Roger Federer : Can You Predict His Future

[GameSetAndMath]

My first question is if anyone knows what it's going to take for Roger to get to #4 before the AO, which seems critical and desirable. Not sure if he can/what he's defending. And then I would say, he's not defending much next year, and so could move up, if he comes into 2014 having a decent year. I'm with britbox that he should probably shoot for a quality Wimbledon next year.

Forget #4 before AO 2014. The first goal is to make it to WTF by remaining in
Top 8. That itself is not guaranteed at this time. It does not look automatic with
huge pressure from Gasquet, Wawrinka, Milos etc.

But, it is important to get to WTF and add some points there, even if it is just a 200.
The reason is that it is a free add on points and will stay in the record for one full year.

Assuming he can make it to WTF by remaining in top 8 his goal should be to
get to top 4 before Wimby 2014.

 

[Front242]

Roger Federer will double up in Shanghai next month. The world No. 6 plans to play doubles with Zhang Ze, China's top-ranked men's player, at the Shanghai Masters, which begins on October 6.

World No. 180 Zhang, who grew up looking up to Federer, received a wild card into the tournament.

"I was surprised when first told about it," Zhang told Shanghai Daily. "But I'm looking forward to it and will try to learn something from the matches."

Federer's last ATP doubles match came when he partnered longtime friend Tommy Haas in Halle last June. They lost to Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner, 7-6, 6-4. Federer hasn't played doubles in a Masters 1000 tournament since he partnered compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka to reach the 2011 Indian Wells final, where they fell to Xavier Malisse and Alexandr Dolgopolov, 6-4, 6-7, 10-7.

I saw this news and found it crazy. Normally, players who want to play doubles will
form their own teams. It looks like that was not the case here as otherwise, there is no
reason for Zhang to be surprised. It looks like the tournament organizers played the
role of a matchmaker. I wonder whether Roger is getting some sort of
"appearance fee" for this.

All the Asian tournaments have big appearance fees and you can bet Roger's gonna get a spicy meatball there At least it'll also be some practice at net play for him as his volleying has been subpar this year. So many netted easy put aways. Nice experience for Zhang too so everyone's a winner.

 

[ClayDeath]

He is going to have to change the failing strategy.

I took another look at that match against tommy Robredo.


he is too damn impatient. you have to dig in, craft points, and play high percentage tennis if your run and gun offense with reckless abandon is not working.


he has to become more of a grinder.


translation: he has to change

 

[Front242]

No way a 32 year old not named Ferrer has any business becoming a grinder and Ferrer already is and good one at that but Fed isn't ever going to play like that at his age. Against any of the top guys that's suicidal.

 

[ClayDeath]

who said anything about the top guys. he can't deal with the top guys at this age. journey of a 1000 miles also ends in a single step. there is very dramatic and significant decline in his production this year from 2012. and 2014 is almost upon us.


roger has enough weapons even now. he just has to willing to grind a little bit in order to keep winning matches.

 

[Front242]

No idea how ready he feels with the new racquet but he may well surprise the rest of the year or he may continue spewing gunk till year's end. Either way 2014 can only be better than this and hopefully he'll get back on track soon.

 

[ClayDeath]

2014 is bound to be better. he had some back issues this year that hampered him.

I think he does come back a little healthier and a little stronger physically. so that is to be positive for him and for his camp. he is a competitive chap and he wants to hang around the sport a little longer. at least that is the message I am getting from him.

jim courier said that the fact he was willing to try a new racquet in the middle of the season sends a wrong message to so called the locker room. it shows he is struggling with his confidence.

that leads me to believe that some of this decline is mental. he has lost some belief.



I am going to advance one other theory: I think he is also either too obstinate or perhaps a bit lazy to not to dig in, stand his ground, and grind more in order to win.

he was swinging like a mad man at everything against robredo at the open. it should be no surprise then that he lost to somebody he had never ever lost to in straight sets.

he had 44 unforced errors against nadal at cinci and still did fairly well. in fact so well that it prompted nadal to say that he was a little bit lucky to win that match. with a little bit of patience to craft points, roger may have been able to take that one.



you have to be willing to adapt and evolve. and above all, you have to willing to change the failing game plan.

now roger is going to have to work harder than ever. its just that simple.

 

[Jelenafan]

My very first post on your forum, go easy on me just this one time!

As to Roger, I think his best shots are actually at a Major for 2014 because with 4 rounds before Qtrs, it gives him a chance to get his teeth into a tourney aka playing maybe a couple of qualifiers, for example.

The bigger problem I see for Roger are the Masters 1000, per the draw one can argue they are tougher then majors, since you are playing top players in your very first match. Those are going to get harder for him. I don't think he will have problems getting pumped playing Rafa, Nole, Andy , but I do think grinding out matches with below top tier players is going to be harder. Not so much physically but mentally I think it's just hard for him to get excited over playing the Tommy Robredo's in order to get to Rafa.

So my take is Roger can with the right draw, get a Major SF, particularly Wimbledon and the USO.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Yeah it was strange how in 2013 his worst slam results were at Wimbledon (2nd Round vs 116 ranked) and USO (4th Round vs Robredo whom Federer had 10-0 h2h record). I'd have guessed Wimbledon and USO were his best chances at going deep, especially given how favorable his draws were at those events this year.

 

[brokenshoelace]

he has to become more of a grinder.

This is absolutely awful advice.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

he has to become more of a grinder.

This is absolutely awful advice.

