tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25672029146373005882024-03-05T21:30:00.109-05:00Lefty AdvantageA place for diehard tennis talk.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-38574669787159682142016-01-27T11:58:00.005-05:002016-01-27T12:16:36.432-05:00Federer vs Djokovic PreviewRoger Federer and Novak Djokovic will continue their storied rivalry, meeting for the 45th time at the Australian Open. It will be a much anticipated match, and they have both won 22 times each.<br />
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Djokovic, coming off the back of a stellar 2015 season where he beat Roger twice in Grand Slam finals, is the definite favourite. What does Federer need to do well in order to stand a chance? (Besides everything, you mean?)<br />
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<b>1. Serve Well</b><br />
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This much is obvious. Djokovic is the best returner the game has ever seen, and he makes you pay if you leave him too many second serves to hit. Though I believe Agassi is the greatest pure offensive returner in the game's history, the Serb is definitely the best all-round one. He isn't as aggressive on second serves as the enigmatic American was, but he gets great depth and often puts the server under pressure immediately, taking the ball early and delivering a strike that more often than not puts him in an offensive position right away in the rally.<br />
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Federer's serve is one of the best the game has ever seen, this much we know. To give himself a chance to win, he must serve well. This means keeping a high first serve percentage and hitting his spots with his accurate rhythmic delivery. It also means varying his second serve in an attempt to get Novak off balance as much as possible. Serving out wide on the deuce side and down the T on the ad side will be crucial.<br />
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<b>2. Aggression on the 2nd serve return</b><br />
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Under the tutelage of Boris Becker, Djokovic has developed one of the best second serves in the game. It has good pace, he can kick it or slice it, and he isn't afraid to hit a big one on important points. Federer has long been too passive (as a general rule) on second serve returns, choosing to slice or chip the ball into play rather than being aggressive to help set up the point.<br />
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Against Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals, Roger attacked second serves regularly, getting the ball deep in the court, giving himself good opportunity to be the aggressor from the baseline. Though Djokovic has a much better second serve than the Czech, the same aggressive intent will need to be there against the game's most impenetrable defense. It will be harder to be as aggressive as he was in the quarterfinal, because Novak varies his second serve so well (unlike Tomas) and aims to keep the returner off balance. Nevertheless, if the Great Swiss is going to win, he will need his return to be doing some damage.<br />
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<b>3. Crack the forehand</b><br />
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Seems obvious, right?<br />
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For the last number of years, Fed's feared forehand hasn't been the same weapon it once was between 2003 and 2009 (including the Australian Open 2010, where he hit it superbly). But the aggression of his forehand against Berdych was fantastic. It was honestly the best I've seen him hit his forehand in six years since his 16th major win.<br />
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Djokovic defends better than anyone, this much we know. Roger must capitalize on any medium-length balls Novak gives him by creating time and space for his favourite "fearhand." A staple of RF's game in his mid-twenties was crushing forehands from central areas of the court and constantly putting opponents under pressure. Though Novak defends so incredibly well, Roger must have the same aggressive mindset as he did in his quarterfinal - taking a big mid-court ball and attacking the net as if it had stolen his food on a camping trip.<br />
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We have long gone past the point where Roger can slug it out with Novak from the baseline, especially in a best of five set encounter. This means he must take every opportunity to put the World #1 on the defensive and come forward. Crushing his forehand early in rallies is the way to go. That isn't suggesting he "go for broke" and try to hit low percentage winners - rather, step up in the court, power a shot to one of the corners, and constantly keep Novak out of that lethal baseline rhythm he loves, where he's virtually unstoppable.<br />
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<b>4. Backhands down the line</b><br />
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Every time Roger has had success in this match up in recent years, his backhand down the line to the Djokovic forehand has been a shot used to great effect. He won't win many backhand to backhand rallies, and when the opportunity presents itself, he must take a risk and redirect the ball up the line in an attempt to get the Serb off balance, and to give himself forehand looks in central court positions. Approaching the net by slicing up the line could also be an effective tactic, to keep the ball low and give himself time to get close to the net - plus force a tougher pass.<br />
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<b>5. Footloose</b><br />
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Roger wasn't even three years old when "Footloose" was released, but he must dance just the same. In my opinion Fed has the greatest feet in the game's history, and he must be dancing in this one. Footwork will be more imperative than usual because of the depth Novak gets, and as I've mentioned, Roger must be fully ready to take on any shorter ball to pounce. This is especially vital when turning backhands into forehands, something historically he does better than anyone when he's on.<br />
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My greatest advice to Roger, as a fan? Stay relaxed. At the US Open he wasted many chances by not pulling the trigger at the right time and trying to let Novak miss. That isn't a good strategy on the big points against anyone, let alone the best big-point player in the world. Roger is the big underdog and few expect him to win. Fed, of course, will step on court with every intention of winning - he hasn't accomplished this much by not having a great mindset in big matches.<br />
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He must stay committed to the gameplan he has with new coach Ivan Ljubicic, and he must give himself the best opportunity to win in every set. That means keeping the energy level high, remaining laser focused, and playing to all of his strengths - versatility, net play, good serving, controlling with the forehand, and opportunistic returning.<br />
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This will be a huge test for Roger, and a lot will need to go well for him to end the night with a victory. Djokovic is absolutely incredible on these courts, and though he hasn't looked particularly sharp against Simon and Nishikori, he will be fully ready and I expect nothing less than his best effort. If both men are at their best, Novak probably comes out the winner. Roger, at least, must be playing at a high enough level to capitalize on any mistakes Novak makes.<br />
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It should be a great match. Regardless of the winner, I'm still so proud to be a fan of Roger. He has had a great tournament and the start to 2016 has been encouraging even if the outcome doesn't match his (and his fans) desire.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-24781017557463622892015-07-14T15:28:00.001-04:002015-07-14T15:28:39.776-04:00Thoughts on the Wimbledon finalRoger Federer played some vintage tennis at the Championships, but ultimately fell short of winning the title for the 8th time after being defeated by the World's #1 player Novak Djokovic in a rematch of 2014's final.<br />
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It wasn't the result that Federer fans wanted to see, but it is one that for me is easy to accept. Beyond the first few moments after the match ended, the disappointment passed. Djokovic is clearly the best player in the world and there is absolutely no shame in a near 34 year-old losing to him in a tough 4-set match. Roger has proven once again that he can still hang with the best in the game even at a point in his career when he is far past his physical prime.<br />
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After the mind-boggling semi-final that Roger played against Andy Murray, I thought he had a very good chance to win, but I also knew that Djokovic is a much more difficult opponent for the Swiss. I don't think anyone else would have taken a set off Novak in that match, let alone be close to taking two. Novak was so solid in every department, but particularly his returning, which proved why he possesses the best return of serve that we have ever seen.<br />
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Fed served worse than he did against Murray, but that was always going to be the case as it would have been simply phenomenal to serve like that again. Besides, serving is a two-way street, and with the level of the returning, Roger was forced to go for more lines. I lost count of the amount of quality returns Djokovic had, even on good first serves. If he wasn't putting it at Roger's feet he was putting it near a sideline and gaining the advantage right from the start. Whether it's Roger, who uses his serve as a major weapon, or someone like Ferrer who doesn't, the pressure of being on the back foot after a first serve takes its toll over the course of a match, and that was definitely the case on Sunday.<br />
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The turning point in the match was at 1-1 in the 3rd set when Fed was up 40-15 and lost four straight points to lose the break. The first three points were all won by Djokovic, but the break was lost on a horrendous forehand miss that Roger usually makes in his sleep. From there Fed seemed deflated and Novak raised his game to make it tough for Fed to get the break back. There was a 20-minute rain delay at 3-2 and Fed came out flat after it, but I thought the difference was made before that.<br />
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I'm sure Roger would have been kicking himself after the match that he was broken at such a critical time on such a stupid miss, though of course Djokovic could have very well broken anyways if the break point was saved. Perhaps the pressure of Djokovic's game would have worn down Fed mentally and the result would have been the same, but you never know what might have transpired had Roger held and the set had gone deeper with holds exchanged.<br />
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After all is said and done, you just have to take your hat off to Djokovic. He played a great tournament coming off the heartbreak of the French Open loss to Wawrinka, and he was as solid as ever when he needed to be. Though he is Roger's biggest rival at the moment, I have great respect for being a good ambassador for the game the last few years since his rise to the #1 ranking in 2011. He's showing Federer-esque consistency at the majors and you could argue he's even playing better now than he was in 2011, when he started the year undefeated for the first five months. The future is impossible to predict, but I could definitely see him matching Nadal and Sampras' 14 major titles in the next few years.<br />
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As for Roger, he'll go back to the practice hard courts and prepare for the US Open. He should have a great chance to go deep, and with a few factors going his way, maybe he makes the final and competes for his 6th title there at Flushing Meadows. Wimbledon was definitely his best chance this year but he is still the second best hardcourt player in the world at the moment and I think he can beat everyone there bar Djokovic (and Nadal, but he has to prove a lot right now) if his level remains high.<br />
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Fed has proven the ability to bounce back from tough losses his entire career, and I expect this to be no different. He knows that if he keeps putting himself in positions to win majors, a break will come where an in-the-zone Djokovic isn't on the opposite side of the net. He's at a point with his game where I don't think there will be that much decline in his performance for the next 12 months if he stays healthy. He's more comfortable with the bigger racquet than ever and he's conserving his body so well with his pinpoint serving and aggressive net-rushing hybrid style.<br />
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The rest of the year should be fun to watch as all of the courts suit Fed's game - Canada, Cincinnati, New York, Basel, Shanghai, and the World Tour Finals. He has a final and a win to defend before the US Open but if he can enter the last major of the year as the #2 seed it would give him the best chance, most obviously because a match with Djokovic would only come in the final. We're still a month away from Montreal beginning, however, so in the meantime, he'll probably have some nice time off before he hits the ground running.<br />
