What a big baby!

As I said somewhere else, Pride comes before the fall!

Go easy on him. He has been winning for so long and wants so much- not a bad thing at all - so it is hard for him. The tears speak a lot for his desire. But it is time to face the fact that Nadal is the true no. 1.

Roger's chance will come. He has to take it.

Why should I go easy on him?
Such a sore loser and a haughty, selfish young man. No self-discipline to control himself and allow another man to rejoice.
No grace to be happy for someone else, massively self-centred.
Nadal waited to go to the changing room and THEN cried for an hour after he lost to Federer in that Wimbledon final.

i do not feel sorry for roger.crying like a baby.come on roger man up!! you got beat. he is to arrogrant and talk bad about the other guys. nadal proved that he is the real #1 and now may be he will get some respect.way to go nadal.i am so happy for him.he is a warrior and a fighter!!! now what?

alik and noleisthebest, you two don't have the brain capacity to understand what Federer is going through. you both just sound like haters.

I have to admit I'm totally and unreservedly taken by Nadal's humbleness and grace. Uncle Tony did a very good job! Hats off.

"you two don't have the brain capacity to understand what Federer is going through."
You're right, I don't know what he's going through, I've been through a lot more and never lowered myself like him, so, my advice to him: grow up, you're too old to be carrying like a baby at the age of 27, also marry poor old Mirka and make an honest woman of her, be a man, not a boy!

i don't know who is worse, djerkovic the wussy quitter or federer the wussy crying girl. man up and do your job without being a baby, his bawling made me sick!!!!!!!! losses happen like rafa lost at wimby 2007, did he cry like a pansy? fed needs to grow the hell up.

Trixxyfest, I am starting to like your posts :)).
Fed AGAIN stole that special moment from Rafa who actually, poor thing, apologized for besting him. The whole arena was made to feel sad and sorry for Rog and not happy for Rafa.
Way to go Rafa!

Fed is the most pathetic loser I have ever seen in my entire life, he took the gloss off Nadal's win with his cry baby antics - Nadal's presentation of the trophy from Rod Laver, took a back seat due to Federer losing the plot on stage - Nadal even had to apologise for him beating him! It was like this big bully Nadal stopped me from winning my 14th slam title boo hoo, what a childish sore loser.

I mean cmon is it just me or does anyone else think Roger Federer's carry on at the trophy ceremony was absolutely dreadful? He completely overshadowed Rafael's win with his pathetic tears and really took the moment away from the person who won the match and deserved all the applause. Even though he lost, it was all about Federer! What a terribly bad loser and what a great display of really bad sportsmanship and completely disrespectful to the better player. Nadal - you were a pleasure to watch and you played like the champion you are. Federer, you should be embarrassed and ashamed of behaving like a spoilt 4 year old. They were simply the tears of a man who knows it's all downhill from here.

I have lost all the respect (if there was still any left) for this guy and he doesnt deserve the sympathy of any tennis fans around the world, Federer = a disgraceful and sore whinging loser.

Roger, Mirka needs you at center court! She still cant find your DIGNITY! It quit you, crawled away and hid itself while you were too busy howling! Last seen under the umpire's chair! Might even have left the building by now!

What a prat! How could you, as a champion yourself, take the 'Winner's Moment" away like that. Shame shame on you. Rafa should be able to celebrate his win without having to go through what happened last night.

It is not all about you. You need to learn to lose with a bit more grace! You showed the whole world how weak you are in the 5th set and topped it up with your little weeping session, lips trembling, tears and snot flowing freely, howling! This sort of episode are reserved for the locker room.. you are the only sportsman I had ever witnessed doing a full on howling session in front of millions after they lost. Not once but twice! You need to go away for a while and go see some therapist.. get counselling!

You made me sick!! A man of your stature, your prestige, your caliber... pathetic!

You made me sick!! A man of your stature, your prestige, your caliber... pathetic!


martine , 2/2/09 2:28 AM

I could not agree more Martine, absolutely disgusting manner on the world stage!

mugger fedmug switch to wta with much crying like little girls. big disgrace for to see this shame shame shame, terrible day in sport!!

Give the guy a break! They both wanted the title Federer's was a bigger loss than if Rafa would have lost. Good for Federer to show true emotions none of this "I'll save it until I'm by myself "crap. Areal men show emotions not hide them. Rafa won hurray! If he felt guilty about that...he needs to grow up...he's just 22! A nice naiive boy! Reality check losing hurts! Way to go Federer!!!

Im sorry but this site exercises absolutely zero control over its posters(that includes myself)
how many times have requests for keeping the posters under control been made???????
we all like to express our opinons and get carried away sometimes...but with no control things get waaay too ugly..FOR HEAVENS SAKE CAN NOTHING BE DONE ABOUT THIS?

I mean I like his game but I guess next time they should have a Trophy + Teddy Bear ready for RF, just in any case.

janhavi - of course something can be done about it. Profanity gets deleted all the time. I haven't seen any profanity or blatant personal attack on this page, so I'm not sure what the issue is?

And for the record, I root for Nadal every time against Federer, but I disagree wholeheartedly with all the Fed-bashers on this article.

the issueon this page lies in the way bashing is done..not just of Federer but of any player for that matter...not only is it off-putting for players' fans but it is plainly unwanted.Criticism is not wrong.The way it is done is.
Also we have posters who try to acquire personal details of other posters which can be very dangerous.
there are so many posts I've read on this forum recently which are outright offensive...and I would like to see some action.

Although i agree it was Rafa's time to shine after the final, I still can understand Federer's deception! It can happen to anyone! Anyway, Rafa is now the true no 1 and he showed it! VAMOS!!!

Nadal is a great strong player but physically he needs to continue running as fast as he does now, in order to keep winning. something Federer does not have to worry about as he is lean and mentally fit...concentration and strategy is his game not speed or strength....Let's face it they're both Great players and sensitive to eachother's emotions.......If I had a kid who played tennis I would want him/her to be like Federer

Until we have a message board, articles are where the comments will be posted. Don't read them if you don't want to. Anything that is deemed overly offensive will be deleted.

justafan - I'd want him/her to be like either one, or anything close to either one, but at this point I would lean towards Rafa. Right now it looks like he is flawless both on and off the court.

Janhavi, its funny how its totally acceptable when you are attacking Nadal or other players but Oh no.. not if someone is questioning your God Federer! yeah the pill can be bitter when you have to swallow your own! You might have melted at the sight of Federer weeping but a lot are also outrage at how the winner became secondary to the loser simply because the loser cannot control himself. Fine as much as you want but not during the closing ceremony where it should be about celebrating the winner's achievement. But instead of it became the celebration of the winner, it became a sympathy-fest time for the loser! Sportmanship towards your fellow athlete who have also worked as hard as you, hard as much at stake as you, had so much to prove as you. You had a fair and square chance to win the damn trophy but you didnt.. such is life as a sportsman. There are time for everything.. a closing ceremony, cup presentation is not the time to display such behaviour. This is not primary school contest.. you did not get to where you are now by display of weakness.... again a sportsman with your stature, caliber and achievement should know better.

I am a Fed fan, but I agree with martine. Fed had lotsa chances but he failed to convert the crucial points . And he spoiled teh gr8 moments fr RAFA and his fans fr winning the first HC GS. Congrats to Rafa!

