Roger Federer must forgive me - I missed his absolute beatdown of Tomas Berdych in the Paris Masters semifinals. Roger won the match 64 63 in fine fashion, completely destroying Tomas in superb Federer form. For Roger, getting to the final in Bercy means that he has now made the final in EVERY Masters 1000 event - Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris. Congrats Roger! It is quite outstanding that Roger keeps breaking records and is still able to play elite tennis at this stage in his career. His consistency is unmatched in the game of tennis, and in all honesty, many of his records will be very difficult to break.
As for the match itself, I literally only saw the final two points. I could not believe it when I woke up to find that I had missed the entire match. Believe me, I was devastated, but I was also very relieved to find out that Roger had manhandled Berdych the way he did. I was confident that Roger was going to win anyways, but Berdych has always given him trouble throughout his career and with the patch he was on post-USO, anything could have happened. Roger showed his very best tennis however and never gave Berdych a chance to get into the match. I so very much look forward to watching the match tomorrow in full high definition so I can witness the glory first hand. It should be beautiful.
When Roger is showing that kind of form, he is still the best player in the world and undoubtedly the most talented, even at 30 years old. Roger is so dangerous right now because he has something to prove, not only to himself, but to the doubters who think he will never have success again. He absolutely loves holding back the younger, stronger foes and showing him why he is the all-time Grand Slam singles champion. He is also gaining momentum for the start of 2012 by playing lethal tennis at the end of the year, just as he did last year when he won Stockholm, Basel, and the World Tour Finals. Likewise this year, he could finish the year with wins in Basel, Paris, and the World Tour Finals, especially if he continues playing the lethal tennis that he has played recently.
In the other semifinal, Jo-Willy Tsonga defeated John Isner after saving three match points at 5-6. Tsonga won the match in the end, but Isner can't be too disappointed with the result. He had a great tournament and turned in his first ever Masters semifinal. I like Isner a lot, but it is sometimes frustrating to watch him. He has such an amazing serve and wins so many service games so easily that he takes his big weapon for granted. Though he has improved wonderfully in all other aspects of his game, he is still a very inconsistent player from the ground, at the net, and on returns. He also cannot move for many balls while he is in a rally because his height causes him to be relatively immobile. Of course with his size he won't get to as many balls as the regular-sized players on tour, but sometimes he just gives up free points, and that hurts him. Having said all this, I wish Isner much success in 2012 and hope that he can finally push through to a great run at one of the Slams. He is a good kid that I believe just needs to find his way, and maybe adapt a better work ethic to the other parts of his game.
So the final is set: Federer vs Tsonga. The crowd was very crazy and loud in Tsonga's win over Isner, but I highly doubt it will be like that for the final. The French crowd has so much respect for Roger, and he will get his fair share of admiration from the audience. Roger is the fresher of the two, but Jo will have all the adrenaline flowing and he will try to engage the crowd as quickly as possible. Roger must start fast and not give Jo or his fans any hope of winning the match, exactly like he did against Berdych (though Berdych had few fans in that match). The bottom line is, it will be fantastic match with two fantastic indoor players in Federer and Tsonga. I expect a close match, but I think Fed will prevail 64 36 64 in the end.
PS - quick indoor courts rule. I love the clean hitting, the ripping winners, the stunning reflexive defense, the accurate, fast serving, and the fact that playing conditions remain the same no matter what. The thing I hate in tennis the most is the changing weather that can affect your game. Just recently I lost a match that I should have won just because the wind screwed up my game. But anyways, back to talking about indoors....I wish there were more indoor tournaments, or AT LEAST, more tournaments played on faster courts. Fast-court tennis is exciting, fast, skillful, and it really brings out the best in the most talented players. Gruelling baseline tennis is boring.
Double PS - if Roger had played in the 90s he would have had more than 16 Slams, because every surface barring clay was fast as lightning. Imagine having a year's schedule of fast courts in 2012? Roger would undoubtedly be the best player and all the counterpunching baseliners would be at a total loss.
But enough of that talk, there is a final tomorrow. GO ROGER!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Paris QF - RF wins 800th Career Match!
On Friday, in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters, Roger Federer defeated Juan Monaco 63 75 to reach the Paris semifinals, but more importantly, he won his 800th career match! Before I say anything else, I want to underline how big an achievement this is. For one, he is only the SEVENTH player in the Open Era to win 800 matches, and Roger stands with some great company in there. Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and Stefan Edberg stand in front of him. Edberg has 806 match wins, so Roger could very well pass him by the end of 2011. Looking further ahead, Roger could even go onto pass Vilas' mark of 923 to become third all-time in match wins. It all depends on how long Roger plays really, but if he has the motivation and the will to keep playing for another three years, he could certainly rack up 124 more wins and pass Vilas. Of course, Fed has more important goals right now, like the World Tour Finals, the four Slams next year, and winning an Olympic gold, but keep this in the back of your head, will ya Roger?