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To wrap up, I just want to talk a bit about some comments that Pat Cash and others have been making about Roger playing "the best tennis of his career." Not only is that inaccurate, it is actually kind of degrading to the ridiculously high level Roger was playing at the peak of his powers in 2005 and 2006. Had he possessed the '06 ground game in the final against Novak, he very well may have won in 4 sets, as the big edge Novak had in the baseline rallies would not exist. John McEnroe said after the semis that he had never seen Fed move better, and I just had to shake my head at that repeatedly. I know John knows Roger was once much quicker around the court, because he witnessed it numerous times in the commentary box.<br />
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I think there are parts of Roger's game that are as good or better than ever, namely his serve and volleying. Edberg has done a great job at getting him to attack the net more urgently, and his second serve has more pop than ever (racquet aids that I know). However, his forehand is nowhere near as potent as it used to be, while his movement to that side has clearly declined also. I'm not trying to downplay the great level Roger is still playing at, but it is certainly not true that he's a better player now than he was then, regardless of what he may say himself. After all, what would he say? "I am much easier to beat now compared to ten years ago." Even if he knows that to be true, there would be no benefit for him to actually say that in the media.<br />
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This was the first piece of writing I have done this year, and I'm happy to get it out. I'll be writing regularly the rest of the year and I may have a surprise or two coming as well. I have always been an optimistic fan and I like to think I bring a good perception to these kind of disappointments. Just remembering that he's almost 34 and still playing this well is inspiring as a fan, and I'm sure it is for the other over-30s on the tour. It's fantastic that he still loves competing so much that he will continue to work hard to win another major. Whether it happens or not in the next year or two, the journey will be fun and at every passing tournament we can be proud of all he is still doing in the game of tennis.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-6831421262641228882014-08-25T00:19:00.001-04:002014-08-25T00:19:23.039-04:002014 US Open PreviewThe tennis calendar's final major kicks off in New York on Monday, and the draw is an interesting one.<br />
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In the top half, top seed Novak Djokovic may have to go through one of Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals, and one of Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic in the semifinals. On the bottom half, 2nd seed Roger Federer may have to defeat Grigor Dimitrov and David Ferrer successively to make his 26th Grand Slam final.<br />
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The big hooplah when the draw came out seemed to be how stacked Djokovic's half was, with Wawrinka, Raonic, Murray, Tsonga, Isner, and Nishikori. While it definitely is the tougher half of the draw, we all must remember that it is only the pre-tournament draw and no matches have been played.<br />
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If Djokovic makes the final having to go through Isner, Murray/Tsonga, and Wawrinka/Raonic, that would be a great accomplishment. But there is certainly a chance that he won't have to do that. Isner could fall to Kukushkin, Llodra, or Kohlschreiber. Murray has a tough path to the 4th round where he would play Tsonga, as he might have to go through Haase, Stepanek, and 31st seed Fernando Verdasco (who nearly beat him at Wimbledon last year). If Tsonga displays the kind of form he showed in Toronto, he should make the 4th round without dropping more than a set, but with him these days you never know.<br />
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Federer's side definitely looks to be the easier of the two before the tournament starts, but I would really caution placing his nametag in the final slot just yet. We have seen many times a player who has been glossed over as a supposed simple win come out big and pull off a shocking upset. Federer is too experienced to not be only focused on his first round match against Australian Marinko Matosevic. If or when he gets by that, only then will he look toward the 3rd round. And so on.<br />
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There are a few examples we have seen of Federer in Grand Slams where he faces tough matches in the early rounds where few expect a stiff challenge. Maybe the most notable one was the 1st round at Wimbledon in 2010 when Alejandro Falla nearly shocked the tennis world. But there have also been other instances. Who came closest to denying his 7th Wimbledon title two years ago? Not Djokovic or Murray, but Julien Benneteau. Who came closest to knocking him out during his run in New York in 2008 to win his 13th major? Again, not Djokovic or Murray, but Igor Andreev in the 4th round. Andreev also gave Federer quite a scare in the 1st round of the Australian Open in 2010 when he nearly took a two sets to one lead.<br />
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The point is, don't count your chickens before they hatch. That is a saying seemingly as old as time itself, but it remains a popular one for a reason.<br />
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Yes, given Federer's current form, he is the heavy favourite to come through that half. But he knows it won't be easy, and he still has to win 6 matches to play for the trophy. Ivo Karlovic is dangerous should he be faced across the net in the 3rd round. Yes, the big man can't return well and Roger returns his serve better than anybody (arguable), facing him is always stressful to an extent as you know losing one service game can cost you the whole set.<br />
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If it isn't Karlovic, then it could be Jarkko Nieminen, who is a steady vet with the experience to make it a tough match. Roberto Bautista-Agut is on the up'n'up and he has the type of flat hitting that could trouble Roger. If it isn't Dimitrov in the quarters, it could be Gael Monfils, who has proven to be a dangerous opponent the last few years. In the semis, of course we would all like to see David Ferrer, but it could be Tomas Berdych, who has always given Roger difficulty especially at the majors. It could also be Ernests Gulbis, who has already beaten Roger this year at the French Open.<br />
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Now, having said all of this, I do expect Federer to make the final - I just hate it when people start talking about the true difficulty of a draw before the tournament even starts - when we have no idea who will be in the 4th round, quarters, and semis. As I wrote on Twitter - "tough" draws can fall through and "easy" draws can be filled with unexpected threats.<br />
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Given the way Roger has played this whole year, and especially since Wimbledon, I think he is in the perfect mindset to capture his 18th major title. He has played 10 matches the last few weeks, but with those matches, five of which were 3-set wins, comes the confidence and assurance that he can get it done when it matters most, even if he hasn't been sharp on the day or had some blips on a usually clean radar. Though he was tired after the Cincinnati win last week, he has had his chance to rest, and we must remember that this is a Slam, so he will have a day off between matches and even two days off at one point I believe (but don't quote me on that). And as I have re-iterated numerous times to anyone that would listen, there is a day off between the semis and finals this year. So even if he was to have a tough 4 or 5-setter in the semis against Tomas Berdych or David Ferrer, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage like he would have last year.<br />
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And just in case you are superstitious, there is virtually zero chance of Federer being put on Louis Armstrong Stadium where he lost last year to Robredo. With Nadal out, he will be the main attraction every day he's playing.<br />
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It should be a great US Open and by the end of it I so hope that we can see Roger lift that trophy for a 6th time. For me as a fan, it would probably be even sweeter than his last Wimbledon win, considering the struggles he went through last year and how hard he has worked to play better this year.<br />
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Kyle.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-31705491600959439722014-08-17T22:14:00.001-04:002014-08-17T22:14:19.940-04:00Federer wins 6th Cincinnati MastersHe finally won a big title!<br />
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Since Federer won his 5th Cincinnati Masters title two seasons ago over Novak Djokovic, he had gone 2-9 in final matches since. Last week in Toronto he lost playing horrid baseline tennis. In the Wimbledon final, he should have lost in 4 and so nearly pulled the rabbit out of the hat. In Monte Carlo, he lost a 2nd set tiebreak to Wawrinka that would have won him the match. In Indian Wells, he lost a 3rd set breaker. In Brisbane, he lost a tight but sloppy match to longtime friend and foe, Lleyton Hewitt. In Basel last fall, he lost a tight 3-set match to Juan Martin del Potro. In Rome, he was overmatched by Nadal. At the World Tour Finals in 2012, he lost a close one to Djokovic in straights. And finally, in Basel he lost a 3rd set breaker to del Potro.<br />
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In all but one of those 9 finals, he had his chances to win. Some he maybe should have won. But through this bad history since his last Masters title, he managed to win in a hard-fought battle against a man he had never lost to, David Ferrer. Even with the man across the net having never won the final point against him, it was a big match, and Roger knew it.<br />
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The Swiss started the final pretty well, and broke the Spaniard's serve midway through the set. Things got tight for him when he went down 0-40 at 5-3 but he managed to save those break points and eventually held. At that point, I doubt many envisioned the second set going the way it did, with Ferrer winning it 6-1 after taking a shocking 5-0 lead. It was even more surprising because Roger had break points in the opening game. But once the set was out of reach, Roger saved his energy and didn't spent too much of it trying to win a virtually unwinnable set. It was important, however, that he held his serve at 0-5 so he could start the 3rd set on serve. He saved a few break points, but he did win it, and that would make a big difference.<br />
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The difference between the 2nd and 3rd sets was almost immediate. In the 2nd, Ferrer was dictating the rallies by hitting his heavy inside-out forehand to the Federer backhand, getting it to kick up and forcing short balls. In the third, Federer wasn't letting that happen as he started hitting bigger, cleaner, and more aggressively. He got the crucial break at 2-1, and emphatically held. One might have been worried when he didn't take his break chances at 2-4 to go up the double break, but they would have worried for nothing, as he held comfortably and broke to take his biggest tournament win in the last 24 month on the dot.<br />
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Credit to Ferrer, because he played gritty and persistent attacking tennis, and thoroughly deserved the 2nd set (and he could have gotten back on serve in the 1st to boot). Sure, Roger made some bad decisions in the 2nd, especially when he gave up the second break by serve-volleying every point, but it wouldn't be fair to not point out the quality of Ferrer's groundstrokes and return.<br />
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In my observation, Roger looked a little bereft of rest (try saying that 10 times straight), but he fought through that. He lost a lopsided second set and he could have kept dwelling on it, but he didn't, and from the tennis he played in set three, you wouldn't have thought he lost the second picking up just a single game.<br />
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In my opinion, that is the difference between Roger the last few weeks (and this whole year) versus last year and even years like 2010 and 2011. If he plays a bad set, or just gets outplayed, he pushes the reset button and doesn't panic. We saw him get pushed around in the second set from the baseline, so he went more aggressive and didn't let himself get pinned in that backhand corner hitting shoulder-high balls. He even ran around a backhand return to smoke a forehand return twice in the game in which he broke to give him the third set cushion. In the second set he was being reactive to Ferrer's play, but in the third he was most certainly being proactive.<br />
