2017 Stuttgart ATP 250 Grass

[Front242]

Should have put a bet down cos I said this morning I thought Federer might throw Haas the win as it's his final year on tour. Don't be naive thinking he legitimately lost. He didn't.

 

[Front242]

There won't be any sentimental gifts at Halle.

 

[DarthFed]

I don't think Fed lost on purpose but I think playing his BFF has made him go soft the past handful of years. He's lost a couple of them and many others have been close.

I was kind of hoping Haas would lose yesterday even though I always root for him aside from when he plays Roger.

 

[Front242]

Well, the way I see it, Roger said a third set was enough for extra practice and as good as winning and playing some donkey next day and I still maintain he threw the match having had what he considered ample match play. He'll go for the win at Halle though.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Should have put a bet down cos I said this morning I thought Federer might throw Haas the win as it's his final year on tour. Don't be naive thinking he legitimately lost. He didn't.

Yeah you did..i read it

 

[DarthFed]

Also Halle may be important for top 4 rank at Wimbledon. Not sure what he needs to do but now it's tougher.

 

[rafanoy1992]

Also Halle may be important for top 4 rank at Wimbledon. Not sure what he needs to do but now it's tougher.

Darth, he is safe for the Top 4 rankings because he gained 2265 points during the last two grass season. That is enough points to overtake Stan on the Wimbledon rankings/seeding.

Now, if he wants to be the 2 seed for Wimbledon, then he has to win Halle.

And I just calculated this right now, he also has to win Halle to get the 3 seed but there is no big difference between the 3 and 4 seed anyways...

 

[kskate2]

I thought when it was discussed last week, he needed to well in both tournaments to get top 2 rank.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I thought when it was discussed last week, he needed to well in both tournaments to get top 2 rank.

So Rafa is gonna be number 2 seed regardless..correct

 

[DarthFed]

Darth, he is safe for the Top 4 rankings because he gained 2265 points during the last two grass season. That is enough points to overtake Stan on the Wimbledon rankings/seeding.

Now, if he wants to be the 2 seed for Wimbledon, then he has to win Halle.

And I just calculated this right now, he also has to win Halle to get the 3 seed but there is no big difference between the 3 and 4 seed anyways...

Thanks, as long as he's top 4 that's fine.

 

[rafanoy1992]

So Rafa is gonna be number 2 seed regardless..correct

AP, if Federer wins Halle, then he gets the 2 seed, Nadal is the 3rd seed, and Djokovic is the 4th seed.

 

[Puppet Master]

I thought when it was discussed last week, he needed to well in both tournaments to get top 2 rank.

I saw it somewhere on MTF. In order for Roger to get the #2 seed for W he would have to win a match in Stuttgart and win Halle. Or something like that. So his chances have slipped. Maybe not.

 

[El Dude]

Yeah, I had a feeling Haas would win - hard to be disappointed as I'm glad for the old guy.

Haas at #302 is the lowest ranked player Roger has lost to since #407 Bjorn Phau in 1999. He lost to an old Sergi Bruguera (#249) in 2000, got slaughtered on clay, actually.

 

[the AntiPusher]

AP, if Federer wins Halle, then he gets the 2 seed, Nadal is the 3rd seed, and Djokovic is the 4th seed.

Okay. Thanks 1992..i guess maybe a gofundme to get Haas a WC to Halle and for his traveling expenses

 

[Moxie]

.

Should have put a bet down cos I said this morning I thought Federer might throw Haas the win as it's his final year on tour. Don't be naive thinking he legitimately lost. He didn't.

Not much of a "gift" if he threw it.

Yeah, I had a feeling Haas would win - hard to be disappointed as I'm glad for the old guy.

Haas at #302 is the lowest ranked player Roger has lost to since #407 Bjorn Phau in 1999. He lost to an old Sergi Bruguera (#249) in 2000, got slaughtered on clay, actually.

Yeah, but that's an artificially low ranking for Haas. And he has good grass chops. Anyway, nice win for Haas. A win over Fed in Germany. Anyone know where/when he's officially hanging them up?

 

[Front242]

Yeah, I had a feeling Haas would win - hard to be disappointed as I'm glad for the old guy.

