US Open, Flushing Meadows, NY USA - Grand Slam (Men)

[Busted]

Wow, nasty thread. I don't really want to join the shit-slinging, but I do have a question for Carol. Amidst all of the flying feces, I am unclear about something: Do you actually think that Roger is not at least somewhat hurting?

Darren Cahill just said flat-out on ESPN that he think's Roger's still injured, deflecting question and trying not to talk about it. He's just sucking it up and playing. John McEnroe also had a great point not just about Roger playing injured but Youzhny as well - younger guys like Dimitrov and Kyrgios need to watch that match and learn. A guy who's won more Slams than any other man in history gutted out and fought for 2 five setters while injured and without his best game. And yet those other guys can't dig deeper? That's why they've never won anything and probably never will. They're a bunch of wusses.

 

[Busted]

I watched a handful of games. The patchiness and the ugliness is not sustainable.

Oh ye of little faith. :lulz2: It's a good thing Roger is a big believer in the power of positive thinking because he he said in the press conference snippet ESPN showed that he thinks his game will pick up as the rust wears off. We Fed Fans will just have to hope that it happens here at the US Open and NOT at the Laver Cup...

 

[Busted]

Hate to agree but it seems to be the case. If Grigor couldn't make a run here it's never happening. Given the state of Fed and everyone else missing I feel like what should've been a QF with Rafa may have almost felt like a final especially if Cilic doesn't make it from the bottom half.

People have been waiting for years for some younger player to step up and win a Slam and put the over-30s out to pasture - and it just never seems to happen. Now there's a handful of 18-20 something who seem to recognize what a great opportunity this is and are trying to step up their games. They don't have to be 3 of the top 4 to win. The way Roger and Rafa are playing if they even have to beat 1 of the top 4 it'll be a miracle.

On another note I've always had a soft spot of DelPo and I'd love to see him step up and make more of his comeback than he's shown this far. He's too good a player to be ranked in the 28-35 range.

 

[El Dude]

Busted, couldn't a lot of that have been said about Cilic before he won the USO? Meaning, he was a bit of an underachiever and no one thought he was a serious candidate to win, or would ever pull everything together. But he did. Similarly with Wawrinka.

This is not to say that I would bet on Grigor pulling a Marin--let along Stanimal--but that he could. But chances are it won't happen.

 

[DarthFed]

Oh ye of little faith. :lulz2: It's a good thing Roger is a big believer in the power of positive thinking because he he said in the press conference snippet ESPN showed that he thinks his game will pick up as the rust wears off. We Fed Fans will just have to hope that it happens here at the US Open and NOT at the Laver Cup...

I saw the interview and though Roger is saying his game needs to pick up it's really his health he's talking about and it's unlikely it's going to get better while he plays best of 5 set matches every other day. That's why I took it with a big grain of salt when he was saying the back is fine. He clearly isn't close to healthy.

Assuming he loses in the next round or 2 I hope he does the smart thing and pulls the plug on the season if Rafa wins this tournament as he clearly should. The only thing worth fighting for after the USO is #1 and he has no chance for it if Nadal wins this event.

 

[El Dude]

If he is somewhat hurting I don't understand why he is playing because by logic that discomfort can get worse and more in his age. He said a few days ego that he was perfectly well, if he is then it's ok but if he is not then he is just hurting himself. According to some posters he is not moving and playing well in both matches he has played and that's why I'm saying if he is hurted he should take more time to heal whatever is his back issue and I don't understand why his fans can be offended about something so logic and elemental

From what I've gathered from skimming the thread, Fedfans are "offended" by your implication that he's not actually injured, when the score and play on court says likewise. I didn't watch the match, but based upon the score alone--that Roger lost two sets after losing only four in sixteen previous matches--speaks to something else going on, and given that we know he's had some back pain it is the obvious conclusion.

So unless I'm mistaken, no one is offended that you think he should rest up if he's injured. It is the idea that he might not be injured at all, which wouldn't make sense at all.

Anyhow, we won't know what is really going on with Fed until after the tournament. But it seems like he's hurt and hoping that he can play through it, and hopefully be feeling 99.9% by the time he gets to Rafa.