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Overall, I couldn't be happier for Roger - he definitely deserved to get one of those "bigger" trophies, as he put it. He's played very well throughout this season and hasn't always gotten the breaks, and perhaps the best of all now is that the win springboards him into great form heading into the US Open. And this year more than others, that could be crucial, depending on how Djokovic plays and if Nadal even plays at all. Winning the US Open would be so wonderful, a culmination of the almost year's worth of solid results he's been getting.<br />
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Allez, come on, chum jetze ..... Roger. Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-83366585244738242132014-08-16T11:13:00.004-04:002014-08-16T11:13:45.621-04:00Federer Downs Murray in CincinnatiLet's call this my return.....<br />
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Roger Federer advanced to the semifinals of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati with a 63 75 win over struggling Andy Murray in a match where he recovered from a *4-1 deficit to win six of the last seven games against the 2013 Wimbledon champion.<br />
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Roger said after the match he felt he got a little lucky, and perhaps he did. But let me tell you this - with the way Roger has been attacking the net recently (even if it hasn't always been successful), he has earned his luck by putting constant pressure on his opponents. Coming to net as much as he has been doing has been a very valuable part of his game this season, not only because it limits the amount of long points he plays, but because of the gradual effects it has on the guy across the net. He may get passed once, twice, or five times, but attacking the forecourt so much asks the question. As the net player, you ask "you passed me there, can you do it again?"<br />
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Murray, who is one of the best passers in the game, yet even he felt the pressure of Roger coming in so much. That's the value of rushing your opponent, and that's what the classic serve-volleyers like Edberg, Sampras, Becker, Rafter, and McEnroe understood so well.<br />
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Roger's volleying has been curious however the last two weeks. His net play overall hasn't been horrible, but he definitely doesn't look completely sure of his ability when he approaches to hit a putaway volley, usually down the line. However, when he comes in and is forced to hit a low shoestring volley or half-volley, and then is forced to hit a second volley, he's done very well. So to say that his volleying overall has been terrible would be wrong in my opinion, but it still is curious that he is struggling with the simpler volleys but is doing better with the tougher ones. It could be the racquet, or just a matter of thinking one thing and doing another, but he has to get it fixed before it costs him a match.<br />
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Stefan Edberg's greatest effect on Federer's game has been his quicker approach to the net and better positioning. He seems to have taught Roger that you don't have to finish it off in one swing. Whenever Roger comes in and hits a volley that hasn't won the point, he's been doing a great job at staying close to the net and not giving up ground. We saw that against Monfils when he hit a heavy drop volley, stayed strong at net, and cut off a cross-court pass for a great reflex volley.<br />
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Federer's semifinal opponent will be Milos Raonic, a man who he is 5-0 against, though he did have three deciding-set wins in 2012 against the big-serving Canadian. Simply put, if Roger holds serve, he will have a great chance of winning. Raonic has only broken once in the 15 sets they have contested, or 1 out of 79 attempts. Roger's serve looks mostly on song so I don't think he'll struggle to hold if he is getting a good first serve percentage.<br />
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From now to the end of the year I'll be writing more often. I apologize for stopping, as I was dealing with some personal issues in my life and needed to focus on other things.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-32340470629107286432014-03-21T00:15:00.003-04:002014-03-21T00:15:55.802-04:002014 Federer Miami PreviewHey all,<br />
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I apologize for not writing anything about Indian Wells, where Federer had a great week and just fell short in the final against Djokovic. Before I start with Miami, I want to talk a little bit about that tournament, for Fed, even if it is late.<br />
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Coming off the Dubai win, it was important for Roger to have a good tournament in California, especially because he could gain points after his quarterfinal exit a year ago. He probably got a little fortunate that Nadal lost in the 3rd round to Dolgopolov, as they would have faced off in the semifinals, but as they say, all you can control in a tennis tournament is your own matches.<br />
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By making the semifinals against Dolgopolov, it was the 7th consecutive tournament where he made at least the semis - dating back to Basel last fall. That kind of consistency is what was missing for nearly all of 2013 for a variety of reasons. It's nice to see Roger get a string of positive results, because in my view building up that confidence and momentum now is the only way he'll be able to put himself in a position to make another run at Wimbledon.<br />
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Also coming with the final appearance at Indian Wells was a jump in the rankings from #8 to #5, is biggest single week jump since 2002. He will go up to #4 after Miami if Ferrer doesn't reach the final and Berdych doesn't win, which would be a great feat and something to be proud of after a tough season in 2013.<br />
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Alright, onto Miami.<br />
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First up, the Fed will face Dr. Ivo, the man that dissects mere mortals with his serves and laughs them off keel with his humour. The big guy is always dangerous with his serves but whenever Roger faces him, he tends to bring out the best in his returning ability. I expect nothing less in this one.<br />
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Should he get by that, Fernando Verdasco could await in the third round. Verdasco had a solid week in Indian Wells, but should be no match for an in-form Roger, especially since the Spaniard isn't the player he once was in 2009-2010. Richard Gasquet could be a tough 4th round opponent, but the Frenchman hasn't given Roger any trouble on hardcourt since 2006 (the only time he troubled Fed on the surface). Kevin Anderson could also be a round of 16 opponent, whom Fed easily dispatched in the quarters last week. Ferrer is the highest seed in the quarters, but he is coming off an injury and he may have the dangerous Dimitrov in his path. And Roger get by all that, he'll likely face Djokovic for the 3rd time this year in the semis.<br />
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All things considered, it would be a disappointment not to make the semis given his form and the fact he got Ferrer in his quarter and not Nadal or Djokovic. Miami has not been the happiest of hunting grounds for Fed, not having made the final since his 2nd title win there in 2006. But when he's playing well, as he is now, he can definitely make a great run. I don't think he'd have any chance against Nadal on the slow courts at Key Biscayne, but against Djokovic he always has a chance no matter what the conditions are.<br />
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Here's to an entertaining tournament and to Roger entering the top 4 once again (hopefully!).Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-55381652606641429492014-02-28T23:40:00.005-05:002014-03-01T00:30:11.930-05:00Federer Rolls Back The YearsWow. Just wow. That is all I can say.<br />
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Where did that come from?<br />
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Is that man 32 and a half years old?<br />
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That man has played over 1100 matches (at age 32!) after playing 15 full seasons on tour. This will be his 16th. That was his 1154th match. To put that in perspective, Andre Agassi played for 20 years and played 1144 matches.<br />
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Where does that hunger come from? You know, the one that tells you that you've accomplished everything but still want more? One might think that Federer has a reset button in his brain, and that he takes on every new challenge with the mind of a man ten years his junior. Federer may be almost 33, but he has a youthfulness of spirit far younger than most of his fellow players on the ATP World Tour.<br />
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Stunning. Spectacular. Mind-blowing. Age-defying. However you want to describe it, that word will probably work for that win from the Swiss Maestro. It's unbelievable how he continues to put together these masterclass performances time and time again, and just when we all think his car is running out of gas. But the tank is full right now.<br />
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I mean, did you see how great he was moving? Did you see that ridiculous forehand pass to get the second break in the third set? He wasn't doing that last year - because he couldn't do that. I think Roger showed the world today what he can do when he has a healthy body and a strong mind, even for a guy that by the end of this season may have 1200 professional matches under his belt (and not to mention thousands of hours practicing and training over as I said, 16 years on tour).<br />
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I named this article "Federer Rolls Back The Years" for a reason - because of what I saw in his match against Djokovic. Time and time again in the last two sets, Novak had break points, and Roger erased them with big serves which were unreturned - and against the best returner in the game no less. The new racquet certainly helped with that, but the biggest factor in being able to hit those great serves at pressure moments was confidence. Roger certainly has it right now. He is playing with a hunger and a desire to win at all cost that we saw two years ago (and we know what happened that year).<br />
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The way he served in the clutch was reminiscent of the way he served in his peak years of 2004-2007. Heck, so was the way he moved, the way he hit the ball, the way he played aggressively all the time, even the way he defended (remember that line from Mary Carillo at the French Open in 2011 vs Djokovic? <i>"That's Grandpa?"</i> <b>That's Grandpa, baby!</b>)<br />
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I admit, I didn't watch the match live as I was at work. However, I followed the third set online and saw that he went up 3-1. I had matters to attend to, and when I came back, I saw he had won 6-2. I was actually astounded. Many of you know that I am one of the more faithful Fed fans you'll ever come across, but even I never expected the kind of performance he would give us. He won after losing the first set, something he had <b>never</b> done against Djokovic. He won 10 of the final 13 games of the match, and he delivered an entire commercial block of amazing shots that would make your jaw hit the floor if you happened to be close enough to it.<br />
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I have long gone past the point of trying to understand how this man does it. He has two beautiful children, with a third on the way. He has accomplished everything he dreamed of. There is really nothing left to play for and nobody would blame him if he had hung up his racquet on the wall after his 2013 campaign. But he plays because he loves it. He loves the whole lifestyle that comes with being a pro tennis player - even after having done it half his life. I'm sure he even loves the responsibility of being such a revered athlete and the weight of the stardom he possesses. There's just Something About Roger.....<br />
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I have had people tell me that I'm crazy for being such a diehard supporter of Fed in the wake of all his "decline." They said he would never win another major. He did. They said he would never get back to #1. He did. They said his game was old-school and out-dated. Well, that may be true in today's baseline-dominated sport. But he's Roger freakin' Federer, and his tennis will never go out of style.<br />
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If there is one thing I have learned about sports, it is that you never, ever count out the great ones. Ev. Er. 2013 was a low point in Roger's career, perhaps the lowest. But like the proverbial phoenix, he rises from the ashes soaring up and up, and when he commits himself to something, it is very hard to stop him. We saw that in 2012. I think we are seeing it now. Great players will always be great, especially in the face of great adversity. We have heard that for years about Nadal, and it is true. But Roger doesn't get the credit he deserves for having such a champion's mindset. He is a fighter; always has been, always will be. He just does it in a different way.<br />