Im so so proud of Nadal for overcoming hot favourite Federer in his 1st hardcourt GS! Totally amazed at how much determination and boundless energy that Nadal has left after his marathon semis! It is really an incredible feat considering that Fed has got more rest than Nadal but he is still physically fit enough to last another 5 setter. He is also mentally tougher than Fed, staying cool in the tiebreakers. I love how Nadal always defy all odds against him to win and make the critcs eat their words. Everyone had predicted Fed will win his 14th GS and no one gave Nadal any assurance. Nadal has shown to the world he is a true champion, a humble young man and a worthry Number 1. Im glad he has carried his great form into the new season. I have to agree with the majority that i was utterly disappointed that Fed cried uncontrollably during the presentation and took away the happy and special moment for rafa! His tears made everyone sympathise with his and it felt as if Nadal snatched the victory away from his. I understand he must have been very disappointed but i feel he shld have controlled his emotions till the dressing room and give due credit to Nadal who played such an extraordinary match. Rafa all the way! Keep healthy and injury free!

I have never attacked Nadal...and I dont understand why I shouldnt read posts and why it is so hard to keep criticism healthy and not harsh.So basically one shouldnt come to this forum even if the player-bashing goes way out of limit, but no changes will be made ..funny...I dont care about what people thought of the trophy ceremony..Im perfectly okay with people thinking crying wasnt the right thing to do.But just as you expressed your opinion I expressed mine which is-Excessive player-bashing isnt good.It hurts and I think we're all sensitive enough to respect others' feelings and we can atleast try to keep a fair amount of control on the content of our posts..

Again-this is just a request so dont jump on me...at the end of the day I have no control over what others post.I can only hope for the best.

What an crying baby, real champion would never let himself doing such a things in front of whole world, disgusting, poor Nadal, he never has a chance to celebrate his victory, cause that one, always crying, what a pity, once again, Nadal has shown full anticipation for leaving champion, his attitude, sympathy, behaviour, character, only I can say is, what a selfish Federer, he didn't think about Nadal's momentum, it was his timing, he didn't have right to spoil such a important moment for Nadal, but as usual, he showed, who is he, I felt more than happy seeing him, humble himself, even thou, Nadal's victory is bigger, among those who're spitting on Novak all the time, Nadal is only one who support him, saying such a nice words for our Novak, and Mr. Arrogant one, said so many times, bad words, you know, there's saying, what goes around, comes around, so God is great, you see what happened with leaving champion, he was crying like he just starred plying tennis, has to admit, Nadal is new tennis king, that's the fact, for God sake, everyone is changeable, it's Nadal turn, has to have pride to leave the scene with dignity, not like a crying child.
Nadal, all the best to you, fully deserved the glory, keep on going showing us such an incredible man power and great tennis.

Fed didnt retire coz he lost a set, he fought bakk to win 2 :P

"Fed didnt retire coz he lost a set, he fought bakk to win 2 :P"

He would have done himself a huge favour had he retired with dignity.......but, no he never could have done that because it takes loads of humbleness to retreat when you can't keep fighting, and the whole world now knows that there is nothing humble about Federer.
If he doesn't watch himself, he'll end up being remembered as a sore loser, drama queen and a man who couldn't accept there were better players coming to replace him.
There's more to a champion than the fight back.

Not only do you not have tears yourself, but you have no BRAINS EITHER Ha ha ha!! Not only does Roger cry when he loses, but if you've taken time to see all his other tournments, he cries when HE WINS!! WE WANT MORE MEN LIKE THAT!!! Forget about the limelights and dimelights you would'nt know anything about !! YOU'VE NEVER BEEN THERE YOURSELF! ROGER CRY YOUR HEART OUT, WE LOVE YOU!!!!
ROGER FEDERER FANNNN!!!!

The message from fofe, is FOR noleisthebest! And whoever else cant cry!!

REAL MEN CRY!! CRY YOUR HEART OUT ROGER WE LOVE YOUUUU!!!

fofe,
real men marry the women they share their bed with.

I don't think, for an instance, that Rafa feels anything was taken away from him at that awards ceremony. Like Uncle Toni so often remarks - in the end it is about who wins. On Rafa's site he talks about a different feeling after winning this Championship. Calmer, somehow. He is starting to realize he WILL keep winning at this level it won't disappear overnight. I think Fed is starting to realize that also. Sure he was in tears, partly because he probably could have played a little better,
but also because the crowd was cheering for him. They like him at the AO and feel a special connection, they too, understood what that win by Rafa meant. I actually liked the way Roger dealt with the situation. He's always been one to be close to his emotions, and he did his best in giving Rafa the last word. It is certainly not over for Roger Federer, but Rafa's term in office has really begun.
Vamos Rafa.

To noleisnotthebest!!!!
Just remember these players have learnt from Federer, they have been studying him like an exam book! As for Verdasco, he was a copy-cat through and through trying to play like Federer!
Why did Nadal have a massage on the game, can anybody answer that one! He never had an injury, that was not fare! THAT is a distraction for the other player! Imagine every player having a massage!!! FEDERER FANNN!!!!
CRY YOUR HEART OUT ROGER, WE LOVE YOU

roger surprised many,i was shell shocked when,that low voice of sobbing came out, it kinda sounded girlish,toooo funny to be true.What is killing him,he does not have hope for the future,ok maybe he wants to retire,but atleast crying wil not hand the trophy over to him.the next they meet in finals,after nadal wins,nadal should just leave the court and come for the trophy later,we can't afford another crying from this gentleman.

noleisthebest, and any other of the fed haters are complete arses. Oh yes, absolutely, Nadal deserved to win. He was the best man on the day and deservedly got his no.1. Fairplay. Fed however was simply showing the world how much this loss meant to him. And hey. Let's face it. At least he is champion enough to put himself through the match, unlike poor old djokovic, who isn't man enough to fight Roddick, oh no, much prefer to retire, so who is the wuss here? Federer knew that he lost it for those few moments when he couldn't get his act together and unless you watched the interview properly, which clearly you didn't, he knew that he was taking the moment away from nadal at that point, which is why he said.....'Man, you played a fantastic match and you deserve to win and you should be the one who has the last word, not me....' Now tell me noleisthebest, you utterly deluded person, if fed was self-centred, or arrogant, no way would he have done that. He was showing that despite being a world icon, he has the grace, dignity and courage to pull himself together and do the right thing. Which he did. The best you can nole is go do one. Get lost and see a balanced situation rather than spreading your ridiculous comments. Who cares what you say. It's pure rubbish anyway. Djokovic needs to be a man by finishing a match. How many times has he done this now? Can't stand the heat. Baloney! Fed does have hope for the future mcfound, another idiotic comment. He needs to work out nadal's game, the way that nadal has worked out his. And in case you didn't check out the score, Fed actually beat nadal on points, 174 to 173. He just lost it in the fifth set. At least give a balanced view guys and stop slagging off a great champion who showed some emotion. Nadal deserved to win, Fed acknowledged that, when he got his act together and it was actually a 'real moment' of sport. If Fed was arrogant and self-centred, he wouldn't give away a third of his wealth to third world projects for Unicef. So get real!

"noleisthebest, and any other of the fed haters are complete arses."
I know the ruth hurts, but try to voice it with acceptable language, otherwise you let yourself down and noone takes you seriously.
It's on a par of a sobbing kid who wants other child's toy and can't have it!

Malteser 1, is RIGHT Noleisnotthebest and other's. You haven't bothered to know what kind of man your dealing with! You've come at the eleventh hour and you think you know everything about Roger, he gives so much to charity your head would spinnn!!! But how would you know this, you dont read, you just look at the pictures!!
Please answer this one noleisnotthebest!! why did Nadal get a massage? why did Djokovic leave his game? Like it was said, again I remind you to READ!! If your injuried rather go home! but dont distraction your opponent! by taking time out for massages!! BAD NEWS! The game should be played again!!

