Roger Federer : Can You Predict His Future

[ClayDeath]

switching time and again right in the middle of the season sends a wrong message to the locker room and competition. it projects a struggling player even more.

I don't think it was a good idea to switch and then switch right back to the old reliable one for the u.s. open. and now to switch again.

now I would not be surprised if he goes right back to the old reliable one for shanghai masters.

top players normally don't do this in the middle of the season.

its clear he is struggling. he lost in straight sets to robredo. he would have won 2-3 games at best against a guy like nole at the u.s open this year.

he needs to get back to basics and it starts with better fitness. he has to be able to stay out there for as long as it takes to win matches.

a bigger racquet is not going to solve his problems. that is how I see it.

 

[DarthFed]

It isn't the middle of the season, and as Kieran said, desperate times call for desperate measures. If ever you are going to make a change during the season it should be near the end when there are no more majors left. He has to forget about what he did with the old racquet, that's completely irrelevant since he no longer has the same ability as before. Extra power can only help shorten points and maybe help make his serve into a big weapon again.

He is not going to turn into a grinder at age 32. Short of changing his position on ROS and actually digging in mentally the only real things to change are racquet and coach. Roger's problem isn't fitness, it is more lack of consistency and horrible play in the big moments. Watching matches like Robredo and Stakhovsky you got the sense that even these lightweights were going to win every big point. The problem starts there. Any significant change in form will be due to a change in focus and finally being offended that he has been relegated to scrub status this year.

 

[tented]

Roger's problem isn't fitness, it is more lack of consistency and horrible play in the big moments.

I agree with you, but there were also times when he was definitely hampered physically because of his back.

 

[Moxie]

I agree that this is as good a time as any to change the racquet, or see if that works, and that Annacone has outlived his usefulness. There are so few people that anyone could think of as a reasonable coach/consultant for Fed. What about John McEnroe? I doubt McEnroe wants to coach, given his other obligations, and I don't think they're temperamentally suited. However: Johnny Mac is a great champion who is still in the game, (he and PMac won Masters doubles at the FO and the USO this year,) so he knows what it's like to face your aging body and still play tennis. And he's accomplished enough to speak to Roger as an equal. A consultant relationship? Am I crazy?

 

[tented]

I agree that this is as good a time as any to change the racquet, or see if that works, and that Annacone has outlived his usefulness. There are so few people that anyone could think of as a reasonable coach/consultant for Fed. What about John McEnroe? I doubt McEnroe wants to coach, given his other obligations, and I don't think they're temperamentally suited. However: Johnny Mac is a great champion who is still in the game, (he and PMac won Masters doubles at the FO and the USO this year,) so he knows what it's like to face your aging body and still play tennis. And he's accomplished enough to speak to Roger as an equal. A consultant relationship? Am I crazy?

I don't think it's a good fit. McEnroe is far too in-your-face for Federer. Borg is more Roger's temperament, but that wouldn't work, either.

I haven't read through this entire thread, but has anyone mentioned Larry Stefanki?

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Even if Federer has become a hack and a loser, I'm enjoying his career a lot more now than when he was winning. So I applaud Federer for staying on the tour despite not being able to win. And a coaching/racquet change will make things even more interesting or disastrous. Its great for tennis, because we also have the rise/re-rise and rule of Nadal and Murray, plus the "close but no cigarness" of Djokovic. Everyone is doing their part to make this the most dramatic and entertaining era in tennis history. Well, everyone except for the youngsters.

 

[Kieran]

the "close but no cigarness" of Djokovic.

Eh, he won Oz... :s

 

[DarthFed]

I agree that this is as good a time as any to change the racquet, or see if that works, and that Annacone has outlived his usefulness. There are so few people that anyone could think of as a reasonable coach/consultant for Fed. What about John McEnroe? I doubt McEnroe wants to coach, given his other obligations, and I don't think they're temperamentally suited. However: Johnny Mac is a great champion who is still in the game, (he and PMac won Masters doubles at the FO and the USO this year,) so he knows what it's like to face your aging body and still play tennis. And he's accomplished enough to speak to Roger as an equal. A consultant relationship? Am I crazy?

I wouldn't mind that at all. Roger needs someone to get him riled up. That said I don't see it happening, I get the sense Roger and JMac aren't buddies going a ways back. Think at one point Mac was offering to help Roger around 2008-2009 and felt shunned when it didn't work out.

 

[DarthFed]

Even if Federer has become a hack and a loser, I'm enjoying his career a lot more now than when he was winning. So I applaud Federer for staying on the tour despite not being able to win. And a coaching/racquet change will make things even more interesting or disastrous. Its great for tennis, because we also have the rise/re-rise and rule of Nadal and Murray, plus the "close but no cigarness" of Djokovic. Everyone is doing their part to make this the most dramatic and entertaining era in tennis history. Well, everyone except for the youngsters.

So stupid it's funny. I guess I will like Rafa a lot more if/when he sucks too. Isn't is easier to say you hate the guy and are glad to see him finally suck??