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Personally, I think all of last year's disappointment made this victory so much sweeter. There have been many who have fallen after bad seasons like that, but not Roger. After the painful defeat at Wimbledon in 2008, he won the gold medal in the Olympic games for doubles and then won the US Open. After the Australian Open defeat that left him in tears to Nadal in 2009, plus a string of bad losses that spring, he rose and won the Roland Garros/Wimbledon double. After the so-close-yet-so-far defeat at the hands of Djokovic at the US Open in 2011, he went on to have one of the best 12-month stretches of his illustrious career. Now, after the nightmare that was 2013, there is 2014. A year to rise, to reclaim, and to bring renewed faith to those who lost it.<br />
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Berdych awaits in the final and he has been playing some amazing tennis lately. But, so is Roger. Being the champion he is, I expect nothing less than a championship performance to bring home a 6th Dubai crown - which, forgive me - would be a truly crowning achievement in his trophy collection.<br />
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Long Live The King.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-55754853279492044112014-02-26T19:49:00.002-05:002014-02-26T19:49:50.528-05:00Federer Survives in DubaiAfter a smooth and efficient first round win over Benjamin Becker in Dubai, Roger Federer was made to work a little harder, beating veteran Radek Stepanek 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 in a thriller.<br />
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Things couldn't start much worse for Roger as he was broken in the opening service game of the match. Fortunately for him it all went uphill after that, as he broke right back and broke two more times to win the opener 6-2. He only hit one error after the first game, so he really tightened things up.<br />
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The opening game of the 2nd set went badly though and Stepanek broke. He would hold that break lead until 5-4, when Fed broke back and the set went to a breaker. Roger played a few loose points and Radek closed it out on his own serve.<br />
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In the third, Roger was broken in his first service game of a set for the third time in the match (I wonder if that has ever happened before?). Stepanek was serving for a 3-0 lead and had 4 separate game points, but Fed hung tough and fought hard to finally earn the break back with a sweet backhand return winner. Momentum was with him after that and he roared to a 5-2 lead, where he was serving for the match. On his first match point he hit an ace but it was called out, and lost the point. He would get broken, giving the Czech some hope, but Roger put the match to bed a few points later.<br />
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Overall it was a good match by both men. Roger was great in the first set and then Stepanek raised his level, playing nicely from the baseline and taking charge of a lot of the rallies. Fed almost seemed to lose his rhythm from the baseline and played more conservatively in sets two and three, which surely helped Steps implement his gameplan.<br />
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To see Roger fight back from a break down in the third set was good to see. Last year he wasn't winning these matches where he wasn't playing his best tennis throughout, but he found a way to get through this one. He played the same way under pressure he did in 2012, and we all know how great a year that was for him.<br />
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Next up is Lukas Rosol, known for upsetting Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012. A guy like him is always dangerous but Fed should have no problem getting by him, which would likely set up a semifinal with defending champion and world #2 Novak Djokovic.<br />
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Keep going Roger.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-84417719736742248652014-01-27T15:34:00.003-05:002014-01-27T15:34:33.413-05:00Thoughts on the Australian OpenThat was quite a tournament, wasn't it?<br />
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The 2014 Australian Open was quite an unexpected Grand Slam, harking back to decades past where the results were a little more unpredictable than they have been in recent times.<br />
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We saw Ana Ivanovic defeat heavy favourite Serena Williams, returning Serena's serve as well as someone can. We saw the two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka upset by Agnieszka Radwanska, who put together a masterful display of shotmaking. We saw the rise of a future star in Eugenie Bouchard (who is now my favourite female player). A consistent top 20 player, Dominika Cibulkova, had the tournament of her life, and made the final. And Li Na put together a run of blistering form to win her second major title - it's hard to believe now that she was one point away from defeat in the first week.<br />
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On the men's side, the feature story was obvious - the rise of Stanislas Wawrinka. After losing in an excruciating 5-set marathon to Novak Djokovic last year, Stan went on to have a fantastic 2013, by making a Slam semi, making a Masters final, and qualifying for the Year-End Championships in London. However, coming into this major at #8 in the world, nobody would have foreseen what happened through the first major of the season.<br />
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Novak Djokovic failed to make the semifinals of a Slam for the first time since the French Open in 2010, as he fell in dramatic fashion to the "Stanimal," who finally prevailed 9-7 in the 5th set after losing twice in 5 sets to the Serb last year. It was a coming of age moment for the Swiss. Djokovic was looking for his 4th straight title in Australia, and now finds himself only having won two majors in the last 24 months.<br />
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Roger Federer had a successful tournament overall, even if the finish to it was a little underwhelming. After three straight Slams where he was knocked out before the semifinals, to make the final 4 after getting by Tsonga in the 4th round and Murray in the quarters is a step in the right direction. Though he encountered the same problems he always does against his greatest challenge, Nadal, the tournament has shown us that the new racquet and new coach, Edberg, were the right choices to make.<br />
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And then there was the final, the #1 player in the world, Rafael Nadal, vs heavy underdog Wawrinka, who had failed to take a set in their 12 previous meetings. Nobody could have guessed what would have happened on that Sunday night.<br />
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The Swiss juggernaut played an amazing first set, using his great power and aggressive mindset to take the play to the 2009 champion. The turning point came when Stan was serving for the set and he got down 0-40. He then won the next three points off of Nadal return errors (off 2nd serves no less) and he took the set. He broke in the very first game to take a commanding lead in the match, and then Nadal took a medical time-out and left the court for a back problem. When he returned he was greeted with boos, and he could barely serve the ball over the net as he was broken again and lost the 2nd set.<br />
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The fighting Spaniard took the 3rd with the help of a lapse in concentration by Stan, but in the 4th set the man born in Lausanne closed it out with a subdued reaction to his greatest triumph, in respect for Nadal and his injury problem.<br />
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I understand that Nadal has a history of taking MTO's at inopportune moments in order to try and regain control and momentum of a match. When part of the crowd was booing him, it was before they (and we at home) knew the severity of Rafa's back problems. He could hardly twist on his serve and he was arming all his groundstrokes and not moving for much. his body seemed to get better in the 3rd and 4th sets, but there is absolutely no doubt that the injuries were real, no matter what anyone thinks.<br />
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The important thing to take away from this is that Wawrinka was already up a set and a break before Rafa's movement was compromised. The way he was playing, and with the self-belief he had found, it is very likely he would have won even if Rafa was at 100%, as strange as that sounds.<br />
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Two weeks ago I wouldn't have believed you if you told me that Stan would have won this event. But that's tennis, and anything can happen. All those Nadal fans who gloated after his win over Federer because he was facing Wawrinka in the final were stunned by the outcome. Above all else, tennis has a new Grand Slam champion, and a very deserving one (he's 2nd only to Ivanisevic in number of Slams played before winning one). He is only the third man since the start of 2005 to win a major other than Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray, and he is the first player ever to beat Djokovic and Nadal in the same Slam.<br />
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Now, onto Federer.<br />
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Of course it's disappointing any time he loses a match, and we had high hopes for his semifinal against Nadal after his wins over Tsonga and Murray. He needed to win the first set and he did not. Nadal has such great confidence against Federer that going in front just makes him play even harder, and that spells trouble for Fed. Roger played well at times and poor in others, but it must be said that Rafa played a very solid match. Good serving, great returning, and consistent, deep baseline play - his tried and true formula for beating Roger.<br />
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I can't complain at all about the loss though. Sure, if Rafa had his back issue two days earlier Roger would have played Stan in the final and he may or may not have won, but I'm happy with the way things turned out. Wawrinka deserved the Slam title more than anyone else and Roger showed enough good in the event to show me that 2014 will be a good year for him if he stays healthy. The game is there, the motivation is there, the health just needs to be there.<br />
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Well, ta-ta.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-44159192147260288572014-01-23T17:20:00.000-05:002014-01-23T17:20:00.605-05:00Federer vs Nadal in AO SemifinalFor the 11th time in their illustrious rivalry, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet in a Grand Slam, where the Swiss will look to make his first Grand Slam final since winning his 17th at Wimbledon in 2012.<br />
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We all know that it will be an uphill battle for Federer against Nadal, as it always is, and it will certainly take an excellent performance to take out the man who has given him the most trouble in his career.<br />
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Federer is on a roll right now, taking out Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straights and Andy Murray in four sets. History has shown that Roger's previous match form doesn't count for much when the man on the other side of the net is Nadal, but I feel that this could be a different kind of match that the ones we have seen in the past.<br />
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Throughout this entire tournament Roger has been very aggressive, which can be summed up by the fact that he got to net 107 times in 7 sets against Tsonga and Murray. To get to net 66 times in 4 sets against Andy was quite unreal because of the Scot's counter-punching skills. Whether it's Stefan Edberg's influence or Roger just being confident with his game, this is a different Fed than the one we saw for the majority of last year.<br />
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If Federer and Nadal play at the same level, Rafa has the edge. In order for Fed to win the match, he'll need to be better - not necessarily throughout the whole match, but in the important moments that will decide the outcome (notably, break points for and against). Everyone knows that Nadal will try to implement his tried and true strategy of getting the ball high to Roger's backhand, where he can then control the centre of the court. Roger has to counteract that as much as possible by being aggressive, keeping the ball deep, and not giving Nadal short balls.<br />
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This is the big question for me. Will the bigger racquet make a difference for Roger? Will the added power on the serve help him win some more free points? Can the 8 added square inches assist him in taking all those shoulder-high backhands? Can the added pop on his forehand be a factor? The courts are a little bit faster this year so will that make a difference? Nadal has been playing with a bad blister on his hand which he says affects him on the serve. He may be playing without the tape but if the blister becomes an issue how will that affect the match? <br />