Nadal is only halfway of Fed's mark although I believe he can surpass Federer but still he needs 7 more. He has to fend off challenges from Murray and Fed in the next 2 years and the young upstarts. Don't get too ahead of yourselves guys.

" he gives so much to charity your head would spinnn"
for Federer, that's probably part of tax relief exercise, as for me, you will never know how much I give to charity for two reasons:
Luke 21: 1-4
Matthew 6:3

Sampras cried when he retired. it's not the worst thing that could happen

Not only Sampras, but Agassi cried too when he played his last match and said farewell, BUT FEDERER IS NOT SAYING FAREWELL! - HE IS CRYING BECAUSE THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING NEW!

It's not the crying, or getting emotional that bothers me. It's the reason. Losing a tournament is NOT a good reason to cry. These athletes who earn millions upon millions should thank their lucky stars every day that they get to do what they love and earn plenty of money to keep themselves and everyone they know in the lap of luxury. The world is in crisis, millions are bankrupt. Millions more are hungry. At least Rafa understand, as Uncle Toni taught him: "It's just a game". At the end of a Grand Slam final, win or lose, realize that you still have accomplished a lot more than the man who beat you, and that you are still the luckiest man on earth. If you cry do it for sheer joy, not like a little brat who just lost a piece of candy when he has a big box full of candy at home.

To all yoyu psychologists 'wannna be's' , if you look at history of tennis many players (men and women)have cried at ceremonies it is called human emotions...I didn't realize that crying was an emotion only given to children and controlling them meant adulthood...If you recall, the crying was induced after audience emotions...apllauding...yelling etc....Federer nor any other human being has an obligation to control emotions for the sake of others.......He REacted very humanly to an emotional situation....if there were more men like him...not pretentious .......as far as quotes from the Bilble let's leave God out of this one as He would be pretty SAD to know what his creations are doing! It is only a tennis match between two good players....Federer doesn't have a coach...what might that reason be? doesn't want too many restrictioons? Does he think he is better and can do it alone? I really don't know the guy ....he hasn't told me anything lately so unless he calls me tomorrow and tells me himself his reasons for anything...let's not judge....Let's get on with the next discussion topic, have a bit of fun with it (no insults!) and Go to Work!

Just to remind people that during this tournament, Federer had the most difficult opponents, unlike Nadal who fought like an animal on a lot weaker opponents!
Only in his last to matches did he really do any work!!

i think I read somewhere (not sure 100%) that Fed said in one of the interviews he was lucky to have an easy draw ...

The thing is both roger and nadal played a great match ....
Roger has got the game to beat nadal in all surfaces the only thing required is persevernce......No match practice required its all in his mind, the day he wins the battle in his mind ,he can replicate it on the court.....
Roger is the GOD of tennis and god also has nerves......................

as much as a i like him..he aint God....he's as imperfect & as human as anybody and he has himself said-no one is greater than the sport.Is he a great Champion-yes.No doubt about it.You dont get the laurels for no reason.But no he isnt God in any way.

Hey! Roger is passionate about the game of tennis. He is the most gentalmanlike player on the courts for many years. I love that he was moved because he felt he could have performed better. How many of us are strong enough to get out in front of thousands of people game after game and show our vulnerabilties. Roger brings honor to the sport. He is talented and sensitive. A wonderful combination!

jibi, in all due respect, that's part of federer's problem! he's been told far too many times that he's perfect, and now he has to face the harsh reality of having weaknesses, and as result, he's having big trouble handling the truth about himself! he's not perfect, the way many would like for him to be, and he's finding that out now and it's devastating!

I ditto jibi regarding Rogers mental ability..... the experts have said that he, tiger woods and Michael Jordan are considered to be past the human range as far as sports go.....Scientists have said that it is completely human impossible to do some of the things that these athletes have done with their golf club , tennis racquet and basketball....that's because it's all in the mind! I ditto Vitality too!

dudes and dudetes ...... By God i mean he shows the way how to play a shot how to make a pass how to play a forehand ....With all respect to rafael nadal the man is a great fighter no doubt but playin tennis is not all about puttin the ball bak in the court it is also about style and elegance nadal could be a great athelete but when u talk of playin real tennis , i think rather know that he has missd the bus.......

memi you hit the jackpot. The media has been overpraising Federer, and I do think it got to his head a bit. Its bound to happen to anyone.

Federer needs to humble up and work on his game. There are some notable areas he can improve on; especially return of serve.

I just feel that the tears weren't a matter of choice, he just was overwhelmed. But yes, the occasion wasn't right. This seemed like a man who just couldn't handle defeat. I never knew of the Rafa story that noleisthebest mentioned, but I think that is a perfect example of how to handle defeat.

A ha serve return .......If u had noticed in the entire match nadal served merely 6 -7 serves on the forehand side now for a single handed bakhand he did pretty well for a service return otherwise he wouldnt hav had 19 break points in the match compared to nadals 7 ........so get ur thoughts clear b4 advisin what roger federer needs to improve on his game samprallica...........................

I am not advising Roger Federer. He is much greater than I can ever dream of being.

My point is Roger should work on stepping in more and taking the returns without blocking so much. Nadal will be forced to change his tactic a bit. And the block return has worked unfavourably against players like Murray. The fact that Federer creates so much chances with just a block is a testament to his talent. He can do more though.

Roger crying like a baby on national T.V. was a TOTAL turn off.
Victory and defeat are parts of the sport.
He's been keeping those emotions and it just overflowed unexpectedly. Three cosecutive grand slam FINALS and he was defeated by the same man.
He's done just about everything and that guy named Rafa is always there with a better answer.
Time is running away from Fed, the chances of winning another slam is becoming slimmer and more difficult by the minute.
Those tears are signs of insecurity!

I agree wih u on this but as a matter of fact he needs much less than that to beat nadal ....throughout the match he could create break points with his game but when it came to breakin he showed nerves thats smthin he had to work on apart 4m that there is no guy in mens tennis how can come close to challenge federers game as rafael does.... so my point is mental strength... i guess he has to tak a lesson 4m rafael nadal here...that is NEVER SAY DIE....

Very true. Agree fully jibi with the psychology.

To correct u asg whatevr....that was the emotions of a guy who was dissapointed in himself ..... better answers u need to watch the game again especiall y the final set ...had it not been 4 the double faults or the unforcd error in 1 game...we would hav not been discusin this....further more if u remember which i am sure u wont, last time he won at the rod laver arena he burst into tears that time tooo... so u see its the guys luv 4 the game he plays which no 1 can match....
Federer is the GOAT
"Greatest of all times"......

The GOAT issue is an opinion I will decline to share.

I am quite sure u dont believe nadal is the GOAT apart 4m that only pete Sampras comes into the picture......but did he dominate mens tennis as fed. did for four concecutive years.....no he didnt ,winin almost every grand slam every atp tournament..........so i hav i all the right in the world to believe what i said.......

You have every right to your opinion. I won't go into why I think Federer isn't the GOAT, its not going to do either of us a favour.

noleisthebest - keep up the good work of defending our hero novak

All fed fans cried along with him during ceremony and now they want to portray that fed is also human. I understand that he is also human and have emotions like others but what I dont understand is someone trying to be all time great but weeps after losing a match to someone who played equally (if not better) well and deserved to win the title. it is ok for normal ppl to weep but not for great champion and fed for sure is one (13 GS winner shud know abt accepting wins and losses as part of game).

