Archive for the ‘Roger federer’ Category
Roger Federer decided to give French Open a miss this year. Not only did he missed the Open, he missed the entire clay season in order to concentrate on Wimbledon.
Federer earlier this year won the Australian Open, his first Grand Slam in five years and to do it by beating Nadal in the finals was phenomenal. Federer is a great champion and the current record holder with most Grand Slam singles title in men’s tennis.
Federer is currently 35 years old and possibly has a year or two left at the top level, so it is prudent that he decided to pick his battles.
This is not something new in professional sports. In cricket there are players who during the back end of their careers decided to skip one format over the other to prolong their careers.
There is nothing wrong with that. Sportsmen have very uncertain and short careers and them wanting to make most of their time is something which needs to be respected.
Federer won the French Open in 2009 on clay, a surface where is he not very comfortable playing. It is harder to play on clay when you get older.
Unlike grass courts and hard courts, clay isn’t a quick surface. Players need to have lots of stamina and the ability to engage in long baseline exchanges. Also unlike on synthetic and grass courts, you don’t get too many free points on clay.
Competing against young players on clay can be very taxing and can take a lot out of you. I am not saying that Federer would not have won the title – he may well have – but again that’s the chance he has taken.
It can be really hard for someone who has been struggling with injuries over the past year or so to ignore the fact that he isn’t young anymore.
Federer is arguably the greatest tennis player in history of the game and he has practically achieved everything a professional tennis player could achieve in the game.
He has also said that he is not aiming for number one ranking anymore which means that he need not play all the tournaments for points either.
Grass courts have always been Federer’s best surface and he has seven Wimbledon titles. He wants to be fit and ready for the championship and that’s something which is a personal decision. Only the player knows his body and what he can or cannot do at a particular time in his career.
Federer’s decision needs to be respected and there is no reason to question it. He is a great player and I am really looking forward to couple more Grand Slam titles from him before he calls it a day.
Wimbledon and the US Open gives him the best chance of adding to his 18 titles than the French open does. So Federer deciding to miss the clay season may not have been a bad idea and as Andy Roddick put it, it was smart from the champion.
My article published on The Roar
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Roger Federer arguably is the greatest tennis player to have graced the tennis court only behind Rod Laver. He has the record for most grand slam titles was at the top of the rankings for a record 302 weeks. But like every great athlete, age has caught up with Roger and at 32 he isn’t getting any younger. Roger is his entering 17th year as a pro and he has really struggled with performances in the last couple of years.
Since his win in 2012 Wimbledon, Roger hasn’t won a grand slam. 2013 was probably the worst year for the champion where he clearly struggled with his game and did not make single grand slam finals. He has struggled to compete with rest of the members of the elite group, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic. In 2013 Roger for the first time in a long time dropped out of top 4 in the rankings and is seeded 6th in the current Australian Open.
But rankings don’t really matter for the genius that is Roger. We all know what a great champion Roger is and the great man will be hoping for a good 2014. The Australian open will give us an insight about how Roger is shaping up for the rest of the year. In a way this year might even decide as to how long the champion will continue playing tennis. Roger has been a great champion and for sure deserves a great farewell. With enormous competition and with the age catching up, Roger has already cut back on the tournaments he plays. It will not be long before he decides to call it a day. For a diehard fan like me, it will be great to see the champion lift one more trophy. It is not going to be easy but the great man might just have enough left in his tank to pull one through.
Roger Federer is a great champion and he has comfortably brushed aside James Duckworth in the first round of Australian Open 2014. He has it in him to bounce back from the disappointment of 2013. His reflexes might have slowed down but he still has the skills and mental strength which has made him a great champion. I hope that he has a great tournament and also a great year ahead in 2014.
Nadal continues to dominate on Clay
Posted on: June 11, 2012
Nadal poses with John McEnroe after winning his record 7th French Open title.
Rafael Nadal continued his dominance on clay with a record 7th French Open title. He beat world number 1 Novak Djokovic in a tough four setter 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to claim the title. The win also makes Nadal the most crowned man in the open era history at French Open. Like most of the grand slams over the past few years, this year too we saw the top three making it to the semis. Djokivic dismissed Federer in the semis to set up a mouthwatering encounter with the defending champion in the finals. The final was a brilliant spectacle with some blazing tennis from both the players but in the end the consistency of Nadal proved too much for the world number 1.
Sharapova claims the women’s title
Sharapova becomes the French Open champion thereby completing her career slam
Sharapova beat Sara Errani 6-3, 6-2 in a one-sided final to claim the French Open crown. This was a sweet victory for Sharapova who in the process also regained her top spot in the rankings. This was a great comeback from the champion who went through a major surgery in 2008 in a bid to save her career. Maria joined the elite list of women’s tennis with this win as she completed her career slam.
Mahesh and Sania win the Mixed doubles crown
Mahesh Bhupati and Sania Mirza won the mixed doubles crown beating Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Santiago Gonzalez 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 in the finals. The pair won their second title together, with their previous win being in the 2009 Australian Open.
