Federer Takes Down Simon to Make 37th Career Grand Slam Semi Final
Another fine win for Roger Federer here as he comfortably dispatched Gilles Simon 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 in a rain effected match on Court 1 that lasted 1 hour 34 minutes.
The win sees Roger move into his 37th career Grand Slam semi final where he’ll face Andy Murray who saw off a tired Vasek Pospisil in straight sets under the roof on Centre.
Quick Match Recap
Simon won the toss and elected to receive, creating 0-30 on Federer’s opening service game before the Swiss reeled off back to back aces from 30 all to hold.
Roger then got to deuce on the Frenchman’s serve and converted his second break point to take a 2-0 lead. The break was quickly consolidated to love for 3-0.
It was then the rain began to fall and the players left the court for a 20 minute delay. On resumption Simon held his serve to 15 and both players traded comfortable holds before Roger served it out to 30 to take it 6-3.
Set 2 saw Simon hold for 1-0 before Roger levelled with a love hold. The pair then traded holds but at 3-3 Roger came with up a touch of genius to create 2 break points which were converted when Simon went wide with a risky backhand down the line.
4-3 soon became 5-4 and with Roger serving to take a 2 set to love lead he was broken to love when Simon strung together 4 crisp return points to break.
The break was the first time that Roger had lost his serve since the match against Kohlschreiber in Halle but he responded instantly, breaking Simon in his next service game to lead 6-5.
Serving for the set at 15-0, the rain again began to fall and the play was delayed. 30 minutes later Roger return to the court, firing down 3 huge first serves to take the set 7-5.
Into set 3 and with Simon looking out of ideas he was broken in his opening service game. Fed then consolidated the break and began to roll through his service games before breaking again at 4-2. Even Roger’s mishits were landing in that this point and despite double faulting on his first match point he sealed it on the second to book his spot in the Semi Finals on Friday.
Match Stats
| MATCH STATISTICS | Gilles Simon | Roger Federer |
| ACES | 1 | 11 |
| DOUBLE FAULTS | 2 | 1 |
| 1ST SERVES IN | 48/83 (58 %) | 55/75 (73 %) |
| 1ST SERVE POINTS WON | 29/48 (60 %) | 44/55 (80 %) |
| 2ND SERVE POINTS WON | 19/35 (54 %) | 12/20 (60 %) |
| NET POINTS WON | 7/14 (50 %) | 21/31 (68 %) |
| BREAK POINTS WON | 1/1 (100 %) | 5/8 (63 %) |
| RECEIVING POINTS WON | 19/75 (25 %) | 35/83 (42 %) |
| WINNERS | 15 | 36 |
| UNFORCED ERRORS | 21 | 22 |
| TOTAL POINTS WON | 67 | 91 |
| DISTANCE COVERED (METRES) | 1716.3 | 1749.5 |
| DIST. COVERED/PT. (METRES) | 10.9 | 11.1 |
Thoughts on the Match
Those conditions are never easy for either player; it was quite windy too. The stop and gos are tough, but I used them to my advantage. I either stayed ahead or made a difference. The breaks helped me rather than hindered me. I had a great service game after the second rain delay and reset and took the lead in the third set. The game I got broken he was too good, so I have no problem accepting that.
I gave Simon 10 games in my prediction scoreline and that’s exactly what left the court with as Roger played another high level match from the get go. Roger’s serve has been awesome all week and so it proved again today, winning him cheap points galore and he again moved well to keep himself on the front foot in the vast majority of rallies.
Fed also mixed it up nicely to deprive Simon of the pace he feeds and the tactic worked a treat with the Frenchman making 21 unforced errors over the course of 3 sets. Roger never really allowed him to settle into his preferred style of play and you got the sense that Fed almost decided to test himself out in a couple of longer rallies once he had the lead before once again reverting to mixing it up and ending the points quickly.
It was also pleasing to see Fed respond immediately after his 116 consecutive service games streak was broken when he was serving for the second set. Fed has cruised through virtually all his service games this week so it was good to see a hiccup not effect him in the slightest.
Predictions vs. Murray
So the first really big test of the tournament comes in the shape of the 2013 Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray. The last time these two met on grass was in 2012 where Murray took down the Olympic Gold a few weeks after Roger defeated him in the Wimbledon final.
I think this one is very tough to call as both guys have looked in great form over the last 10 days at SW19. Murray has spent marginally longer on court and dropped 2 sets compared to Roger’s 1 but in terms of the calibre of opponent they have faced it’s fairly equal.
Playing Bautista-Agut and Simon back to back gives Roger some good practice against solid baseliners which is ideal going into a tie against Murray. The Scot can of course take it up to a different level compared to those 2 but I like Roger’s chances ahead of this one.
No real secrets between the two of them and I think it’s ultimately going to boil down to which player forces the issue on a consistent basis; if Fed is the man making Murray scramble he can surely get it done in 4 or even 3 sets.
Murray’s chances likely rest on his first serve % and ability to dictate with forehand and I think the big key for Roger is his how well he moves. Serve, groundstokes and volleys are of course going to have to work well for him but that’s the case in every single Grand Slam Semi Final he’s ever played and I expect them to click into place instinctively.
