Tag Archives: Federer

He Is The Man, No?

French Open, Semifinal (3) Federer d. (2) Djokovic, 7/6 6/3 3/6 7/6 In the end – for the players, the crowd, and at least one person on the far side of the world – it was all about light. As … Continue reading

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Filed under Grand Slams

Yet Again . . .

The semifinalists for Roland Garros 2011 have been decided, and for a wonder the Big Four constitute the final four. The lazy inclination is to add a knowing ‘yet again’, but in fact it only seems that way. It occurs … Continue reading

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Important Points

Rome Masters 1000, Third Round Two more contenders for Match of the Year emerged today, happy news for a season that has hitherto produced few classics. Initially, however, the prospects for even mild diversion looked grim. Nadal d. Lopez, 6/4 … Continue reading

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Filed under ATP Tour

Atmospherics

Madrid Masters 1000, Semifinals Nadal d Federer, 5/7 6/1 6/3 Djokovic d Bellucci, 4/6 6/4 6/1 The word of the week has been ‘altitude’. Apparently Madrid has lots of it, and no opportunity has been missed to point out the … Continue reading

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Just Because It All Looks Smooth

Madrid Masters 1000, Third Round Federer d. Malisse, 6/4 6/3 Returning to the court less than a day after scraping through a life-shorteningly tense encounter with Feliciano Lopez, Roger Federer today saw off another talented near-contemporary in Xavier Malisse. Federer’s … Continue reading

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What About Me?

Monte Carlo Masters 1000, Quarterfinals Melzer d. Federer, 6/4 6/4 It is a fine point whether losing to his close contemporary and closer buddy Jurgen Melzer will scar Roger Federer more deeply than losing to, say, Rafael Nadal, or even … Continue reading

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Hardcourt Retrospective (Part 1)

As the tour descends with wrathful inevitability upon the dirt of southern Europe, and thence the grass, the time seems apposite to look back at the prolonged hardcourt season just ended, the one that began in Atlanta last July, and … Continue reading

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Filed under ATP Tour, By the Numbers

Aura of Invincibility

Miami Masters 1000, Semifinals Nadal d. Federer, 6/3 6/2 Of the four guys who contested the semifinals of the Miami Masters today, only one of them played to his abilities. Unfortunately for Roger Federer, that exception was Rafael Nadal. Consequently, … Continue reading

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Game Over: Nadal and the Machine

Miami Masters 1000, Quarterfinals Nadal d. Berdych, 6/2 3/6 6/3 After some encouraging early success, the tennis engineers – or ‘Tengineers’ – who are responsible for maintaining and upgrading Tomas Berdych have had a difficult time of it. There have … Continue reading

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Vintage Stuff

Miami Masters 1000, Fourth Round Federer d. Rochus, 6/3 6/1 ‘This is looking like a mismatch, as though Rochus has brought a knife to a gunfight. Federer just has too much firepower.’ Robbie Koenig. We don’t expect much from tennis … Continue reading

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