Lets look at it in different way. In yesterday's final, both played great and both deserved to be champion but it went to nadal. Now anyone with reasonable knowledge abt the game and without any bias will agree that in US open 2007 finals, novak played a far more superior game than fed. almost 90% of game is played in novaks terms but he lost as he cannot handle pressure (during key pts in his case he had more but still the pressure is more for 1st time finalist). If he wud have weeped then (given that its his 1st final and he necessarily do not know to control emotions and also he was 20 then) wud you ppl see him in same way as ur looking at fed now. jus bcos he is fed doesn't mean that he shud be treated diff. he is a great champion and when he losses he shud acknowledge with some pride rather than crying. afterall he lost to other great fellow.

if aus open admin closed the roof during novak's quater match, fed wud not hav reached final. deep down I am sure he was happy that andy got thru.. anyone who watched that match will agree andy won bcos of heat and not bcos of game. and for those who argue that if andy can play why not novak I just hav to say we are watching tennis not some physical toughness sport. expecting professional to play in 100/110 is diff from playing in 146 (temp when he retired). If situation is extreme, then they shud give a fair chance. when fed played berdych the temp is ard 110 and cool wind was blowing and not humid (bud collins reported from ground that day). It was def unfair to made him play in that condition. I dont expect them to give night match but better sense of closing the roof shud have prevailed. but they did that only after novaks match. bad luck for novak gud for fed......

will see how the season goes from here................

hello guys, this is my first time writing a comment. Because english is not my native language I apologize for my mistakes.
Look, when Roger and Nadal play together the match goes to another level of tennis, they act synergistic to take the game to something wich is much more than the sum of it parts, That`s the beauty of watching them playing, even more when it is a final.
Wether rafa is a better player than roger or viceversa its an impossible question to answer, you cant base who`s the best by their head to head because the dinamics of the game are different with each player.
I see them like two brothers, rafa being the youngest and feeling sorry for beating his older brother, which he admires and respects, I agree that Rogers attitude towar Rafa is a little lacking of humility, wich is also a characteristic of an older brother, but deep within he is very proud of his younger brother achievements.
When Roger cryed at the end of the match is a normal physiologic response to the fall in adrenaline that comes after a huge discharge, the complexity of the situation is to vast to judge federer as an arrogant prick who wanted to steal the moment, he had great expectation, he has the pressure of reassurence, he was very close, he has the pressure of the fans like us that expect from him perfection beyong humanity, and the most important thing, he loves tennis, that`s something that non of us will ever understand, he doesnt care about sampras 14, about number one like we care, sure he wants to get them, but the real thing is his love for the game.
Rafa is on fire, thats for sure, he is like Federer was two, three and four years ago, his determination and self confidence are matched by his agresivness and huge sport talent, and we can see his rise colliding with the personal drama that federer is living.
Tennis is my favourite sport (even thought i`ve never played it) because what it repressent, is not a sport of strenght, it is not a contact sport, its a sport of concentration, and mental strenght, not only because its dinamics but also because the system of points. Every game starts from a (love-love) easy difficulty, and difficulty rises when the game aproach its final moments, the same occurs with the set, and the same occurs whit the match, and the same occurs with the tournament, and the same occurrs with every season. So at the end it doesnt matter if you hit the ball like and animal, what its important is tha you have the mental strenght to keep your concentration when the difficulties arouse. In the case of the AO final, it was a cicle of mental streghnt, first came Nadal, who tried to "kill" federers mind by winnig the first set, then federer react, wich caused a reaction by nadal in the third, wich caused a reaction by Federer in the fourth, and then came the Fifth. And then it was the decisive moment, Federer facing his fears, and Nadal noticing it, so the question about did Fed lost or did Nadal win? I think is both of them, Fed served like i would have done (well, a little better actually) and Nadal took advantage of the situation. At the end you can realize that the difference was really minimal, it was just one game that destroyed fed mindset, and it happened at the fifth set.
To the question of wether fed is the GOAT or not, i dont think thats really important, I admire Roger because he is my age and he is and inpiration to all our generation, not because he has 100 million dollar, but because he is an example of what we can acomplish in life in the area we choose to work on. He is a champion, and he will be a champion, wetherhe win 25 slams or not, or wether Nadal surpase him or not, it doesnt matter, and if i could tell him something I would only say that he can learn a few thing from Nadal as well, he can evolve, the fact that he is 27 has nothing to do with learning and evolving, you can always improve.
Well i hope to have contribute to this forum, see you soon

Now listen up, if from now on, anyone still thinks regardless if you are a Fed fan or not that Fed still has any remote kind of chance that he could beat Nadal in a major Slam game, then he/she srsly needs a reality check, just like the kind of rubbish that Fed confessed after his loss about how OHHH HE ONLY WON BECAUSE HE'S A LEFTIE AND HENCE HAS AN ADVANTAGE OF SERVING OUTTER LINE WHEN DOWN BREAK POINT.....HOW I DON THINK NADAL IS ANY TOUGHER THAN ANYONE ELSE......HOW IT'S NOT NADAL THAT WON BUT I HANDED IT TO HIM......I mean how much more of nonsense do you want??

Fed is now psychologically scared when he plays Nadal, on any surface and the fact that Nadal was able to take out Fed evern after playin a 5 hrs marathon just 40 hrs earlier and having one less day to rest on just shows Nadal's dominance over Fed or anyone else on tour right now, when he really wants to win. One can only imgaine how strong Nadal would be if only he'd been coming to the final with a full tank of petrol. guess it would have been another French Open massacre and one that Nadal really deserves for his heroics and breath-taking performances in the past fornight.

Fed is also an extremely selfish person who that only thinks about his own feeling and none that of the others........Just like i've commented earlier, this guy only acknowledges his own achievement and does not give a damn about the others and he gets really jealous when people start praising others instead of him, when really CMON he is not THAT special, either Sampras or Laver are miles ahead in terms of ability and mental toughness. His absolutely shameful crying baby show at the presentation really showed the world how much of a mut this guy really is and how he ran out of ideas to show glory and had to use his last cards - the tears to grab the spotlight, SHAME ON YOU Fed......BOOOOOO BOOOOOOOO .........LOSER!!!

Are you still at it?!!??

the first step to recovery is to admit that something is wrong! i don't see federer doing that! i don't see him getting a full-time coach or exploring any other possibilities. he is spoiled and use to doing things his way! everybody caters to him. i don't think he was crying solely because he lost. the tears came from knowing that rafa has this psychological hold over him that may never be broken! most people want to believe that federer's problem is his tactics, but in my mind, it is more psychological than anything! we can discuss this from now to forever, face it, federer doesn't have the belief that he can beat rafa nadal. no matter how far ahead he is in the match, when it gets right down to it, he can't pull it off! rafa knows it! it has happened time and again; 2006 rome, 2008 monte carlo, 2008 hamburg, 2008 wimbledon, etc. rafa has done to federer what federer has done to other players these four years; federer should have done something to stop rafa long before now. i'm afraid it's too late! "fear" has taken root! we will see what happens!

