During his victory speech he fought back tears, and showed oncemore his undying passion for the game of tennis. Even with this being his 68th career title, he still cares about success and he still cares to hold the high standards that he has set for himself by becoming the all-time Grand Slam singles champion. This is what I love about Roger. He still has the will to compete and the will to win, and above all else he still loves to play more than anybody else on tour. While some view their careers in tennis as a chore, Roger thinks of it as a vacation. He loves the fans, he loves the atmosphere, he loves being on court, and he relishes his position as the ambassador of tennis. If everybody on tour loved tennis as much as Roger, the ATP would be a much better place in my opinion.
Looking ahead, Roger has some momentum heading into Paris and the World Tour Finals. He has a semi appearance in Paris to defend and of course the win in the World Tour Finals, so he should be extra motivated to play his very best in the final few weeks of the season. A successful end to this year could set him up very well for a 17th Grand Slam title in Australia next January, which will undoubtedly be his biggest priority over the offseason. But for now, it's all about Paris and the WTF, and I believe Roger could be looked at as the favourite to win both titles, even though he has never won in Paris before.
Anyways, I'm so happy that Roger won in Basel, and it was clear how much it meant to him, which made it extra special to watch. Here's hoping to great success for the rest of 2011 and the start of 2012!
Monday, November 07, 2011
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Basel SF Recap
The final is set in Basel, and it is a little surprising to see who is in it. On the one side there is of course Basel's favourite son, the great one himself, Roger Federer, but on the other side there is Japanese player Kei Nishikori, who upset Novak Djokovic 26 76(4) 60.
Federer handled countryman Stan Wawrinka rather easily in straight sets and moved into his first final since the French Open in June. With these two friends squaring off, it will always be a strategic match, as both men know each other so well. For instance, Roger quite enjoys forcing Stan to hit his BH short in the court and attacking his FH. The result of the all-Swiss semi was rather predictable, but the Djokovic/Nishikori match was not. At 6-2 4-5 0-30, it looked as if Novak would take the match in straights and move onto the final, but Nishikori would have none of it. He fought back to force a tiebreak, won it, and then took the third set 6-0 for what was, in the end, a very comfortable third set to win. Novak had issues with his shoulders and probably was not at 100%, but full credit to Nishikori for battling through and improving on his breakthrough year with a final in Basel.
The incredible physical toll that Djokovic's game has taken on his body this year has finally caught up with him it seems. He won so many physical matches during his magnificent run that it was nearly impossible for him to keep healthy forever. Like we have seen from Nadal for many years, Djokovic is struggling late in the season after wearing himself out during the busiest months of the year. On the other hand, Roger looks fresh and invigorated as he looks to win his first title since January. There is no question that Roger paces himself throughout the year perhaps better than any other player in history - it is why he has won 5 Masters Cup titles and this year is looking to win his sixth. Unlike his younger counterparts Murray, Djokovic, and Nadal, Federer understands that you cannot go 100% throughout the entire year or you will not have enough gas left in the tank at the end. Apparently Djokovic hasn't learned from Nadal's previous mistakes and now finds himself in a precarious position of trying to go into the World Tour Finals as healthy as possible.
As for the final, Roger should handle Nishikori in straights. The guy beat Djokovic which is something in of itself, but Fed should prove to be too strong in front of his hometown fans. As previously mentioned, the Maestro has not won a title since the opening tournament of the year, and he will certainly be hungry to win once again in Basel. A win would be his fifth Basel title, and would most definitely give him credence to being called the greatest player in the Basel tournament's history.
Final prediction: 63 63 Federer.
Federer handled countryman Stan Wawrinka rather easily in straight sets and moved into his first final since the French Open in June. With these two friends squaring off, it will always be a strategic match, as both men know each other so well. For instance, Roger quite enjoys forcing Stan to hit his BH short in the court and attacking his FH. The result of the all-Swiss semi was rather predictable, but the Djokovic/Nishikori match was not. At 6-2 4-5 0-30, it looked as if Novak would take the match in straights and move onto the final, but Nishikori would have none of it. He fought back to force a tiebreak, won it, and then took the third set 6-0 for what was, in the end, a very comfortable third set to win. Novak had issues with his shoulders and probably was not at 100%, but full credit to Nishikori for battling through and improving on his breakthrough year with a final in Basel.
