Did Roger Semi-Tank Montreal Final to Zverev?

[scoop]

Alexander Zverev is surging right now and playing the best tennis of his life. He won Washington DC last week and today he added his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, dominating soon-to-be World No. 1 Roger Federer 63 64.

The first set was close but Zverev took the early lead with his lethal serving and punishing ground strokes. Federer tried everything in his arsenal, including drop shot approaches and varied assaults that only he can create but “The Kid” handled everything the veteran maestro probed him with.

Federer had his break point chances to level the first set but failed to convert. Then in the second set, Federer was clearly battling to get the early break lead but he just could not earn that desired advantage. One such opportunity was miffed when Zverev’s desperation get-back skidded off the service line and forced Fed to net his backhand. Fed raged at that misfortune, seemingly screaming for a split-second at the line for costing him his chance.

Zverev continued to zap in big serves for aces and free points and sustained his slight baseline superiority. At precisely what point I’m not quite sure but suddenly you could sense Federer had become a bit casual and nonchalant in his body language. The points became shorter and Zverev took over the match.

What it looked like was that Federer had tried his very best but just could not knock Zverev off his tracks. It was almost as if Federer suddenly decided that the 20-year-old was just too good today and that there really was no reason to over-exert for this title, with the US Open just a few weeks away and Cincinnati next week.

I would say that Zverev’s superb play forced Federer to gear down from fourth gear to third. Trying to beat Zverev today would have cost too much energy and premium fuel and so the difficult decision was made to coast to the finish line and let the future ATP kingpin have his day. He had earned it.

But Federer has a feel and understanding now for Zverev’s new A plus level and he has time to analyze and calculate with coach Ivan Ljubicic to concoct a new gameplan for New York which it seems very likely they will probably meet again.

Zverev has now won two ATP 1000 titles this year and five titles overall. An achievement that not even Roger Federer was able to accomplish at the same age.

Federer won his first Masters Series title at age 20 in Hamburg in 2002 and then his second did not come until 2004 Indian Wells. In Fed’s 2002 season he won three total titles – Hamburg, Vienna, Sydney.

 

[Busted]

Gee...how it is I knew someone would suggest that Roger "semi-tanked." That's really insulting to Roger. When has he NOT tried his best if he was physically able. He clearly had some physical issues in that second set. As they said on ESPN2 - at the end of the match at the net Zverev was asking Roger if he was OK, but Roger waived it off and let the kid have his moment.

Zverev would be crazy not to try to make his move on #1 right now. If he can win Cincy and the US Open he'd be right in the mix with Federer and Nadal. Federer didn't play well in Montreal and may be injured. Nadal and hard courts are hardly kissing cousins. Djokovic and Wawrinka are out for the season. Murray may or may not play the US Open. The rest of the Top 10 is mediocre at best. Number 1 is just sitting their waiting for the kid to come and get it. Nice to see a young player who's NOT squandering his talent because he's a petulant brat who'd rather be in the NBA but doesn't have the talent to play basketball professionally.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Busted, it happens quite a lot this time of year just before US Open. How many finals have we seen close first set and not very close in the second. It looked like Fed was giving it his best but when he blew his early second set chances he became a different player. I didn't see any injury happen, just a demoralized frustrated player. It happens even to the best. Zverev was great today. Just too good. Not insulting to Federer to say this opinion. It happens in tennis on all levels. You give it your best shot and it doesn't quite go your way so you kind of pack it in, and focus on the big picture, what really counts. THE US Open. Federer's effort level definitely seemed to decline from the beginning and end of the second set. That's not insulting to say that, it's the truth. Am I supposed to sugarcoat everything I write about Federer just because he's the GOAT? No. I'm going to offer my honest objective analysis of the match.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Federer possibly tanked the WTF in London but played the Davis Cup final. The guy is 36 now. He wants and the public wants him to stay on the Tour for as long as possible. In order to do so he will have to preserve his body and it looked like today he was preserving his body at the end of the second set. Zverev was unbeatable this week. Full credit to Zverev. Fed threw everything at him but he refused to break or crack. Well done.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

In the interview that he gave after his SF victory, Fed said that he is happy that he is healthy going into the finals at Montreal ( but of course you never know whether players speak truth when there is a match to play the next day, with respect to injury status). He did not obviously injure himself during the match. So, it may be a semi-tank job as scoop says.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Good point GSandM. Zverev wanted it more today. Fed wanted it and was battling full throttle - note the scream of anger at the service line for skidding Zverev's shot on break point causing him to net his backhand. Fed was locked in and going for it. But for logical reasons he decided to downgear. The young kid earned it today. Fed made him earn it and he did. Great performance by Zverev. And both players actually. Fed showed his magical variety though his serve did look different all week. Might have been the camera angle.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

It is little bit hard to say for sure whether it is a Semi-Tomic Job or he was hurting physically. If he does not skip Cincy, it is safe to assume that it was a Semi-Tomic Job.

He was definitely vested in the match for about 1.3 sets and then gave it up. His service motion was different. His first serve rate was 51%. These things point towards some physical issues though.

We will see as to whether he says anything in the post match presser. If he does not say anything about injury, it does not mean he has none either as he might not simply want to talk about it as it may be seen as taking credit away from Sasha.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Zverev has won two straight titles and ten straight matches. Right now I'd call him the co favorite to win the US Open with Fed and Rafa.

