Will Roger Use New or Old Racquet when he comes back in Cincy?

[masterclass]

Confirmed. As rumored and shown in the most recent practice pics.

I expect he still might experiment later.

Respectfully,
masterclass

 

[crystalfire]

Darth, what do reckon Roger's got left in the tank?

He will be better in 2014 as he should be more motivated to prove he still has it after this year. Also it is hard to gauge just how much the back has been bothering him this year. Of course the back might get worse and worse which will make it tough for him to really recover. I'd like to think motivation has been the biggest issue and that after so many losses the fire will build back up as he will feel that he needs to prove something. But if 2014 is as bad or worse than this year I don't think he will carry on.

i really hope he steps up next year. he will have nothing to defend and can only go up if he doesnt have health problems

 

[crystalfire]

is it me or is fed using a white raquet and not a black? old one maybe?

 

[the AntiPusher]

Now we can gather that the 98 prototype was Roger's "back injury" last week. I am not saying that he wasnt injured a few weeks ago but he wanted more time to get re acquainted with his ole trusted friend. Fed is not going to change, he will stick with the old. It will take a very taking to the woodshed thrashing by someone such as Rafa, Murray or Djoker caliber before he will switch this soon before the open.

 

[DarthFed]

Now we can gather that the 98 prototype was Roger's "back injury" last week. I am not saying that he wasnt injured a few weeks ago but he wanted more time to get re acquainted with his ole trusted friend. Fed is not going to change, he will stick with the old. It will take a very taking to the woodshed thrashing by someone such as Rafa, Murray or Djoker caliber before he will switch this soon before the open.

If we are going off of last night then his back is still an issue. Roger will probably not even make the 4th round at the U.S. and I have him as 50-50 vs. Haas in 2 days. I'm glad he will be switching for good after the US Open. There is no reason not to change things at this point. Next I hope he changes coaches but I don't see that happening.

 

[tented]

Next I hope he changes coaches but I don't see that happening.

I was wondering about this last night, when I saw Annacone's funereal face.

Who do you think could help Roger? Cahill? Stefanki? Lendl? (I'm serious about him, since it's a hypothetical question.)

 

[the AntiPusher]

Now we can gather that the 98 prototype was Roger's "back injury" last week. I am not saying that he wasnt injured a few weeks ago but he wanted more time to get re acquainted with his ole trusted friend. Fed is not going to change, he will stick with the old. It will take a very taking to the woodshed thrashing by someone such as Rafa, Murray or Djoker caliber before he will switch this soon before the open.

If we are going off of last night then his back is still an issue. Roger will probably not even make the 4th round at the U.S. and I have him as 50-50 vs. Haas in 2 days. I'm glad he will be switching for good after the US Open. There is no reason not to change things at this point. Next I hope he changes coaches but I don't see that happening.

Darth Fed I saw the beginning of the match.. Roger's back look pretty good.. His movement was pretty good and his serving was outstanding at times(most of Roger's service game in the 1st set barely lasted longer than 90 sec.. Did you see something in the way he finished against Pk?

 

[Kieran]

I dunno if the coach is at fault, and a change of racket and coach in the same half-season might smack of desperation, or even worse, an avoidance of looking more closely at himself and his commitment. Also, a type of contradiction: is it the racket or the coach? Both worked fine last year. The common denominator is himself.

But if he changes coach, there aren't too many wise options out there...

 

[the AntiPusher]

I dunno if the coach is at fault, and a change of racket and coach in the same half-season might smack of desperation, or even worse, an avoidance of looking more closely at himself and his commitment. Also, a type of contradiction: is it the racket or the coach? Both worked fine last year. The common denominator is himself.

But if he changes coach, there aren't too many wise options out there...

3 top 3 players who are 6 years or more younger than Fed, the family(wife and kids) and Father Time..That's 3 the hard way for Fed.

 

[Kieran]

I dunno if the coach is at fault, and a change of racket and coach in the same half-season might smack of desperation, or even worse, an avoidance of looking more closely at himself and his commitment. Also, a type of contradiction: is it the racket or the coach? Both worked fine last year. The common denominator is himself.

But if he changes coach, there aren't too many wise options out there...

3 top 3 players who are 6 years or more younger than Fed, the family(wife and kids) and Father Time..That's 3 the hard way for Fed.

That's how it goes. He got to make hay the easy way when they were all kids...

 

[DarthFed]

Now we can gather that the 98 prototype was Roger's "back injury" last week. I am not saying that he wasnt injured a few weeks ago but he wanted more time to get re acquainted with his ole trusted friend. Fed is not going to change, he will stick with the old. It will take a very taking to the woodshed thrashing by someone such as Rafa, Murray or Djoker caliber before he will switch this soon before the open.

If we are going off of last night then his back is still an issue. Roger will probably not even make the 4th round at the U.S. and I have him as 50-50 vs. Haas in 2 days. I'm glad he will be switching for good after the US Open. There is no reason not to change things at this point. Next I hope he changes coaches but I don't see that happening.

Darth Fed I saw the beginning of the match.. Roger's back look pretty good.. His movement was pretty good and his serving was outstanding at times(most of Roger's service game in the 1st set barely lasted longer than 90 sec.. Did you see something in the way he finished against Pk?

Roger could barely bend for anything close to being a low ball AP. He was fine on shots waist high and his serve did seem unaffected which won't always be the case when someone has a bad back.

 

[DarthFed]

I dunno if the coach is at fault, and a change of racket and coach in the same half-season might smack of desperation, or even worse, an avoidance of looking more closely at himself and his commitment. Also, a type of contradiction: is it the racket or the coach? Both worked fine last year. The common denominator is himself.