Historically when Fed has manhandled Murray it’s when he’s kept a high intensity and explosiveness in the legs; started quickly and kept the lead. London, Dubai, Australia were all matches won by staying aggressive and been the guy who is one move ahead of his opponent.
WOW!! Is it 2006?
And we got the crowd-pleasing ending shot too!
Really great to see him playing this way – working the angles really well, moving so fluidly as you’ve said a couple of times, thinking on his feet, going where the opponent isn’t, not letting the odd shank or great opponent’s shot get to him. It was wild how after he got broken he just immediately dialled in a more intense level to break right back.
I’m not wild about the cheap points on serve, just because it’s not much fun to watch, but really, if that’s all I’ve got to complain about it’s not much. He’s looking phenomenal. Better, I think, than Murray, who has played beautifully but also had some iffy moments. If they both click at the same time it’s definitely fireworks in store. Obviously a must-bring-your-best situation for both of them.
Meanwhile Djokovic’s semi is getting easier all the time as Wawrinka & Gasquet tire each other out, 9-9 in the 5th. So obviously hoping for Fed to win on Friday, but also to have enough left in the tank for a potential rematch with Nole. Fed in…. 4. Don’t want him to be untested either! One tiebreak set. Playing beautifully, but not peaking too early either 😉 .
Nice job, Thinker!
Thanks! 🙂
Great post Thinker. 🙂
Yeah I hope Fed in 3 or 4 too. All about on the day now, Fed has some nice momentum going in.
Andy if you’re reading, Fed will play very aggressive, he will come in on your backhand, you’ll pass him, he’ll dropshot you, you’ll lob him, he’ll hit it through the legs. Something like that.
🙂 🙂 :), were those the advice Stephen Edberg gave to Roger? 🙂 .
I think J is quoting Fed’s interview with Courier at the AO 2010 😛
2nd?
Second?
Nice job from Roger, let’s hope he can beat Murray
Ditto.
So glad Roger won in straight sets. So sad that Stan just lost a heartbreaker!
I’m absolutely delighted Stan lost.
One at a time … But….
Well, if Fed should make it through will he be playing an untested finalist in joker who’s had no high caliber opponent to fight off?
Ivo played great, but don’t know if that was a big 4 level testing? Hard to imagine Gasquet giving him a good run through…but then I never imagined Stan would joke like he did today.
Ivo is a challenge because of his serve but nothing like a big 4 or even top 10 challenge.
And incredibly, it’s Gasquet who comes through 11-9. Can he sustain this level against Djokovic? And even if he can is it enough? Not sure on either count but in any case a massive win for him.
Djoker in 3.
Also – Rog continues to huff and puff in these past match interviews. J Mac says he thinks Roger is trying to concentrate on hitting with more power right now. Maybe that is why?
I noticed that. Again. It’s certainly unusual.
I didn’t notice it. The only time I thought he looked a little sluggish was against Groth in third set.
If Fed serves well he will win. Murray’s second serve is always suspect.
Roger will need to take advantage of weak second serves though, they don’t return themselves.
For me it will boil down to simply how well Fed is moving, if he can really have that bounciness he gets on top of Murray in most of the rallies.
For some reason, the AO 2013 keeps popping up into my head. Granted it’s totally different circumstances and surface-also Fed came off a 5 setter in his prior match but Murray was really aggressive there and did well to take down Roger’s 2nd serve. Fed sucked on the return in that match as well. Could be a classic if both guys turn up and play the in form tennis they have displayed so far the past few weeks.
Hi jonathan have to say i thought it would be more of a tester for fed but he just played so beautifully and never gave simon a look in. Am looking forward to the semi final but i think if it gets too tense i will have to go walkabout. Heart breaking that stan lost but i really think gasquet played better overall but i do not give him much of a chance against djokovic but heres hoping im wrong what a great tournament this has been lets hope it continues with a certain RF taking the spoils
Yeah Gasquet played well, I think the match was on Stan’s racquet but made errors at the wrong time.
Didn’t Stan have break points at 9-9? Disappointing for him not to get past the quarters yet again even after having won at RG. Hope he can back it up on the US hard courts.
That was Federer at very nearly his best – exceptional variety kept Simon on the back foot for most of the time – a joy to watch. 🙂 Only one slip up on losing that break, but grabbed back immediately so how can we complain? Lucky I’d checked the night before and noticed the budget for 3+ hours on BBC2 and was able to take an afternoon off, otherwise (despite them showing bits of the match during the rain delay) I’d have missed all but the last set.
I can’t quite work out where Murray is. He held his nerve during Karlovic match, but it was clear that Popsy was tired. Trouble is Sue Barker, John Lloyd et al gush so much over him, I always feel they’re totally exaggerating his performance judged from what I see. 🙁
If Federer keeps that high 1st serve percentage, I bel18ve he has too much variety for Murray to handle. Good that he had some baseline practice today.
