The Alchemist Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 There is not doubt: Nadal is a monster. Federer is not close to him. Yeah, did you see Nadal just blow him out in 3 sets? Idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sedated Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Nadal is great. Federer always seem to blow the matches against him though. It's like Nadal has gotten into his head for whatever reason and Federer just can't put him away. Federer by all means should of had him beat, but it's like every match agaisnt Nadal he just chokes up. It seems like he just can't play the way he normally does, he always has to play like he does against Nadal. I think he just needs to realize he shouldn't change his style. Because Nadal just does his thing and lets Federer time and time beat himself. See, look at the guy. He puts so much pressure on himself, he just needs to realize everyone still loves him and he has to do what got him there in the first place. Hopefully he can turn it around against Nadal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Сергей Макаров Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 QUOTE (Серг @ Feb 1 2009, 07:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>There is not doubt: Nadal is a monster. Federer is not close to him. Yeah, did you see Nadal just blow him out in 3 sets? Idiot. Federere- Nadal= 6- 13 Numbers don't lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luineul Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) Nards!! ... Not a good finish by Roger, his serve was absolutely not there. Not the best match by Feds and it's such a shame it had to end this way. MnEnroe nailed it, Nadal deserves so much credit, but Roger was far from his high standard of play. Yes, some things were going decently well for him and some of the points were wonderfully contested, but there weren't very many instances where a patented Roger Federer kind of point came through - blistering aces, crushing forehands, sneaky backhands along the lines... It's just such a shame, and without those winners paired with all those unforced errors, it's just a recipe for a loss, especially against an incredible athlete and competitor like Rafael Nadal. This is a match I don't want to remember so much. I mean, it was such a battle even with all the faults Federer had, and he just gave it away at the end. There are probably four things I'm going to take from this year's Australian Open: 1. Fernando Verdasco and his absolutely amazing match with Rafal Nadal. It was just nuts. I'll remember it for as long as my memory serves. 2. Rafael Nadal's stellar performance. What an amazing athlete; what an amazing person. So relentless, so resilient, so courageous, so gutsy, so gracious, so determined, just an incredible human being. 3. These post-match comments. It's touching, it's heartwrenching, it's also heartwarming. 4. Another miss for Federer. I don't want to believe that Federer's past his prime, but he has to get through Nadal in a major tournament to put this argument behind him. Nadal seems to be improving, while Feds is aging. Time's running along. Can Federer achieve 14 major titles? Will he? We can only wait... Edited February 1, 2009 by luineul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luineul Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) Nadal is great. Federer always seem to blow the matches against him though. It's like Nadal has gotten into his head for whatever reason and Federer just can't put him away. Federer by all means should of had him beat, but it's like every match agaisnt Nadal he just chokes up. It seems like he just can't play the way he normally does, he always has to play like he does against Nadal. I think he just needs to realize he shouldn't change his style. Because Nadal just does his thing and lets Federer time and time beat himself. See, look at the guy. He puts so much pressure on himself, he just needs to realize everyone still loves him and he has to do what got him there in the first place. Hopefully he can turn it around against Nadal. Yup. Nadal just has the mental edge, above everything else. He plays every point the same as every other point, except when he's so close to winning crucial games. When his eyes are lit up, he's anticipating and then he struggles. However, other than those instances, Rafa's just a solid piece of rock. Federer is not the same, especially up against Nadal... Nadal, who always finds a way, who always competes for every point, who always, truly, comes up with his best when it comes down to it. Roger has to mirror Nadal's mental game. It was suggested that he gets a coach, which is an interesting idea, and one that I think should be explored. Ultimately though, I believe Federer must find a way to realize it's not about who's on the other side of the net, it's about your own self and your own performance. Sure, you must pick up tendencies of your opponent, but getting away from your own game and what you're good at to adjust the to play of your competition is not going to result in success. I'm still pulling for Federer to win at least another major title. A great champion like him can accomplish it. Edited February 1, 2009 by luineul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Alchemist Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Federere- Nadal= 6- 13 Numbers don't lie. Federer had more winners than Nadal (71 to 50). Federer had more errors, that was the reason Nadal won. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but Federer lost this match more than Nadal won it. After seeing them go to 5 sets in back to back matches, how can you say that Federer is "no where close to Nadal". