SHANGHAI ROLEX MASTERS - ATP-1000 - OCT. 6 to 13, 2013.

[kskate2]

GSM, I think he needs to take the WC and get those 250 points (plus more match play). If he's losing early in the bigger events he's not going to amass enough points to hold on to that spot.

 

[DarthFed]

If being referred to as Swiss #2 at the end of 2013 doesn't motivate Roger then it truly is the end. I doubt he ever envisioned that day would occur but it seems almost likely that Stan will be ranked higher at the end of the year.

 

[Front242]

Federer/Monfils are both great talents, but despite being horrendously injured Monfils showed more grit which got him over the line. Once again Federer falls one round short of facing a top tier player.

Did you watch the match? If so , have you ever seen such horrendous calls on service lines. When Fed was serving at 1-4 15-40, Fed serve was about 8 inch out, he almost stop play and Monfils slowed up also but was thinking that the idiot umpire was going to over rule but that clown never did.

Horrendously injured eh? :nono

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Well Murray pulled out so Fed can breathe easy for now that he will make London.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Federer/Monfils are both great talents, but despite being horrendously injured Monfils showed more grit which got him over the line. Once again Federer falls one round short of facing a top tier player.

Did you watch the match? If so , have you ever seen such horrendous calls on service lines. When Fed was serving at 1-4 15-40, Fed serve was about 8 inch out, he almost stop play and Monfils slowed up also but was thinking that the idiot umpire was going to over rule but that clown never did.

Horrendously injured eh? :nono

Monfils did treak his in shoe instep..

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Well Murray pulled out so Fed can breathe easy for now that he will make London.

Which bubble are you in? Even with Murray pulling out, it is not clear
whether Fed will make it at this rate. He is already at #8 in ATP race
and Gasquet and Milos are threatening to surpass him in the race.

 

[Front242]

Federer/Monfils are both great talents, but despite being horrendously injured Monfils showed more grit which got him over the line. Once again Federer falls one round short of facing a top tier player.

Did you watch the match? If so , have you ever seen such horrendous calls on service lines. When Fed was serving at 1-4 15-40, Fed serve was about 8 inch out, he almost stop play and Monfils slowed up also but was thinking that the idiot umpire was going to over rule but that clown never did.

Horrendously injured eh? :nono

Monfils did treak his in shoe instep..

Yeah but horrendously injured is as laughable as some of his other claims. If he was horrendously injured he'd either have (a) retired from the match or (b) lost despite how poorly Fed was playing so clearly he was not "horrendously injured".

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Well Murray pulled out so Fed can breathe easy for now that he will make London.

Which bubble are you in? Even with Murray pulling out, it is not clear
whether Fed will make it at this rate. He is already at #8 in ATP race
and Gasquet and Milos are threatening to surpass him in the race.

I said he can breathe easy for now. I didn't say he didn't have to worry, but Andy bowing out certainly is a start for Federer.

 

[tented]

Federer/Monfils are both great talents, but despite being horrendously injured Monfils showed more grit which got him over the line. Once again Federer falls one round short of facing a top tier player.

Did you watch the match? If so , have you ever seen such horrendous calls on service lines. When Fed was serving at 1-4 15-40, Fed serve was about 8 inch out, he almost stop play and Monfils slowed up also but was thinking that the idiot umpire was going to over rule but that clown never did.

Horrendously injured eh? :nono

Monfils did treak his in shoe instep..

Yeah but horrendously injured is as laughable as some of his other claims. If he was horrendously injured he'd either have (a) retired from the match or (b) lost despite how poorly Fed was playing so clearly he was not "horrendously injured".

Yeah, "horrendously injured" is going way, way too far.

Kevin Ware was horrendously injured.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

My personal favorite in all of this nonsense:
Before a ball was struck, Nadal's expression confirmed my pre-match ideas. It was a smartly played match (the shortest match of their rivalry perhaps) and Nadal now has an excellent opportunity to win Shanghai. No unnecessary fatigue. The perfect week. A perfect week that ends in a finals loss, hmm. :cover

Just because 9 of my 10 favorite matches are 5-setters, it doesn't mean I want Nadal to play long matches at an ATP-500. Nothing would have been positive about playing a long final at the China Open. The title meant almost nothing, compared to a slam title. Nadal was there to get the Number One ranking at the first available opportunity (by making the final). I'm not surprised he went to that trouble, because he'd been talking in detail about the exact points difference between him and Djokovic just prior to the US Open, so it was obviously important to him to qualify for the final. And BTW, you can't actually play a 5-setter until the slams arrive (apart from the Olympic Gold medal match), in case you didn't know the format. The way in which Nadal prepares to play the marathons at slams is by not playing marathons at ATP-500s (these days, anyway). And notice when I said 9 of my 10 favorite matches were 5 setters, I didn't even include the longest 3-setter Djokovic/Nadal had ever played? That's because I don't find best-of-3-setters too enjoyable.

 

[tossip]

Monfils is a such free spirit...he does what he wants on court.He is a millionaire who plays when he wants and how he wants to.He dresses the way he wants to dress,has hairstyles that he wants...doesnt conform...stll making very good money.

 

[Iona16]

Federer/Monfils are both great talents, but despite being horrendously injured Monfils showed more grit which got him over the line. Once again Federer falls one round short of facing a top tier player.