The incredible physical toll that Djokovic's game has taken on his body this year has finally caught up with him it seems. He won so many physical matches during his magnificent run that it was nearly impossible for him to keep healthy forever. Like we have seen from Nadal for many years, Djokovic is struggling late in the season after wearing himself out during the busiest months of the year. On the other hand, Roger looks fresh and invigorated as he looks to win his first title since January. There is no question that Roger paces himself throughout the year perhaps better than any other player in history - it is why he has won 5 Masters Cup titles and this year is looking to win his sixth. Unlike his younger counterparts Murray, Djokovic, and Nadal, Federer understands that you cannot go 100% throughout the entire year or you will not have enough gas left in the tank at the end. Apparently Djokovic hasn't learned from Nadal's previous mistakes and now finds himself in a precarious position of trying to go into the World Tour Finals as healthy as possible.
As for the final, Roger should handle Nishikori in straights. The guy beat Djokovic which is something in of itself, but Fed should prove to be too strong in front of his hometown fans. As previously mentioned, the Maestro has not won a title since the opening tournament of the year, and he will certainly be hungry to win once again in Basel. A win would be his fifth Basel title, and would most definitely give him credence to being called the greatest player in the Basel tournament's history.
Final prediction: 63 63 Federer.
Friday, November 04, 2011
Basel SF Preview
Just a quick update:
Federer got through Andy Roddick 63 62 in one of his most comfortable wins against Andy (and of course there have been many of them). I didn't see the match but I read that Andy was not having a good serving day and against Roger, that puts any chances Andy has to bed right away. Hell, even when Andy is serving well, he has trouble against Fed's brick wall returning style. Anyways, it seems as if Roger's three-set victory over Nieminen was exactly what he needed - I have always said that a good tough match to get through is the best thing for a tennis player's mind as it gives them added confidence going into the next match that they can pull through should they face a tough situation. With Roger, we have seen this time and time again. Against Cilic in the 3rd round of the US Open, vs Davydenko in the Australian Open 2010 Quarterfinals, against Haas and Del Potro at the French 2009, against Andreev in the 4th round at the US Open 2008, against Tipsarevic in Australia 2008...the list really goes on and on. Roger just feeds off tough matches and it helps him better prepare himself for the tougher rounds in the final weekends.
On that same side, Stan Wawrinka got through easily against Florian Mayer with a 62 62 score. He looks to be in great form but facing Roger is always a challenge. Nevertheless, I expect a close match, and both Roger and Stan will want to put on the best show for the Swiss fans.
On the other side, Djokovic got through Baghdatis in a tough three-set encounter. He plays Nishikori in the semis so that should be an easier match for sure, leading him to the finals against a likely opponent in Roger. I believe Roger will have a good chance of beating Djokovic as Novak hasn't looked very sharp this week at all, and Roger only seems to be getting better with each passing match. It would definitely be a huge confidence boost if Roger could get a win over Djokovic for the second time this year - a feat nobody else has accomplished may I remind - and it would certainly give Roger momentum heading into Paris and the World Tour finals.
Looking forward to a great weekend in Basel, cheers!
Federer got through Andy Roddick 63 62 in one of his most comfortable wins against Andy (and of course there have been many of them). I didn't see the match but I read that Andy was not having a good serving day and against Roger, that puts any chances Andy has to bed right away. Hell, even when Andy is serving well, he has trouble against Fed's brick wall returning style. Anyways, it seems as if Roger's three-set victory over Nieminen was exactly what he needed - I have always said that a good tough match to get through is the best thing for a tennis player's mind as it gives them added confidence going into the next match that they can pull through should they face a tough situation. With Roger, we have seen this time and time again. Against Cilic in the 3rd round of the US Open, vs Davydenko in the Australian Open 2010 Quarterfinals, against Haas and Del Potro at the French 2009, against Andreev in the 4th round at the US Open 2008, against Tipsarevic in Australia 2008...the list really goes on and on. Roger just feeds off tough matches and it helps him better prepare himself for the tougher rounds in the final weekends.