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Sikes Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Playing Nadal is as much a mental grind as it is a physical one, it seems that Federer gets frustrated and does something stupid because Nadal just does not make errors on the big points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiznak Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) So disappointed in the 5th set. Federer looked like he was gaining momentum when he won the 4th set, but when the 5th set came around, he looked like he wasn't even trying. Also, his service game was the worst I have seen from him in years, under 50% in his first serve. Edited February 1, 2009 by shiznak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-DLC- Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) Geez...fell asleep at the start of the last set! Guess I missed Federer's unravelling - not so sorry about that...I was really pulling for him. I agree with what others have said -this is now a mental thing for Federer (playing against Nadal) - Nadal's a big hurdle for him and it's thrown him off his game. You can see the moments of self doubt as they happen. Another example of how confidence can mess with the mind and make great players stumble (hello - Canucks anyone?). I also do think that Federer is on the decline of a great career...that being said, I think we'll still see great "moments" from him - just not the dominance that once was. He's beatable and he's had to adjust to that...it doesn't seem to be an easy thing for him. His serve was really an issue in the match and it's too bad - that really hurt him. Nadal on the other hand is soaring. Hats off to him for playing that entire match - his stamina is unbelievable. And he is so focused during a match - the intensity is through the roof. His attitude comes across a little too strong for me at times - but maybe that's part of his mental edge. Sad for Roger - he's become a favorite of mine. I laughed at him having issues with being introduced and having to enter as #2....(jokingingly, I assume, he stated that he'd preferred for them to just list his achievements instead of his ranking). Edited February 1, 2009 by debluvscanucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luineul Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Geez...fell asleep at the start of the last set! Guess I missed Federer's unravelling - not so sorry about that...I was really pulling for him. I agree with what others have said -this is now a mental thing for Federer (playing against Nadal) - Nadal's a big hurdle for him and it's thrown him off his game. You can see the moments of self doubt as they happen. Another example of how confidence can mess with the mind and make great players stumble (hello - Canucks anyone?). I also do think that Federer is on the decline of a great career...that being said, I think we'll still see great "moments" from him - just not the dominance that once was. He's beatable and he's had to adjust to that...it doesn't seem to be an easy thing for him. His serve was really an issue in the match and it's too bad - that really hurt him. Nadal on the other hand is soaring. Hats off to him for playing that entire match - his stamina is unbelievable. And he is so focused during a match - the intensity is through the roof. His attitude comes across a little too strong for me at times - but maybe that's part of his mental edge. Sad for Roger - he's become a favorite of mine. I laughed at him having issues with being introduced and having to enter as #2....(jokingingly, I assume, he stated that he'd preferred for them to just list his achievements instead of his ranking). I guess it was a bit of a good thing you fell asleep. It just eats away at me, how he faltered like that. Oh! Man it's such a shame you missed Verdasco's match against Nadal. To me, it equalled the Wimbledon match. I might be biased because it already seems far away from me, but it was 5 hours and 14 minutes of solid, consistent play from both players... It was absolutely nuts. I couldn't believe the shotmaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeyville88 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Wow great match between Federer and Nadal in the Aussie Open final. The semi final between Nadal and Fernando Verdasco was epic though I wish we had pro tennis tournaments in vancouver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luineul Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Wow great match between Federer and Nadal in the Aussie Open final. The semi final between Nadal and Fernando Verdasco was epic though I wish we had pro tennis tournaments in vancouver It just doesn't get better than that match between Ferdasco and Nadal. It was as good (maybe even better?!) as Nadal's final showdown with Federer at the Wimbledon... My judgement might be off a bit, just because that Wimbledon Final already feels far away, but I'm getting the same after-effects from the Nadal/Verdasco match. I know eh, I wish I could go watch a big tennis tournament. What a great event in Melbourne, even if you don't get tickets, you can just pack a meal, take a few chairs, camp outside the arena and watch the match on the big screen. What a fantastic experience that must be, what with the warm weather and all the buzz... I can only dream of what it was like to watch Verdasco and Nadal's match outside, feeling the temperature cool as the hours passed by, with hundreds of others just like yourself, completely captivated, enraptured. It must bring the people together, kind of like hockey here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-DLC- Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) I