Can Anyone stop Rafa on clay?
Posted on: May 29, 2012
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Preview of French Open 2012
Rafael Nadal is a master on clay. Even though he is an all-round player, his dominance on clay is something unmatched in the recent years. The only time he failed to win the French title in the last 7 years is when he was beaten in the 4th round in 2009 by Robin Soderling. In recent times though Rafa has faced tough competition from Novak Djokovic on other surfaces but hasn’t been troubled by the Serbian on clay yet.
Nadal’s preparation for this year’s title defense could not have been better as he won his 7th title at Barcelona couple of days back. He is looking stronger than ever and it seems difficult to imagine anyone threatening him for the title this year. The two immediate names which come to mind again are Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Robin Soderling who is the only player to have defeated Rafa at…
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Can Anyone Stop Rafa on Clay?
Posted on: May 3, 2012
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Rafael Nadal is a master on clay. Even though he is an all-round player, his dominance on clay is something unmatched in the recent years. The only time he failed to win the French title in the last 7 years is when he was beaten in the 4th round in 2009 by Robin Soderling. In recent times though Rafa has faced tough competition from Novak Djokovic on other surfaces but hasn’t been troubled by the Serbian on clay yet.
Nadal’s preparation for this year’s title defense could not have been better as he won his 7th title at Barcelona couple of days back. He is looking stronger than ever and it seems difficult to imagine anyone threatening him for the title this year. The two immediate names which come to mind again are Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Robin Soderling who is the only player to have defeated Rafa at the French open in the last 7 years is suffering an injury and his presence is still uncertain.
Novak Djokovic has been brilliant over the last couple of years and is the current number 1 in the world. French Open is the only title missing from his resume to complete the career grand slam and he would be hoping that he can get that this year. Roger Federer who is at his last legs of his career will probably want to give the French Open another try and would hope to get the better of Nadal if he gets a chance to meet him again this year. Federer played brilliant finals last year against Rafa but could not get over the line.
Not many players have found the formula to beat Rafa at the clay court and it will be the same this year too. It will require lots of hard work and endurance to get past Rafael Nadal once again on clay. Nadal will be looking for his record 7th French Open title (Beating Bjorn Borg’s earlier record of 6 titles) and 11 Grand Slam title over all this year. He has already proven that he has the skills to compete on all surfaces as he already has a career Grand Slam to his name. He is a genuine challenger to Federer’s Grand Slam record and with age on his side no one will bet against him getting there.
This year’s championship will be interesting and it seems like it will again be a competition between the top 3. Will Nadal reign supreme once again on clay? Or will Djokovic and Federer be able to stop him? We will have to wait and see.
Article first published as Can Anyone Stop Rafa on Clay? on Technorati.
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Djokovic once again proved why he is the number 1 player in the world. He came through in a cliffhanger of a game against Rafael Nadal in 5 sets. The game was a perfect ending for a great tournament in which the top 3 ruled the roost again. Nadal who played a brilliant match in the semis to knock out Roger Federer lost out in the finals to the brilliant Djokovic. Novak Djokovic who had a brilliant 2011 continued in the same vein by winning the first grand slam of the year.
The game itself was a see-saw ride for the fans. Nadal started well by winning the first set 7-5 but Djokovic came back to dominate the next two sets 6-4, 6-2. At the end of the third set Nadal looked down and out but put in one last great effort to win the 4th in a tie breaker 7-6 to push the game into the 5th. Djokovic though held his nerve to clinch the final set 7-5 to win the match and the title.
It was a brilliant start for Djokovic in 2012 but for Nadal this was yet another loss to the Serbian in a grand slam. Nadal will now want to wait for his favorite surface at the Roland Garros for revenge if at all they face each other in the finals.
Leander’s Career slam:
Leander Paes finally won the Australian open to complete the career slam. This was the only title which was missing from his resume and he will be relieved that he finally got the monkey of his back. Leander and Stepanek were unseeded in this tournament and were brilliant in the finals. The Bryan brothers were chasing their 12 doubles title which would have given them the record currently held by the woodies and it was understandable that only a special effort from their opponent can deny them the prize. Leander and Stepanek were absolutely brilliant in the finals and provided no opening for the number 1 pair in both the sets.
The Paes/Stepanek pair had defeated the number 2 and number 3 seeds on their way to the finals which would for sure have given them a huge boost. It was a great tournament for Leander and he deserves the career slam. It would have been particularly sweet win for him as he had lost to the Bryan brothers at least 3 times in the finals of the Australian open in the past. Kudos to the Indian legend and I hope that he wins more titles this year and continues to succeed at the world level.
Overall it was a great open and the weather was fantastic throughout. The men’s tennis once again proved the domination of the top 3 as they ended up in the Semis once again. Roger, Nadal and Djokovic have dominated the slams over the past year or so and it will be great to see others stepping up in the remaining 3 slams in 2012.
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Wimbledon 2011: Top 3 Seeds in Focus Again on Technorati.