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I understand a lot of fans are skeptical about Roger's chances in the match and for good reason - he hasn't beaten Rafa in a Slam since 2007. I don't have unrealistic expectations and if he lost I'd still consider this tournament a success considering all that happened last year. But I have a feeling in my gut that this is Roger's time to turn the tables.<br />
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Good luck Roger. And congratulations to Stan Wawrinka for making his first Grand Slam final. Well deserved. The guy has worked so hard the last year and I wish him the best of luck in the final, whether it be against Roger or Rafa.<br />
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<br />Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-51203333927479899482014-01-20T08:17:00.000-05:002014-01-20T08:17:16.790-05:00Sharp Federer into AO QuartersWell well well, wasn't that a joy to watch as Federer fans? The Swiss Maestro put on an amazing performance in his blockbuster 4th round clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, winning 63, 7-5, 6-4 in very convincing fashion. In my estimation, it was the best match he has played since the Cincinnati final in 2012 against Djokovic.<br />
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Right from the start Roger was on point and broke in his first return game to take a 3-0 lead. He played some magnificent tennis throughout the whole set, and against Jo, he was 9-1 when winning the opening set in their head-to-head.<br />
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In the second set Tsonga started to raise his level on his own service games but could not make any dents on Federer's. In the 11th game Tsonga made some errors and Fed capitalized and rode to a smooth two set lead. With the early break in the 3rd he was in full control, and though Jo fought hard in the set to get back, garnering his only break point (which he missed a return) and Roger closed out comfortably to get a statement-making win.<br />
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I don't know what to say, really. Federer came to play and he was better than he's been in a very long time, especially against a player the calibre of Tsonga. His serving wasn't great, but his forehand and backhand were on fire, his movement was sharp, and perhaps most importantly of all, his gameplan was perfect. Any short to medium ball he received was attacked and followed to the net, which were decisive and crisp. The stats look amazing: 43 winners, 21 errors, 34/41 at the net, 88% first serves won and 69% second serves won.<br />
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A match like this definitely shows that the old guy still has what it takes to compete at the highest of levels. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: if he's healthy, he's still the best attacker in the game and capable of hurting anyone (including Nadal).<br />
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The addition of Stefan Edberg looks like it has worked wonders for his net game. Maybe not in the actual volley technique (which doesn't have to be worked on), but the tactics behind coming in; namely being decisive, and coming in behind a solid approach. These days passing is simpler than it ever has been before, but coming in behind a strong approach makes it a lot easier for the volleyer (as evidenced by this match).<br />
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In the quarterfinal awaits Andy Murray, who dropped a set to lucky loser Stephane Robert. Andy has only played a handful of matches since his surgery last fall but at the end of the day he is still Andy Murray and should be a very tough test.<br />
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Murray is a better mover, returner, passer, and defender than Tsonga, that is well known. But if Roger can employ his aggressive game once again, Andy could very well struggle with it. I don't think it's a must win match for Roger and I sort of feel about this one the same way I did about the match against Nadal two years ago here in Melbourne. Fed has shown us all that he still has the game to be a force, and even if he does lose a tight match to the Scot, the signs are still good for the rest of this year so long as he remains healthy.<br />
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Until the quarters,<br />
<br />
Kyle.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-83651073214103461162014-01-18T12:15:00.003-05:002014-01-18T12:15:39.634-05:00Federer into 13th straight AO 4th RoundRoger Federer was all business in the 3rd round as he swept aside big-hitting Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 to advance to his 13th consecutive Australian Open round of 16. The last time he failed to reach the 4th round was 2001.<br />
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Fed started off strong in the first, hitting 12 winners in the opening set to only 4 errors and he wrapped it up in 33 minutes (though he did face 15-40 in his opening service game). The second set was almost identical (11 winners to 4 errors) and it was won in 39 minutes. The third set was a little more error prone (10 errors) but he still got through the whole match with relative ease. He saved 5 break points and has now only been broken once in 9 sets of tennis.<br />
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Gabashvili has great power off the ground but his big weakness is the serve, which is an odd weakness for him to have since he's a fairly tall man. He gave Fed some trouble from the ground on occasions throughout the contest but he had no consistency to trouble Roger.<br />
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Next up for the Fed is the big match against Tsonga, who took out a tired Gilles Simon in straights. This is probably the hardest 4th round contest Federer will have since facing Tommy Haas at the French Open in 2009 (and before that, Haas at the Australian Open in 2006). The big Frenchman is in good form and it should be a very difficult match, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Roger play a good match and rise to the occasion - you have to think he needs to avoid going 5 sets if he wants to have any chance against Murray in the quarters. He'll need to serve well (the new frame should help), and he has to mix it up off the ground, like he does regularly against del Potro.<br />
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In other matches, Rafael Nadal cruised against Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in what on paper should have been a more competitive match. Andy Murray dismantled Feliciano Lopez after a slow start, and in one of the more entertaining matches of the day, Grigor Dimitrov took out Milos Raonic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(10) to make his first ever round of 16 in a major. The Bulgarian played fantastic tennis, hitting 49 winners to just 13 errors!<br />
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It should be a cracking encounter between Roger and Jo, and it's a shame it has to come so early in the tournament. A match like this should be a quarter or a semi. I expect Fed to bring his best and my prediction is that he will win in 4 tight sets 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-19940034428494378712014-01-16T17:00:00.000-05:002014-01-16T17:00:21.511-05:00Federer into third round at Australian OpenRoger Federer picked up some steam in the first week of the Australian Open with a solid 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(4) win over Slovenian Blaz Kavcic in the second round of the first major of the year.<br />
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If Federer started a little tentatively in his first round match, he came out guns a'blazing in this one and quickly got out to a dominant two set lead, only dropping three of 15 games. He was aggressive off the ground, firm on the return, and put his unique stamp on his opponent right from the first point.<br />
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In the third Roger's level dropped ever so slightly and Kavcic started to play a little better (9 of his 14 winners came in this set). A tiebreak was needed and Fed got down a mini-break but he stormed back to win 7 of the last 8 points to book his place in the third round.<br />
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The third set was worse than the first two, granted. But if you look at it this way, he hit 12 errors in 8 games in the first, and 17 errors in 12 games in the third (plus an 11-point tiebreak). Kavcic raised his level in that last set but Fed was still playing decently. <br />
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If I was Stefan Edberg I would be telling Fed that the way he played in the match is the blueprint for what he will need to do in this tournament to have success (and after this, for the whole season). The serve was clicking (76% in), he was aggressive off the ground and in approaching the net, and he was moving well (and when he is moving well, he remains more patient). Plus, he was more aggressive off the return, which helped him break frequently.<br />
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If Roger is going to beat Tsonga and Murray, he will need to serve well, take his chances off the ground when they are given, and he must return well. Now, to return well doesn't always mean hitting over the return, but it is vital to mix up hitting over the ball and slicing or chipping under it. Variety and unpredictability are Roger's two best friends right now in his career. This also applies to his baseline game. Over the course of a match he can't slug it out with Tsonga or Murray any longer from the back, but at the same time he can't charge the net every time he feels like it - those two are too good with passes, as are many in the game today. But knowing when to stay back and when to come in will help give him an advantage against those tougher foes. I believe he brought in Edberg to help with those kinds of tactical situations, since the Swede was the finest volleyer the game has ever seen.<br />
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Elsewhere in the draw, del Potro lost to Roberto Bautista Agut, so Nadal's chances of making the semifinals took a vertical raise. Rafa took out the young Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis in straights, but watch out for the youngster in the next 5 years.<br />
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Andy Murray won the final 23 points in his win over Frenchman over Vincent Millot, while there was more disappointment for the Aussie crowd as 18 year-old Nick Kyrgios lost a two-set lead to Benoit Paire and was defeated. The kid has a bright future.<br />
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As for Federer, he will face Teymuraz Gabashvili, who took out major under-achiever Fernando Verdasco in five sets. Fed should win in straights, but playing well is very important because Tsonga very likely awaits in the round of 16.<br />
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Til next time,<br />
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Kyle.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-85756464783419100552014-01-14T17:36:00.001-05:002014-01-14T17:36:40.764-05:00Federer starts well at Australian OpenRoger Federer played his first match with Swede legend and new coach Stefan Edberg in his box and it was smooth sailing as the Swiss defeated Australian James Duckworth 64 64 62 under immense heat on day two in Melbourne.<br />
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It was one of those matches where Roger just got the job done. With the heat being over 40 degrees Celsius, to get off the court in straight sets and not expending too much energy was important, especially in this tournament with a tough road ahead.<br />
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The first two sets were pretty similar, with Fed gaining one break and squandering multiple break chances. The third set was much simpler and he got the double break lead before serving it out. He only faced one break point the whole match, which he saved, but was only four of seventeen on his own break point chances.<br />
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Federer could have been much sharper in his return games, but credit has to be due to Duckworth however, who stood as wide as possible on the ad side to serve and continuously swung a kicker sideways into the Federer one-hander. Dealing with such an unorthodox serve (for singles anyway) is tough to deal with for anyone, but especially for a one-handed backhand. Roger had a tough time dealing with the lack of pace on the delivery and the only true way to get an advantage when returning that kind of serve is to go right down the line, which is a pretty low-risk shot attempt. It was a smart tactic by the Australian but Roger did improve his return of serve the longer the match went on.<br />
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Next up is Blaz Kavcic, who Fed has never played (though he has practiced with him). Kavcic took out Stepanek who would probably have been an easier opponent since him and Roger have played so many times before. Barring a colossal breakdown, Roger should win the match in straights and hopefully, he will improve on his first round form.<br />