guess it was a bit of a good thing you fell asleep. It just eats away at me, how he faltered like that. Oh! Man it's such a shame you missed Verdasco's match against Nadal. To me, it equalled the Wimbledon match. I might be biased because it already seems far away from me, but it was 5 hours and 14 minutes of solid, consistent play from both players... It was absolutely nuts. I couldn't believe the shotmaking. I watched the very beginning and fell asleep in that one too! (damn those late night starts!). But, from what I've heard/seen, it was one for the books and will be revisited a lot. I love tennis at the moment - so exciting and no match is "a given". I also saw some of the Tsonga/Verdasco match...Verdasco looks like he's on a roll and is really someone to watch for. ^^^ Wouldn't that be awesome? (sitting out side watching on the big screen). Did you see all the people that showed up? A great event/environment...I'd go to something like that for sure. Edited February 2, 2009 by debluvscanucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luineul Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I watched the very beginning and fell asleep in that one too! (damn those late night starts!). But, from what I've heard/seen, it was one for the books and will be revisited a lot. I love tennis at the moment - so exciting and no match is "a given". I also saw some of the Tsonga/Verdasco match...Verdasco looks like he's on a roll and is really someone to watch for. ^^^ Wouldn't that be awesome? (sitting out side watching on the big screen). Did you see all the people that showed up? A great event/environment...I'd go to something like that for sure. Maybe the match is available for viewing, or download somewhere. There should be like a DVD for the greatest matches of each Grand Slam or something. Yeah, the shots of Melbourne made me so envious. Experiencing something that connects you with people from that many walks of life is such a rare but awesome thing. My sister was there in Melbourne for half a year, but she went in February and came back last summer, so yeah she missed that experience. I wish I could go to something like that one day, but who knows, regarding tennis, will it still be as competitively amazing? One can only hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luineul Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Bump! A Master's Tourney is being aired on TSN... It has been the entire week and it's into the Quarterfinals now so things are getting a bit more intense. Federer and Murray are into the semis. Feds had to be Verdasco to get there... The 2nd set was close but Verdasco couldn't bring it home and Federer took advantage. It was a bit of a shame because had Verdasco win the 2nd, it would've been quite a good match. Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killa Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 The Nadal/Nalbandian match was great until Nalbandian's complete meltdown. And TSN's coverage of this tournament sucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luineul Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 The Nadal/Nalbandian match was great until Nalbandian's complete meltdown. And TSN's coverage of this tournament sucks At least they air some of it. I would get the Tennis Channel if it was available... Unfortunately it's not. I think that's something they have in the States. Imo tennis should get way more TV coverage but the sports networks seem satisfied with what they currently air. Shame, really. I even have issues with what TEAM1040 even puts on their airwaves sometimes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killa Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Yeah, I'd love to get the Tennis Channel or Eurosport, but neither of them are available. I thought that TSN 2 would allow them to have better tennis coverage, but it's mostly just a 3 hour time shift. What a waste of a channel. It would also be nice to get some WTA coverage too. You'd think that girls in mini skirts could attract an audience Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luineul Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Yeah, I'd love to get the Tennis Channel or Eurosport, but neither of them are available. I thought that TSN 2 would allow them to have better tennis coverage, but it's mostly just a 3 hour time shift. What a waste of a channel. It would also be nice to get some WTA coverage too. You'd think that girls in mini skirts could attract an audience Yes, you'd think. TSN 2 will probably really useful come the first round of the play-offs. They have aired some additional NHL/NBA games and for some people the timeshift would be really convenient. It doesn't cost much to get, so I still think it's a pretty good deal. It just doesn't offer what it could... Oh, the potential of everything, lol. RDS is airing Federer/Murray (I think) tonight at 8. TSN will be airing that match at 1-3AM this night for some reason. :s What kind of annoys me is when I see things like NASCAR racing and fishing and bowling and god forbid 'gambling sports' in lieu of other more intersting sports such as tennis. (At least they aired the recent Sledgehockey championships though! That was good for the sport.) I suppose I'm being a bit demanding/critical though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auximenes Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Nadal - Federer meeting on schedule at the Masters lets see what Andy Murray and my favourite player Andy Roddick will have to say about that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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