On that same side, Stan Wawrinka got through easily against Florian Mayer with a 62 62 score. He looks to be in great form but facing Roger is always a challenge. Nevertheless, I expect a close match, and both Roger and Stan will want to put on the best show for the Swiss fans.
On the other side, Djokovic got through Baghdatis in a tough three-set encounter. He plays Nishikori in the semis so that should be an easier match for sure, leading him to the finals against a likely opponent in Roger. I believe Roger will have a good chance of beating Djokovic as Novak hasn't looked very sharp this week at all, and Roger only seems to be getting better with each passing match. It would definitely be a huge confidence boost if Roger could get a win over Djokovic for the second time this year - a feat nobody else has accomplished may I remind - and it would certainly give Roger momentum heading into Paris and the World Tour finals.
Looking forward to a great weekend in Basel, cheers!
Monday, October 31, 2011
I'm Back!
Well, it has certainly been a while. Too long, I'd say.
I'll be quite honest. After the US Open, I fell out of interest with tennis, which is usually very unlike me. Maybe it was that Roger wasn't going to be playing for a while, or maybe it was something else - I don't know. Anyways, for the past two months I have been following my favourite hockey team, the Ottawa Senators and my entire sports focus has turned to hockey for the time being. I followed the tennis though, and in the span that I was away from the game, Switzerland defeated Australia in their Davis Cup tie, and Andy Murray has been on a roll, winning Tokyo and Shanghai.
Now, Mr. Federer is back in action playing in his home tournament of Basel. It was a day I had been waiting for for since the US Open, to see the Maestro back on a tennis court. Today, he got through Potito Starace 76(3), 64, in a tight but overall comfortable victory. Seeing as it was Fed's first time back in action in nearly two months with the exception of the DC matches, I knew he wasn't going to be lights out amazing, and I was right. There was good, there was bad, but in the end, he got it done. The thing about Roger these days is that he doesn't really care about the early rounds in tournaments anymore - they are just matches to get through. It is completely understandable when you have played as many matches as he has, that he doesn't get up for the ones he is certain he is going to win.
In today's match, it was even in the first set and then Roger eased through the tiebreak 7-3. In the second, he got a break in the first game and rode it out to victory. There was no wasted effort. I'm sure Roger knows that he will have to conserve energy if he is going to beat Andy Murray, who has recently overtaken him as #3 in the world, in the semifinals, which both players are sure to make. It is quite interesting that Murray would decide to play Basel instead of Valencia, which he has attended the past few years instead of Basel. Perhaps he wants to test his game against Federer and Djokovic, since he hasn't played them yet in the fall hardcourt season? Whatever the reason, he will have a great chance of winning, as will Roger and Novak. It should also be interesting to see how Nole plays after a month off and a minor injury.
Now, onto past events:
The Swiss unit defeated the Australian unit in the DC tie last month, capping it off with a thrilling Stan Wawrinka victory over the scrappy Lleyton Hewitt. I think it was a huge win for Stan because he was playing Hewitt in Australia AND on grass, Lleyton's best surface, AND he had some injury problems as well. The win was also huge because it got Switzerland back in the World Group, which is quite huge. Speaking of getting into the World Group, Canada did as well! Vasek Pospisil led the charge, and Canada is there for the first time since 2004 I believe. As a Canadian myself, this leap into the World Group makes me very proud, and I can't wait to see how things turn out next year - and that goes for the Swiss also.
On the ATP, Andy Murray defeated Rafael Nadal to win in Tokyo by winning the decisive third set 6-0. This really wasn't a surprise, as Nadal is terrible on hardcourts. Nadal also lost in Shanghai to Florian Mayer, which was also a shock to most but not to me. Again, Nadal is just a poor hardcourt player, especially indoors, and like Pete Sampras losing on clay, ANY indoor hardcourt loss for Nadal shouldn't really be considered an upset. Florian Mayer is a great player on fast courts and played very well to beat him.