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<i>Apologies for being absent during the offseason. I meant to write a few pieces here and there throughout December but I was working and I never found the time or energy for it. Besides that, I didn't really think about tennis all that much after the Davis Cup final - but I am back now and I can safely say my tennis fever is back! I hope all those reading this have had a good New Year so far</i> <i>and happy watching of the Australian Open.</i><br />
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<i>Kyle. </i>Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-52190845183751077462013-11-09T20:09:00.003-05:002013-11-09T22:42:13.548-05:00Fighting Federer prevails over Del PotroRoger Federer won a thriller against Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 in a match that the Swiss was behind in nearly the whole way. With the win Fed makes the semifinals of the Year-end Championship for the 11th time - the only time he didn't make it was 2008.<br />
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It was a bad start in this winner-moves-on contest, as Roger was broken in the first game. To make matters worse, he lost serve again and went down 5-1. He got one of the breaks back and forced Delpo to serve it out at 5-4, where he had break chances but couldn't convert.<br />
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It was another bad start in the second as he was broken in his second service game. This time however he didn't go down the double break and battled for a break back, and he was back in business. The set extended to a tiebreaker where Fed played some great tennis and closed it out with an ace.<br />
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Then, just as in the first two sets, Roger started disastrously in the third, getting broken yet again and in the blink of an eye he was three games from defeat with a 0 beside his name. But Roger Federer was not going down without a big fight, and boy did he give us a fight for the ages....<br />
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He got the break back to level at 3-3 and then had to serve to stay in the match at 4-5, which he did. He forced a break of serve and saved a break point of his own. Two points later, he fired an ace up the T for a huge victory that showed us all he still has the heart of a champion.<br />
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Despite being behind in all three sets, it actually wasn't a bad match statistically from Roger. 39 winners to 36 errors, 22/29 at the net, and 10 aces (to Delpo's 7). But it was certainly a match that will only be remembered by Fed's fighting spirit. He played this match as if it was a Grand Slam final - and after this hard season, I couldn't be happier as a fan to see him pick up this enormous victory in the fashion that he did. Winning in such a gutsy, scrappy style is more enjoyable for me to watch than to see him put on a clinic. Champions are made of matches like these, when your back is up against the wall and all you can do is fight. And he fought hard for sure, proven by the fact that he won 7 of the final 9 games after going down 3-0 in the decider.<br />
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6 months ago, Roger could not have won a match like this because his body would have broken down. But now, being as healthy as he's been all year, he defended like a much younger man, and displayed the brilliance we so often witnessed in his best years. I have said for a long time that when Fed is healthy, he is so much better off because he can remain patient and rely on his body to win the long, side-to-side, back-to-front (and back again) points.<br />
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I think his resilience gave the Argentine a lot of problems, because Fed forced him to hit one more ball, point after point, just as we would normally see from Nadal or Djokovic. Besides that, he used his slice backhand like a dream and approached the net often, to great success, hitting many beautiful volleys that are among the hardest shots to execute in the game.<br />
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In the semis Nadal waits for him, and without a day off it will be critical that bounce back strong because you know Rafa will just try to wear him down to test out his legs.<br />
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However, if this win doesn't give Roger a ton of confidence to go out there and play free, I don't know what will. And perhaps most importantly, he knows how to beat the Spaniard on this court, as he's done so twice before (and twice in Shanghai). He knows the game plan, and it's up to him to execute it. (The game plan as I see it: serve well, attack Nadal's backhand and hit short angled backhands of his own to the forehand side.)<br />
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Rafa is the favourite and for good reason, but Fed has a great chance to win. He must cut down on the lapses in concentration, but at the same time, he has to play with the same fire and spirit that he played with today against Delpo. It means the world to him to have won this match, and he needs to carry this momentum he has going to get ahead early and put some doubt into Rafa's mind.<br />
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This is your time Roger, we believe in you.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-55446537279535689912013-11-08T16:16:00.001-05:002013-11-08T16:16:04.528-05:00Federer Beats Gasquet in StraightsRoger Federer got his first win at the World Tour Finals over Richard Gasquet with a 64 63 win over the talented but underachieving Frenchman. It wasn't a masterclass performance by the Swiss Maestro but he got the job done in straight sets and that's what matters.<br />
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I won't go into great detail about the match but at a far glance all you need to know is that Federer served well, used his variety to keep Gasquet off guard, and was very efficient when approaching the net. He hit 29 winners to 30 errors but he outplayed his opponent and that's why he got the win.<br />
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Gasquet was once a very promising prospect and it's sad to see all that great talent go to waste. He has a smooth all-round game but a lot of that is wasted because he stands so far back. His backhand is world class but his forehand is merely average, as is his serve. His head also doesn't do him any favours in the big points, either.<br />
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I don't know what his coaches are telling him, but in this day and age you can't play the way he does unless you are a great defender like Monfils, Nadal, or Ferrer. When playing guys like Federer, Djokovic, and Rafa, getting pushed behind the baseline and giving them time to attack is a recipe for disaster. That's what happened in the match vs Roger - given time, Fed was able to work the ball around and didn't really feel rushed at all. His backhand even held up well against Gasquet's.<br />
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For Federer to advance to the knockout stages, he will need to beat Del Potro in his final round robin match. Any victory will guarantee him a spot in the semis where he would play Rafael Nadal.<br />
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Since it could be Fed's last match of the season, I expect he will give it his all. The win against the Argentine in Paris last week will help his confidence going into the match, and he certainly knows the game plan against the former US Open champion - keep him off balance with variety and serve well.<br />
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Best of luck Roger, your fans are with you.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-17930839782403593642013-11-06T11:01:00.001-05:002013-11-06T11:01:07.876-05:00Federer loses to Djokovic againRoger Federer lost to Novak Djokovic in three sets for the second time in four days, as he fell in his first round robin match at the World Tour Finals 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-2 in a match that could not be called high-quality, but was still competitive and dramatic for the majority.<br />
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Both players started out in fine form and the first set was solid. The difference ended up being the 9th game, where Federer had a break point and hit a forehand winner just inches off the line. Djokovic held, and Fed played a loose game, and bam, the set was "finis."<br />
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The world #2 broke in the opening game of the second, but Fed broke right back after a very uncharacteristic game from the Serb. Federer would then break again and served for the set at 5-4, but was unfortunately broken. He had his chances but Djokovic played some great defense when he had to on the big points in that game. The set went to a tiebreak and Fed reeled off five straight points to take the match to a decider. In that final set, Novak broke in the opening game and split the match open with a double break, and just like in Paris, he rode off to the victory without too much trouble.<br />
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The most important point of the match probably ended up being that break point Federer had at 4-4 in the first set. So close yet so far from potentially serving out the first set, and if he did that, he could have won in straights. Credit to Djokovic though, he raised his game in the third and wore Federer down.<br />
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That's the big difference between Roger now and a few years ago - he can't seem to raise his level with the snap of his fingers like he used to. Back then, if he was struggling he would just say "enough's enough" and changed gears to the point that he could just pull away. He was so good that he could do that. Now, with his loss of power and speed, he can't.<br />
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He doesn't have the finishing power to end points early against elite defenders like Djokovic, if he tries to win a baseline battle against Nole, he won't come out looking good. A few years ago he could easily hang with Novak from the baseline, now he can't. He needs his serve to be working to have a chance and he must take the opportunities on return when they come.<br />
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That's the other problem when it comes to facing Djokovic now. You give that man enough looks at a 2nd serve and he will hurt you dearly. Of course, he is also the best first serve returner in the world, but even now when Roger is getting a lot of first serves in play, he'll hold a lot of the time against a high quality returner like that, just because Fed can still spread the service box as well as anyone and keep returners off balance.<br />
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Even when he plays Del Potro, who is one of his toughest opponents these days, at least there is a specific gameplan that works very well in comparison to when he plays the Serb. Fed can outmaneuver the big guy from the baseline and obviously he's not anywhere near the defender Djokovic is. He can win more free points on his serve because he doesn't return as well.<br />
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When playing Nole, Fed is forced to go bigger than he feels comfortable with because of how hard it is to get the ball by him, and that's when the errors start piling up (Roger alluded to this in his press conference). Even if he isn't being barraged with attacks to his backhand, Djokovic defends so well that he can keep himself in points and eventually turn them around because his transition game is second to none.<br />
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The courts at the O2 Arena this year are a little slower, and that certainly makes matters worse in a match-up like this. Roger did a decent job of moving Novak around the court but he had a lot of trouble finishing the point. As I mentioned, Nole can just grind and grind until he forces an error from Fed, usually off the backhand side (or he gets a short ball and strikes).<br />
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Federer plays Richard Gasquet next, who lost to Del Potro in 3 sets. If Roger is on his game, he should win, but of course with Fed this year you never know. However, compared to Djokovic, he must see Gasquet as a big step down in quality. Roger won't have any problems getting past the Frenchman's average defending, can win more free points with his serve, and can take advantage of Richard's less than stellar serve to get into games and crank the pressure up. Needless to say it's a must win match if Roger wants a shot at getting past the group stage. I hope he brings his best.<br />
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Until Thursday (when Fed plays),<br />
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Kyle.<br />
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<br />Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-52255086177239682962013-11-02T21:48:00.001-04:002013-11-02T21:48:38.503-04:00Federer loses to Djokovic in BercyRoger Federer fell short against the red-hot Novak Djokovic, losing 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 against the current #2 in a match that was another step forward in the Swiss' road back to great form after a tough season.<br />
