Well, the time has finally arrived, tennis fans: the final four at the US Open, and it could not get any better with the top four all there. We have Nadal vs Murray and Federer vs Djokovic, two marquee matches that are surely as important as it gets in tennis for Grand Slam semifinals. Nadal wants to prove last year's US Open triumph wasn't a fluke, Murray wants to prove he can win a Grand Slam, Djokovic wants to prove that he is really is the top dog in tennis by winning his 3rd Grand Slam this year, and Roger Federer, well, Mr. Federer wants to prove that his age is only a number and that he is still a force to be reckoned with.
Previews for this year's US Open semifinals!
Rafael Nadal vs Andy Murray
This is a match that we have seen countless times before, and both men have had success against one another at the Grand Slam level. Murray won in the US Open 2008 and the Australian Open 2010, whereas Nadal has picked up victories at Wimbledon in 2008, 2010, 2011, and the French Open 2011. No matter what the outcome, it should be a tough, competitive match with many ebbs and flows, and it should be highly entertaining to watch, as long as the two men don't stand at the baseline waiting for the other to miss.
Rafael Nadal looks to be in imperious form heading into this match, picking up his game against Gilles Muller in the fourth round and an injured Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals, where he only dropped 9 and 6 games respectively. He is certainly the favourite coming in, being the 10-time Grand Slam champion, and owning many wins over Murray at the Grand Slam level. But he has never beaten Murray at the US Open, and one could say that the surface plays into Murray's favour, as it did 3 years ago when he really broke through by defeating Nadal and making his first Slam final. Nadal will need to be sharp on the serve, as Murray is arguably the best returner in the world, and unlike Andy Roddick, Murray is very solid from the back of the court defenseively and can hang with Nadal should they have many long rallies throughout the match. Both men are elite counterpunchers, so there should be many rallies that should be finished but end up lasting 3-6 shots more because of the great defense that will be undoubtedly displayed.
Andy Murray has without a doubt had the tougher road to this semifinal, having come back from two sets down to beat Robin Haase in the second round, and a tough 4-set match with John Isner yesterday in the quarters. However, despite having played way more tennis, Murray is as fit as they come, and he will be ready. He knows he must have a true breakthrough at some point, and why can't it be today? The court surface favours Murray, he knows he has beaten Nadal here before, and he too is looking fairly sharp heading into the match. The only concern, as always with Andy, is his mental toughness and his ability to concentrate during crucial stages in the match. How he controls himself will go a long way in determining the outcome of the match. On paper, Andy is a great matchup for Nadal, but every time he has lost to the great Spaniard, it has been due to his mental strength and his inability to sustain lengthy periods of great play because his mind gets in the way. Murray has all the ability in the world to go out and beat Nadal if he is playing well. But if his mind puts up roadblocks, he does not stand a chance.
Alright, onto the first semifinal that will be played today, the best match in tennis:
Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic
Can you say blockbuster? With their many close matches over the years, and their brilliant matches this year at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and of course Roland Garros, where Federer ended Djokovic's undefeated streak of 2011, this should be, without any doubt, one of the best tennis matches of the year. Whereas Nadal and Murray play defensive baseline tennis, Federer and Djokovic play offensive, attacking baseline tennis, and they should have a compelling match that will feature beautiful attacking tennis and great shotmaking.
Novak Djokovic has been pretty good this tournament so far, as expected, and he has gotten two retirements, thus limiting his time on court. With all the tennis he has played however, that should not be a problem. What may be a problem though, is Djokovic's questionable form heading into this match with the hottest player in the draw right now, Roger Federer. Novak was tested by Alexandr Dolgopolov, and looked to be in real danger before he won the first set 16-14 in a tiebreak. Against countryman Janko Tipsarevic, he wasn't any better, and dropped a set before winning in 4 sets when Tipsarevic retired three games into the 4th set. Simply put, Novak Djokovic will need to play much better or else he will be in for a rude awakening, because.....
Roger Federer is EXTREMELY sharp right now.
This is the best form Roger has been in since the World Tour Finals last year, or maybe even the Australian Open 2010, his last Grand Slam triumph. The fire is back in his eyes. He is as sharp as he has ever been off the serve and return, and that is no exaggeration. Roger came out in his quarterfinal vs Tsonga and made a statement that he was still a giant force in men's tennis today, capable of playing lethal tennis just as he did in his prime from 2004-2007. There is a case to be made that he wants this Grand Slam maybe more than any other he has won before, with perhaps the US Open 2008, Wimbledon 2007, and French Open 2009 being the only exceptions. At this stage in Federer's career, he is trying to prove that he can still win Majors, and a win over Novak Djokovic, the #1 player in the world, would most certainly prove that he is still the man to beat in tennis today.
As for as the actual match goes, it will be a very tight battle, much like their past 4 encounters at the US Open. Roger does have the weapons and the motivation to beat Djoker though, especially if Nole is at any time off during the match. Roger, like Djokovic and Murray have become known for, is eating second serves and hammering them deep in the court, immediately putting his opponent on the defensive. Like Nadal in the other semifinal, Djokovic will need to serve extremely well, as Roger is rolling on return. Needless to say, Roger must be clutch on the serve as well, and if he is, then watch out, because that only means he is able to be more free on the return, which is dangerous no matter who he plays. More so than any tactic in this match, Federer must use his fire and determination to will his way through the match, and play with the same emotion he did in 2008 here in New York. Roger Federer has shown for years that he is the most talented man ever to play the game, but when he is focused and out to prove a point to his doubters, even now he is the best tennis player in the world.
It should be a wonderful match. If there was ever a time to beat Novak Djokovic, this is it.
Prediction: Roger in 4, 63 64 46 62
No comments:
Post a Comment