CINCINNATTI MASTERS AUG. 11th to 18th

[Murat Baslamisli]

Murat, he was using the old racquet?

Yep. I did not expect him to but he did go back to the old faithful...

 

[DarthFed]

Just stupid...

 

[rafanoy1992]

Murat, he was using the old racquet?

Yep. I did not expect him to but he did go back to the old faithful...

Murat, I saw in Twitter that he will use his old racket until the US Open. Then, after the US Open, he will use the 98 inch racket.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Just stupid...

I agree...I was hoping maybe it was the new one with a paint job, but it was the 90 head.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Murat, he was using the old racquet?

Yep. I did not expect him to but he did go back to the old faithful...

Murat, I saw in Twitter that he will use his old racket until the US Open. Then, after the US Open, he will use the 98 inch racket.

Thanks for the heads-up brother...I guess he wants to have one more slam with the old stick.

 

[DarthFed]

Murat, he was using the old racquet?

Yep. I did not expect him to but he did go back to the old faithful...

Murat, I saw in Twitter that he will use his old racket until the US Open. Then, after the US Open, he will use the 98 inch racket.

Alright well that's good to know and not that bad of a decision in reality. I don't give him much hope at the USO but he even has less of one with a new racquet he hasn't played with enough. And hopefully Roger thinks he has a decent chance and therefore wants to play with the racquet he is used to.

 

[rafanoy1992]

Murat, he was using the old racquet?

Yep. I did not expect him to but he did go back to the old faithful...

Murat, I saw in Twitter that he will use his old racket until the US Open. Then, after the US Open, he will use the 98 inch racket.

Thanks for the heads-up brother...I guess he wants to have one more slam with the old stick.

He is playing it safe which I could understand why he is doing it.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I enjoyed watching the match without commentators telling me
what happened in 1940s when they played tennis.

I agree that he does not bend low. However, the back is not
affecting the serve. The serve looks good. I think he made a good
decision to stick with the old one. But, he will (and should) go back to new one
either after the USO (if getting into WTF seems manageable) or
after the WTF (otherwise).

Another thing I am amazed is that Roger got so many of
his challenges correctly. He is not known to do well in this
department.

Haas has played a lot after Wimby and hence I think Fed
can take care of him assuming he gets past Granollers.

 

[atttomole]

I enjoyed watching the match without commentators telling me
what happened in 1940s when they played tennis.

I agree that he does not bend low. However, the back is not
affecting the serve. The serve looks good. I think he made a good
decision to stick with the old one. But, he will (and should) go back to new one
either after the USO (if getting into WTF seems manageable) or
after the WTF (otherwise).

Another thing I am amazed is that Roger got so many of
his challenges correctly. He is not known to do well in this
department.

Haas has played a lot after Wimby and hence I think Fed
can take care of him assuming he gets past Granollers.

Yes, I was also surprised that he got many challenges right today. Many times he makes embarrassing challenges. Sad to see that watching him now he really is a shell of himself.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

Murat, he was using the old racquet?

Yep. I did not expect him to but he did go back to the old faithful...

Murat, I saw in Twitter that he will use his old racket until the US Open. Then, after the US Open, he will use the 98 inch racket.

is that so ?, hopefully he stays with the 98 after the u s open..

he just looked a bit unhappy at the end today..forehand shanks etc..he looks more confused than Scooby-doo. :huh:

 

[zalvar]

LOL Rog should just switch in the off season. Now his YEC is screwed and the fall/winter master 1000s will be virtually impossible.

 

[DarthFed]

LOL Rog should just switch in the off season. Now his YEC is screwed and the fall/winter master 1000s will be virtually impossible.

If he switches in the offseason he will barely have any match practice with it before the Australian Open. The way he looks right now it doesn't matter what racquet he has, there is a good chance he won't make YEC. He seriously looks like a 15-20 rank player out there the past 3 months.

 

[Kieran]

I think it's always a mistake to write off Federer. He was due a slump but he won't be lazy in fixing it. And a guy like him, when he catches fire it'll last a while. I fancy him to come good at the US Open. Maybe not to win it, but I think Cinci will be good prep and he'll be on form at Flushing Meadows.

Feller like that can go from nought to sixty quite quickly...

 

[lindseywagners]

Federer says he'd "like to play Tommy [Haas]" -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZedi_7v-E4

 

[DarthFed]

Federer says he'd "like to play Tommy [Haas]" -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZedi_7v-E4

They are very good friends. I'd like to see him play Haas too, good test to see where his game is at. He will get a heavy dose of slices too and we'll see if the back issue was due to cool conditions (if they play during the day).

 

[Front242]

I think it's always a mistake to write off Federer. He was due a slump but he won't be lazy in fixing it. And a guy like him, when he catches fire it'll last a while. I fancy him to come good at the US Open. Maybe not to win it, but I think Cinci will be good prep and he'll be on form at Flushing Meadows.

Feller like that can go from nought to sixty quite quickly...

Unfortunately it feels like he's gone from 60 to 0 for the last year. Now if he could go from 0-60 titles quite quickly I'd be happy. 1 title in over a year makes me want to break something. My monitor at work would be a good start

Friend in work set his alarm to get up for Fed's match and said he looked pretty rigid moving still. I read the tennis.com write up saying he looked very fast and re-energized and Fed himself says he's fit but I don't really believe all that when fans observe that he isn't bending properly for low balls and letting shots he'd often run for fly by. Sure hope it gets better soon 'cos the main area I noticed in the clay tournaments he played and other tournaments this year was he's been very slow running down balls on his FH side and hence why big hitters who he previosuly dispatched easily are giving him a whole world of trouble.

 

[DarthFed]

I think it's always a mistake to write off Federer. He was due a slump but he won't be lazy in fixing it. And a guy like him, when he catches fire it'll last a while. I fancy him to come good at the US Open. Maybe not to win it, but I think Cinci will be good prep and he'll be on form at Flushing Meadows.

Feller like that can go from nought to sixty quite quickly...

I hope you're right bud, but I hesitate on calling it a slump at this point, just like I don't call a whole year of great play a "streak." When you are talking about a year of great play or a year of poor play it might just be your true level of play. I said in another thread that I'm hopeful that a lot of this bad play has been due to the back but the other side of that is the back problems might never go away, at least not while he still plays. The other part for Roger is motivation and, of course, Father Time.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Federer says he'd "like to play Tommy [Haas]" -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZedi_7v-E4

He might like the "idea" of playing Tommy, but I don't think he will like the actual playing part at this point, where he is not confident or ready yet.

 

[Front242]

Tommy is playing like a top 10 player most of the past year and is just below hitting top 10 in points. Hope his shoulder is ok. Was a bit worried hearing it was bothering him again. Hoping he actually makes top 10 soon and kicks Raonic back down the ladder.

 

[tented]

Tommy is playing like a top 10 player most of the past year and is just below hitting top 10 in points. Hope his shoulder is ok. Was a bit worried hearing it was bothering him again. Hoping he actually makes top 10 soon and kicks Raonic back down the ladder.

Theoretically, he could get back into the Top 10 this week, but he would essentially have to win it to get enough points, and Wawrinka and Raonic would have to go out relatively early. So it is possible, but it's not probable.

Nevertheless, I'm with you: I hope he gets back into the Top 10. It would be a well-deserved achievement because he will have earned it.