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Even if Federer has become a hack and a loser, I'm enjoying his career a lot more now than when he was winning. So I applaud Federer for staying on the tour despite not being able to win. And a coaching/racquet change will make things even more interesting or disastrous. Its great for tennis, because we also have the rise/re-rise and rule of Nadal and Murray, plus the "close but no cigarness" of Djokovic. Everyone is doing their part to make this the most dramatic and entertaining era in tennis history. Well, everyone except for the youngsters.

So stupid it's funny. I guess I will like Rafa a lot more if/when he sucks too. Isn't is easier to say you hate the guy and are glad to see him finally suck??

Federer has never been important enough to hate, but I've never liked him, that is for sure. I think if Federer had hurt Nadal more over the years I'd feel more negativity toward Federer. But he didn't so I merely dislike him moderately, not "hate" at all. I don't hate any player.....but the player I dislike the most is easily Djokovic. And the players I like most are Nadal and Murray (I've always hoped to see Nadal ranked #1 and Murray ranked #2).

 

[DarthFed]

Right, so it is just a coincidence that every post of yours that isn't nut hugging Nadal is some sort of shot at Federer.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Right, so it is just a coincidence that every post of yours that isn't nut hugging Nadal is some sort of shot at Federer.

I'm only replying to the posts around me. Federer is constantly talked about here. Djokovic is rarely talked about. Djokovic is pure awful in every way, to me. Federer is just annoying.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I agree that this is as good a time as any to change the racquet, or see if that works, and that Annacone has outlived his usefulness. There are so few people that anyone could think of as a reasonable coach/consultant for Fed. What about John McEnroe? I doubt McEnroe wants to coach, given his other obligations, and I don't think they're temperamentally suited. However: Johnny Mac is a great champion who is still in the game, (he and PMac won Masters doubles at the FO and the USO this year,) so he knows what it's like to face your aging body and still play tennis. And he's accomplished enough to speak to Roger as an equal. A consultant relationship? Am I crazy?

I wouldn't mind that at all. Roger needs someone to get him riled up. That said I don't see it happening, I get the sense Roger and JMac aren't buddies going a ways back. Think at one point Mac was offering to help Roger around 2008-2009 and felt shunned when it didn't work out.

Yes, In 2008 Johnny Mac unilaterally offered to help Roger and that too he said over
the media instead of in private channels. Moreover, that was the year when all Tom,
Dick and Harry said they can and want to help Roger. Roger, of course shunned all of
them and came back to winning ways.

I would suggest to keep changes one at a time. Roger should keep Annacone,
but move on to the larger racquet. He can think of firing Annacone, after he gets
completely comfortable with the new racquet, raises to new heights and then
gets into a slump.

 

[ClayDeath]

i heard that killer cahill once went to roger`s house to give him advice on how to beat nadal?


is there any truth to this story?

 

[Iona16]

i heard that killer cahill once went to roger`s house to give him advice on how to beat nadal?


is there any truth to this story?

I find that very hard to believe.

 

[ClayDeath]

i can believe it actually. he is a huge roger Federer fan.


all i need to know is if it really happened.


roger and Sampras appear to be close as well. i think roger has been to pete`s house once or twice.

it is possible Sampras too may have given roger some advice on various tactics against nadal.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

i can believe it actually. he is a huge roger Federer fan.


all i need to know is if it really happened.


roger and Sampras appear to be close as well. i think roger has been to pete`s house once or twice.

it is possible Sampras too may have given roger some advice on various tactics against nadal.

Clay, do you think there is a magic tactic out there for Roger to beat Rafa? I will spare you the suspense, there is none...and the none-magic ones, Roger already knows them. It is just the little issue of knowing and implementing being not the same.

 

[Mog]

i heard that killer cahill once went to roger`s house to give him advice on how to beat nadal?


is there any truth to this story?

I find that very hard to believe.

At one point sometime there was a talk between Roger and Cahil to coach him. But that did not materialize because Cahil was not ready to travel much away from his family.
I read about it but don't remember the source.

 

[ClayDeath]

i can believe it actually. he is a huge roger Federer fan.


all i need to know is if it really happened.


roger and Sampras appear to be close as well. i think roger has been to pete`s house once or twice.

it is possible Sampras too may have given roger some advice on various tactics against nadal.

Clay, do you think there is a magic tactic out there for Roger to beat Rafa? I will spare you the suspense, there is none...and the none-magic ones, Roger already knows them. It is just the little issue of knowing and implementing being not the same.

I never said there was general murat.


I am just trying to find out of some of these stories that we hear are true.



we all know that nobody has any answers for nadal right now. hell now they cant even deal with him on his worst surface.


this is bad news for me. I fear now that he is going end up destroying his knees given his demanding style of play.

 

[Moxie]

i heard that killer cahill once went to roger`s house to give him advice on how to beat nadal?


is there any truth to this story?

I find that very hard to believe.

At one point sometime there was a talk between Roger and Cahil to coach him. But that did not materialize because Cahil was not ready to travel much away from his family.
I read about it but don't remember the source.

Well, maybe Cahill's family is older now. That could be interesting. But I still like a sit-down, at least, with Johnny Mac.