It may also be that he's mainly just rusty because of his injury, so what we're seeing is him playing erratically as he works off the rust. We'll know more on Saturday. If he is healthy, he'll beat Lopez quite handily; if he plays like he did today, he's out of the tournament.

 

[the AntiPusher]

People have been waiting for years for some younger player to step up and win a Slam and put the over-30s out to pasture - and it just never seems to happen. Now there's a handful of 18-20 something who seem to recognize what a great opportunity this is and are trying to step up their games. They don't have to be 3 of the top 4 to win. The way Roger and Rafa are playing if they even have to beat 1 of the top 4 it'll be a miracle.

On another note I've always had a soft spot of DelPo and I'd love to see him step up and make more of his comeback than he's shown this far. He's too good a player to be ranked in the 28-35 range.

Busted I doubt if JMDP's wrist is 75% of what it was in 2009. It's probably a pure miracle that he was able to return to the tour and play as well as he has..Also, I think fitness is a major factor to why he hasn't been able to go late into the forthnight of slams.

 

[the AntiPusher]

From what I've gathered from skimming the thread, Fedfans are "offended" by your implication that he's not actually injured, when the score and play on court says likewise. I didn't watch the match, but based upon the score alone--that Roger lost two sets after losing only four in sixteen previous matches--speaks to something else going on, and given that we know he's had some back pain it is the obvious conclusion.

So unless I'm mistaken, no one is offended that you think he should rest up if he's injured. It is the idea that he might not be injured at all, which wouldn't make sense at all.

Anyhow, we won't know what is really going on with Fed until after the tournament. But it seems like he's hurt and hoping that he can play through it, and hopefully be feeling 99.9% by the time he gets to Rafa.

It may also be that he's mainly just rusty because of his injury, so what we're seeing is him playing erratically as he works off the rust. We'll know more on Saturday. If he is healthy, he'll beat Lopez quite handily; if he plays like he did today, he's out of the tournament.

Feli is gonna be more interested in if his hair is in place than trying to beat Roger..

If you google ,there's a sound bite on YouTube where the commentator says that Feli is all about how he looks than tennis..I think it was about 5-6 years ago..so hilarious but brutally honest true

 

[crystalfire]

fed says hes confident hell only get better from here.not from what i see boy lmaooooo

 

[mrzz]

A crippled Federer is still the favorite against Lopez. Federer surely has some physical issue, but I guess it is being multiplied by 20 by some psychological consequence of the fear of making it even worst by an ill timed move.

 

[Carol]

In one word, if Roger loses in any of his next matches it would be because he has a back injury but if he would reach the final and by some miracle he would win then it would be for two reasons, one: it was a miss understanding, he was just a little bit rusty but playing match by match he got the game or two: he is so excepcional that even with his back injury has been able to beat to anyone and to win this GS
Of course what all you ( 95% are fans around here) would say about it.......are you kidding me? like the grass in Wimbledon? but can you say for once that he is not playing well like it happens sometimes to everyone and not because he is injured?

 

[El Dude]

I can say he's not playing well when he's actually not playing well, and not because of injury. That doesn't seem to be the case now.

If he wins the USO, it will be because he was able to work through whatever injury he has and/or the injury wasn't as serious as it seems and it is mainly as @mrzz says, that he's still a little tender but mainly lacking confidence and so being hesitant.

 

[Carol]

Great, Rafa playing in black, my fav colour for him

 

[Carol]

The Chinese/NYorker is playing well, good defense

 

[Moxie]

Seriously....Rafa has to return from NJ against this guy??

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I don't know who this dude is but he looks like he is serving just to start the point...no legs, no back, no power...

 

[mrzz]

Everybody out for Fedal blood these days...

 

[El Dude]

Nothing to see here. I'd be surprised if Rafa doesn't just steamroll him over the next three sets.

 

[mrzz]

Nothing to see here. I'd be surprised if Rafa doesn't just steamroll him over the next three sets.

You should be already... Nadal playing at least decently and the guy is winning the baseline rallies...

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

The guy is going toe to toe so far...Expecting him to come down to earth at some point . Nadal's return position is a bit embarrassing though, considering the guy is not a threat there.