Gerry Weber Open, Halle, Germany, ATP 500

[Front242]

I read your posts and that's why I respond to you. Cilic today wanted to win yes or yes, and he put the same fight that he did against Novak and Federer but the best player won. To be a great poster you should be more fair and to have more logic

Logic? Where does logic come into this? Lopez won by 2 points and was match point down. Good for him. He won it finally. Of course Cilic wanted to win but this has zero to do with logic.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Nothing selective about it but you clearly didn't read this one properly either.

"Cilic should eat him for breakfast. Whether he will or not is another thing though."

Dude..you can't hedge your bet like that..

I can't create an architecture security design that allows areas whereas a hacker will or not hack into..life doesn't work like that..you either all in or your not..

 

[Busted]

Show us these experts please and spare us the "unacceptable" nonsense. You know well Stan played badly, you're just too damn annoying to admit it. Roger losing to Lopez is the most hilarious thing I've read in ages. Go annoy someone who cares. Also, I said Zverev played badly today. Duh. Whenever a nobody beats Nadal you always claim they'd also have beaten Federer as they played the most amazing anyone has ever played. It gets old. There are such things as match ups, you know. Davydenko says hi btw.

http://www.stevegtennis.com/head-to-head/men/Roger_Federer/Feliciano_Lopez/

While Zverev didn't play great - let's give Roger some credit for that. From the get go he kept the kid uncomfortable and didn't let him get any rhythm. Sasha even said after the match, "Roger was messing with the ball." That's an acknowledgement that Roger never let him get comfortable and it's something Roger hasn't done in their 3 previous matches. There were lots of slices, dinks, drop shots - and then BOOM! big forehand or hard flat backhand. Roger said he was going to have to change things up and do something different - and it very much looked like what he used to do to Andy Roddick back in the day and on occasion does to Berydych. Plus, he played a lot of drop shots and made Zverev move forward. Agassi used to say the way Fed beats you is to keep you uncomfortable because you don't know what's coming next. So while Zrevev didn't play his best - it's not like Roger allowed him to either. Roger's got options. Right now Sasha Zrevev doesn't have that diverse a game, so maybe he'll learn something from being given a free lesson by the master.

 

[Front242]

Dude..you can't hedge your bet like that..

I can't create an architecture security design that allows areas whereas a hacker will or not hack into..life doesn't work like that..you either all in or your not..

I didn't even watch it and merely stated on paper Cilic should win as my post clearly indicates. He didn't win but got to match point. Good for Lopez. Happy for him as it's the biggest title of his career and grass is his best surface. A fitting end to his career 'cos he's not likely to win a bigger title at this stage.

 

[Busted]

Nothing selective about it but you clearly didn't read this one properly either.

"Cilic should eat him for breakfast. Whether he will or not is another thing though."

While Cilic was making comments that he believes he's closed the gap with the Big 4 - especially on grass? He should have been paying closer attention to World #32. Oops. That's what's wrong with all of the PRETENDERS - always putting the cart before the horse and then if their horse does win a race - they put it away wet and it's too pooped to win the next race.

 

[Busted]

Longest trophy ceremony ever.

Compensation for such a short match? Plus...Roger keeps saying he wants to enjoy the win because he does't know if he'll ever win it again. That's smacking some people as possible retirement talk and not just there's no guarantee he'll win #10 when he plays next year.

 

[the AntiPusher]

While Cilic was making comments that he believes he's closed the gap with the Big 4 - especially on grass? He should have been paying closer attention to World #32. Oops. That's what's wrong with all of the PRETENDERS - always putting the cart before the horse and then if their horse does win a race - they put it away wet and it's too pooped to win the next race.

Yeah..that was a dumb statement by Cilic..he may be going off his past laurels where he won a GS without facing Novak, Rafa or Andy in the finals although he dismantled Roger in the semis

 

[the AntiPusher]

While Zverev didn't play great - let's give Roger some credit for that. From the get go he kept the kid uncomfortable and didn't let him get any rhythm. Sasha even said after the match, "Roger was messing with the ball." That's an acknowledgement that Roger never let him get comfortable and it's something Roger hasn't done in their 3 previous matches. There were lots of slices, dinks, drop shots - and then BOOM! big forehand or hard flat backhand. Roger said he was going to have to change things up and do something different - and it very much looked like what he used to do to Andy Roddick back in the day and on occasion does to Berydych. Plus, he played a lot of drop shots and made Zverev move forward. Agassi used to say the way Fed beats you is to keep you uncomfortable because you don't know what's coming next. So while Zrevev didn't play his best - it's not like Roger allowed him to either. Roger's got options. Right now Sasha Zrevev doesn't have that diverse a game, so maybe he'll learn something from being given a free lesson by the master.