Murray defended his title in Shanghai and passed Fed to move to #3. It hardly matters, because Roger can get back that ranking next year with a good stretch of tennis, and possibly even move to #2 or #1 depending on what happens with Djokovic and Nadal. The change in ranking certainly won't change the draws for Roger. I'm sure he is will still be slated to face Djokovic in every Slam semifinal next year.....
So, I'm back into tennis from now until the end of the year and will be commenting on everything in Basel, Paris, and the World Tour Finals, and after that the Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina. It feels good to get this out - I quite missed giving my thoughts on tennis.
Cheers!
I'll be quite honest. After the US Open, I fell out of interest with tennis, which is usually very unlike me. Maybe it was that Roger wasn't going to be playing for a while, or maybe it was something else - I don't know. Anyways, for the past two months I have been following my favourite hockey team, the Ottawa Senators and my entire sports focus has turned to hockey for the time being. I followed the tennis though, and in the span that I was away from the game, Switzerland defeated Australia in their Davis Cup tie, and Andy Murray has been on a roll, winning Tokyo and Shanghai.
Now, Mr. Federer is back in action playing in his home tournament of Basel. It was a day I had been waiting for for since the US Open, to see the Maestro back on a tennis court. Today, he got through Potito Starace 76(3), 64, in a tight but overall comfortable victory. Seeing as it was Fed's first time back in action in nearly two months with the exception of the DC matches, I knew he wasn't going to be lights out amazing, and I was right. There was good, there was bad, but in the end, he got it done. The thing about Roger these days is that he doesn't really care about the early rounds in tournaments anymore - they are just matches to get through. It is completely understandable when you have played as many matches as he has, that he doesn't get up for the ones he is certain he is going to win.
In today's match, it was even in the first set and then Roger eased through the tiebreak 7-3. In the second, he got a break in the first game and rode it out to victory. There was no wasted effort. I'm sure Roger knows that he will have to conserve energy if he is going to beat Andy Murray, who has recently overtaken him as #3 in the world, in the semifinals, which both players are sure to make. It is quite interesting that Murray would decide to play Basel instead of Valencia, which he has attended the past few years instead of Basel. Perhaps he wants to test his game against Federer and Djokovic, since he hasn't played them yet in the fall hardcourt season? Whatever the reason, he will have a great chance of winning, as will Roger and Novak. It should also be interesting to see how Nole plays after a month off and a minor injury.
Now, onto past events:
The Swiss unit defeated the Australian unit in the DC tie last month, capping it off with a thrilling Stan Wawrinka victory over the scrappy Lleyton Hewitt. I think it was a huge win for Stan because he was playing Hewitt in Australia AND on grass, Lleyton's best surface, AND he had some injury problems as well. The win was also huge because it got Switzerland back in the World Group, which is quite huge. Speaking of getting into the World Group, Canada did as well! Vasek Pospisil led the charge, and Canada is there for the first time since 2004 I believe. As a Canadian myself, this leap into the World Group makes me very proud, and I can't wait to see how things turn out next year - and that goes for the Swiss also.
On the ATP, Andy Murray defeated Rafael Nadal to win in Tokyo by winning the decisive third set 6-0. This really wasn't a surprise, as Nadal is terrible on hardcourts. Nadal also lost in Shanghai to Florian Mayer, which was also a shock to most but not to me. Again, Nadal is just a poor hardcourt player, especially indoors, and like Pete Sampras losing on clay, ANY indoor hardcourt loss for Nadal shouldn't really be considered an upset. Florian Mayer is a great player on fast courts and played very well to beat him.
Murray defended his title in Shanghai and passed Fed to move to #3. It hardly matters, because Roger can get back that ranking next year with a good stretch of tennis, and possibly even move to #2 or #1 depending on what happens with Djokovic and Nadal. The change in ranking certainly won't change the draws for Roger. I'm sure he is will still be slated to face Djokovic in every Slam semifinal next year.....
So, I'm back into tennis from now until the end of the year and will be commenting on everything in Basel, Paris, and the World Tour Finals, and after that the Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina. It feels good to get this out - I quite missed giving my thoughts on tennis.
Cheers!
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