As for the quarterfinal match itself, Roger was very average. He got down a break early, but broke back and won 5 straight games from 3-1 down to take the first set 6-3. The second set was closer and Monaco fought valiantly, but Roger got the break in the eleventh game to go up 6-5 and then consolidated it to take it 7-5. Overall, it was most certainly not a great match by any means, but a win is a win. Fed wasn't sharp at all from the baseline (although some of those half-volley pickups I couldn't even dream of hitting), but the Maestro's serve and net play helped him win the match. At this point in Roger's career, he has played so many matches that it is completely understandable for him to be off his game on some of them. He also knows better than anyone else on tour how to schedule himself appropriately so that he reaches his peak performance at the right time, namely at the final weekend of tournaments. With how many routine victories Roger has had since 2004 when he started dominating the tour, a win is a win for him no matter how he gets it done.
Since Basel, Roger's serve has been outstanding, winning him many free points and helping him hold easily. And especially against Monaco, Roger came to the net on countless occasions and consistently won the points up there. Fed has always been great at the net, especially in his early days, but ever since Annacone joined him, he has made the effort to attack a lot more and take the points on his own initiative. This is very good as Roger ages, where he will not want to get caught in long baseline rallies which will wear him out.
OK, onto the other days action....
Novak Djokovic withdrew from his QF match against Tsonga, which is in my opinion a selfish move on his part. Novak basically told all of us that he only came to Paris to pick up a paycheck, and that shows a complete lack of respect not only to his opponent, Tsonga, but also to the fans, who paid good money to see the number one player in the world work at his craft. So he had a shoulder injury, big deal. If it was that bad in the first place, he shouldn't have played in the tournament. In typical Djokovic fashion, he proved that he is an entire staircase beyond Roger and even Rafa in the respect and class department. As much as I hate Rafa sometimes, he didn't play in Paris because he knew that he wouldn't be able to give it his all. Very respectable. Novak, on the other hand, came for the money and got out quick like a coward. Perhaps more to the point, how will Djokovic's shoulder affect his play in the World Tour Finals? Logic dictates that he will have more problems with it in the first few matches there, and it could cost him the chance to defend his semifinal points from last year should things get really bad. All in all, Djokovic only hurt himself by risking more injury in Paris. He didn't need to play this tournament.
John Isner defeated David Ferrer 63 36 63 and made his first Masters semifinal, so for that I say congratulations. He plays Tsonga in the semis, who received a walkover from Nole's withdrawal. Tsonga will be fresher, but I have seen first hand what having a walkover can do to a player's game. Their rhythm gets out of sync and they cannot handle the ball the same way. It will be interesting to see how the match goes. I expect a competitive contest either way.
On the other side of the draw, Tomas Berdych defeated Andy Murray in three sets in a three hour plus long match. Good win for Berdych I say, but Murray was primed to lose if you ask me. Not only is he preparing viciously to break through in London, he has already had loads of success post-USO and didn't need any more match prep. Berdych is in good form I guess, but I still don't know how he is #6 in the world. The China Open win certainly had a lot to do with it, but what the heck has he done the rest of the year?
On semifinal Saturday we have two exciting matches: Tsonga vs Isner, and Federer vs Berdych. Personally, I want to see a Federer/Isner final, but I fully well understand that with the circumstances, we could see a Berdych/Tsonga final, which is quite frankly more likely, unfortunately. Berdych always ups his game against Roger, and Fed will need to be sharp as a razor. Isner should give Jo a test but Tsonga has the home crowd behind him and should feed off of that towards the win.
Go Roger! Teach Big Berd a lesson and make your first Paris final! You know Rog, it would really help your confidence, AND, you would gain points too in the rankings! So try to win, okay Feddy?
As for the quarterfinal match itself, Roger was very average. He got down a break early, but broke back and won 5 straight games from 3-1 down to take the first set 6-3. The second set was closer and Monaco fought valiantly, but Roger got the break in the eleventh game to go up 6-5 and then consolidated it to take it 7-5. Overall, it was most certainly not a great match by any means, but a win is a win. Fed wasn't sharp at all from the baseline (although some of those half-volley pickups I couldn't even dream of hitting), but the Maestro's serve and net play helped him win the match. At this point in Roger's career, he has played so many matches that it is completely understandable for him to be off his game on some of them. He also knows better than anyone else on tour how to schedule himself appropriately so that he reaches his peak performance at the right time, namely at the final weekend of tournaments. With how many routine victories Roger has had since 2004 when he started dominating the tour, a win is a win for him no matter how he gets it done.
