French Open 2011

Good comeback from Nadal. It is so important to win the first game of the set when you are serving.
 
Rooney24 said:
Missed chance there for Federer.
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Now it is pure tennis game, Nadal has stop the initial plan of serving wide and going to Fed's backhand as he is hurting him with it.
This game is going to be better than what you all watched in the first two
 
KM said:
Don't spam this thread, discuss it somewhere else!
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Having a debate in a Tennis thread =/= Spam

Just riling off posts that are basic commentary on the game = Spam
 
Federer is facing the disadvantage that Nadal's started serve this set... enormous pressure and one break could see a 3 game gap which is psychologically challenging and one game less to try breaking back for Fed.
 
Ouch. Still not over, Nadal has regain some energy it is unreal. Wow, just wow, now the FED looks tired.
Game over now
 
Is it me or does Federer not have that knack anymore of playing his best on important points?

Big players hit first serves when they're in trouble. Federer does the opposite.
 
Federer has a monster forehand. Good fake from Federer to play the drop shot. He has used it very effectively these past two sets.
 
Wait a minute, did Nadal just stop playing because he thought the ball was out although it wasn't called out by the umpire?!
 
Kevin said:
He should have taken that.　Ｉ　ｆｅａｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｏｒｓｔ．　
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Yep. I knew it. On play, Nadal was still the better player overall. Had he taken that break though...
 
Nadal's team + fans = annoying cnuts. Hate those spaniards.
 
Fed should next time leave it for Djokovic to do the job. Have a feeling this will be some triangle for the next two years at least.
 
championo said:
Fed should next time leave it for Djokovic to do the job. Have a feeling this will be some triangle for the next two years at least.
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Djoko doesn't have to start with a handicap, namely the backhand. He deals with those spin balls from Nadal by slamming them away.

Still 50/50 though, this is a grand slam and Nadal reaches another level in these tournies, like the best do.

Still djokovic must be kicking himself. He could have won that match and taken Nadal. Oh well, coulda, shoulda.
 
That was a funny statement from the commentator : "Its hard to imagine Federer playing any better and still being able to overcome Nadal".
Now, I know that Nadal played like a winner from the get go but I don't believe I've ever seen federer play quite as mediocre as he did today.

Well done Nadal for that !
 
madhed said:
Now, I know that Nadal played like a winner from the get go but I don't believe I've ever seen federer play quite as mediocre as he did today.
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Have you not seen the 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 buttfeck he received a few years ago?

Federer played well today. He reached his semi final level.
 
Federer played one of his best games on clay ever there so i dont see where your coming from madhed, it took Federer playing at that level just to nick a set off Nadal on that court, thats how dominant he is, i dont even think Nadal was much more than 90% at his best today tbh, he owns Roland garros theres never been a better clay courter without doubt.

10 majors at the age of 25 is ridiculous.
 
Strange game that, neither player hit top form consistently

Fed had to win the first set to stand a chance. Al;most feel sorry for him, can't see a better chance of beating Nadal at the French
 
Im coming from a place that doesn't know that "that was one of Federer's best game's on clay". feck I didnt know that was even clay if that lets you know where Im coming from. No need to rise up lads,just simply saying I havent seen Federer play like that. Because it was on clay you say ? makes sense.

(Don't mind the football fan in the tennis forum)

As you were lads
 
Great effort from Roger. It is always a tough match up for him against Nadal who is probably the best clay court player ever. It might have been different if Roger had won the 1st set which he missed by maybe an inch. Anyway on to Wimbledon.
 
Very very very disappointed.

I've followed Federer for ages and loved every bit of his career. And due to that I've always given him the benefit of doubt on many issues. But my mind is starting to turn now. The first set was a case in point. Dominated completely and was made to earn his break of serve to go up 5-2 and then meekly loses the plot when he has to serve for the set, getting broken twice I think out of 3 break points or something. That kind of surrender is a bit pathetic if I'm being honest. And if you're a champion player, it is inexcusable. The difference in Nadal's reaction to an important point and his, particularly on clay, is pretty shocking.
 
Federer is not "in the zone" any more. It happens with age and means he is less consistent during matches and on big points. Only late developers are going to be as tough match players at 30 as when they were at 25.
 