It is really sad to see you many people bashing Federer especially at possibly one of the lowest moments in his career.
Firstly, anyone who has played any sport competitively will know that the harder you train, the more prepared you feel, the harder your fall will be when you don't hit your target. Federer was fit this year (as compared to last year), was on a hot streak coming in and i don't think he had any excuses this time as to why he lost. That is why he felt so desperate and just dumbfounded. and its not a straight set loss... where he could just get angry at himself. it was a great final! back and forth with each set and if i remember correctly, Federer actually won more points in the entire match. the manner in which he lost would increase the emotion and how many of us would then be able to give a speech in front of the entire Rod Laver Arena, who were then still cheering although Federer would probably have felt he didn't deserve it. Cut the guy some slack. He just went through an epic final which we all should be thankful for and came out second best... no one enjoys being second best. Especially not world beaters like Federer/Nadal who strive only to win.

If you need evidence of Federer's grace, just look at last year's wimbledon final when he accepted his runner up trophy... he said nadal was a worthy champion and deserved the trophy. This is at what most ppl would agree was his backyard for the past 5 years.(Go youtube it). Look at the interview before the finals where he played down the claims that he was best of all time. He said he could never be compared to the likes of Rod Laver.

Reality is that Nadal is the number 1 player in the world and Federer is having to play catch up which is a position which he isn't use to. but after spending 4-5 years on top and suddenly having someone else take what you've been so effortlessly winning before, it is a very tough pill to swallow.
I think the best way to judge this is to realise that close relationship which these two legends of the game have. It is only utmost respect they have for each other with federer always acknowledging rafa's talents and abilities and rafa always saying how much he has always looked up to federer. All this while they maintain what is possibly the greatest tennis rivalry of all time. It would be so much easier to hate. Who are we to label Federer a loser and a crybaby when our tennis idols, be it nadal, djokovic or murray have all shown tremendous respect to each other. It was a moment of weakness from Federer and even champions do break down. Lets just wait and see how Federer reacts from this loss to measure his worth as a true champion.

Come on, I believe it is a cycle. Fed is feeling what Safin, Roddick, Hewitt feels when they all meet Federer. It is a mental block. I am sure 1 day, Nadal will be challenged by someone like he challenged Fed. Maybe Murray, maybe Djoker or maybe his body. And then, he will feel what Federer is feeling now.

No was federer is done.....what rodiick hewitt i wont say safin coz the guy has got talent face when they come across roger is they r outplayed by his game....u wont see them givin away matches as fed. did on sunday.....
And all those who believe that federer hasnt got enough fuel 4 another grand slam just wait and watch for the wimbledon...then u ll all bow 2 the legend of
ROGER FEDERER........

torres9, 2/3/09 8:30 AM Rafa has already said he believes Andy Murray will be the most likely challenger for the No.1 spot. There are others capable of beating him on a good day and Verdasco came within a whisker in the semi-final but it is Murray who has shown continuous upward progress. Djokovic has the game but his mental strength is suspect. IMO it will be Rafa's body that fails before his spirit. Until then he will continue to provide tennis fans with enthralling duels.

Yes, Murray has the potential. I hope his potential do not go wasted like Nalbandian, Safin and Gasquet. Nadal is now more than capable to be the greatest ever just because of hard work and determination and that is more important than talent.

I don't think Roger has done anything wrong by crying.He had,by far the toughest draw which he overcame easily.Who did Nadal beat on his route to semis?Only there he got a tough challenge.
Roger was in pain and he showed it.He was very close to winning and yet became so far.That hurt him.Any other champion in his place would have cried.He is a champion that does not mean he is not a human being.He just needs to be more confident while playing Nadal.Something has settled in his psyche that he needs to overcome.
Federer is the best!

I really don't understand why somebody would assume that Roger deliberately stole the moment of Nadal during the awarding? And i really cannot comprehend why some people don't understand the emotion of Federer during that time? Well, Nadal surely did! and I admire him for that. Do you think Roger just acted there or flaunt his emotion? Why is it so hard to understand that some people can control their emotion, and some people cannot? The same reason, why some like roger, some like nole, or nadal. And for Godsake crying is not a sign of weakness! He's only human, it's not his fault why he cried that night. He maybe feeling mixed emotion that night. He is maybe devastated, because he knows he's playing well that night, look at the score from 1st to 4th set? Nadal is even having a hard time breaking him. Check the match stat. Maybe he felt sorry for those old champions who are expecting him to win, and maybe he felt overwhelmed by the support of the crowd. Those people who have not been in that situation have no right to assume otherwise. Those opinions are rather baseless!

For me, retiring from the game without even a specific injury is the worst thing a player can do. You must know, that these players trained hard.. maybe physically beyond their limit. They practice for hours, enduring the physical pains. So do you think that Nole just retired because of the extreme heat and soreness then later on announced that he's ready to go back to the court after 45 mins? Come on! Who do you think is the BEST ACTOR HERE??. ROGER accepted his defeat like a real man, but he's not giving up! He has the determination.. that cannot be broken because of EXTREME HEAT... What do you think other players think of NOLE?

Hello, squabble all you want. Federer is not gone! Nore is he done (yet)! We can mesh with words all we want, but in the end it is the racket that will do the talking. I'm not convinced that Federer's racket will stop "singing" any time soon! LOL Some of you sound as if you are saying Federer's days are over. If Federer is over anything, it would be your DREAMS! LOL All the BEST Roger! As long as you are playing tennis your opponent will be aware of the dangers of your racket! and its' decimation properties! I predict more "great" tennis from Roger... (who in their right mind wouldn't?!) Thank you in advance for more great victories up ahead Roger! I love tennis! Thank you, Roger, for making this possible.

Fellow Fed fans stick around..this too shall pass. :)

anyways huys, i read all the nittigritties of ur discussion......the thing is, That was truly a clash of the titans what we saw......and tell u all, although i supported nadal, but roger played superb.....He is having a god's hand.....the awesome backhands, although he used sparingly are master's play.......i know that all who had seen that are under the cover of appreciation.......it doesnt matter who wins or who loose....its the spirit that matters....and both are blessed with infinity in that case......
prodigies truly.....

It appears that all Youtube clips showing the most embarrassing ceremony ever has been removed (AO rights infridgment palava), and all the other clips are still there?
Where is this all going to end?
Federer to be given two HONORARY slams?

Federer's vulnaribility makes tennis that much more interesting... While sitting on the edge of my seat, I'm enjoying tennis more than ever. Riveting! Thanks Nadal, you're all "HEART"!!! Wishing you, and Roger continued success...

noleisthebest,

here you go:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=qYNfZ4HUfvI

just search for: tearful federer

observer,
lahva!

federer is crying because he's a wussy, and internet knobjockeys are posting because they need a life away from their computers.

I really don't think Federer was in any way faking his tears. They obviously shamed him and if it was polite to sprint to the showers to cry, he would have.

I also really understood in that moment what kind of person Federer truly is. He really genuinely loves tennis with a passion unsurmountable by any player (arguably even Nadal, but that's arguable), and it was because of that that he could not settle for less than number one. It is like those super competitive people in corporate offices or even in college/high school who feel a genuine pain when they don't make valedictorian/CEO, and you feel sympathy for that pain because it's so deep, but at the same time their insane desperation for that top spot is not really an admirable thing in the first place.

Regardless of whether or not Nadal is really as humble, genuine, etc. as he plays himself out to be, I really do believe now that he views the game and life with much more levity and perspective that Federer does. It is not to say Nadal loves tennis any less, but he understands better how to handle the ups and downs of the game, and not take things so seriously. Federer breaking down in the fifth set was so discomfiting for me to watch because I am more a fan of his than of Nadal's, but it proved to me that all those years of being on top got to him. He can't live with anything less anymore, and that bothers me a little.