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Federer played a near perfect opening set, using his unmatched court craft and variety to keep Djokovic off balance, and he attacked the net frequently which paid great dividends. He brought out the slices, drop shots, and played his brand of precision tennis to great success. Djokovic didn't play a good set, but he does struggle against guys that can throw him off rhythm and Roger was doing just that. <br />
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He got off to a great start in the second, breaking in the first game. He couldn't consolidate however, and from then on Djokovic turned into the player he could be, and the momentum went his way the rest of the match. He served great, returned like the best returner in the world that he is, and hit his groundstrokes harder and deeper. And he cut out the unforced errors, making things even tougher on Federer. Basically, Roger imposed his game in the first set, and he won the set. In the second, Djokovic imposed his game on Federer, and he won. In the third, the energy seemed to drain out of Roger's body and it was all but over as the Serb played a fantastic set.<br />
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This was certainly a "good" loss for Federer if you believe in that, as I do. He took a set off the most in-form player in the world and he showed that he can still compete with the best in the world at 32 years of age. It was his 9th match in 12 days so maybe fatigue played a factor, probably more mental than physical as he was moving great out there.<br />
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His serve percentage dropped off after the first set, but that had a lot to do with Djokovic's returning, as he was dialed in from the end of the first set (the 5-4 game) to the end of the match. He also served a lot better in the last two sets and even though we rarely think of Novak's serve as a great shot, he has become deadly accurate and consistent with his delivery. Long gone are the days when he would serve more double faults than aces.<br />
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As for Roger, after the first he sort of abandoned his successful gameplan of slicing his backhand and attacking the net, but in his defense, it's hard to play that kind of tennis when you are facing consistent, deep hitting. As I said, Djokovic played the last two sets on his terms and that led to him winning 12 of the final 16 games.<br />
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All in all, everything is looking very positive after the last two weeks in Basel and Paris. I would say Fed is 85-90% back to his best level, and hopefully he puts it all together at the World Tour Finals and in a few months at the Australian Open. There are still some kinks to work out, like being more consistent on the serve and playing a game set in and set out that will lead to his success (basically the way he played in the first set). The good news is that he looks great physically - he's digging out forehands on the stretch, and is defending the width of the court impeccably well for his age. It has to be said that for the amount of matches the guy has played in his career, he still has better athleticism than most 25 year-olds on tour.<br />
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Looking forward to the World Tour Finals, preview coming up.<br />
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Until then.....<br />
<br />Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-83415079365379460322013-11-01T15:44:00.000-04:002013-11-01T15:44:10.501-04:00Federer beats Del Potro, into Paris semisRoger Federer ended a 3-match losing streak against Juan Martin del Potro with a solid 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win to place himself into the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Masters, where he will face Novak Djokovic for the first time this year.<br />
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Federer opened the proceedings with a trademark minute-long love hold service game. That was the first sign of sharp play, and he would break in the 4th game and in the next game he played a few genius points in a row, hitting a masterful stab volley winner and following it with two spectacular drop shots that the big Argentine didn't even chase after. A few games later he served it out to cap off a brilliant set of tennis.<br />
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How great was it? He hit 17 winners to 4 errors, and served at 77%, was 6/6 at the net, and only lost a few points on serve in 5 service games. It was arguably the best set he has played all season, or at least since the Australian Open.<br />
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The second set was more of the same, with Roger holding easily and Delpo battling to hang in there. To his credit, he did, and kept his nose in front until 4-5, when Fed slipped up a bit and that opening gave Delpo just enough leeway to break and win the set (or steal it, you could say). It was an odd way to end the set because up until that final game Federer was losing less than a point per service game. But as I said, credit to Delpo who stayed in it with some good play (and it needed to be good, because Fed was rolling).<br />
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In the third, they both held their first two service games, and then Roger got the break in the 5th. That edge wouldn't last long though as on the other side of the changeover Delpo broke back with a stunning forehand pass, and they were back even. But once again, not for long, as Roger broke back again, and he broke for a third consecutive time at 3-5 to seal the deal, his second win over a top 10 player this year and first over a top 5.<br />
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Federer played one of his best matches this season, maybe the best, and apart from a few blips, he was the better player throughout and was rewarded with a great victory. Del Potro looked a bit tired, which is understandable considering all the tennis he has played since the US Open (this was his 18th match) but I don't know if he would have won even if he was fresher. The Swiss was moving him around the court wonderfully and Delpo wasn't giving as many opportunities as he would have liked to sit back and pound forehand after forehand to Federer's backhand.<br />
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As for Roger, he is showing good form at the moment and appears to be hitting his stride before the World Tour Finals. He served today at 70% to go along with the 75% he served at against Kohlschreiber, and his improved efficiency on the delivery has certainly helped him win more matches lately. He's also looking very healthy and moving around the court as well as he was last year. Last but not least, he looks very motivated, and even when he drops an uncharacteristic game he isn't letting that get him down and he's going right back to business.<br />
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In the semis he'll play Djokovic who is undefeated since the US Open. Djokovic dismantled Stan Wawrinka 61 64 The world #2 is certainly the favourite in this one but with the way Roger is playing right now (and maybe more importantly, the way he is serving right now), it should be a very competitive match. If Fed loses I wouldn't be too disappointed, provided he puts in a good effort, and I think he will. This match is about judging where his form is against a very in-form player in Djokovic who is the favourite to win the World Tour Finals next week. It will take an amazing performance to take down the Serb and I'm certainly not expecting it, but I'm hoping to see a great match filled with wonderful shotmaking.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-59258399489094978102013-10-31T17:52:00.001-04:002013-10-31T18:22:59.678-04:00Federer Sails into Bercy QuartersRoger Federer booked a spot in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Masters with a smooth 6-3, 6-4 win over Philipp Kohlschreiber. In a seemingly rare occurrence this season, the Swiss wasn't broken and served a high first serve percentage of 75% en route to breaking once in each set to get the job done in just over an hour.<br />
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Federer plays Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals, and this will be their second meeting in 6 days, as the Argentine edged Federer in the Basel final last week. The big man came back from a set down to defeat Grigor Dimitrov.<br />
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Elsewhere, Stan Wawrinka and Richard Gasquet clinched their spots in the World Tour Finals when Milos Raonic lost to Tomas Berdych 7-6(13), 6-4. The Swiss #2 advanced with a win over Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-2 and Richard Gasquet clinically beat Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 also and set a new high for wins in a season with 50. Nice season Richard!<br />
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Novak Djokovic lost the opening set against John Isner in a tiebreak but played an extraordinary two sets to win 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-2 and David Ferrer bounced Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-3.<br />
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As for Federer, he looks like he's gaining confidence with each match and from what he has said, he is completely healthy. From what you can see with your own eye, he looks very good physically - moving quicker than earlier in the year and serving better, which indicates that his back is giving him no problems.<br />
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The match against Del Potro should be interesting. Roger will certainly be up to play as he was in Basel and if he can play as well as he did in that match he will have every opportunity to win the match, providing that he stays sharp and doesn't give away a service game or two like he did last week. Having only one win over a top 10 player all year, it would be nice to see him win and it would be a great boost before London.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-30068250743285615502013-10-30T18:11:00.003-04:002013-10-30T18:11:47.508-04:00Federer Qualifies for LondonRoger Federer secured his 12th consecutive appearance at the year-ending World Tour Finals, formerly Masters Cup, with a 6-4, 6-4 win over South African Kevin Anderson of the 2nd round of the BNP Paribas Masters.<br />
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Federer got a good start, breaking in the first game of the match, and then held serve the rest of the way to grab the first set. He started smoothly again in the second set, getting a double break and going up 5-1 before he ran into a little scare. Serving for the match at 5-2, he was broken by the big man on his 4th break point faced. On his second time serving out the match, he went down 15-40 but used his serve to bail him out of trouble and a few points later he won the match.<br />
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Overall, he was pretty solid except for the blip at the end of the match. Though to be fair to him, something clicked in Anderson's head after he went down 5-1 and he started playing much better. After playing poorly for much of the match, suddenly he was not missing and finding the range on his groundstrokes, and it looked like it took Fed by surprise.<br />
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Nevertheless, the South African could have been very dangerous and he showed at the end what kind of threat he could have posed had he been more solid throughout the whole match. Next up is Philipp Kolschreiber, who defeated Tommy Haas easily. Roger should win the match in straights but Kohli is a good player and can't be taken lightly.<br />
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And now, Roger has a spot in the World Tour Finals where he has 6 wins and two other finals in the last 10 years. Even though he only has one win over a top 10 player all season, coming in January, he has always played some of his best tennis at the event, especially in London, and he will surely be looking to finish the year on a strong note.<br />
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Onwards and upwards,<br />
<br />
Kyle.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-37187123000986060922013-10-28T23:14:00.003-04:002013-10-28T23:14:41.355-04:00Finally, a good week for FedererMaybe coming home was just what Roger Federer needed to try and find some good form.<br />
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Though the Swiss legend lost in the finals of the Swiss Indoors to Juan Martin del Potro in a tight, high quality 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-4 loss, it was his best tournament in months and he displayed some wonderful tennis as well as a gritty determination that has been lacking this year.<br />
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Before the tournament began, Federer had only been in 5 semifinals this season (Australian Open, Dubai, Rome, Halle, and Hamburg), and only 2 finals (Rome and Halle). He had lost many matches against players he was favoured to beat, and any time he got a little momentum, it slipped away with a bad loss, usually in an early round. But not this week, not in Basel.<br />