Earlier he used to find the aces and brilliant first serves just when he needed them. Now its tje other way round. His serve let's him down when he needs it the most.
 
All the Federer supporters should be ecstatic not feel let down. That was arguably Fed's best match on clay I've seen him play. At times his execution let him down but his plan was spot on. One thing it showed is that he is willing to adapt his play to get the better of his opponent. The only problem is that Nadal is just impossible with his retrieving. If Fed played that way on grass or hard court then he can still win a slam. It is a massive improvement from the limbo where he was just a few months ago.
 
Stretch said:
All the Federer supporters should be ecstatic not feel let down. That was arguably Fed's best match on clay I've seen him play. At times his execution let him down but his plan was spot on. One thing it showed is that he is willing to adapt his play to get the better of his opponent. The only problem is that Nadal is just impossible with his retrieving. If Fed played that way on grass or hard court then he can still win a slam. It is a massive improvement from the limbo where he was just a few months ago.
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I agree 100%. I think he had everything right on and if he had just got the opening set it would have perhaps been different although Nadal is such a monster on clay he may have still won. I think Roger is trying to be more aggressive and change his game because he has to to stay competitive; he didn't need to in the past because he was so much better than anyone else. I think he should be encouraged by this and can now go on to Wimbledon with huge confidence. The way he played yesterday would have won on any other surface.
 
Stretch said:
All the Federer supporters should be ecstatic not feel let down. That was arguably Fed's best match on clay I've seen him play. At times his execution let him down but his plan was spot on. One thing it showed is that he is willing to adapt his play to get the better of his opponent. The only problem is that Nadal is just impossible with his retrieving. If Fed played that way on grass or hard court then he can still win a slam. It is a massive improvement from the limbo where he was just a few months ago.
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110% agree .

Fantastic performance by Nadal but if I were him and Djokovich, with faster surfaces to come, I'd be seriously worried if Federer plays like he has in this tournament.

I'd be tremendously bouyed if I were Federer on this form

Dont forget this is clay and apart from that last ten minutes he absolutely matched Nadal there shot for shot, point for point which he has not done for a year or two.

If he plays near that form at Wimbledon he'll win it as a hell of a lot of that retrieving by Rafa simply wont materialise on the much quicker surface and they'll be many more cheaper points to gain on the grass

Although Rafa is of course the consumate slow court player you could sense that Roger was mentally right in there with him the whole way through.

I've always said there's more slams to come from Federer if he can mentally get back into the saddle of 3, 4 years ago at his height and this performance showed me he can do that

Great match though.
 
Jopub said:
110% agree .

Fantastic performance by Nadal but if I were him and Djokovich, with faster surfaces to come, I'd be seriously worried if Federer plays like he has in this tournament.

I'd be tremendously bouyed if I were Federer on this form

Dont forget this is clay and apart from that last ten minutes he absolutely matched Nadal there shot for shot, point for point which he has not done for a year or two.

If he plays near that form at Wimbledon he'll win it as a hell of a lot of that retrieving by Rafa simply wont materialise on the much quicker surface and they'll be many more cheaper points to gain on the grass

Although Rafa is of course the consumate slow court player you could sense that Roger was mentally right in there with him the whole way through.

I've always said there's more slams to come from Federer if he can mentally get back into the saddle of 3, 4 years ago at his height and this performance showed me he can do that

Great match though.
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I disagree. While it's true that his game plan was right and that if he still turns it on at Wimbedon he really should win. But at the same time he's just go of a HUGE opportunity.

It's all well and good on a theoretical level saying Nadal chases everything down and on this surface it's hard to beat him so Federer was spot on in how he played. But the fact is that he had Nadal chasing the ball all over the court in the first set, was in complete control of the match and when it came to putting the foot on the other persons throat and closing the set out he crumbled in the strangest of manners. For me, I think he has little left to prove but maybe beat Nadal a few times in grandslams and obviously get a few more. He had a chance to not only do both but do it at Nadal's own patch.

And the result is alright because Nadal is brilliant on clay and it's Federer's worst surface but the fact that he royally messed up on the big points has less to do with surface IMO.
 
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