Since Basel, Roger's serve has been outstanding, winning him many free points and helping him hold easily. And especially against Monaco, Roger came to the net on countless occasions and consistently won the points up there. Fed has always been great at the net, especially in his early days, but ever since Annacone joined him, he has made the effort to attack a lot more and take the points on his own initiative. This is very good as Roger ages, where he will not want to get caught in long baseline rallies which will wear him out.
OK, onto the other days action....
Novak Djokovic withdrew from his QF match against Tsonga, which is in my opinion a selfish move on his part. Novak basically told all of us that he only came to Paris to pick up a paycheck, and that shows a complete lack of respect not only to his opponent, Tsonga, but also to the fans, who paid good money to see the number one player in the world work at his craft. So he had a shoulder injury, big deal. If it was that bad in the first place, he shouldn't have played in the tournament. In typical Djokovic fashion, he proved that he is an entire staircase beyond Roger and even Rafa in the respect and class department. As much as I hate Rafa sometimes, he didn't play in Paris because he knew that he wouldn't be able to give it his all. Very respectable. Novak, on the other hand, came for the money and got out quick like a coward. Perhaps more to the point, how will Djokovic's shoulder affect his play in the World Tour Finals? Logic dictates that he will have more problems with it in the first few matches there, and it could cost him the chance to defend his semifinal points from last year should things get really bad. All in all, Djokovic only hurt himself by risking more injury in Paris. He didn't need to play this tournament.
John Isner defeated David Ferrer 63 36 63 and made his first Masters semifinal, so for that I say congratulations. He plays Tsonga in the semis, who received a walkover from Nole's withdrawal. Tsonga will be fresher, but I have seen first hand what having a walkover can do to a player's game. Their rhythm gets out of sync and they cannot handle the ball the same way. It will be interesting to see how the match goes. I expect a competitive contest either way.
On the other side of the draw, Tomas Berdych defeated Andy Murray in three sets in a three hour plus long match. Good win for Berdych I say, but Murray was primed to lose if you ask me. Not only is he preparing viciously to break through in London, he has already had loads of success post-USO and didn't need any more match prep. Berdych is in good form I guess, but I still don't know how he is #6 in the world. The China Open win certainly had a lot to do with it, but what the heck has he done the rest of the year?
On semifinal Saturday we have two exciting matches: Tsonga vs Isner, and Federer vs Berdych. Personally, I want to see a Federer/Isner final, but I fully well understand that with the circumstances, we could see a Berdych/Tsonga final, which is quite frankly more likely, unfortunately. Berdych always ups his game against Roger, and Fed will need to be sharp as a razor. Isner should give Jo a test but Tsonga has the home crowd behind him and should feed off of that towards the win.
Go Roger! Teach Big Berd a lesson and make your first Paris final! You know Rog, it would really help your confidence, AND, you would gain points too in the rankings! So try to win, okay Feddy?
Friday, November 11, 2011
Paris Rd. 3 - RF defeats Gasquet 62 64
Roger picked up another routine victory in the 3rd round of the Paris Masters as he soundly defeated Richard Gasquet 62 64. It was very much like the match these two had last year in Paris, where Roger also won easily in straight sets. It is nice to see Roger feeling confident in his game. I still don't think there is a player as good as Roger when he is in full flow like he has been since Basel. His variety is unmatched and his knowledge, experience, and guile just give him an added edge that he uses to his advantage in this late stage in his career.
Roger next plays Juan Monaco in the quarterfinals, whom if you remember, Roger obliterated at the US Open a few months ago. It should be a straightforward match for Federer, and he should book a semifinal spot for the second straight year in a row in Paris after never having made the semis previously here. Good progress, really. Monaco is certainly a better opponent than Mardy Fish, who would be uber dangerous on this court against Roger, and it would probably be similar to the Cincinnati final from last year.
In other action yesterday, Andy Murray got through Andy Roddick with exceptional ease, though that is probably more that Roddick is far past his prime than anything else. As a fan of Roddick, I always enjoy watching him play, especially now in the twilight of his career. On the other side, Djokovic barely got through countryman Viktor Troicki once again. There is definitely something about Djokovic in that Troicki never wants to put his foot down and beat him. He had the glorious chance to last year at the US Open and failed, and it was similar here. I guess the dynamic is similar to the one that Wawrinka has with Federer, but even in that case, Stan has a win over Roger from Monte Carlo 2009.