First of all, Sampras won 14 Grand Slams over a span of 37 majors. Federer, by comparison, has won his 13 Grand Slams over a span of only 22 majors. There is something to be said for the longevity of Sampras' career, but the concentrated dominance of Federer's career is unrivaled.

And Federer is not done. It would be no surprise at all if he added at least one more Grand Slam to either tie or pass Sampras' record.

Another thing the two legends have in common is the glaring absence of a French Open title on the red clay of Roland Garros. But again, when you look beyond the surface of the similarity you find further reason to believe Federer is the best ever.

Sampras is well-known for his deficiencies on clay, as his powerful serve and piercing, flat ground strokes were slowed measurably by the surface. He finished with a career record of 24-13 at the French Open, making it past the third round only four times in 13 tries, with one appearance in the semi-finals in 1996.

Federer, on the other hand, has been to the finals at the French Open three times. Unfortunately, he has run into Nadal, who may turn out to be the best clay-courter ever (and even the best player period, eventually), in all three finals.

In addition to the 14 Slams, Federer has appeared in the semi-finals or better in the past 19 majors, been in the finals of 14 out of the last 15 majors, won 42 additional titles from 2002 to 2008, and has a career record of 620-150 - a winning percentage of just over 80 percent.

Some stats you can read from http://media.www.dailytoreador.com/media/storage/paper870/news/2009/02 /04/Sports/Despite.Recent.Loss.Federer.Should.Stand.Among.Best.In.Spor ts.History-3610962.shtml

Thanks posmatrac. I had not seen the video, just a few pictures on the net, and was not interested until you made it so easily available. Now that I have seen it, so what?! Federer cried, big deal. Humans do cry (although not many of us get to do it on International TV!). LOL Unfortunately it did take away some from Nadals' victory, but he (Nadal) is so level headed as noleisthebest so accurately pointed out, I don't imagine he will feel the worse for it. I'm sure there will be many other occasions when Nadal will win, and Federer will not cry about it. (Promise!) LOL As for Federer, his tears probably did him a lot of good. Tears releave stress. Federer will become a better man as a result of those tears (belief). It may be the catalyst to a soul searching, stronger, more "level headed" Federer of the future.

torres9 , 2/4/09 4:53 AM

OMG Torres, your stobborness is beyond my belief. Look, i dont usually go out of my way to defend someone as I go according to facts and i am just a neutral tennis fan who only supports the best regardless of their surnames, but what you have said in your last comment was just sorry mate A LOAD OF PURE RUBBISH!!

Let me tell u this, the greatness of a player is not defined by the number of trophies he's won or the number of semi finals he's been to. Sure, if someone has won 13 slams, that person must have done something right, but its one thing just talking about pure numbers and its another when you look into details and actually analyse the opponents and other factors that are beyond a players control.

It doesn't matter how many number of slams Sampras has won, as long as it is above a certain number which could be considered one of the greats. what matters is the kind of players he had to deal with throughout his career. The fact that he had to play against the likes of Agassi, Chang, Becker, Muster, Connors and Rios just to name a few, quite possibly the most competitive era EVER (Fed VS Nadal is only two players, i'm talking about at least 8 of the elites here!). He was the really unlucky one that he was borned in that absolute ruthless period in tennis history where he was faced up against the REAL LEGENDS of the game. what about FED?? like i said a thousand times before and i'll say it again, his opponenets are really VERY AVERAGE during the times that he's dominated, ppls like Hewitt, Ferrero, Safin (whom only shows a glimpse of magic from time to time), Rod or Blake are a bunch of real jokes. I dont wanna go into hewitt's 2 yrs of dominance, because quite possibly that has gotta be the WEAKEST period and the death of Men's tennis during that entire period where there was absolutely NO ONE at all who was anywhere near good enough to be ranked in top 10 of Sampras, Agassi and Becker's era.

Again like i've said before, if Sampras is in Fed's era or the situation is reversed, Sampras could already by sitting on 20 by now and the record would have been smashed like flies, this is in no way a disrepect to Fed's skills whom if he was in Sampras era would have still notched up prolly 7 or 8 slams, but no way could he be able to get 14 like Sampras did. Just like rover who won SLAM not once but twice and is in my oopinion the best EVER and because he's only won 12 and 3rd on the list and because he was banned for 7 yrs not allowed to play so obviously he hasnt played half as many as Fed did in the slam therefore Laver is not as good as Fed or Sampras when you have the three compared?? That is the most ridiculous comment ever.

Stats is only useful when you are comparing people playing in the same era, e.g. you can compare his stats with Hewiit and Grosjean all u like, and YES fed's far more superior but dont take it out of context because it is USELESS and POINTLESS!

Fed came into the limelight beating Sampras only!

and now, somebody's talking like he or she is an expert analyst in tennis? I bet he/she doesn't even know how to play tennis. har har har! Well, everybody has his own opinion, but i'd rather listen to those who has been there and done that.. not to tennis fans who feel like they know everything.. Roger has 13 GS.. respect that!.. the old champs do! whether you compare it to past era or now.. doesn't matter.. he has 13 GS period! Why do you think all the old champs have great respect for Roger? Simple.. because he earned it! If you don't like Roger.. fine! we don't care..but don't lambaste his personality..He doesn't deserved that.. and surely you know that. Roger has great contribution to what Tennis has achieved now. I bet you don't need stat for that??? That's why even if you hate Roger, you keep on reading articles about him and taking some of your time to write (although negative) about him..Why do you even bother??? You're just showing everybody here what kind of person you are.

i am a rafa fan first. it wasn't that i disliked roger federer, but there was something about his closed off personality that stopped me from really warming up to him. when nadal came along in 2003/2004 and played with such crazy passion, i knew i would always be rooting for him no matter what. since then i've come to really appreciate feds too, and i definitely respect his game. for me i think he just might be the best that ever played. his career isn't over or near over, so who knows if that will change.

that said, i thought it was absolutely FINE that roger cried at the AO ceremony. i don't think he planned it or could even control it at that moment. the fans just kept applauding and saying "i love you" and that probably touched something inside of him.

for the ppl saying he took something away from nadal by crying...well no. rafa said it himself. he too was very emotional and he felt bad for feds. why? because both of them realize that feds loss wasn't just about THAT AO final. it holds ominous tones for roger in the future. it's a passing of the guard and it proves that rafa is 100% in his head now.

roger is not my favorite, but i like him, and i don't think that tears are reserved for just kids or the "weak." i think real men can and should be able to cry too. and so WHAT if he hasn't married mirka. i'm a woman, and i am DEATHLY afraid of marriage. it's like an omen of doom. no matter how great things are going between two ppl, as soon as they get married it all goes to sh!t. if mirka isn't complaining about it then i don't get why it's bothering random strangers who know nothing about their personal lives.

also some ppl say rod laver is the best ever, some say pete sampras, and others say federer. they're ALL worthy of that title, depending on your perspective.

i look forward to the continued rivalry between the worlds #1 and #2. they are the best in the game and whenever they meet (except at the french), the level of tennis becomes...STUNNING...UNBELIEVABLE...EPIC!!

well Said jasoncourtney! Enjoy the rivalry when it is there , it makes u enjoy the game more~

A toast to all men who are willing to be so open and honest that they share their vulnerabilities... yes even by weeping. The stronger the guy the more open the and honest is the guy. There is no doubt that in spite of the weeping that THE FED is a strong, exceedingly skilled male! Why are people so afraid of weeping publicaly or seeing someone else go through this.?