Did you watch the match? If so , have you ever seen such horrendous calls on service lines. When Fed was serving at 1-4 15-40, Fed serve was about 8 inch out, he almost stop play and Monfils slowed up also but was thinking that the idiot umpire was going to over rule but that clown never did.

Horrendously injured eh? :nono

Monfils did treak his in shoe instep..

Yeah but horrendously injured is as laughable as some of his other claims. If he was horrendously injured he'd either have (a) retired from the match or (b) lost despite how poorly Fed was playing so clearly he was not "horrendously injured".

Surely "horrendously injured" suggests that he should be on his way to A&E? (ER - American equivalent)

 

[Moxie]

Monfils is a such free spirit...he does what he wants on court.He is a millionaire who plays when he wants and how he wants to.He dresses the way he wants to dress,has hairstyles that he wants...doesnt conform...stll making very good money.

I like this about Monfils, too. His hair is as unpredictable as his game. There are those who don't think he takes his game seriously enough. That rap goes on some other very talented players, too. But maybe they take it far enough to please themselves. The dedication to being the best isn't for everyone.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Its true, Monfils looks a lot happier than Federer. Success doesn't bring happiness, just the burden of expectations. But on the other hand, hard work fuels the soul.

 

[Iona16]

But its refreshing to see Federer fight for sets (not just matches....sets) on such a regular basis. I prefer this type of Federer over all other versions of him. Hopefully we get to see a few more years of it.

Yes, it is refreshing for you to see Roger become a scrub. I will enjoy it when it happens to your beloved Whafa too, and it will happen. No one beats Father Time.

I have to say that Federer is one of those players that brings out the worst in me. I won't pretend that him beating Murray in many slams finals has not played a part. However, I take no pleasure in seeing him struggle. If you are a fan of tennis then you can't help but appreciate the massive impact that Federer has had on tennis and sport in general. I remember watching footage from the Olympics in China and there were so many athletes from all over the world desperate to get a photo with him. He is an amazing champion and I think the best ambassador the sport has ever had. I think it's very sad that NADAL2005RG is clearly taking pleasure in seeing Federer performing below his very high standards. Time waits for no man and at some point age will catch up with Rafa. That will sadden me far more than Federer's decline but it will happen and tennis will lose another great. If you're a fan of tennis then you should enjoy this era because I'm not sure we'll ever see another like it. People might be enjoying the decline of Federer. Perhaps even wishing for it. I always think you should be careful what you wish for. In the years to come I'll be able to say I saw the big 4 play in person and I'm happy and very grateful for it.

"I'm very happy to be part of this era in tennis. If I played in another era maybe I would have won more, but I wouldn’t have been as good a tennis player." Andy Murray

 

[NADAL2005RG]

I take pleasure in seeing any athlete being pushed to their limits. That's what sport is all about to me. Not just sport, but life. I value hard work. That's why now that Federer's talent is not good enough and we are seeing him work hard for everything, its a lot more fun. This is why I was never a Federer fan before. His game was boring because he wasn't being physically exerted as much as the other elite players. Plus his techniques are boringly textbook, but that's a separate issue. Likewise, I will enjoy the 2nd half of Nadal's career even more than the 1st half when he has father time. I've always wanted to see more 5-setters at Roland Garros, but unfortunately Nadal has only played 2 of them. Hopefully we'll get some more epics like this year's RG semi (although obviously Nadal will be a bit sharper next year, so its unlikely).

 

[Moxie]

"I'm very happy to be part of this era in tennis. If I played in another era maybe I would have won more, but I wouldn’t have been as good a tennis player." Andy Murray

That's a great quote, Iona. Very true.

 

[Iona16]

I take pleasure in seeing any athlete being pushed to their limits. That's what sport is all about to me. Not just sport, but life. I value hard work. That's why now that Federer's talent is not good enough and we are seeing him work hard for everything, its a lot more fun. This is why I was never a Federer fan before. His game was boring because he wasn't being physically exerted as much as the other elite players. Plus his techniques are boringly textbook, but that's a separate issue. Likewise, I will enjoy the 2nd half of Nadal's career even more than the 1st half when he has father time. I've always wanted to see more 5-setters at Roland Garros, but unfortunately Nadal has only played 2 of them. Hopefully we'll get some more epics like this year's RG semi (although obviously Nadal will be a bit sharper next year, so its unlikely).

I'm honestly not sure how I can respond to such drivel.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

^ That's because its a fact. Federer has always been less physically exerted than the other elite players, and his techniques have always been based on the textbook (apart from the squash-shot).

 

[Iona16]

Likewise, I will enjoy the 2nd half of Nadal's career even more than the 1st half when he has father time. I've always wanted to see more 5-setters at Roland Garros, but unfortunately Nadal has only played 2 of them. Hopefully we'll get some more epics like this year's RG semi (although obviously Nadal will be a bit sharper next year, so its unlikely).

Trust me you won't. When you follow a champion like Nadal or Federer you get spoiled. It's their fault of course but you do. You get used to the masters titles stacking up. You get used to the 1, 2 or 3 slams a year but it can't last, not indefinitely. Even great champions fade. You might want some more epic 5 setters at RG and no doubt you'll get some. However, at some point Rafa will start losing them. You follow a great champion. Why not just enjoy what he is producing right now? No need to look too far ahead.