Nice post Busted..brilliant strategy by Fed and Luby who is using that big head for something good. Sasha doesn't have the experience to counter the dinks by Federer.. it would take a Novak, Rafa or Andy to make Roger pay an unmerciful toll for playing that style of tennis. Congrats to Roger and his good fans..the rest of Fed fans, I hoping a full doze of a resurrected Serbian Slayer and a Spanish bull from Mallorca should bring them back to Earth

 

[the AntiPusher]

While Cilic was making comments that he believes he's closed the gap with the Big 4 - especially on grass? He should have been paying closer attention to World #32. Oops. That's what's wrong with all of the PRETENDERS - always putting the cart before the horse and then if their horse does win a race - they put it away wet and it's too pooped to win the next race.

JowillieTs said that its still the big 4 who will keep winning the majority or will be the favorites in the tournaments they are participating in. Cilic has a weakness, it's his fh and his mobility is not as smooth as someone like Krygrios or Safin(6-4 guys and taller). He has a good game if he able to unallow excessively extension of points like what Rafa, Andy,Novak and Roger can do at times.

 

[kskate2]

Results from Halle's Men's Finals matches on Sunday

Congrats to the 9 time champ Roger Federer

 

[El Dude]

I wouldn't be surprised that if Roger wins Wimbledon, he announces his retirement at the end of the year. I hope not, but I could see him thinking, "Can't go out better than this and hey, I kind of enjoy time off with the family."

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I wouldn't be surprised that if Roger wins Wimbledon, he announces his retirement at the end of the year. I hope not, but I could see him thinking, "Can't go out better than this and hey, I kind of enjoy time off with the family."

Just to deal with annoying comments like this, Fed signed a three year contract with Basel Tournament in Feb. 2017 . So, he will be playing at least till 2019 November. So, can you stop that retirement talk, please.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Sasha and Mischa lost the doubles 10-8 in the 3rd..tough day for tennis for young Sasha

 

[Moxie]

Compensation for such a short match? Plus...Roger keeps saying he wants to enjoy the win because he does't know if he'll ever win it again. That's smacking some people as possible retirement talk and not just there's no guarantee he'll win #10 when he plays next year.

I think he's being modest and appropriately cautious, but I'm sure he'll want to go for it. Why not? He's having a terrific year this year, so, as long as he stays healthy, I'd be shocked if he's not planning on a couple more years, anyway.

 

[Moxie]

I didn't even watch it and merely stated on paper Cilic should win as my post clearly indicates. He didn't win but got to match point. Good for Lopez. Happy for him as it's the biggest title of his career and grass is his best surface. A fitting end to his career 'cos he's not likely to win a bigger title at this stage.

I'm going to defend you in that I thought you stated you thought Cilic would win, but gave Lopez a shot. Even I, who was rooting for Lopez, figured Cilic would take it. No hedging of bets, rather just fair statement, esp. knowing that you didn't really have a horse in that race.

Now, just to go to the wildly more off-topic: I think you are unfair to the level that Nadal was playing at to say that Wawrinka and Thiem were just crap against him at RG. He didn't off them other options, and that's why they lost so badly. Like most, I thought today's final at Halle would be closer, (swinging gracefully back to topic,) but Roger stepped on the gas, and suffocated young Sasha. In both cases, it's a question of the far superior player, esp. by surface, playing at top gear.

 

[Front242]

Roger will be around till at least November 2019 as GSM stated and at that stage I can't see why he'd quit before an Olympic year. 2020 I'm thinking will be his final year on tour. 2020 vision and all.

 

[Moxie]

Roger will be around till at least November 2019 as GSM stated and at that stage I can't see why he'd quit before an Olympic year. 2020 I'm thinking will be his final year on tour. 2020 vision and all.