The seeding chart for Wimbledon 2011 was announced couple of days back. Nadal has been seeded number 1 for the tournament followed by Djokovic at number two and Roger Federer at 3. Andy Murray and Robin Soderling complete the top 5.
As usual as it has been the case over the past couple of years, the top 3 seeds will be in focus again. Federer who has won this championship 6 times till now will be one of the favorites. Rafael Nadal is the current defending champion will be the man to beat. Nadal who did not look in great touch during his recent French campaign was still able to win the championship. This says a lot about his skill and determination.
Novak Djokovic is seeded 2 this time and for sure is another favorite to win the championship. Djokovic won the Australian Open earlier this year and had an unbeaten run in 2011 until he ran into a determined Roger Federer in French Open Semis.
In spite of Andy Murray and Soderling having a fair shot at reaching the final stages of the championship, it is very hard to look past the top three as the eventual winners.
Roger Federer reaching the French Open finals against all odd should give him much needed confidence on his favorite surface. Nadal and Djokovic have so far had a great year and have been rightly seeded at the top for their efforts. This is going to be a great championship after a long time. We haven’t had three contenders for the title since Federer won the title in 2003.
The men’s competition is for sure going to be a blast. I am for sure rooting for Roger and I hope that he wins the championship to re-establish his dominance on grass. Go Fedex!
Article first published as Wimbledon 2011: After Nadal Can Federer Reclaim His Fortress? on Technorati.
Rafael Nadal proved last Sunday that he is truly the king of clay court. Rafa, who admitted ahead of his semi-finals clash that he was not playing well enough to win the title, did exactly that playing a brilliant game of tennis in the finals. Federer who was on a high after defeating the pre-tournament favorite Djokovic found Nadal too hot to handle in the final and went down fighting in a four set battle. It was a brilliant win for Nadal as he once again proved what a great player he is on any surface.
Now after the French open is complete the focus now shifts to grass courts of Wimbledon. The surface which was once a fortress of Roger Federer till it was breached by Rafael Nadal in the year 2008. Federer had won the championship 5 straight times prior to that and that was the time Nadal started to prove himself on different surfaces. Federer though came back to win the title in 2009 but lost in the Quarters last year. That was the first time Federer did not make it to the Finals of a Wimbledon championship in 8 years.
Roger has not been in great form since his fabulous win in the Australian Open 2010. He has been often upstaged by Djokovic and Nadal over the past year or so. He reaching the finals of the French Open against all odd should give him immense confidence ahead of the Wimbledon Championship.
It all began for the Champion in 2003 in Wimbledon and what a great career it has been till now. It has been a brilliant journey and I hope that he has one last hurrah. A win on his favorite surface will for sure give him the much needed confidence to keep going for couple more years.
I hope that we have a great championship once again on grass, a surface I just love watching tennis on. Roger is my favorite tennis player since Sampras and Agassi and I will be rooting for him all the way at the Wimbledon championship. For now let’s congratulate Nadal for his brilliant win on clay and hope Federer can repeat the same on grass in a month’s time.
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Novak Djokovic’s dream run came to a grinding halt when Roger Federer defeated him in the French Open Semis. Everyone was expecting a Djokovic-Nadal final once again but Roger had a different idea. The former French champion played a fantastic game of tennis to halt unbeaten run of the Serbian with a clinical 4 set victory.
This set up an exciting contest between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the Finals. This is some sort of a renewal of the rivalry as recently Djokovic has been dominating the tennis scene. So we have yet another great game in the offing between the two modern greats of the game. Will Nadal win his sixth title or will Federer continue his dream run on clay? We will know the answer to that on Sunday. Go Fed-Ex.
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Article first published as French Open 2011: Exciting Semi-Final Lineup on Technorati.
So the French Open is in its final week and the top 5 have made the Men’s quarter-finals. We are still on track for yet another Nadal-Djokovic showdown in the finals which will be 3rd in the last one month.
Djokovic, who is already in the Semis, courtesy a walkover from Fabio Fognini, will be awaiting the result of Roger Federer Vs Gael Monfils game with lots of interest. If Roger does come through that game, he will have to face up to Djokovic in the semis, which again throws up a great contest.
The other quarter-final which will be interesting is the game between Robin Soderling Vs Rafael Nadal.
Nadal himself will admit that he has not had a great tournament by his own standards. He barely scraped through in couple of earlier round games and hasn’t looked completely convincing reaching the quarters.
Robin who has been playing exceedingly well over the past couple of years will not be an easy opponent to face in the quarters. Nadal faces the prospect of meeting Andy Murray in the semis if he does get through the quarters.
The Semi-Final lineup looks incredibly exciting if the things go according to the script. We might have a Federer Vs Djokovic and Nadal Vs Murray Semis which will be a dream come true for the fans.
Now the question is that whether Nadal and Djokovic will meet once again in the much anticipated clash or will Murray and Federer spoil the party to make the finals themselves? We will have to wait and see; hopefully we will see some exciting games in the coming days.
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