masterclass said:
I don't think it matters too much to Federer, if he wins or loses tomorrow vs. Berdych, as I think he might have spent most of what he had in the tank for this match, though I'm sure he'd like to win. This match is confidence in the bank for Mr. Roger Federer.
I agree with the second part but not the first. Federer isn't ready yet to accept consolation prizes, or moral victories. If he loses tomorrow he'll kick himself: he's better than Berdych and when he plays like today, Berdy knows his place.
I agree that he'll have gained a confidence boost from today and it's well-earned. He upped his game last year, at Paris, and lost in 3 against Nole there, and at the WTF. But we could see that he was making a move and determined to stick to a plan. What was much improved today was that he didn't lose concentration in the third set. In fact, he rose his game again and put Nole under pressure every time he served. It was a vintage Federer display and I hope he rubber-stamps it tomorrow with the title.
Nole might want to watch that he doesn't lose too much confidence. He lacked intensity in the second and third sets. I know, he hasn't played much, but that's the schedule he produced. I thought he looked docile for large stretches of the match, after a stellar first set. He couldn't match Roger's hunger or aggression, and this isn't what he needs so early in the season...