Roger has talked about taking his kids to the Olympics, so that's a good bet, even if it's mostly just for them. They'd all be old enough to remember the experience.

 

[Front242]

I'm going to defend you in that I thought you stated you thought Cilic would win, but gave Lopez a shot. Even I, who was rooting for Lopez, figured Cilic would take it. No hedging of bets, rather just fair statement, esp. knowing that you didn't really have a horse in that race.

Now, just to go to the wildly more off-topic: I think you are unfair to the level that Nadal was playing at to say that Wawrinka and Thiem were just crap against him at RG. He didn't off them other options, and that's why they lost so badly. Like most, I thought today's final at Halle would be closer, (swinging gracefully back to topic,) but Roger stepped on the gas, and suffocated young Sasha. In both cases, it's a question of the far superior player, esp. by surface, playing at top gear.

Thiem was most definitely crap that day. He played no angles whatsoever and just kept blindly belting the ball. No plan b and no variety. Stan served very badly and made a lot of errors. Everyone and their cat knows they can both play much better than they did. Nadal did all he needed to do and was decent but nothing too outstanding was needed to beat either guy. Toni Nadal even said Rafa didn't play well against Thiem. He didn't need to anyway.

Roger was very good today and used lots of variety which aggravated his opponent but it's obvious Zverev netted loads of easy balls too. I'm not going to state otherwise unlike the Nadal camp.

 

[Moxie]

Thiem was most definitely crap that day. He played no angles whatsoever and just kept blindly belting the ball. No plan b and no variety. Stan served very badly and made a lot of errors. Everyone and their cat knows they can both play much better than they did. Nadal did all he needed to do and was decent but nothing too outstanding was needed to beat either guy. Toni Nadal even said Rafa didn't play well against Thiem. He didn't need to anyway.

Roger was very good today and used lots of variety which aggravated his opponent but it's obvious Zverev netted loads of easy balls too. I'm not going to state otherwise unlike the Nadal camp.

Thiem beat Rafa in Rome and lost badly to Djokovic the next day. He beat Djokovic, then lost summarily to Rafa in the next round. That's a mental hurdle he's going to have to overcome, for sure, i.e., having the belief to beat 2 top guys in a row. I do think that's what happened to him. Stan needs the ability to hit freely and with confidence. When Nadal got ahead of him, was crowding him and taking his options, his game didn't hold up. If you think that that happened only because of Stan's side of the net, I doubt I'll ever convince you otherwise, but it's a bit blinkered.

As to Zverev, Roger exposed a lot of the holes in Sasha's grass game, in particular. He was way too far back, often, and Roger exploited that choice. And he has no good judgement as to when to come into net, nor what to do when he gets there. The world is clamoring for his brother to take him under his wing in terms of net play. He made lots of rookie mistakes, that's true. But Fed totally knew what to do with those gifts.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Thiem beat Rafa in Rome and lost badly to Djokovic the next day. He beat Djokovic, then lost summarily to Rafa in the next round. That's a mental hurdle he's going to have to overcome, for sure, i.e., having the belief to beat 2 top guys in a row. I do think that's what happened to him. Stan needs the ability to hit freely and with confidence. When Nadal got ahead of him, was crowding him and taking his options, his game didn't hold up. If you think that that happened only because of Stan's side of the net, I doubt I'll ever convince you otherwise, but it's a bit blinkered.

As to Zverev, Roger exposed a lot of the holes in Sasha's grass game, in particular. He was way too far back, often, and Roger exploited that choice. And he has no good judgement as to when to come into net, nor what to do when he gets there. The world is clamoring for his brother to take him under his wing in terms of net play. He made lots of rookie mistakes, that's true. But Fed totally knew what to do with those gifts.

I don't know why you felt the need to defend him, Front was clearly hedging his bet. However, you are spot on in your analysis of Thiem play at Rome and RG. There's no scenario where Rafa victories will ever be legitimize by some of the rabid Fed fans. I am resigned to the fact that when Rafa blew the 3-1 lead at AO , he breathed new life into Federer and his fan base which is good for them. Now their beloved one is be on the tour til maybe his 40s.