Sad for Stan, but he made a lot of errors; Gasquet held his nerve and deserved the win. Shame Stan didn’t make it to the SF, I was looking forward to another fight between he and Nole. Gasquet has been playing well, but that was a tough match: I hope he’s able to take at least one set off Djokovic. But who knows: Gasquet has shown more mental strength than I’ve seen from him for a long time, maybe we’ll see an even bigger upset. 😆
“Lucky I’d checked the night before and noticed the budget for 3+ hours on BBC2 and was able to take an afternoon off, otherwise (despite them showing bits of the match during the rain delay) I’d have missed all but the last set. ”
I didn’t 🙁 I got home from Wimby, started watching the recording and heard Sue Barker telling us to go to the Red Button if we wanted the matched. Thought: why Red Button? So, guess I won’t have most of the match recorded, because I thought I’d got it all seat as a “record entire series”, but no 🙁
Agree that I don’t quite know where Murray is, although to be fair the Beeb have been gushing almost as much about Roger as about Andy- distinctly nauseating at times.
I’ve spoken to a few people who were on No. 1 Court today, and they felt Fed was playing distinctly below his usual standard. I hope it’s just his “wobble” for the tournament and nothing worse.
Interesting- wonder what in particular they thought was below standard. I’m seeing a lot of people, here included, thinking he’s near his best.
‘…playing distinctly below his usual standard’! I hope no one said that within Simon’s earshot! I thought he looked sublime TBH – superb movement/serving – look at the stats! He completely suffocated Simon. Well we shall see tomorrow against Murray – no one can say he’s not 1st rate competition. 🙂
You’d think Murray cured a world disease the way BBC treat Murray. Fed’s serve is the key to the match but Murray is the second best returner, I’d expect that 1st serve % to way down on Friday.
I dunno how people who were Court Side yesterday can say that Federer was distinctly below his usual standard. Do they watch tennis or Federer often? Along with what I saw all the stats point towards it being another high level performance.
He dropped 10 games and won in three sets against a guy who dispatched Berdych and made the semi finals at Queens. All in a match with 2 rain delays and windy conditions. Does he need to hit tweener lobs now to be near his best? 😆
I love that Nadal can lose to a player ranked in the 100’s four years straight at Wimbledon. He could fall out of the top 10, win no European clay count tournament, lose to Djoke in convincing fashion at the French but is only considered a “slump”. But Federer who is in the top 2, won four titles, being one of the select few to beat Djoke, playing in the semi-finals of Wimbledon be considered not playing good enough and should retire. Don’t that sound odd.
Love your comment Karen. And I notice the haters who always used to harp about Federer’s “weak competition” earlier in his career have finally shut up. At nearly 34 Federer is still holding his own with the supposedly “better” players. #pretenderstothethrone
Karen, at her best 🙂
Spot on, Karen!
Rock on, Karen!
PS: Djokovic/Cilic QF – no wonder they abandoned it to go over to the Gasquet/Wawrinka match! 😆
Thanks Jonathan, agree with all your points. It was an excellent match overall. Roger served and moved very well. Just as doctor ordered, Roger delivered a plenty of variety in particular and gave Simon no rhythm to hit his favourite shot. A possitive for being broken when served for the 2nd set is that bit of extra pressure is now off, otherwise, it could give Andy’s supporters something to cheer about in semi.
Speaking of semi, Roger must attack Andy’s 2nd serves, which have been terrible so far and put Andy under pressure whenever he misses 1st serves. If Roger plays like what did in the 3rd set, he could win in straight. With a few extra UFEs like in the 1st and 2nd sets, he might be in danger to lose one of them.
On Stan-Gasquet match, when I watched the first set, I had a feeling that Gasquet was going to win, sorry Trudi and Simon. Stan has made too many UFEs and also needed to move about one metre behind the baseline in order to blast his favourite shots, which was not ideal. Balls just don’t bounce high enough on grass for Stan. On the contrary, Gasquet played tremendously well. I believe that he can also give Nole a run for his money in their semi. Nole has not been very impressive so far and benefited from a guy who treated the net like death trap.
5 down 2 to go.
Allez Roger!
Frustrating Cilic was a one hit wonder at the US Open it would seem. If Fed never wins another slam again, I’ll always look back at that one and know it’s the one that got away.
And US Open 2009. He was a point away from going up two sets to love. Against Cilic, he was blown off the court, so no complaints.
I actually thought Cilic was the real deal, and would win several more slams.
Among 8 QF players, Cilic is the one who is the most disappointing, USO champion? just awful. One would’ve thought that he has improved some volley skills, having been working with Goran. His display against Nole was just embarrassing, as most of times, Nole was waiting for him to make errors. Having watched that match still makes me to ask the question that his USO run last year is real?
Yeah USO 2009 is the one that got away. USO 2014 was lost when he went 5 sets with Monfils, didn’t have it in the legs to handle how Cilic was playing.
Stan didn’t make too many unforced errors (70 odd winners to 40 errors or something) but he made errors at all the wrong times. Missed a gimme at 0-15 on a Gasquet service game and then got broken at the and with some poor errors.
I think Djoker defeats Gasquet in 3, he plays too far behind the baseline and he’s going to get pulled way off court all the time as Nole changes direction of the ball so easy.
Simple Simon lived up to his name
Fed was never really tested
Fingers crossed for the next game
Murray will surely be bested
And for you Jonathan
Whenever she is on court, I wish she would lose
‘Cos of her rude behaviour which doesn’t amuse
It is time the authorities put Serena in her place
Ain’t nothing to do with her colour, creed or race
The GOAT poetic zombie 🙂
😆
I like it.
She gets away with all sorts on court – that was a clear hindrance. Guess the Umpire scared of the inevitable confrontation and death threats.
