What do you expect from Roger Federer in 2014?

[El Dude]

Not what do you want to see, but what do you think is most likely? Vote and comment.

 

[19USC66]

If Roger intends to compete in 2014 at a high level? He had better start hitting alot more balls in practice and decide if he wants to remain a factor or just another over the hill has been. Fairly simple decision process. He has yet to play a complete excellent match in 2013. Two matches at Shanghai were nothing, but the same old same old we have seen this entire season.

 

[Kieran]

I think if he doesn't take to the new racket, it might have him second guessing himself. Plus, if he doesn't commit to a schedule that makes him play, but instead tries to get by on the minimum commitment, he'll find it hard to get up to speed for big matches. As it is now, he's not even falling in the big matches - he's falling before them.

I expect him to commit and come out charging. Whether it'll have an effect or not, we won't know until next year. He's not going through Rafa in a slam, and maybe not Djoker or Murray either. The makeweights are throwing shapes, so he'll be dragged into more brawls there too.

I think next year he may have to work hard just to stay still. This is normal - he'll be 33 next August!

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

I say top 5 in 2014..but only if he gets a new wand giving him a bigger sweet spot and a bit more power esp with groundstrokes from back of court (extra power not needed for serve as its accuracy and semi hidden kick serve gets the job done)..

obviously he needs to quickly acclimatise to the new wand otherwise he wont win stuff of be near top5 rank.

i think ferrer will g0 downhill, as will Tsonga, as will burdych, del potro will be ahead of Federer.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

He will be defending so little that if he remembers who he is just a tad, he should get back to top 4 easily. He says he is practising, putting in the time. I am not seeing results. Something is missing and whatever it is, I hope he finds it next year. He loves the game, he says he is motivated...Who knows? The thing is, he is not the type of guy to leave the game on a high. If he wins a slam, he will tell himself that he is good enough to win more...and keep playing.

 

[rafanoy1992]

I would say he would be between Moderate Resurgence and Dead Cat Bounce. I think he will show some flash of brilliance, but I think he will struggle more often than not next year.

 

[El Dude]

rafanoy, that's what I think, although voted for Dead Cat Bounce because while I think Roger may spend more time in the top 5, I don't see him stabilized there and will be part of a half dozen or so players fighting over #4 and #5.

I agree with Jesus, that Ferrer will (finally) start showing signs of age, and it may be that Tsonga is starting to show signs of decline. But I see Del Potro and Berdych remaining strong, and also Raonic and Janowicz entering the top 10 fray, so while the bottom part of the top five (#4-5) will be softer, the top ten as a whole might be a tad more competitive.

 

[Front242]

I'll go with moderate resurgence and top 5. I'm not sure how he'll perform but realistically if he does even moderately better than this year with no points to defend it's easy to see him getting back to number 5 or even 4. How long he'll stay there for is anyone's guess but surely it has to be a better year than 2013.

 

[shawnbm]

REVIVAL

 

[Srini]

Will go up in rankings a little bit. Will reach later rounds of a couple of slams. I feel he will make 2 semis. Hard to imagine him being in finals at this stage but if it's a favorable draw, it can happen. I doubt if he can win another slam, not unless he gets into top 4 again.

I guess I mean Moderate resurgence.

 

[NADAL2005RG]

Laver things Federer can win the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

"I think he's certainly capable of winning maybe the Australian, and of course Wimbledon is something that he's pretty involved with. I think he likes those two type of games. Unfortunately, someone like Nadal is always going to knock him off on the clay."

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8737112

 

[zalvar]

Moderate resurgence! I think he can definitely do better than this year. You can tell, from the Monfils match, that he wasn't very confident. Especially on his backhand, he has no confidence. And then he would randomly rush the net. ANYWAY. I think he can be back to top 5 and a very small chance of winning maybe Wimbledon or the Open if the draw opens up and he only has to beat just 1 of the big 3.

 

[DarthFed]

Moderate resurgence is most likely. I can picture a year similar to 2011 where he was in the mix but didn't win the big ones. It's tough to picture him winning a slam but I might have to change my opinion and say Wimbledon is his best chance. He is most dangerous to the elite players there but he is also more vulnerable to the lesser players. Roger's play and results at the US Open have been dreadful for 5 years now. He had his chances for 6 or 7 at least but now he is getting trounced early by the likes of Berd and Robredo.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I expect a moderate resurgence. He will not win a slam in 2014. However, he
would make one final in a GS. I expect mixed results in slams, some thing like
one F, one SF, one QF and one 4R. But, I do expect him to win more titles than
this year, something like 3 or 4, mostly in smaller events; may be at most one
ATP 1000 event. I expect his ranking to fluctuate between 4 and 8 throughout
the year and will probably finish the year end ranked fifth.

Here is a startling prediction. His next slam win will be in 2015 FO.
In 2015 FO, Djoker and Rafa will be in same half and Fed and Murray will
be in other half (I expect Murray to be ranked No. 2 at that time and
Rafa to be ranked No.3 thanks to another Knee episode that will happen
in 2014 and the draw gods will cooperate). Djoker will take out Rafa
and Fed will defeat Djoker in the finals.

 

[calitennis127]

I think if he doesn't take to the new racket, it might have him second guessing himself. Plus, if he doesn't commit to a schedule that makes him play, but instead tries to get by on the minimum commitment, he'll find it hard to get up to speed for big matches. As it is now, he's not even falling in the big matches - he's falling before them.

I expect him to commit and come out charging. Whether it'll have an effect or not, we won't know until next year. He's not going through Rafa in a slam, and maybe not Djoker or Murray either. The makeweights are throwing shapes, so he'll be dragged into more brawls there too.

I think next year he may have to work hard just to stay still. This is normal - he'll be 33 next August!

Federer still has the shotmaking tools in place to beat any one of the other Big 4 in a slam. He just needs to get his head right and ignite some audacity in his playing style.

 

[Denis]

Moderate resurgence. I hope. It's no fun seeing him lose to Tommy Robredo.

 

[honey1269]

no points to defend it's easy to see him getting back to number 5 or even 4

 

[Fiero425]

no points to defend it's easy to see him getting back to number 5 or even 4

He'll have to do more than just hang back on the baseline trying to rally with these kids! I've been saying for years he needs to attack more; not necessarily serve and volley, but take those floaters out of the air and finish off points sooner! He's been quite stubborn thinking he can play his old game with that older body! I thought that was why he hired Annacone to help him, but he hasn't changed his tactics in the least from what little we see of him before eliminated early in tourneys! I hope ti doesn't get to be embarrassing like Sampras in his last years! He's quite capable of taking another major, but if he has no confidence, lesser players will take him out well before the finals! :nono

 

[tented]

I moved the posts about the Roger/Annacone split to the separate thread about this topic:

http://www.tennisfrontier.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1214

 

[lindseywagners]

"...if he remembers who he is..."

FYI, I am pretty sure that NBC's Ted Robinson said "Federer remembers who he is" when Roger smacked a couple aces after struggling against Nadal during the 2008 Wimbledon Final. I thought it was such a great line by Robinson at the time and I like how you used it here, Murat. Anyone else remember when in that match Robinson said it? I can't.