As I'm writing this on Friday morning, Novak Djokovic pulled out of Paris, meaning that Tsonga gets through to the semis without lifting his racket. Jo now plays either Isner or Ferrer in the semifinals. On the other side, Andy Murray lost to Tomas Berdych in a close three-setter. I will speak more about Djokovic and Murray in my next post summing up the quarterfinal action, though.
Anyways, Roger looks for his 800th career match win against Monaco, and I hope he can get it done. It would be quite the massive achievement!
Roger next plays Juan Monaco in the quarterfinals, whom if you remember, Roger obliterated at the US Open a few months ago. It should be a straightforward match for Federer, and he should book a semifinal spot for the second straight year in a row in Paris after never having made the semis previously here. Good progress, really. Monaco is certainly a better opponent than Mardy Fish, who would be uber dangerous on this court against Roger, and it would probably be similar to the Cincinnati final from last year.
In other action yesterday, Andy Murray got through Andy Roddick with exceptional ease, though that is probably more that Roddick is far past his prime than anything else. As a fan of Roddick, I always enjoy watching him play, especially now in the twilight of his career. On the other side, Djokovic barely got through countryman Viktor Troicki once again. There is definitely something about Djokovic in that Troicki never wants to put his foot down and beat him. He had the glorious chance to last year at the US Open and failed, and it was similar here. I guess the dynamic is similar to the one that Wawrinka has with Federer, but even in that case, Stan has a win over Roger from Monte Carlo 2009.
As I'm writing this on Friday morning, Novak Djokovic pulled out of Paris, meaning that Tsonga gets through to the semis without lifting his racket. Jo now plays either Isner or Ferrer in the semifinals. On the other side, Andy Murray lost to Tomas Berdych in a close three-setter. I will speak more about Djokovic and Murray in my next post summing up the quarterfinal action, though.
Anyways, Roger looks for his 800th career match win against Monaco, and I hope he can get it done. It would be quite the massive achievement!
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Paris Rd. 2 - RF defeats Mannarino 62 63
Roger started off his week in Paris by soundly defeating lefty Adrian Mannarino 62 63 in under an hour. It was a routine performance from the Fedster, but I always say that a win over a left-handed player is a good win for Roger, as they can more easily access Roger's backhand. The win was also good preparation for Richard Gasquet in the 3rd round, who already holds a victory over Roger in 2011, from Rome earlier this year. I believe Roger will win in straight sets as he did last year against Gasquet, but it will not be easy, as Richard will be motivated to play well at home.
The popular topic in Paris this week is the changing of the courts. They have slowed them down from last year, in which they were imperiously fast. Changing to a slower court obviously helps the counterpunchers such as Murray, Djokovic, and Monfils, but Roger has said that he likes the way the courts are playing because they help him get more cut on his slice, which is a great advantage for him. All in all, it seems as if Roger is really motivated to win here in Paris, and fully understands how important a strong finish to 2011 could be in starting off 2012 with a bang. A win in Paris would do wonders to his confidence heading into London, with it being the one title that has always eluded him.
Djokovic and Murray got through easily, and Novak received his $1.8 million bonus for appearing. However, Nole must be extremely careful because the last thing he wants is more problems with his shoulder that could damage his chances of winning his 2nd Masters Cup/World Tour Finals/whatever you want to call it these days. Murray looked fine and just verified my suspicions that he withdrew from Basel because he didn't feel like playing after having a busy Asian swing.
Looking forward to the rest of the week, and hopefully seeing Federer lift the trophy on Sunday!
The popular topic in Paris this week is the changing of the courts. They have slowed them down from last year, in which they were imperiously fast. Changing to a slower court obviously helps the counterpunchers such as Murray, Djokovic, and Monfils, but Roger has said that he likes the way the courts are playing because they help him get more cut on his slice, which is a great advantage for him. All in all, it seems as if Roger is really motivated to win here in Paris, and fully understands how important a strong finish to 2011 could be in starting off 2012 with a bang. A win in Paris would do wonders to his confidence heading into London, with it being the one title that has always eluded him.
Djokovic and Murray got through easily, and Novak received his $1.8 million bonus for appearing. However, Nole must be extremely careful because the last thing he wants is more problems with his shoulder that could damage his chances of winning his 2nd Masters Cup/World Tour Finals/whatever you want to call it these days. Murray looked fine and just verified my suspicions that he withdrew from Basel because he didn't feel like playing after having a busy Asian swing.
Looking forward to the rest of the week, and hopefully seeing Federer lift the trophy on Sunday!
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