Keep ’em coming Murli – always make me smile 🙂
Played well altho slightly less clean on some of his BH’s today but clearly Simon a level above his previous oppo.
He has to continue serving at this high % , and the first set is vital! Aggression, movement, yes agree with you Jonathan!
Also feel he must win in max 4 sets if he is to get thru Novak who I do expect to beat Reeshard ( sorry, how did he get to SF)?
Fed/Murray deserves 5 sets but unfortunately this isn’t the final so hope it doesn’t pan out that way.
Yeah gotta try get it done in 4! Spent zero time on court so far though so he must be feeling fresh.
So happy with this win by Gasquet. That will teach Stan to keep his clothes on and hit the practice courts more often.
Gasquet now won his last 4 Grand Slam 5 setters. Who would have thought.
Very happy for Gasquet. Bartoli did a lovely interview with him after the Muguruza win and he was charming.
Highlight of this match was Jon making me look like a fool with his prediction which I called out on a few days before lol.
Federer has never lost a Wimbledon Semi-Final, so history is on his side I guess?
Could be, but streaks can always be broken so we shall see.
I liked Gilles’ outfit better than Roger’s, sorry to say…
Fed outfit way better than Simon’s for me. Simon’s has like a raised fabric on the stripes don’t really like that effect or fabric feel.
Congrads, Him and his outfit have been eliminated from Wimbledon.
Yeah, I like the white-on-white look. And the collar, of course. Didn’t think about it from a comfort standpoint, maybe you’re right.
A rant about the atp site. They showed the Murray-Pospisil match “hi-lights.” Those showed only winners from Murray, not a thing from Pospisil. Biased or what.
BTW Go Fed. Remember 2010 AO final.
Pospisil didn’t hit any winners 😆
Yeah! I had complained a few days ago on the other thread about those dreadful video highlights on the ATP site. Aces and setpoints only. What a waste of bytes.
Sublime by Roger- definitely played the smarter tactics to mix it up and deny Simon the pace he needed. Was good to see him getting tested on the baseline in this one, will be a lot more where that came from on Friday. Finally, the match most people been waiting for. Disappointing these two couldn’t have been put on the other side of the draws. If Fed doesn’t go through, Wimbledon gonna have to go through another awful Djokandy final. Speaking of, is Djoker going to become the first player since Fed in 2009 to make all 4 slam finals?
Very hard to pick a winner on Friday. I do feel as Roger has looked better out of the two but it really comes down more to who his opposition is. For Fed to get the win everything will be dependent on that serve. Murray gonna be amping up the pressure on Fed’s service games that hasn’t been seen so far. Also dependent on how Fed returns Murray’s second serve. I think it’s very interesting that in press Roger said Murray’s second serve can’t be that bad because he’s beaten him many times. Fed gotta really step in when he gets the chance and keep up the aggression. How aggressive will Andy be? That too is another question which really makes the match 50/50. Roger needs to get the job done in 3-4 sets though, don’t wanna go to a 5th set with Murray and not be 100% for the most important match. Am hoping for a really exciting match and that Fed’s undefeated Semi streak rolls on.
Other thoughts:
– There are some weird tennis stats but Gasquet being 3-16 in R4 and 3-0 in QF is up there. Djoker dodging a bullet.
– I see the time violation issue came up again with Pospisil. Awful judgement from Maria. If a player is taking 30 seconds between points, it’s pathetic to hit them up at a crucial point in the match not once but twice? This is becoming a joke to be honest when you look at enforcement as a whole. I really don’t like the shot clock idea but I don’t see another solution?
– Andy Roddick take a bow! Such a natural and very refreshing to hear from someone who knows these guys inside out.
Watched the last 1.5 sets. I agree with some who said this was not Roger’s best.
Not as sharp as against RBA. But maybe that’s because Gilles was making it harder for him.
Anyhow – I would say he was adequate, but too many UFEs if you ask me. Would not think this level would play against Murray very well.
He dropped 10 games in a slam quarter final and some fans are concerned about his level 😆
I think Fans (well me anyway) are more concerned about Fed’s dependency on the serve- won’t be as dominant against Murray. And on the baseline, Rog gotta keep the rallies to a minimum and use the slice.
Every Top player needs a serve to win. It seems no matter what Federer does, Fed Fans finds some stupid reason to critize him. Murray can’t just depend on his ground game either. He is going to have to serve well too. Every time Murray fans talk trash towards Fed, they end of “egg on their face”.
Cant compare RBA and GS matches. Quality of the strokes from the opponent were quite different. As for the point construction, Roger has looked awesome. Serve is his one of the key weapons, why not rely on it?
His match against Simon is tough and Roger played calmly. IMHO, he barely got into 3rd gear as though he is trying to reign in his aggression to avoid himself playing into Simon’s hands. Simon loves pace and consummate counterpuncher, Roger was dishing out different spins, touches and slices to keep Simon off-balance. I am kind of glad he got broken as pressure was mounting for him to hold serve for consecutive games, its has to break sooner or later. Better now than in semis and he immediately break Simon after losing his serve – well done!!