Haas at #302 is the lowest ranked player Roger has lost to since #407 Bjorn Phau in 1999. He lost to an old Sergi Bruguera (#249) in 2000, got slaughtered on clay, actually.

Pretty hilarious seeing the headline on tennis.com about a "shocking defeat". It's only a shocking defeat to people who don't follow tennis properly to be honest. Stepanek who is currently sidelined due to back surgery is another guy I'd expect Roger to throw a sentimental loss to in future before he (Stepanek) retires as he's a good sport that way and both Stepanek and Haas are decent blokes who he has utmost respect for and come from his generation or before even.

Also, Tommy's ranking is only as low as it is for 2 reasons: (A) it dropped a ton due his time off with his last surgery and all the injuries before and (B) he's 39. Medium/fast grass though and age is less of a factor and a guy can still win matches at a more advanced age than on other surfaces. Karlovic with his serve could feasibly play till he's 45 or so or if he skipped big portions of the year and played mostly the faster court events, he's still gonna win matches well into his 40's. Not high profile matches but wins all the same.

Rainer Schüttler had a great final tournament at Queens before he retired at 36 also.

 

[Front242]

.


Not much of a "gift" if he threw it.


Yeah, but that's an artificially low ranking for Haas. And he has good grass chops. Anyway, nice win for Haas. A win over Fed in Germany. Anyone know where/when he's officially hanging them up?

He said himself he doesn't know when he'll quit but I hope it's towards the end of the year and not too early. Though he hasn't been able to do much last few years, he'll be missed by many. As recently as Miami 2013 he still had some great wins like the match where he beat Djokovic. Roger knows fast grass is Tommy's best shot at winning some matches and after practicing with him he probably saw he was playing well and said look, wouldn't it be nice to see him win some big matches in his last year on tour. Nice to tell the wife and kids he beat Roger Federer at age 39 and after 9 surgeries. A nice memory for his retirement. This is my opinion anyway. 100% think he had no intention of winning that match for these reasons.

 

[Moxie]

He said himself he doesn't know when he'll quit but I hope it's towards the end of the year and not too early. Though he hasn't been able to do much last few years, he'll be missed by many. As recently as Miami 2013 he still had some great wins like the match where he beat Djokovic. Roger knows fast grass is Tommy's best shot at winning some matches and after practicing with him he probably saw he was playing well and said look, wouldn't it be nice to see him win some big matches in his last year on tour. Nice to tell the wife and kids he beat Roger Federer at age 39 and after 9 surgeries. A nice memory for his retirement. This is my opinion anyway. 100% think he had no intention of winning that match for these reasons.

It's definitely going to be a highlight of his retirement year. And we'll never know how much of a "gift" it actually was, and your theory is not without merit. Or even if it was subconscious that he couldn't drum up the killer instinct to take Tommy down. Haas himself spoke of how hard it is to play a close friend, and they both showed nerves. I don't really think that Roger wanted to bow out so soon, and I'm sure he'd rather have faced anyone rather than Tommy today. Especially for the conflicting emotions.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Pretty hilarious seeing the headline on tennis.com about a "shocking defeat". It's only a shocking defeat to people who don't follow tennis properly to be honest. Stepanek who is currently sidelined due to back surgery is another guy I'd expect Roger to throw a sentimental loss to in future before he (Stepanek) retires as he's a good sport that way and both Stepanek and Haas are decent blokes who he has utmost respect for and come from his generation or before even.

Also, Tommy's ranking is only as low as it is for 2 reasons: (A) it dropped a ton due his time off with his last surgery and all the injuries before and (B) he's 39. Medium/fast grass though and age is less of a factor and a guy can still win matches at a more advanced age than on other surfaces. Karlovic with his serve could feasibly play till he's 45 or so or if he skipped big portions of the year and played mostly the faster court events, he's still gonna win matches well into his 40's. Not high profile matches but wins all the same.

Rainer Schüttler had a great final tournament at Queens before he retired at 36 also.

Back surgery for the Worm..its got to be over for him wouldn't you think?

 

[Ricardo]

Federer lost to a 39 yo because he was a soft cock (for today anyway). Be interesting to imagine if anyone has to finish off his close friend's career with his own hands. Someday someone will have to finish off Fed's own career, it may be Thiem (he is really friendly with), or maybe Rafa is best suited for the job....