Federer's Schedule 2018

[GameSetAndMath]

Sorry, I took that on face value. Are you hoping that Roger plays Dubai?

I personally would prefer that Roger play Dubai and IW and skip Miami. This is because Dubai courts are one of the fastest
in the circuit and the Dubai field is very weak. These two factors coupled together is virtually offering him free 500 pts.
Winnning Rotterdam plus Dubai can be thought of as making up for skipping Miami (exactly the same amount of pts).
Fed likes IW. But, Miami courts are something that is not really suitable for his style. I believe the hardcourts that play
closest to clay courts is definitely Miami.

If he skips Miami, he can take eight weeks continuous rest and then play just Rome and RG.

He can skip Stuttgart this year (as his contract has expired) and play just Halle and Wimby.

Then just Cincy and USO (and then go to drawing board to reevaluate the situation).

 

[GameSetAndMath]

He was the first person to tweet about Federers Rotterdam WC

OK Good, but who is he? Is he some one from Roger's camp, is he a sportswriter or a clairvoyant?

 

[Moxie]

I personally would prefer that Roger play Dubai and IW and skip Miami. This is because Dubai courts are one of the fastest
in the circuit and the Dubai field is very weak. These two factors coupled together is virtually offering him free 500 pts.
Winnning Rotterdam plus Dubai can be thought of as making up for skipping Miami (exactly the same amount of pts).
Fed likes IW. But, Miami courts are something that is not really suitable for his style. I believe the hardcourts that play
closest to clay courts is definitely Miami.

If he skips Miami, he can take eight weeks continuous rest and then play just Rome and RG.

He can skip Stuttgart this year (as his contract has expired) and play just Halle and Wimby.

Then just Cincy and USO (and then go to drawing board to reevaluate the situation).

OK, it get the calculation, but it does presume he wins Dubai. Miami plays like clay? It's humid there, but is that really reasonable? It is actually a HC tournament.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

OK, it get the calculation, but it does presume he wins Dubai. Miami plays like clay? It's humid there, but is that really reasonable? It is actually a HC tournament.

Depleted field plus fast courts, it is safe to presume so.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Fed has confirmed he will skip Dubai, as per above.

According to Dubai folks it is 50/50 that Roger will play in Dubai . Of course, it is not in their interest to announce quickly that Roger will not play there definitely (as they could potentially sell more tickets otherwise) even if they know it for sure.

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

According to Dubai folks it is 50/50 that Roger will play in Dubai . Of course, it is not in their interest to announce quickly that Roger will not play there definitely (as they could potentially sell more tickets otherwise) even if they know it for sure.

When could have been Roger's first match had he played?

 

[Moxie]

Depleted field plus fast courts, it is safe to presume so.

I wonder why they'd even bother to play it then.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

When could have been Roger's first match had he played?

Dubai is holding WTA tourney next week. Dubai ATP is to be held only in the following week. So, Fed will have about 7 to 10 days break even if he chooses to play in Dubai.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I wonder why they'd even bother to play it then.

For the same reason that Rafa bothered to play in RG'17.

 

[Moxie]

For the same reason that Rafa bothered to play in RG'17.

I don't think anyone crowned Rafa before RG even started. Surely least of which you. It's worth remembering the proverb that pride goeth before a fall. But I'm only speaking to you. I'm sure Roger knows better.

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

I don't think anyone crowned Rafa before RG even started. Surely least of which you. It's worth remembering the proverb that pride goeth before a fall. But I'm only speaking to you. I'm sure Roger knows better.

What info is there on Rafa's health?

 

[Moxie]

What info is there on Rafa's health?

I haven't really followed, but I don't think it was so worrying that he shouldn't be healthy for Acapulco.

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

I haven't really followed, but I don't think it was so worrying that he shouldn't be healthy for Acapulco.

It's not just about being ready in the basic sense of the term, it's about being in a condition to play normally throughout the tournament.

 

[Moxie]

It's not just about being ready in the basic sense of the term, it's about being in a condition to play normally throughout the tournament.

Yeah, well, that's always the question, isn't it? I mean when he's coming off of an injury.

 

[Andy22]

Yea man the great Nadal got a new racket, theme being 10 Roland garros titles, this will help beat Federer or will it? :bloodsucker2::chainsaw:

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

With Federer and Nadal as the top two ranks now, we'll get probably not more than one Fedal match this year. I am thinking could there be one at Wimbly? But, Rafa doesn't go into the QF. Could it be at Indian Wells? It could be on HC.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I don't think anyone crowned Rafa before RG even started. Surely least of which you. It's worth remembering the proverb that pride goeth before a fall. But I'm only speaking to you. I'm sure Roger knows better.

I agree with you. It was not all that guaranteed for Rafa in 17'RG. Bad example by me (it was late at night). Perhaps, I should have
cited any of the meaningless clay tourneys that Rafa participated and won in his prime.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I think Fed should decide now itself whether he intends to play some clay this year or not. Then his strategy should be to

1) Play Dubai and IW (while skipping Miami), if he plans to play on clay.
2) Play IW and Miami (while skipping Dubai), if he plans to skip clay season completely.

At any rate, Fed was in Rotterdam without his family. He has now flown back to Swiss. Observers say, all this means he is highly likely to skip Dubai even though he has not made it official.

 

[El Dude]

I don't think he'll play Dubai, but will play both of the Sunshine Double and then re-evaluate at that point.

I agree with the spirit of what you are saying, Game, but not the specifics. I don't think him playing clay requires that he skips Miami. Maimi ends on March 26, then clay season doesn't really begin for three weeks until the first big tournament at Monte Carlo on April 16 (there are tournaments on April 9, but nothing big). Consider the timeline:

March 26 Miami ends
April 16 Monte Carlo
April 23 Barcelona
May 7 Madrid
May 14 Rome
May 28 ROLAND GARROS
June 18 Halle
July 2 WIMBLEDON

Obviously his #1 priority is being healthy on July 2, which also means being healthy on June 18 so he can warm up at Halle. There are 12 weeks between the end of Miami and Halle, so chances are Roger is going to play some tennis. I don't see him playing Stuttgart (June 11) this year, and even if he did that would be an 11-week gap. Again, I don't see him doing that. I think he at least fits in a tournament or two, if not three.

He could do something unusual like play two Masters but skip RG, but that would just look odd. I wouldn't be surprised to see him play MC, one of Madrid or Rome, and then see how he feels for RG. So he plays 2-3 clay tournaments.

 

[El Dude]

Here's some Rogerporn: His record in his last 26 matches: 25-1. That lone loss was to David Goffin at the WTF. That's from after the USO through Rotterdam.