Basel 500

[Front242]

It's not so much his serve as his groundstrokes. Federer also has a harder time these days against big hitters like Berdych since he started declining but he still handles them better than Nadal. Brown, big serve, big groundstrokes, bad match up for Nadal on grass. Would he have beaten Federer? Very, very unlikely/doubtful. These guys match up better against Nadal than the other top guys. Federer, for example, feeds off their pace, destroys their rhythm by playing them at their own game and doesn't allow himself to be blown off the court. Of course his superior serve helps a lot too. Puts tons of pressure on them to hold since he usually does. Also, Federer doesn't hit loopy short balls in the centre of the court. This is why Nadal is being destroyed by these type of players for years now on grass.

 

[Carol]

When a player for diferent reason (injuries, off of the court for long time and not just two weeks, lack of confidence and others issues) is not well fitted then is not able to hit long balls until he recovered
Rafa has played well recently to the big servers and hitters and also he has hit long balls much better than the last two years.

 

[Front242]

That's because the surfaces are too slow lately. I'm specifically talking about grass, not the terribly slow courts in Beijing and Shanghai (which used to be much faster). He's not handling the big ground strokes and serves well on faster surfaces like grass where they can actually hit winners and aces.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

just checked scores..rosol/rafa 6-1..wtf is going on out there?..is rafa still in bed? Christ on a bike.

 

[Front242]

Forgot it was on now with the clocks going back an hour. Doh. Must watch. Cheers JLLB

 

[Front242]

Way faster court than the slow Asian courts. Good stuff.

 

[bajana]

just checked scores..rosol/rafa 6-1..wtf is going on out there?..is rafa still in bed? Christ on a bike.

I was just going to hit "Like", but this was too funny not to acknowledge this way :laydownlaughing

 

[the AntiPusher]

Sometimes a pure butt whipping like this may be exactly what the doctor would order for Rafa, IMO

 

[Fiero425]

Sometimes a pure butt whipping like this may be exactly what the doctor would order for Rafa, IMO

It's not over yet! Ya never know! I've seen worse collapses! :cover uzzled :nono :angel: :dodgy:

 

[the AntiPusher]

Sometimes a pure butt whipping like this may be exactly what the doctor would order for Rafa, IMO

It's not over yet! Ya never know! I've seen worse collapses! :cover uzzled :nono :angel: :dodgy:

Nah,,Rafa is hitting the ball extremely short and Rosol is just teeing off on fhs, bhs and winning all the big points via net cords.. I don't think Rafa can break his serve to stay in this match.

 

[bajana]

And now, Rosoal can't finda first serve to save his life

 

[Fiero425]

And now, Rosoal can't finda first serve to save his life

I told you; BREAK! :cover uzzled :nono :angel: :dodgy: :eyepop

 

[Kieran]

Pure class...

 

[bajana]

You could win a lot of houses betting on players choking when serving for matches

 

[the AntiPusher]

And now, Rosoal can't finda first serve to save his life

I told you; BREAK! :cover uzzled :nono :angel: :dodgy: :eyepop

What the :devil Unbelievable.. Fiero you called it

 

[bajana]

Any bets Rosol won't even get it to a TB now

 

[Kieran]

Oldest book in history: great player struggles, and then starts to find their range...

 

[Kieran]

Woeful, "safe" backhand on set point... :nono

 

[Front242]

Oldest book in history: great player struggles, and then starts to find their range...

Or one could say journeyman up 6-1 5-4 and 30-0 botches a routine volley and proceeds to serve worse than he has all match. Before that game he'd lost one point on serve in set 1 and 3 in set 2. It was all Rosol going pear shaped there.

 

[Kieran]

Oldest book in history: great player struggles, and then starts to find their range...

Or one could say journeyman up 6-1 5-4 and 30-0 botches a routine volley and proceeds to serve worse than he has all match. Before that game he'd lost one point on serve in set 1 and 3 in set 2. It was all Rosol going pear shaped there.

Then class showed...