Crunch time Roger now, semis against Murray with entire Murray Mount and backing of CC spectators. I think Roger can pull it off so long he is calm, serve is solid and play his usual aggressive style. A little gutted that Stan lost, Djoker gets easy passage into Final again. Pissed that Cilic didn’t even show up, damn that USO win last year. Nothing against Gasquet, not type of player who is fearless like Stan and just go for his shots. He will be a little tired from his 5 setter, tough act to follow after such a great performance.
I think Centre Court will be split quite evenly.
Pity you can’t camp for Semi’s as there’d be a lot more Fed fans in otherwise.
Gasquet plays too far behind the baseline to trouble Djoker. Stan made big errors at key moments.
Gasquet has a clean game, but he plays – how to put it? – too soft when the circumstances cry for the opposite.
I watched last year’s Davis Cup final match against Federer and I couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for him. He was like a helpless bunny rabbit being skinned and torn apart by a hungry bear. Sorry if this sounds violent, but that’s the image that occurred to me. I don’t see him standing many chances against Novak, either.
Yeah Gasquet refused to flatten out his groundstrokes in the bigger moments, worked against Stan who made errors but against Djoker? No chance.
Let’s do this Roger!!!
What’s with all these violent comments? Some of you guys need to ratchet it down a bit will all the gory details about a rabbit being skinned by a bear.
I’m also seeing the F word being used very liberally here. We need to be cognizant of the delicate sensibilities of some of the readers on this blog.
Just saying!
Hope you feel better soon Sid; you’re clearly feverish 😉
I think Roger played an excellent match overall. Simon is a quality opponent and besides that Roger had to adjust to very different conditions with two rain delays, a much cooler and windier day which is bound to have an effect on both players’ games.
Going forward to the semi it’s such a tough one to call. Both Federer and Murray seem to be peaking at the right time and it will be decided by who has the toughest mettle on the day. Roger needs to maintain the level of serving that he has exhibited thus far and try to attack Murray’s second serve. I hope he continues to be aggressive and approach the net at every sensible opportunity, although I expect we will see numerous successful passing shots and lobs from Murray. This has all the makings of an all-time classic.
Thanks for the recap, Jonathan. You are as serene as Fed in this tournament.
Has your view of Fed changed after seeing him live in the Wimbledon’s CC at all?…just wondering.
I am moving well these last 2 weeks. Happy with my game.
Pleased to get to this point, no doubt!
After six rounds of play, both Roger and Andy have now shown their hands. Roger’s level is more consistent than Andy’s. Having seen how Andy dispatched his opponents in those rounds, he will have to raise his level by at least two notches to have a chance of upsetting Roger. He said that he has watched tape of their Olympic match to remind himself how to beat Roger. Andy’s current form is no way near to what he was three years ago and in particular Roger will not most definitively be as tired as he was in that match. Andy’s only trump card will be to stir up CC crowd’s support to upset Roger. If Roger stays calm and concentrated, … .
Allez Roger!
Wonder why Murray would pay more attention to Olympics than Wimbledon final. Probably believes the roof screwed him over much like 98% of his fans.
I should think just because that’s the one he won?
Different circumstances- Fed not coming off a exhausting match, and crowd will be split down the middle. Seen so far everyone picking Murray to win it. Also I read Murray’s press conferences and his column for the BBC and said that he would pay more attention to Wimbledon final over the Olympics but neither will probably have bearing on the result today.
“Andy’s current form is no way near to what he was three years ago”
*Andy* thinks it’s better. That might be enough. How is Rog’s current form? I haven’t caught up on enough matches yet to find out.
Good point Alison, Andy does look as relaxed as I’ve ever seen him – we really haven’t seen hangdog Andy in the last 10 days.
By the way, one thing needs to be said:
John Inverdale needs to fuck off with his atrocious BBC commentary. At his very worst, he can make the likes of Andrew Castle (Reached 3rd Queens 1986 LOL) as good as Peter Fleming.
I like Inverdale. What don’t you like about his commentary?
Andy Roddick is now flavour of the week, but I would rather judge him in a year and see if he’s coming up with the same lines and anecdotes.
Already bored of everyone bringing up his H2H with Fed every 2 minutes.
I’m happy for Gasquet that he won, but of course it means that a well-rested Djokovic is almost a guarantee for the final. Stan could probably have made things a little more competetive in the other semi-final. Oh well, no point worrying too much about things beyond our control, and anyway the whole point of a slam is to win against the worlds best players. That what’s makes it special. I just think that beating Murray and Djokovic back to back might be a little too much to ask for at this point in his career. But it’s definetly possible if he can beat Murray without exerting too much energy. We’ll see. 🙂
suckena vs suckapova… worst match of the Wimbledon going on…can’t both of them lose?
I can’t stand them either. It’s a pity there can be only one loser. At least it’s good news that Muguruza made it to the final, one of the few who has a real chance against Williams.
Yeah! Muguruza has better chances against that b**ch… Although Radwanska’s defence is excellent but Suckena is too much for her. Gamewise, Muguruza has a chance but then it’s her 1st major final… can she handle her nerves? Come on! There must be someone to stop this curse of tennis…
Sharapova was never getting a look into that rivlary after her shoulder surgery- serve been totally demolished. Hoping Garbine can ruin Serena’s party.
Did anyone else think Roger seemed extra down in his presser? Probably trying to read too much into it.
Man, I’m nervous. Hard to see him getting through these next two guys. Andy is a workhorse and joker is a machine.
