Roger 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Federer into third round at Australian Open
Roger 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Til next time,
Kyle.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Til next time,
Kyle.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Federer starts well at Australian Open
Roger 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 and happy watching of the Australian Open.
Kyle.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 and happy watching of the Australian Open.
Kyle.
Saturday, November 09, 2013
Fighting Federer prevails over Del Potro
Roger 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.
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.
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.
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....
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
This is your time Roger, we believe in you.
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.
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.
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....
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
This is your time Roger, we believe in you.
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