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The week started with a fairly routine win over Adrian Mannarino. Then he found himself in some trouble against the dangerous Denis Istomin, down a set. This time, the great champion didn't let another winnable match fall through his fingers, and he played a solid two sets to win the match.<br />
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The danger was far from over though, as his quarterfinal opponent was Grigor Dimitrov, who was on a roll and had just won his first career title in Stockholm, against a top 5 player in David Ferrer. In a highly anticipated match between the old and the new, the old guy came out on top, using his experience and court craft to upend the youngster.<br />
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The semifinal wasn't any easier; in fact, it proved to be much tougher, against a rising star in Vasek Pospisil, an explosive fresh face who broke through in the summer. The match started out great for the Swiss, but he lost concentration at the worst time, serving for the match, and he lost the second set. In the third, he threw away a service game but fought right back, and fought hard the rest of the way until he eventually won the match. It was the kind of contest he had been losing all year - and it followed many of the same patterns: play great in patches and then out of nowhere, the wheels fall off leaving his fans, and surely even himself, confused and disappointed. But he won this match and gave himself the chance to win his home tournament once more.<br />
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As aforementioned, he went up against Del Potro, who has been very in-form recently and could be seen as the 2nd best player on tour since the US Open. Given that the Argentine was in form and Federer had been struggling all year, most expected that the big man would win comfortably.<br />
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Del Potro won the match, but it sure was anything but comfortable. He took the first set in a tiebreak after a pair of lucky bounces - one when his shot hit the net and bounced over and the other one a few points later when Federer's shot hit the net and didn't. Roger didn't let losing the first set deter him, however, and he played one of his best sets of tennis all year, taking it 6-2. In the first game of the set he lost serve in a game he practically have away with a few double faults, and though Federer had a couple of break chances the next game, he was denied and Delpo played a great set the rest of the way to grab the title.<br />
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When all is said and done, it was a great week for Roger and he can take plenty of positives from it. He won two 3-set matches and he looked like the real Roger Federer against a top player in the prime of his career, and someone who has given him plenty of trouble the last few years. In the match, Fed was hitting cleaner and with more confidence - there were far fewer shanks and mishits than usual this season - and he was serving much better, especially from the deuce side where he had his serve up the T dialed in, and hit many aces with it. He kept up with Del Potro's big and consistent hitting, and he even defended quite well, showing that he was healthy. He also looked very energized and focused, which proves that he really wanted to win the title. Of course he didn't, but there really is nothing to feel bad about when looking back at this past week.<br />
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Up next is Paris where Fed needs one win to qualify for the World Tour Finals, and that win will need to come against Kevin Anderson or Mikhail Youzhny, the latter of whom took out David Ferrer in the Valencia final on Sunday. If Roger carries over the same form he showed in the final against Delpo, he should beat either of them, but of course nothing is a given. Even though it looks like Roger might be getting some of his form and confidence back, he has to be focused on keeping it.<br />
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If nothing else, doing well in Paris and the World Tour Finals will act as positive reinforcement heading into the offseason where he will be doing everything he can to prepare for what hopes to be a much better 2014 season. <br />
<br />Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-2220948040813959532013-10-26T23:49:00.003-04:002013-10-26T23:49:41.550-04:00Federer fights into Basel finalRoger Federer made things more difficult for himself than they had to be, but in the end he prevailed 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-5 against Canadian Vasek Pospisil in the semifinals of his home tournament in Basel. He will be chasing his 6th title at the event when he goes up against Juan Martin del Potro.<br />
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As was a trademark of Federer's in his glory days, the Swiss started fast and got an early break, which then led to a 5-3 lead when he got another one to close out the set. So far, so good. He carried that momentum into the second set and he broke in the 8th game to serve for the match, but that's when the wheels started to fall off. He was broken and basically let the Canadian right back in the match. The set went to a tiebreak and Pospisil played a solid one while Roger did not. One set apiece when Fed and the whole Swiss crowd must have felt the match should have been over.<br />
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In the fourth game of the deciding set, things were going smoothly for Roger, taking a 40-0 lead on his serve. And then he played a catastrophic 5 points to lose serve, and you began to feel that maybe it just wasn't his day.<br />
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But then he broke back to love.<br />
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A few games later, at 3-4, Roger needed to save a break point and did so, and then he turned up the pressure at 5-5 on the Canadian's serve and he eventually managed to break after a long game. He served out the match in tense fashion, but his final serve wasn't returned, and he won the match to get himself into only his 3rd final of this almost-complete season.<br />
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It was one of those great "ugly" wins that Roger has had over the years, and watching it live was very tense to watch as a fan. The first half of the match was pretty smooth and Fed was playing good tennis, and then he really had to fight in the 3rd set to pull through. It seemed like he wasn't just battling Pospisil out there on court, but his own mind as well. He looked unsure of what shot to hit on many occasions and time after time he hit 2nd serve returns right in the centre of the court for Pospisil to hit into a corner. No doubt he's still low on confidence and trying to get himself on the right track, and this week is a big step in the right direction with a few hard-fought victories that he won without playing his best.<br />
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So the final is a rematch of last year's, Federer vs del Potro. Every time these two have met Roger has been the favourite but not this time - the Argentine has been on quite a roll since losing early at the US Open, winning the title in Tokyo and making the final of the Shanghai Masters, beating Nadal in the semis and losing in three to Djokovic.<br />
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If I was a betting man, my money would go on the big guy, but I know enough that you can never count Roger out. It's a different match and a different day, and he could come out flying and confident, or he could come out flat and tired. Whatever happens, I consider this to be a very successful week for Fed, and there is no shame in losing to Delpo who is basically in the prime of his career.<br />
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Hopefully it will be a good match,<br />
<br />
Kyle.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-50517931766966486522013-10-25T22:37:00.000-04:002013-10-25T22:37:22.633-04:00Federer beats Dimitrov, into semisRoger Federer scored a big win over 22 year-old Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 7-6(2) that launched him into the semifinals of a tournament for only the 6th time this season. <br />
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Roger started off in shaky fashion, going down 0-40 on his first service game but he fought to hold serve and not go down the early break that has been so regular this year. He couldn't get into the first three Dimitrov service games but after a love hold in the 5th game, the Swiss tightened the screws, getting the break at 3-3 and then the double break to close out the set.<br />
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In the second, one bad service game that featured a couple double faults cost Roger his serve. Skip ahead to later in the set, down 3-5, Fed saved a few set points and then broke back when Dimitrov missed an overhead. At 5-5, the Bulgarian went down 0-30 but to his credit fought back and forced a tiebreak. The most successful tiebreak player ever gained a quick mini-break and went up 5-2 before serving the match out.<br />
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It wasn't a classic performance by any means, but it was a win Federer needed. He fought hard, and apart from the one gaffe in the 2nd set, played a mentally solid match. Midway through the first set he started to find his range on his groundstrokes and showed glimpses of the real Roger, the one who plays freely without fighting his mind. Dimitrov did choke a little bit at the end of the 2nd set, but you know Fed took that gladly and it helped him cross the finish line.<br />
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Next up is Vasek Pospisil in the semis and the winner of that will very likely play del Potro in the final, who takes on Roger-Vasselin in the semis, the guy who took out Wawrinka. If all goes well, we will see a rematch of last year's final. But first things first, and that's Pospisil, who is no slouch and has the ability to hurt the Fed.<br />
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Onwards and upwards,<br />
<br />
Kyle.Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567202914637300588.post-52126030413926550572013-10-24T18:52:00.000-04:002013-10-24T20:07:39.428-04:00Federer vs Dimitrov in Dream Match-UpOn Friday, the tennis world will finally see a match that has been anticipated for a long time - Roger Federer vs Grigor Dimitrov.<br />
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The Bulgarian rising star has basically modeled his game around Federer, and a match between the Swiss Maestro and the one that is called "BabyFed" will finally take place in the quarterfinals of the Swiss Open in Basel.<br />
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Dimitrov has been on a roll lately, as he won his first career title last week in Stockholm, beating David Ferrer in the final. The 22 year-old could finally be living up to his potential and it should be a fun encounter between two very talented shotmakers. With one on the rise and one on the decline, you know the young Dimitrov will want to get that win over the legend who inspired his game.<br />
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Federer's first two matches weren't great, beating Adrian Mannarino in straight sets and taking out Denis Istomin in three. In both those matches he showed hiccups that have plagued him all year, getting broken at inopportune times and losing sets because of it. The good news is that he played two very good sets against Istomin and after saving multiple some break points early in the 3rd set, he went on to play some scintillating tennis.<br />
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There is no doubt that Federer's confidence has been low - we have known that for months now. The only way to get confidence back is to win. Gaining good form is a process and doesn't just happen in one match out of the blue, and carrying momentum from one match to another helps to keep the positivity flowing. This year, that hasn't happened. Roger's longest winning streak has been 5 matches and he has played in only five semifinals all season. Every time he gets some momentum going, it gets stopped with an unfortunate or uncharacteristic loss.<br />
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He has admitted that he made some mistakes with his scheduling, like choosing to play on in Indian Wells instead of withdrawing, and playing Hamburg and Gstaad after his heartbreaking Wimbledon defeat to Sergiy Stakhovsky.<br />
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Knowing Federer, he will be very motivated to win this match as he always enjoys playing the young guys (see all his matches with Raonic and Tomic). Dimitrov is playing well now, but if Roger plays the way we know he can, he should win. He has to guard against those lapses in concentration where he plays a bad service game, because on the flip side, Dimitrov will be extremely motivated to win (though everyone wants to get a win over Roger to tell their grandkids). <br />
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Hope for a great match, and this...<br />
<br />
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<br />Kyle Johansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00593498428814184048noreply@blogger.com0