But if he changes coach, there aren't too many wise options out there...

It is desperate times, he just lost to a nobody in the 2nd round of Wimbledon after making Tsonga look like a great clay courter 3 weeks before. He is going to be ranked #7 very soon and we know that people ranked around there are normally irrelevant. Making changes shows he still is committed to try and turn this around but I agree the rest is up to him.

 

[Kieran]

It is desperate times, he just lost to a nobody in the 2nd round of Wimbledon after making Tsonga look like a great clay courter 3 weeks before. He is going to be ranked #7 very soon and we know that people ranked around there are normally irrelevant. Making changes shows he still is committed to try and turn this around but I agree the rest is up to him.

#7 is only irrelevant because the recent occupants of that spot have been spineless and easily pleased. Roger is neither. The fact is, change for its own sake is always a bad idea. I think he's wise to look at the racket, but changing a coach? Has Annacone gone downhill so quickly? Or has Roger?

Isn't all this a little bit natural: guy wins so much, has a family, turns 31...so what happens next? He should play like he's 25? Does he commit more or less after kids arrive? Does he have the same intensity after winning so much? It seems normal to me, what's happening. Annacone would be the best guy in his corner, then.

But the racket should give him more power, so a change (or exploration in that area) is a good idea...

 

[DarthFed]

Annacone is a great coach and I'm not suggesting otherwise (though it sounds like that) but I think Roger is too settled in his ways. Maybe he is too stubborn to listen to Paul at times. Roger has to realize that theoretically he is getting worse by the day and therefore he needs to become more aggressive to make up for it. Aside from patches here and there I don't think he's aggressive enough, especially on the return. And I think someone has to hammer the point home for as long as it takes.

Personally, I'd like to see someone younger who isn't afraid to tell Roger how it is, challenge him mentally and let him know he has no business losing to some of the guys he has lost to, someone whose energy might rub off on the old timer. He doesn't need someone to teach him how to volley or hit a forehand. He needs more than that. Annacone after 3 years seems to be just another part of the entourage.

 

[DarthFed]

It is desperate times, he just lost to a nobody in the 2nd round of Wimbledon after making Tsonga look like a great clay courter 3 weeks before. He is going to be ranked #7 very soon and we know that people ranked around there are normally irrelevant. Making changes shows he still is committed to try and turn this around but I agree the rest is up to him.

#7 is only irrelevant because the recent occupants of that spot have been spineless and easily pleased. Roger is neither. The fact is, change for its own sake is always a bad idea. I think he's wise to look at the racket, but changing a coach? Has Annacone gone downhill so quickly? Or has Roger?

Isn't all this a little bit natural: guy wins so much, has a family, turns 31...so what happens next? He should play like he's 25? Does he commit more or less after kids arrive? Does he have the same intensity after winning so much? It seems normal to me, what's happening. Annacone would be the best guy in his corner, then.

But the racket should give him more power, so a change (or exploration in that area) is a good idea...

It is natural. Players at Roger's age aren't expected to be great. The challenge for Roger and a coach is to get Roger to be motivated like other top players who expect to compete for slams. Basically he needs to block it out of his mind that he is some old family guy who is heading to the retirement home in a couple years. That's the challenge and this year...it's all looking grim.

 

[djmm]

I got it right

Go Fed!!

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

It is desperate times, he just lost to a nobody in the 2nd round of Wimbledon after making Tsonga look like a great clay courter 3 weeks before. He is going to be ranked #7 very soon and we know that people ranked around there are normally irrelevant. Making changes shows he still is committed to try and turn this around but I agree the rest is up to him.

#7 is only irrelevant because the recent occupants of that spot have been spineless and easily pleased. Roger is neither. The fact is, change for its own sake is always a bad idea. I think he's wise to look at the racket, but changing a coach? Has Annacone gone downhill so quickly? Or has Roger?

Isn't all this a little bit natural: guy wins so much, has a family, turns 31...so what happens next? He should play like he's 25? Does he commit more or less after kids arrive? Does he have the same intensity after winning so much? It seems normal to me, what's happening. Annacone would be the best guy in his corner, then.

But the racket should give him more power, so a change (or exploration in that area) is a good idea...

del potro is NOT spineless.. the fact that he came back from 10 months out, to get back to near the top 5 proves this..

as does his mental toughness in matches..unlike burdych and Tsonga.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Why must they be spineless? Whatever happened to "just not as good as the players above them"?

 

[Kieran]

They've been both, imho. I think the makeweights have lacked the nuts to take their chances. A great example is Tsonga in Paris, but there have been many others over the years...

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Now we can gather that the 98 prototype was Roger's "back injury" last week. I am not saying that he wasnt injured a few weeks ago but he wanted more time to get re acquainted with his ole trusted friend. Fed is not going to change, he will stick with the old. It will take a very taking to the woodshed thrashing by someone such as Rafa, Murray or Djoker caliber before he will switch this soon before the open.

Even though Fed went back to old racquet for now, he has declared (I am sure he will
back it up with action) that he will change to the 98 sq. in. racquet. It just is not the right
time. I am not sure when exactly he will do that. It will be either immediately after USO
or after the WTF in the off-season.

Whatever be the case, he will begin 2014 with the new racquet and stick to it for the
rest of his career.

Also, with the experimentation, Roger will give some suggestions and Wilson will do
a redesign specifically for him and then sell that racquet for exorbitant price to the masses.