…One at a time.
Hum, not really. I see it as having to make a great effort to answer the same old questions time and again. Just replace the opponents’ name and the tournament name, and the question template is the same. And you have to answer that making it sound like it’s the first time, when in reality it isn’t.
It’s easy for a journalist to ask the same questions but it’s a lot tougher to provide the answers, make them sound fresh and add some new ideas. The effort is all on one side. Now multiply this by the number of press conferences he already attended over the years…
I think he is very calm, down to the earth, saving energy by focusing on what is essential right now, putting aside any engagement in superfluous distractions, letting the questions come and answering directly – ?
Not to me. Seemed as though he was trying to reason with the press about not getting too excited based on what they’ve seen. I’m sure Fed feels good about his chances but is well aware that it’s going to be an incredibly tough challenge.
Thanks Jonathan / Wanda / Slamdunk, as long as Fed keeps winning, verses come tumbling out.
The last time Fed won Wimbledon, he beat Novak in the semis and Murray in the finals. This time its just the other way around. So no reason it can’t happen again. And lets hope it rains and the roof comes on.
That’s true, and beating Djokovic and Murray back to back in 2012 made it extra special. Just checked the weather report, doesn’t look like there’s any chance of rain tomorrow. Maybe on Sunday, though. Fingers crossed, eh?
Good point Murli. I’m sure i’ve forgotten much of my anticipatory angst from 2012!
Apparently raining on Sunday. If Fed makes it through, would put him as favourite. If Murray makes it through, would make Djoker the favourite.
Who’s going to win?? Can he do it?? Are we fooling ourselves to hope?? And If he wins, then he has the face Novak!!?? It’s too much!! I Can’t take it!!! Ahhhhheerrrrrrgggghhhh!!!!!
I feel the same way. It’s not easy being a fan, is it? We all want this so badly, but all we can really do is hope that he plays well and accept whatever the outcome is.
Can’t think one at a time. Fed needs to complete this within 4 sets max. If Murray wins more than one set, I’m afraid, Fed’s chances of winning wimbledon will be greatly diminished. Needs to be real fresh before final.
Oh come on… I just can’t engage my brain to anything else for two days now. Damn!! I can’t find a 10 minutes span when I did not think of that disgusting guy and his pathetic game…
It seems from the games that I watched with Roger that he is very focused and calm, radiating superior confidence – maybe much more than any of us? I take it as an encouragement: “Hey guys, don’t worry, I have really prepared this time, physically and mentally” – Roger seems balanced and his game and prevailing effortless so far. Good chances, REALLY!
Excellent comments from everyone as usual – should we ever expect less!!
My tuppence worth: Roger MUST beat Andy in four sets maximum as let’s face it, Gasquet almost certainly will not be taking a set of The Joker and the latter will probably win with only the loss of a handful of games. Then, and only then, can Roger face Sunday with a calm, deep belief that he WILL beat that pest that is Djokovic, and I really believe he WILL do so. But it is all dependent on the Murray match tomorrow.
And one final thought: I have been SO aggrieved that two people who I intensely dislike are still in the tournament: the biggest waster and bitch of all: Serena Williams; and that other waster that is Djokovic who should have gone out in the fourth round. Roger and Garbine to save the tournament!!!!!
I think it’s crucial if Fed is tied up at 1 set all, he gets the 3rd set- saw what happened to him against Djoker in the final last year.
Serena “Panic Room” Williams at 5’9″ serves the same speed as David Ferrer, at 120-130mph. That’s 15-20mph faster than Maria Sharapova, who is nearly half a foot taller than Serena. Serena is also 34. I guarantee she is serving way bigger than when Justice Henin faced her 10 years ago. The math is simple. At 44, Serena will be serving as big as Sam Groth, at 140-160mph. Something isn’t quite right with this picture.
Actually, Serena serves in the same range as Roger. He is 6’1″.
I just wish she was playing Fed in the Semi finals tomorrow. As good as she is I think he could take her in 5. Maybe 4.
And I would also sleep and concentrate much better today.
Not trying to sound rude but you’re prediction is not even remotely close. If Roger played Serena the score would be 6-0 6-0 6-0. She would win a point here and there on serve and that’s it. She dominates the women but she wouldn’t be able to beat any man inside the top 300 in the world. Probably not top 500 but I can’t swear by that.
@Ryan I think Alb was joking about her taking Fed close 😆 edited
And I agree, she would struggle to get games off a top 500 playee. Most American College players would defeat her for the loss of just a couple of games.
Her serve isn’t going to bother any of them – facing 120mph middle of the box stuff is routine for them.
Shots that are usually winners would be coming back with interest.
Read the story when her and Venus played Karsten Braasch ☺
Jonathan, as much as I would like to take credit for Alb’s comments I can’t. I always admire the adroit use of irony.
But, with respect, you aren’t quite right about Serena’s serve. She doesn’t serve in the middle of the box – she nails the lines time and again. At near Federer speed. All perfectly natural, of course.
As for the Kaarsten Braasch match against Serena – well, that was quite few years ago now. At the time he was playing a woman …
Well, so we thought.
Ah I didn’t see Alb’s comment before I posted.
