Australian Open Day 5: Friday, January 23

[brokenshoelace]

I'll have to lighten up in calling the rest of the ATP "gutless!"

Yes, please do, because it was never accurate to begin with.

 

[Haelfix]

Absolutely pathetic, simple as that. He lost that one mentally throughout.

Yea I just don't agree. Seppi outplayed him. Roger didn't give it to him.

 

[tented]

Regardless, in many of these losses, it is Fed's return game that gets exposed the most. When you can't get break points on Seppi's serve, it's a problem.

When you can't convert break points on Seppi's serve, it's a bigger problem. Only 3/10 converted.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Well, Roger's done until Wimbledon, all about gearing up for that after this new low. That's why I almost jump out of my chair when I hear/read about Roger aging well...

I'll repeat the same thing I said last year at this point (even though losing to Nadal in the semis and losing to Seppi in the 3rd round are admittedly two different thing): Judge him when it's time for the faster surfaces. He'll continue to have patchy results on slow hards and clay, but he'll be rolling come the second half of the season. This loss is more disappointing than it is alarming.

 

[rafanoy1992]

Congratulations for Andreas Seppi for defeating Roger Federer.

As for Federer, back to the drawing board for him. But first and for most, I hope he relaxes and enjoy his mini off-season.

Also, Kygrios has a GREAT chance to reach the Quarterfinals now.

Finally, the Andy Murray vs. Grigor Dimitrov fourth round match will be a very important one.

 

[DarthFed]

^ He didn't do anything on the fast surfaces last year either. We will see this year...

 

[brokenshoelace]

I also don't buy into this "mentally" BS, Darth. It's the same de facto thing when it comes to every Federer loss. Is Fed somehow intimidated by Seppi? He just played poorly. There's a difference.

 

[kskate2]

Mac is speechless in the booth. That almost never happens. :lolz:

 

[Haelfix]

I think what has to be deflating for Roger, is that his bread and butter, the forehand, continues to be subpar. This is very far from the once dominant shot that rocked the tour.

The serve and volley and the net game is more like a bandaid that covers up the flaws that have really been there for a number of years now.

 

[DarthFed]

Absolutely pathetic, simple as that. He lost that one mentally throughout.

Yea I just don't agree. Seppi outplayed him. Roger didn't give it to him.

I understand you wanting to give credit, be a good sport or whatever, but when you have two tiebreaks where you are up 4-1 and lose 6 of 7 and then up 5-4 serving and lose the last 3 points it isn't all about your opponent. Roger's 1st serve was horrid in the tiebreaks including a DF in the 4th one. And he inexplicably let that last pass go.

 

[brokenshoelace]

^ He didn't do anything on the fast surfaces last year either. We will see this year...

Final at Wimbledon (yeah, second place is like last, blah blah, I know where you stand on this), won Cinci, and won Shanghai. Reached the final of the WTF but couldn't play. That's two masters 1000 events win, an ATP world tour final (which he couldn't participate in), and a major final. I mean, that's not "doing anything"? Please.

Then you say you're not living in the past and holding Fed to the same standards.

 

[DarthFed]

I also don't buy into this "mentally" BS, Darth. It's the same de facto thing when it comes to every Federer loss. Is Fed somehow intimidated by Seppi? He just played poorly. There's a difference.

When you lose damn near every big point which he did tonight it isn't all about just being off. I think we can all agree on that...

 

[tenisplayrla08]

10 straight semifinal appearances gone. Well, not gone. He'll always have them. But the streak is over. Never in a million years would have thought Andreas Seppi, who he's beaten 10 times and never lost to could do this. But, of course, while Seppi was really really good, maybe even great, it's on Fed. It's always on Fed unless it's against Rafa or Murray or Novak. He served poorly and hit way too many errors in the first two sets. Couldn't come back from it. Seppi did do very well to never go away and to keep the pressure on.

My interest always immediately goes down once Fed is out. But of course, I love tennis and will continue to watch. As long as Rafa doesn't win so he's not the first of these two greats two win two of every slam I'll be ok. If that means Novak has to beat Roger to 5 wins at the AO, that's ok. But I'd love to see Nishikori get his first. Especially with this being the Asian adopted slam. Murray now as the head of this quarter could certainly take the crown as well. But, I imagine Rafa would have to lose before the semis for that to happen. Don't see Murray beating him if Rafa is at full strength, even in Oz. We shall see.

 

[pavlik89]

#RogerFederer vs #AndreasSeppi Highlights FULL MATCH HD #AustralianOpen2015

http://www.tennishdhighlights.com/australian-open/2015-2/

 

[DarthFed]

^ He didn't do anything on the fast surfaces last year either. We will see this year...

Final at Wimbledon (yeah, second place is like last, blah blah, I know where you stand on this), won Cinci, and won Shanghai. Reached the final of the WTF but couldn't play. That's two masters 1000 events win, an ATP world tour final (which he couldn't participate in), and a major final. I mean, that's not "doing anything"? Please.

Then you say you're not living in the past and holding Fed to the same standards.

Yes, he won 2 MS events, good achievements but I doubt that is his aim even at age 33.

 

[TsarMatt]

 

[brokenshoelace]

^ He didn't do anything on the fast surfaces last year either. We will see this year...

Final at Wimbledon (yeah, second place is like last, blah blah, I know where you stand on this), won Cinci, and won Shanghai. Reached the final of the WTF but couldn't play. That's two masters 1000 events win, an ATP world tour final (which he couldn't participate in), and a major final. I mean, that's not "doing anything"? Please.

Then you say you're not living in the past and holding Fed to the same standards.

Yes, he won 2 MS events, good achievements but I doubt that is his aim even at age 33.

OK but that's different from "not doing anything." The one truly disappointing result on fast surfaces last year was the loss to Cilic. The final at Wimbledon was what it was: He really couldn't have done much more unless his forehand was firing a little better (which hasn't been for a while). He won two masters 1000 events out of four, and could have won the WTF but couldn't play in the final. Those are some really good results.

 

[Haelfix]

The end of the first tb was more a giveaway, the 2nd one and the entire fourth set was pretty much clutch play by both players. Roger clipped a number of lines and Seppi did too.

He was just unable to really raise his game high enough to dominate players like he used too and that has nothing to do with mental play...

 

[brokenshoelace]

I also think "playing below par" and "being outplayed" are not mutually exclusive. Fed did absolutely get outplayed, but there were also a few things he could have done better that weren't a direct result of his opponent's play. It often goes a bit like this unless you have an absolutely shocker of a performance.

 

[DarthFed]

^ In your opinion... fact of the matter is he didn't win any of the 3 biggest in the summer/Fall. Though technically I wouldn't consider YEC as a fast surface. I'm guessing you mean summer and indoors in general.