Wimbledon 2017 QF: Federer - Raonic

[Busted]

I still see Cilic as the bigger threat by a good margin. Berd is dangerous but Cilic has the better all around game and more that can trouble Fed even if he's playing decent. But one step at a time. Querrey clearly shouldn't be taken lightly. I know it's 3 straight five-setters but today barely counts given the bakery he opened the last couple sets.

ITA. The thing with Berdych is that Roger knows he can always bring out the drop shot and dink slice clinic and make Berdych come forward on HIS terms.. Cilic just blasts everything off the ground and is much better at approaching the net on his own terms - plus he moves better than Berdych and can get to drop shots that Berdych would have trouble getting to or doing something with if he did get to them. And his serve is better and bigger than Berdych's, too. He SHOULD have won that QF match against Roger last year - and even knowing that Roger was playing on a bum knee, he still couldn't get it down. You'd think that would eat at him and give him extra motivation to want to win this year IF they meet in the final.

Also, if you're Sam Querrey and you beat Cilic? You just have to pray that Berdych beats Federer or be happy you're getting the 1200 ranking points and the RU trophy and check....cuz if Querrey plays Federer in the final? That could be a really short day of work for Roger's 8th Wimbledon title...not that any of his matches have lasted much more than 2 hours anyway.

 

[Moxie]

You're probably right, but it's one thing to go out and zone in a final against Nishikori. It's a different thing to do it facing Roger in his back yard. For me this whole thing will rest on Roger's return of serve. If he's working that ok, then it's going to be a horror show for Cilic

Not to be neglected is that Cilic was quietly zoning most or all of that USO, and he barely gave Roger a look in the SF. (Talk about a horror show.) He's been playing really well for a good patch of this part of the season. It was not hard to call him the dark horse for this tournament, from a while back. In the USO SF in 2014, Roger wasn't reading his serve at all. Now, whatever we think about this grass, that shouldn't make it easier at Wimbledon. Add that to the fact that he has that USO win over Roger, and he now has the confidence of a Slam winner. Extra spice would be that he doesn't want to be a One-Slam-Wonder/Fluke, which I have surely called him. If it's a Cilic-Federer final, and I think it will be, I doubt it will be a "horror show" for Cilic, even if he doesn't win.

 

[DarthFed]

Not to be neglected is that Cilic was quietly zoning most or all of that USO, and he barely gave Roger a look in the SF. (Talk about a horror show.) He's been playing really well for a good patch of this part of the season. It was not hard to call him the dark horse for this tournament, from a while back. In the USO SF in 2014, Roger wasn't reading his serve at all. Now, whatever we think about this grass, that shouldn't make it easier at Wimbledon. Add that to the fact that he has that USO win over Roger, and he now has the confidence of a Slam winner. Extra spice would be that he doesn't want to be a One-Slam-Wonder/Fluke, which I have surely called him. If it's a Cilic-Federer final, and I think it will be, I doubt it will be a "horror show" for Cilic, even if he doesn't win.

As I said, one match at a time. But you may soon be facing the moral dilemma that I'm glad Muller helped me avoid...rooting hard for a known juicer to take out enemy #1.

I see you're getting your hopes up. Cilic is a threat for sure in the finals, but I think you know damn well if that's the final and Roger shows up strong he's winning that match.

 

[Moxie]

As I said, one match at a time. But you may soon be facing the moral dilemma that I'm glad Muller helped me avoid...rooting hard for a known juicer to take out enemy #1.

I see you're getting your hopes up. Cilic is a threat for sure in the finals, but I think you know damn well if that's the final and Roger shows up strong he's winning that match.

TBH, I've mostly lost my enthusiasm for this Wimbledon, for reasons that you can understand. I'm really just gaming it on tennis, not back-story. But if Roger stays on point, there is no way he should lose this tournament. I've always said as much about him, and about Rafa....they rarely miss out on a great opportunity. All I'm saying is that Cilic, of everyone, has the chops, and I've been calling him as a threat since before the tournament started.