But Serena’s serve is a flat 120mph serve, not much spin, somewhat close to the lines yes but it’s not pulling a guy out of position. US College players are eating it for breakfast.
If Serena played a man ranked 500 in the world now – best of 3 – what do you think the score would be?
Braasch would probably still run her close now, I saw him Halle, no way she handling that amount of spin.
Seriously? Serena may now hit with “male” power but not the skill of the male players. Mobility part of it. She would be taken to the cleaners. But the other women players lack the ability to do that to her. They are being completely overpowered by her.
Seriously what? I agree with you…
Yes, I know we are in agreement. I was simply answering your question seriously instead of indulging in my penchant for flippancy. Here’s another serious question: could Serena beat McEnroe in his prime – the player of ’84? Would it depend on whether they use wood or modern rackets?
This is game over for poor Muguruza. If she were to win the first set, that’s when the steroids will really kick in, and we will see the ghetto bitch in a whole new level of combativeness. This thug will steal yet another title from a poor, deserving, rival.
Yeah -joking on Serena.
And now I’m really glad it was Andy!
Just went back and re-read the posts prior to the 2012 semis & finals. (Some nice writing there Jonathan. And you actually admitted to being a little nervous! ) Some of the comments back then sound a bit like the comments now – his serve is looking fantastic; he’s moving really really well.
Jonathan made a great point back then that Roger was being agressive, but also patient- not going for too much too soon. I think we’re saying something similar this year when we notice how well Roger is thinking on his feet & constructing points. Should be exciting- allez Rodgeur!
I am having heart attacks every 18 minutes.
I cant’ handle this.
C’mon Fed.
Make my life a tension-filled miserable mess for just another two days.
PLEEEASE.
Alb,
me toooooo….
difficult to breathe this morning.
Heart attacks in every 18 minutes!!! That’s cute…
Wimbledon 2012 was a long time ago and Roger is a couple more years older now. And Murray/Djoker are very different players as well. Nervous as hell but as long as Fed gives it his best shot, I won’t be disappointed.
Agreed. And, Murray had no slams then. He has two now. Djokovic is a few slams richer, and has tasted victory over Federer on grass. He has Becker in his corner too, and their relationship has only matured. I can see that Djokovic is a lot more comfortable in the front court compared to last year.
If Federer goes ahead and does it, in my book, it will be his greatest achievement. That’s what he is up against.
What’s with the racial crap re Serena? Some of you need to ratchet it down a notch. Really brings the site as a whole down. Keep it about Roger. There are plenty of other places on the internet for racists to post on.
Care to elaborate which parts are racist? Get over it. There is no such thing as racism. It is what it is. Shut up, or move on.
@Alan – please point out the racist comments.
And there we go again… Just because we don’t like her and find her attitude terrible, it’s apparently because she’s black….
She can be white, green or purple for all I care, but here attitude on court is terrible, I’m convinced she dopes, terrible sportsmanship, and that’s why we call her a “bitch” (which I may add, she yelled at her opponent mid match).
Can someone please take a fucking tennis ball, and shove it down Alan’s fucking throat? 🙂
She is a bitch… such a curse of tennis… tennis court is not her place. There’s absolutely no doubt in that. It has got nothing to do with her color. Sharapove also sucks, but Serena is class apart…
A good read here. ‘The nation of excellence’, are we not?
http://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/story/_/id/13226330
“Federer is trying to win, of course. He’s not really trying to summon up aesthetic bliss in you and me. That’s just the extraordinary by-product of the way he plays tennis.”
Many thanks Wanda, Barnes does it again – extremely well written and it is serene experience to read it.
Breathe, guys 🙂 Reading pieces like this is pre-match therapy.
Richie playing well, I’m impressed 🙂 Not thinking for a minute he’s beating Novak, but he’s holding with him much more than I anticipated ^^
Take it easy guys…Fed blog not Serena rant. Focus on RF.
I am definitely not watching this match, I’m not sure about the outcome, but I think Fed takes this 🙂
#believe
No matter how popular Fed is, I still see the crowd rooting for Murray but being polite when Fed wins the pong. Hope Fed blocks them out and never allows them in at all.
Anyone else as nervous as I am?
Regarding the crowd: I think this is going to be a pro Federer one. I think the crowd will sense that this is his best shot, and everyone loves a fairy tale ending. Most people will assume that Federer will play on for another year (in all probability) and they’ll want to make the most out of it.
Hey!! U r NOT by any means alone. There are people who can’t think anything else for last few days, having heart attacks in every 18, I repeat, 18 minutes….
Guess I was wrong about where the loyalties of Centre Court lie :p
So nervous, my hands r shaking
The semifinal that feels like a final…. gulp….
Go Rog! First set!
AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! Hot diggity-dog!!!!!!!!
Second set.
Stop chewing your nails. Save them for Sunday!
Crazy…. Not broken, serving beautifully…
One more! May he play with the same level he did today!
I still can’t believe it xD
I can’t believe it too…
Too good!!
Hope tomorrow will play even better than this!!
This is another level of Roger within past few years
Come on Roger!!
WHAT A WIN. Sublime, serene, super and many such adjectives will apply. I don’t care if Fed wins or not on Sunday, what a player, and what a joy it is to see him play.