AZN, I don't think people should base their judgement on who the best player is according to the standard of a nobody like you. A lot of tennis expert who has done more than you can possibly do your entire life has based their judgement on the number of Slams. If number of SLams is not important than why is Tiger Woods chasing the Majors and are you saying Tiger Woods don;t have competition? WRONG. The fact is, both Fed and Woods is too good they made their competition look like a joke. Don't forget Nadal also won Slams during Fed's era. So are you saying Nadal's Slams are not credible because the field is 'weak'? I think not.

The statistics I put there is from a website I found in the internet, it's not my post.

As far as I am concerned,(and I am not being mean to Federer fans here), the sooner this "rivalry" finishes - the better.
Fedeerer - Nadal rivalry is all media hype and nothing more, their matches are plain boring, there is little of the breathtaking stuff you see when Nadal and Djokovic play.
Also, the quality of tennis is great when Federer plays Djokovic, and recently Murray.
Nadal-Murray is boring and dull tennis, as well.
Federer is never going to beat a healthy Nadal again, and he just looks like someone who is trying beyond their ability now, it's finished, the guy is clearly better.
Federer can only look "dominant" when he plays the guys like Roddick etc, from his "dominance" era.
Realistically Federer should slip out of top 5 this time next year.
It's only the favourable draws and sponsoring lobbying that ensures he scrapes to semi finals and finals of slams these days.
Come Roland Garros, and he will be out on his ear should he meet Djokovic in the semis, possibly even Murray.

First time I read a comment from noleisthebest which has no Federer-insults. yes there is some truth in your comment. Fed-Djokovic is the best since they hate each other guts and both play attacking tennis. Nadal just takes to much time between points and I do not say that to say that it is illegal or is a reason why he wins matches but when I watch Nadal's matches, it always is long.

If he meets Djokovic, I don't think he is scared. He only fears Nadal and murray.

It's very simple. Fed just has to work out Nadal's game. Get himself a coach, stop being stubborn (if that is what he is being....reading media comments), and start moving forward. Mix the game up a bit. Get a sports psychologist to send out a message that he means business once again. The only thing that really bothers me is that the rest of the guys on the tour will no doubt have watched the final and know that Fed's state of mind at that time was more than emotional, it was devastating. He needs to regroup and send out a message that he is coming back hungrier than ever before. I just don't understand why he won't get himself a coach which I feel would be such a huge asset to his game. I thought to myself at one time that he knows what he's doing, trust in his judgment, but everyone needs a bit of help here and there. Nadal and Murray have their own team surrounding them giving them support and I just think that is something which is also missing from his game. Yeah, he has the fans support but he needs that razor edge, that guidance that only a coach can give. A different perspective which is fresh and new could work wonders. He needs to chip and charge more, face the fear and just go for it. I cannot wait for the next slam. I just want him to blast everyone on the court and say 'I'm back!' I don't know whether that is wishful thinking, but I have watched his game so often and just marvel in the genius way he plays. It is just so amazing. It was good to see as well some of the spanish fans for rafa on their blogs saying how much they enjoyed the match and how they love the fact that Fed pushes Nadal, makes Nadal play better. They do that to each other, but Rafa just has that mental edge right now which scares Fed. He needs to overcome that fear. Once the self-belief comes back I really believe he could go on for another few years and surpass sampras easily.

whatever you say the FACT is still crystal clear... HE CRIED cos HE can't accept he lost.,,, to the SAME player on BIG occasions like the AO, WIMBLEDON, and FRENCH O in front of a crowd who's mostly rooting for him.
FED fans always have an arsenal of reasons to defend their 'hero'. HE"S superhuman in playing tennis and he's crying cos he's just human... IRONY!

I'm a Fed fan, but Nadal deserved to win that match. He is better than Federer is right now. The fact that Federer cried is GOOD...he still has the desire to win and a love for the game. You cannot mistake true passion. I think all tennis fans should respect that.

again, I like vintage Fed tennis skills, but he cried coz he has a huge ego and can't accept the fact Nadal is # 1 and that Nadal took his babies Wimby and AO. he never cried after losing FO coz he has never won it and has always known he couldn't win it. He has one cry left - USO.

torres9 you put up a very good point..that way even nadal's slams are not credible esp the RG because everyone including Federer fail to push him there.

Federer was upset over this loss as he well should be since he came into the match completely unprepared tactically as well as mentally. First his tactics were a total disaster or I should say he had none whatsoever. This final was his for the taking instead he basically gifted it to Nadal. All he needed to do was watch how Verdasco played in the SF and that should have been enough in terms of tactics. All those break points and all those second serves at 98 mph and still he was content to spin the ball back into play and continue the points on even terms with Nadal. Clearly that coasted him the title. What was worse Nadal almost always serves into his backhand side so he knew what to expect yet he did absolutely nothing to punish that serve while Verdasco just crashed it and balls were flying back to the other side in no time at all. Also I think he needed to loose like this perhaps he will realize that he can not play Nadal unless he develops a good tactic since he has more tools than anyone else in the world loosing five times to the same player should not be an option. For someone of his talent it should not be impossible to beat Nadal on any surface besides clay but it seams he will need some help with tactics and self belief. A good coach the likes of Darren Cahill or someone like him should be able to accomplish this but the question remains if Roger is willing to make a change since he has been so successful so far. After all Andre Agassi has made many changes in his game when he was about the same age and that proved to be the best thing he ever did in his career. We will se if Roger is going to be stubborn or will he besides being upset use this horrible loss as an inspiration to get better and perhaps get even.

you idiot. He was disappointed so he cried. Wht?s d big deal? He?s not self-centered nor is he a big baby. Do you guys even play tennis????

Don bring Djok among Rafa and Fed , hez nowhere near them and he wil never reach the top with his loser attittude, Shame on him!

posmatrac,
I now have only one dilema left: will he cry at the USO if Novak or Murray beat him, or is it only reserved if Nadal beats him?

i wll not doubt if Murray will beat him in the US, because he's showing great tennis and determination. But Novak??? He might retire after losing one set..probably due to what??? another sore throat? har har!

I think the reason hez goin to retire frm U.S open is he brought golf sticks instead of racquets :P ROFL

Nice to see you Fedfans ready for another day of running uphill, good, keeps you fit for RG....

noleisthebest,

I think any of them is a good candidate. I hope this time Officials will have some toddler requisites ready to handle the situation.

posmatrac,
yes, a "well done" sticker and a lollypop...

Why lollypop, Djoker is there to make fun & control the emotions (tears) of Roger if he losses again to Nadal in french open finale, coz he(Djoker) must have been pulled out of french open by another (fake) injury(while in a loosing condition as usual) out of Rolland Garros .

So the expenses for lollypop & sticker will be saved.

good point tomnjery2,

saved money can go to the "Federer's lonely broken hearts club" fondation.

Sorry man that money will be paid to Djoker coz he will get less prize money for not being in the finale .so what will be entertainment for Roger that will be income for Djoker. got it.

tom&jerry,
when making an attempt to be funny in a foreign language, make sure you have good command of it, I may be thick as a whale sandwich, but what were we supposed to "get":
that Roger earns money by entertaining whilst crying hence landing another lucrative sponsorship deal with Cleenex, or that Djokovic is going to avoid beating Federer in their SF match, just so that Federer can honour his contract with Cleenex in yet another display of uncontrolled weeping ?
If the latter, I suggest instead of the customary bunch of flowers to go with the silver plate, Federer is given a large box of Cleenex GOLD extra triple thick alloe vera and chamomile scented tissue paper.