 

[The Strokes]

No to tanking-- that makes zero sense.
Either he was injured, or seriously off his game.
I didn't think Fed looked that good throughout this tournament, good enough for Agut and Ferrer, but not Zverev.
If he plays Cincy, he is not injured, IMO.
True since getting broken in the 2nd set, he looked like he was barely able to play.
And if he was saving himself for the USO, he would surely not play Cincy.
Maybe this: not totally tanking, but sensing the futility of a great effort, didn't bother making one. That I might agree to.
But hey--that's kind of like tanking. The Great Roger tanking???????? Say it ain't so!

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Maybe this: not totally tanking, but sensing the futility of a great effort, didn't bother making one. That I might agree to.
But hey--that's kind of like tanking. The Great Roger tanking???????? Say it ain't so!

That is why it was called semi-tanking.

 

[The Strokes]

That is why it was called semi-tanking.

A useful term.
To see full on tanking, go to Nick Kyrgios. Murray used to do it regularly, before Lendl.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Duke Carnoustie writes:

Scoop, I agree that Roger kind of let it go at the end of the second set. He is eying the Open. Also Scoop, keep sticking to your guns to defend the white nationalists. You and them are 100 percent in the right and others are blind to what is happening in the country. Where I live - and it's similar I'd imagine to the people marching - whites are being enslaved by both black people and Mexicans. That is what this fight is about. Scoop is right that these people have to defend themselves.

 

[The Strokes]

Alexander Zverev is surging right now and playing the best tennis of his life. He won Washington DC last week and today he added his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, dominating soon-to-be World No. 1 Roger Federer 63 64.

The first set was close but Zverev took the early lead with his lethal serving and punishing ground strokes. Federer tried everything in his arsenal, including drop shot approaches and varied assaults that only he can create but “The Kid” handled everything the veteran maestro probed him with.

Federer had his break point chances to level the first set but failed to convert. Then in the second set, Federer was clearly battling to get the early break lead but he just could not earn that desired advantage. One such opportunity was miffed when Zverev’s desperation get-back skidded off the service line and forced Fed to net his backhand. Fed raged at that misfortune, seemingly screaming for a split-second at the line for costing him his chance.

Zverev continued to zap in big serves for aces and free points and sustained his slight baseline superiority. At precisely what point I’m not quite sure but suddenly you could sense Federer had become a bit casual and nonchalant in his body language. The points became shorter and Zverev took over the match.

What it looked like was that Federer had tried his very best but just could not knock Zverev off his tracks. It was almost as if Federer suddenly decided that the 20-year-old was just too good today and that there really was no reason to over-exert for this title, with the US Open just a few weeks away and Cincinnati next week.

I would say that Zverev’s superb play forced Federer to gear down from fourth gear to third. Trying to beat Zverev today would have cost too much energy and premium fuel and so the difficult decision was made to coast to the finish line and let the future ATP kingpin have his day. He had earned it.

But Federer has a feel and understanding now for Zverev’s new A plus level and he has time to analyze and calculate with coach Ivan Ljubicic to concoct a new gameplan for New York which it seems very likely they will probably meet again.

Zverev has now won two ATP 1000 titles this year and five titles overall. An achievement that not even Roger Federer was able to accomplish at the same age.

Federer won his first Masters Series title at age 20 in Hamburg in 2002 and then his second did not come until 2004 Indian Wells. In Fed’s 2002 season he won three total titles – Hamburg, Vienna, Sydney.

Poster below writes:

"Also Scoop, keep sticking to your guns to defend the white nationalists. "

Did I miss something or has your resident loon just piped up?

 

[The Strokes]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Federer possibly tanked the WTF in London but played the Davis Cup final. The guy is 36 now. He wants and the public wants him to stay on the Tour for as long as possible. In order to do so he will have to preserve his body and it looked like today he was preserving his body at the end of the second set. Zverev was unbeatable this week. Full credit to Zverev. Fed threw everything at him but he refused to break or crack. Well done.

Fed threw everything at him?
I stated watching at 4/2 Zverev 1rst set and Fed never looked llike he was in the match.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Roger played sub par all week, lost to the better player on the day. He is 36. Off weeks are going to happen. Especially when you arrive at a tournament with zero prep time. Simple really. The only reason he made it to the final was because his C game was enough for the draw he had. No reason to try to find angles that do not exist.

 

[bobvance]

I thought Federer was pretty clearly injured, most likely with a bad back. This isn't an excuse for the loss as Zverev was serving and playing ridiculously well.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

catherine writes:

I blame the beard. Roger looks like Long John Silver. He needs a parrot on his shoulder and a peg leg.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Hartt writes:

Catherine, Mirka and the kids are in Cincy. I hope she puts her foot down about that awful beard.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

catherine writes:

I hope Mirka brought some good sharp Swiss razors with her

 

[TFBlogGuest]

scoopmalinowski writes:

Fed gave a great effort. Till the mid end of set two. For whatever reason he then coasted. No inj timeout. No sign of any pained area. Thanks Duke. The attacks on whites has to stop. The unciting anti white hatred has to stop. We have done so much for non whites. Yer the media demonizes us. Must stop.