how does fed control these tweeners??! Unbelievable!

@2flow , 1/4/11 7:03 PM
Rafa taught Fed more than 4 years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqqAC2WRd3g

I don't think I've ever seen him do one facing front before. Not sure why he did it, tbh unless he was just messing around.

Well played today My Guy.

VAMOS!!!

@ cheryl
I think Fed might have been caught by surprise as the down the line forehand of schoorel bumped the net, thereby slowing the shot down.

or maybe he just was fooling around ;)

Rafa may win more these days, but nobody plays with more flare and style than Roger.

Some inteersting stats, I thought!!!........nothing better to do perhaps...........lol!!!


Rafa Roger Novak Murray Soderling Berdy ch
Turned Pro
2001 1998 2003 2005 2001 2002
Career Titles
43 66 18 16 6 5
Career Prize Money
$37,396,162 $61,060,358 $20,262,956 $13,967,298 $9,099 ,288 $7,577,211
Service Record Year-to-Date
Aces
310 658 304 537 739 547
Double Faults
120 110 282 156 249 166
1st Serve
67% 62% 64% 54% 60% 56%
1st Serve Points Won
75% 78% 71% 77% 78% 79%
Service Games Played
1,001 980 907 791 942 864
Service Games Won
90% 89% 82% 84% 86% 87%
Break Points Faced
322 331 493 362 372 341
Break Points Saved
69% 68% 67% 64% 65% 67%
Service Points Won
70% 70% 64% 66% 67% 68%
2nd Serve Points Won
60% 56% 52% 53% 52% 55%
Return Record Year-to-Date
1st Serve Return Points Won
31% 34% 34% 32% 30% 31%
2nd Serve Return Points Won
55% 51% 54% 55% 52% 52%
Break Points Opportunities
674 631 637 552 532 493
Break Points Converted
44% 41% 45% 42% 44% 42%
Return Games Played
1,002 951 882 771 923 857
Return Games Won
29% 27% 32% 30% 25% 24%
Return Points Won
40% 40% 42% 41% 39% 39%
Total Points Won
55% 55% 53% 53% 53% 53%

@ Cheryl,
He did one before against Tim Henman in the US Open 2006, but this one is way better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2X8NiyliMM
http://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=QwDBacITc3o

"win more" is more important than flare and style....

Agree with tettylds. Fed and Rafa are at different stages of their career. Winning is more important for Rafa right now than having flair. What's the point of doing all these tweeners and can't win? When Rafa has reached the stage where Fed is in now, we can then talk about flair.

So Rafa not capable of doing all these tricks? With those amazing shots coming from his racket, I've no doubt he can perform a few 'tricks' if he wants to and show us some 'flair'. Just wait and see that from him when the time is right.

Rafa handed out the first bagle last night, apart from dropping his serve due to UE as a result of being too laid back knowing that Beck was no threat, he did a sterling job.

@ Luckystar and Nadline
Why do you always defend Nadal even without being attacked? Some people were saying some nice things about Roger, but clearly there was no case of rafa bashing here. Is it not allowed for a player to have something unique? I'm not taking away any of the unique fighting capabilities of Rafa by saying "Roger could do that too if he wanted to". It wouldn't be true anyway if I did. So please, pay credit where it's due.

2fow, that what fans are for.... I think nothing wrong with that.... when someone says Rafa may win more these days, but nobody plays with more flare and style than Roger... it sounds not good in my ears as a Rafa fan... so I have to react because I believe win more is more important than play flare and style. Roger himself said that he'd rather play ugly and win...

tettylds, no one said that flare and style is more important than winning matches. It has only been stated that Roger plays with more flare and style than Nadal and that his game is a joy to watch. Statistics are already telling that Nadal wins more. There's dissapointment among federer fans that sheer determination and stamina beats elegance and technique. I share that dissappointment. Yet, I take nothing away from the great player that Nadal is and his status as a true number one. What is to be liked best is an endless discussion of which I already regret entering it ;)

2flow, so we have to agree with what you say without having our own opinions? Isn't this a forum for discussion? You are free to praise Fed and tell us what you prefer and others are also allowed to express their opinions. You may disagree with others opinions though, but please stop telling others what not to post, unless they are downright offensive remarks. I don't think tettylds and my posts are anything offensive.

