Fedal - XXXVI

[GameSetAndMath]

A Fedal match always deserves a separate thread, even if it happens in R16.

Here are some important info on this edition from ATP website . Fed trying to defeat Rafa three times in a row for the first time.

Fed has momentum, but court will favor Rafa. I guess a night match would favor Fed and a day match would favor Rafa based on conditions alone, but this one is a twilight match.

Who you got? Vote before the coin toss.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I am not sure which way this will go. But, I think whoever wins the first set will win the match (and that too probably in two sets) as has happened before here between these two. Also, whoever wins a Fedal match has always won IW and so you can consider this a de facto final match.

I checked the ESPN schedule. They are busy with college basketball. It looks like neither ESPN nor ESPN2 will carry this match on old fashioned TV (at least in my area). But, it will be on ESPN3 on your favorite computer.

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

Something tells me this will be a difficult match for Fed. But, come on, that is natural. Roger really needs to pick his game up to face Nadal. He will as always be difficult to overcome and even more so on this slow surface. Fed needs to keep his serve working. All the best Roger!

 

[mrzz]

Cautiously optimistic for this one. Court is playing fast enough, IMO. If Federer serve keeps like it has been, he wont give sets for free. If, on top of that, BH is like AO (which it wasn´t on the Johnson match)...

 

[the AntiPusher]

Cautiously optimistic for this one. Court is playing fast enough, IMO. If Federer serve keeps like it has been, he wont give sets for free. If, on top of that, BH is like AO (which it wasn´t on the Johnson match)...

I don't think this court is playing fast..the ball iis bouncing high

 

[mrzz]

^yep, I did not mean "absolutely fast". I meant "not that slow", or "fast enough for Federer to get away with it".

About the bounce, haven´t payed much attention but maybe that explains why Federer was running so much around his bh yesterday. Maybe he was practicing it already...

 

[El Dude]

I hate to say it but I think Rafa will get his (partial) revenge and win this. But it is close; I'd probably give him a 55-45 edge. If AO hadn't happened, the edge would be more like 60-40; a few years ago, 70-30 or 80-20.

I think Roger and Rafa are actually pretty much evenly matched at this point, so the edge depends upon court and IW slightly favors Rafa.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Tignor jinxes Rafa.

 

[mightyjeditribble]

I asked my two-year-old, and he told me Nadal would win. He also told me that Roger Federer likes doughnuts so he clearly knows what he's talking about!

Still holding out hope for a Roger win though. Come on!!!

 

[Front242]

He got 2 right yesterday so who knows.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Fed consolidates the break in 2nd set. I missed the entire first set.

 

[El Dude]

Holy crap. Total domination. That backhand match winner was gorgeous.

 

[mrzz]

I tried to tell you, people, but you wouldn´t listen.

 

[I.Haychew]

Federer looked really good! That was impressive!

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Embarrassing. Two sets and to boot, two breaks in each set. :cover

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I am not sure which way this will go. But, I think whoever wins the first set will win the match (and that too probably in two sets) as has happened before here between these two.

You called it GSM. :clap :snicker

 

[Haelfix]

The FEdal AO was basically what I imagined the mid 2ks USO would have been like when those two guys were in their prime and the balls less heavy. The only difference is both players had lost a step, which made them roughly equal to their respective 2007-2008 levels relatively speaking.

People forget that Federers backhand was great for about two years there, and the aggressive play was more reminiscent of his early career. So his play right now is a sort of amalgam of various points in his past stylistically.

I thought Rafa would take Indian Wells bc of the slower courts, but for whatever reason was just never able to return well enough to get a foothold in the points. I also think Federer doesn't really care here, and so it's hard to get him to tighten up. Of course a relaxed Federer in full flight is almost unbeatable, and Rafa didn't win enough crazy points to shift the momentum, so it was cruise mode from that point on.

 

[Fiero425]

I am not sure which way this will go. But, I think whoever wins the first set will win the match (and that too probably in two sets) as has happened before here between these two.

You called it GSM. :clap :snicker

It really was a beat down! :nono :cover :eyepop - - - http://fiero4251.blogspot.com/2016/08/fan-page-novak-nole-djokovic.html - -

 

[mrzz]

I almost revived the AO final thread to ask if Nadal was tired too yesterday.... but it would be too little too provocative, not the idea.

Last night´s match unfolded much like sets 1, 3 and 5 of the AO final. It does tell you something.

 

[shawnbm]

I agree it was and liked your post in terms of prediction. Gotta like it when a guy calls it--although you didn't pick Roger.