WOW!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!OMYCRAPNESS!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!! 2007
Promised myself I’ll stay up for the semi, almost missed the match but fortunate I somehow woke up halfway during the 2nd set. That game at 4-5 was so intense! Infuriating that Fed couldn’t convert his set points, but at least he did in the next return game. Serve was spectacular, 20 aces and 76% 1st serve accuracy, doesn’t get much better than that. Backhand was such a clean and fluid shot and that cross court flick in the very last game was awesome! I think he is playing much better than he did coming into the final last year, serving just as well, but now his baseline game is in form and striking beautifully off both wings. Feeling confident for No.18, lets go Roger! 🙂
I don’t think I have ever seen Roger play better. Everything clicked. Not a single let-down at any time during the match, even with the missed set-point opportunities when Murray was serving at 4-5 in the second set. Murray’s defence in that game (and throughout the match) was insane. He couldn’t – can’t – play any better. So he held. But he couldn’t keep holding out when Roger came at him again. And again. I would like to frame the match and put it on my wall – like a painting. To admire again and again.
‘I would like to frame the match…’ Great sentence Richard! He was just awesome today. Insanely awesome. 🙂 🙂 🙂
I agree it was infuriating, but honestly, Muzza was to blame for that. He played sublime tennis to save those, there was maybe 1 or 2 points where Fed’s shot selection could have been a little better, but Muzza save those and Fed’s did not throw them away.
Immensely impressive the way NOTHING bothered him on serve, just crazy…
10/10 in semi finals at wimby, with the loss of just one set in those 10 matches. How bloody good is that? 😀 😀
How many of you think (like me) that Roger Federer today has played his best match of last 4 seasons at least, if not more?
One of, certainly. Shanghai final last year was pretty good too 😉 .
Ahh, don’t know about that… That’s including 2012, where he played huge at wimby, cincy. Then there’s last year’s Shanghai, Dubai this year, all were sublime performances… and French 2011 in which the semi was crazy…
If you’re talking Grand Slams, I think it’s in the top 3 matches since, what, 2010 Aussie Open Final? 😛
Sid TheCookieThief July 10, 2015 at 5:32 am
This is game over for poor Muguruza. If she were to win the first set, that’s when the steroids will really kick in, and we will see the ghetto bitch.
For one. I seem to recall a Thugrena reference also.
Sid, you’re the biggest asshole on this board. Wonder why you have such a problem with Stan posing nude? You’re the only one constantly stirring up shit. And you don’t even like Fed. Find another home, idiot.
Back to important things: Roger was beyond sublime today. Never had any trouble the entire match. The best serving I’ve ever seen from him. Besides not cashing in on the five set pts at the end of the 2nd on Andy’s serve, no blips whatsoever. Very impressive win.
It’s fine not agreeing with them but ghetto bitch and Thugrena aren’t racist remarks so don’t throw those accusations around.
Alan, you are right about the Federer match. You are also over-reacting to Sid and Serena criticism. Sid sometimes has an overflow of testorone but many of of us here detest Serena for the reasons we admire Roger: he is a beautiful and incredibly versatile talent (as we have just seen – again), she is a one-dimensional basher; he is an example of grace and sportsmanship, she is a demonstration of whining petulant narcissism; he may be the last ‘clean’ champion in the sport – as many pro’s apparently believe – while she is frequently considered perhaps the most egregious drug cheat to have ever played the game. None of that has anything to do wth race. By, the way – one of my favorite players was the great Arthur Ashe.
Er – testosterone. It’s probably a while since I had any.
The only thing you got right was the part where you said I don’t even like Fed. I hope the Djoker kicks his butt on Sunday, and send his sorry ass all the way back to wherever it came from, so he can retire on pension,
I can’t wait to have the last laugh.
V-e-r-y impressive (I think – I was working, rather than watching most of it). Not quite what I had in mind when I said I thought this would be the final in all but name, though 🙂
Richard, I agree with you wholeheartedly about both players. I don’t even like Serena. I just thought the tone was a little over the top regarding her.
Jonathan: The word “thug” in reference to black people is a not-so-veiled racist comment. It’s a word white people have been getting away with using for quite some time now to avoid their use of any harsher, obvious epithets. And “ghetto bitch” is not racist? That’s a silly one to defend, isn’t it? Come on, Jon.
thug noun: a violent person, especially a criminal.
Hmmmm…let me think…Serena Williams?
Now I’m confused…. Sid, you don’t like Fed?
Sarcasm 😉
I’ve never seen a better service display from Federer since maybe the 2011 FO semi against Djokovic. Surprisingly I wasn’t eve nervous after the first set. I hope he can win on Sunday, after this display I’m absolutely confident that he can do just that. You have to admire nole’s grand slam consistency though, 3 finals out of 3 so far this year. He’s on track to become the second greatest ever.
I’m afraid 14 (Sampras, Nadal) still beats 8. 😉
*And Borg on 11 – he’s still got a way to go…
BREAKING NEWS: LIVE ON ESPN:
Johnny Mac just recalibrated the GOAT meter and said – literally – he’s returning to Federer as Greatest of All Time! Hilarious. But totally true – just happened. He said he’d never seen Fed serve better, move better, or hit the backhand harder. Said ” we have to enjoy this while we can.”. And he’s picking Fed over Nole by a slight edge.
Just thought it was fun to report the never shy J Mac.