'sheer determination and stamina beats elegance and technique'

Now 2flow, that may be your opinion but it truly sounded unpleasant to the Rafa fans. So Rafa wins through sheer determination and stamina? You really think so? Then I seriously doubt Fed's ability and his fans claim that he is the goat. To me Rafa wins because he has a good tennis brain, using tactics and strategies to exploit Fed's weaknessess, something Murray has learnt to do with success too. While Fed is an incredible shotmaker, Rafa is not far behind too, with some of the shots produced by Rafa being classified as out of this world by some commentators. I see uniqueness in Rafa's brand of tennis which may not be learnt by anybody else, whether his technique is proper or not, it suits him well. While Fed's brand of tennis is called elegant, I see Rafa's having his own unique and rugged appeal, something Fed lacks. I happen to like the rugged appeal. I can always watch Justin Henin for graceful brand of tennis, something the WTA is sorely lacking.

sorry, I kinda regret writing it halfway already ;) Your posts are not offensive. But keep in mind that also my biased critisism on rafa fans being biased is a legitimate opinion, which is what these forums are all about ;) :P

@2flow , 1/5/11 10:21 AM
---Roger...is a joy to watch---
To me, Rafa is a joy to watch and Fed is boring. (I also fall asleep while watching men's figure skating)

haha I like figure skating, I'm detecting a pattern here :P

Yep, there may be a pattern. To me I prefer ruggedness in a man, more so then gracefulness. I would prefer women to be graceful, which explains why I like Henin's style of play but not so much Fed's. I like Rafa's style but not Serena Williams'. I do appreciate what Fed has achieved in tennis and respect him for his achievements and those good things he has done off court. In fact he is a good example for Rafa to follow, which may explain why Rafa respects Fed very much. I think Rafa sees Fed as a big brother, just like he sees Moya as one, and would want to learn from them.

Funny thing is that Henin is regarded as "man like" by some, just for not having the prettiest body on tour. Another funny thing is that gracefullness is harder to find on the WTA than on the ATP tour these days. Not so feminine I guess, except for the bitchyness of serena williams and some others.

We are talking about playing style here, not body type. Henin may not have a very feminine and shapely figure but her play style is full of grace and her backhand is a thing of beauty. As I've mentioned earlier on, graceful style is sorely lacking at the WTA tours, with emphasis based on power and fitness nowadays. I don't see many graceful style at the ATP tours (thank goodness) but I do not like the power play without finesse exhibited by so many players nowadays. What they have is basically big serve and big forehand; while I do not want the game to go back to purely S & V, I do like a mixure of baseline and net plays, something the likes of Fed, Rafa and Murray have been doing, and Nole is not far behind. I see Sod and Berdych are also trying to emulate which I think is something positive happening in the men's tours. If only the WTA can follow their examples....

@ Luckystar and Nadline
Why do you always defend Nadal even without being attacked? Some people were saying some nice things about Roger, but clearly there was no case of rafa bashing here. Is it not allowed for a player to have something unique? I'm not taking away any of the unique fighting capabilities of Rafa by saying "Roger could do that too if he wanted to". It wouldn't be true anyway if I did. So please, pay credit where it's due.

2flow, 1/5/11 8:21 AM

What exactly did I say about Roger, or where did I defend Rafa, I made a statement of fact that Rafa got the first bagle of the year, nowhere did I say anything about Roger. I was not going to comment on this thread at all, because I don't want anyone sitting on their high horse lecturing me for expressing my opinions.

Do let me know exactly where I defended Rafa or where I said anything about Roger.