No pain no gain.

 

[DarthFed]

he has to become more of a grinder.

This is absolutely awful advice.

I've been trying to tell him this for weeks but no luck. Roger wouldn't win 1 out of 100 matches vs. Rafa, Djoker or Murray if he tried to outlast them from the baseline. They are quicker, have much better defense, way more consistent from the baseline, and have better endurance. Roger has to be very aggressive from the baseline and serve well to give himself a chance against the top players, that simple.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

he has to become more of a grinder.

This is absolutely awful advice.

I've been trying to tell him this for weeks but no luck. Roger wouldn't win 1 out of 100 matches vs. Rafa, Djoker or Murray if he tried to outlast them from the baseline. They are quicker, have much better defense, way more consistent from the baseline, and have better endurance. Roger has to be very aggressive from the baseline and serve well to give himself a chance against the top players, that simple.

Nah not that simple. Federer needs to be aggressive, but that alone won't beat Nadal/Djokovic/Murray. Federer needs to get fitter, move better, retrieve better, in addition to attacking. Being aggressive alone is not enough. BTW, I'm not implying that its physically possible for Federer to get fitter or move better. I'm just saying its necessary, in addition to playing aggressively. It may be impossible, but its necessary. Either way, Federer doesn't play to win. Federer plays because he loves tennis, so not a big deal if he can't improve.

 

[ClayDeath]

he has to become more of a grinder.

This is absolutely awful advice.

I've been trying to tell him this for weeks but no luck. Roger wouldn't win 1 out of 100 matches vs. Rafa, Djoker or Murray if he tried to outlast them from the baseline. They are quicker, have much better defense, way more consistent from the baseline, and have better endurance. Roger has to be very aggressive from the baseline and serve well to give himself a chance against the top players, that simple.

he is not beating rafa, joker, and andy going forward anyway unless it happens to be in a best of 3 sets environment. lets just say its going to be fairly tough.

still he cant have the same mentality some of you folks have. he has to send the top guns the right message when he gets on the court against them. he has to show them that he can deal with them from the baseline. that is what he has to project.


the tragedy for him and his camp is that---on the average--- he is not going to fare well against others either with run and gun, swing for the fences offense.

slightly higher percentage tennis implies better grinding ability. he has all the shots.

why not try more patience on the court?





it is worth a try folks if he wants to start winning matches again.

 

[Ricardo]

No way a 32 year old not named Ferrer has any business becoming a grinder and Ferrer already is and good one at that but Fed isn't ever going to play like that at his age. Against any of the top guys that's suicidal.

exactly whoever makes that suggestion would want to see Fed getting beat badly. Forget the big 3, even against Ferrer he would have no chance if he decided to change his style and try to outlast him. Unlike the big 3, Fed can beat Ferrer every time only because he attacks David at every chance and David doesn't have enough offense to hurt him. David is just as fit and tough as the big 3 except he doesn't have the big game.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

If you watch Roger's prime matches, you can see he was was one of the best defenders when he had to defend, and he was THE best at turning defense into offense. Those days are gone and are never coming back. He was always an attacker first and he defended when necessary. He is not going to be a grinder after 32. If anything, he will have to get more offensive so that he does not find himself in those grinding situations.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

I really hope the fedster is sorting himself a new racquet just now..and that he stays with it.

 

[DarthFed]

he has to become more of a grinder.

This is absolutely awful advice.

I've been trying to tell him this for weeks but no luck. Roger wouldn't win 1 out of 100 matches vs. Rafa, Djoker or Murray if he tried to outlast them from the baseline. They are quicker, have much better defense, way more consistent from the baseline, and have better endurance. Roger has to be very aggressive from the baseline and serve well to give himself a chance against the top players, that simple.

he is not beating rafa, joker, and andy going forward anyway unless it happens to be in a best of 3 sets environment. lets just say its going to be fairly tough.

still he cant have the same mentality some of you folks have. he has to send the top guns the right message when he gets on the court against them. he has to show them that he can deal with them from the baseline. that is what he has to project.


the tragedy for him and his camp is that---on the average--- he is not going to fare well against others either with run and gun, swing for the fences offense.

slightly higher percentage tennis implies better grinding ability. he has all the shots.

why not try more patience on the court?





it is worth a try folks if he wants to start winning matches again.

If he recovers form, (ie starts serving decent, doesn't hit 1 out of 2 forehands 10 feet out, and gets some mustard on the backhand) he will always be a threat vs. Nole and Murray anywhere except maybe Djokovic on clay. Short of PED's he isn't going to turn into some super grinder that can hope to win a battle of attrition against the top guys who are all 5 and 6 years younger. He won Wimbledon 2012 over Murray and Djokovic by serving excellent and generally blowing them off the court from the baseline. Maybe he can rediscover it, but if not he will be irrelevant. Grinding is not the way, that is a sure fire loss each and every time.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

I wonder what Federer is doing differently now compared to late 2011. Federer won 26 matches in a row from September2011-January2012 (Nadal broke that streak, at the AO).

 

[Fiero425]

I wonder what Federer is doing differently now compared to late 2011. Federer won 26 matches in a row from September2011-January2012 (Nadal broke that streak, at the AO).

It's called "getting old!" I'm as much a Fed fan as anyone, but he can't last forever! He very well may win another major, but that run that took back to #1 isn't happening again! It's all downhill for him now; sorry! That's just the way it is; and will continue to be for athletes no matter how well they take care of themselves!