With the exception of the honourable few, you lot are using this place to vent frustration and camouflage your inadequacies by launching a bandwagon of insults and hatred towards players. Crucifying RF for showing emotion while experiencing what might have been the most significant moment of his existence, when so many break down in everyday life on trivial matters. Oh, well, it was his turn this time, i guess. Still, it's comforting that, after reading these posts, one gets even greater appreciation of the very person you are so wholeheartedly trying to smear. trixxyfest- Judging by your comments, YOUR "life awey from computers" is in need of SOME serious improvement!

dejanaja,

this is all just pure zajebancija. some of us use computers for work and it doesn't cost anything to launch a quick and lean posting. Fed will overcome this "crying time" phase, no doubt.

Good to know, thanks for clarifying posmatrac.

Dear noleisthebest,
Your name should answer anyone's questions about why you post such nonsense. Your hero is the biggest baby out there. Waaa, poor me? Andy Roddick said this and that! You 30,000 US Open fans don't believe I am hurt! waa.. When he's down, he quits, that's a fact, Jack!

About Roger, you have the right to your opinions, but he who lives in glass houses shouldn't cast stones, eh? Roger is a class act, a great champion, and did not in any way try to overshadow Rafa's win, which was fantastic, by the way. They are friends, and I think they admire each other.

Nuff said.

GO ROGER! Go Rafa! Go away Nole!!

Let's see Federer break the record, gain the upperhand against the main rival and then be proclaimed the GOAT.

Rafterfan,
in a way I feel sorry for you because Nole is here to stay, and keep being a major threat to the Bighead, he fears none, so....sorry, no go-away scenario for the next 10 years,now there is something for you to cry about, here's a box of Kleenex...

No need to feel sorry for me nole fan - I am not the deluded one! It is well documented that your guy is a quitter. Agassi has said Roger's the best he's ever played. Legends have said he's the best they've ever seen. Let's see...1 slam vs. 13 (and counting for Roger). Roger has nothing to prove to be head and shoulders above Novak Djokovic in every way.

Way to go Rafterfan! maybe djoko will need a year supply of bandaid for his soring body..and you're right.. just 1 slam... and everybody's doubting if there will be next for him. coz he is such a quitter.

well said Rafterfan , 2/6/09 2:06 AM ,

i hope that 1 slam wonder & his one & only fan around the world must have learned something out of it.Why should we respect a quitter (who only quits while down) whose game is not even worth a watch & who displays 45 yr old attitude while playing his matches while he is only 21.

And yeah ! everyone has a weakness so where is the problem if i had poor english knowledge. Superhero Nadal has the same Problem.

So i don't think it matters. Education does not calculate one's character but its the attitude & respect to others counts.And dear noleistheworst u don't have this priceless quality.

Oh sorry i forgot u said nole will play for next 10 years......its the joke of the century.
By any chance he plays he plays for10 yeras then he will quit minimum 30 times out of 40 GS events.

Go Roger GO...with Rafa chasing u ....Nole far far behind not even chasing....got it.

Guys! Federer is all time best player and he will be in the history books forever, however, Nadal has past him last few months and Federer has some serious thinking to do if he wants to past Sampras record...those days of showing up at the grand slam and everyone so scared to play Federer are gone...What Federer just slacked little bit last year due to some sickness and game quickly past him...it happens to all great players...remember Sampras vs Federer ar Wimby...Federer proved that this game can be played from back of the court even on Grass...Now Nadal proved that he can better from back of the court better than Federer..this is ever evolving game...Guga had hip surgery and could never come back and play with the new guys as game moved on to higher level...
Rafa has improved on every surface while it was always said that he was only a clay courter...hoe proved everyone wrong...I have lot of respect for Rafa because he is so determined that no one can get him off track...the match he played against Verdasco was way better than Federer because I seriously thought that he was going to loose the match and I went to bed...he pulled out that match from the brink and that shows lot of character...
This kid is unbelievable...he gets on the podium and gives Federer a very friendly hug and still says he is the greatest...How a young player like him has such a level head, that is amazing...look at the American football players and they can not a sentence without using obscene language...
Bottom line, Nadal is the real deal and a warrior and Federer has to work hard to improve his game maybe hire a real coach and go after Nadal's game plan...Djockovic might get better of he can get out of girl scene...I have noticed that if you want to stay at top ranking that is one thing you need to settle down...Sampras had same girl friend for long time and Federer is doing the same...Andy Murray is keeping same girl friend...by the way I sat next to her to Murray match in Toronto as the match was moved to Grand stand due to rain delay and she is a sweet girl...
My opinion, Murray will win one grand stand this year and Nadal will take one more at least if not 2..Federer might win Wimby if he really go after Nadal's game plan and makes adjustments...he has to do to it to keep Nadal beating him again...I think Nadal will lose early in Wimby...Interesting year for Tennis fans and I am looking forward to it...by the way I play 4.5 tournaments in Kansas City area...it is a great game lets keep it growing in USA...go Rafa and Federer

With very few exceptions, what a folks over here, you'd never stop surprising me, such an frustrated people, full of evil, anger, hate, lost in their unsuccessful life, clinking with their tongues like rattlesnakes, sometimes I'm wondering where does this world goes, feel sad, cause there's no more anticipation, philanthropy and love, whatever it means, I'm getting sick of arguing and participating in such a bad manner on this site, it's pointless, cause there is no true supporting of favour tennis players, just hate, hate, hate and nothing else...

Although it's a miserable day, I've got a sore throat and a million and one thing to do, here's a big hello to you all :)...
and like someone else here said, don't take it too seriously, it's only rock&roll, sorry, tennis!

hey hey so much bashing of roger for showing emotion. anyone who plays any kind of sports knows how highly emotional this sort of thing is especially having lost such a huge tournament when he knew he could have played better.

i must admit, roger wasn't playing agrresive enough. maybe next time eh roger? let all your feelings & anger out on the court & u just might play better. & like someone said, it's time to get a coach. & concentrate on strategy? more tricks? (i play badminton, u see, so we're all about tricks hehe).

but talking ab childish... we had to watch & wait ages for rafa to climb all the way up the box to hug his love ones after beating roger for the first time in wimbledon, & everyone was going what the... ???? & everyone had to watch him climb all the way down again. & the commentator was saying 'this is the first time we've seen such a thing'....

so just to show any athelete can show their emotions anyway they want.

Roger wasn't just crying about the loss, there was something deeper about those tears streaming like hell from his eyes. Lots of WHY"S, WHAT IF"S in his head.
It's not about a player showing his emotions... HE IS ROGER FEDERER, people always expect something extra-normal from him.

" HE IS ROGER FEDERER, people always expect something extra-normal from him."
why, I haven't noticed he's grown a third eye or something yet....

Kind of off the subject, but only somewhat...what do you think of the lefties who play as righties (Sharapova, Moya, et al), righties who play as lefties (Rafa and who else? don't know)? I think this has given Rafa a distinct advantage b/c it makes his "backhand" so good. Would like to hear what you all think.

noleisthebest(?SIC?) If Novak's supporters' frame of mind sre the same as yours, I won't wonder why you love the djoker!

Here goes noleisnotthebest again!! It tells from the why you mock someone cyring that you are a BULLY!!!

fofe,
if you weren't tragic, you would comic!

noleisthebest bravo, what a comeback. Really, that will teach fofe next time. Not!

:)