Federer Withdraws from Cincinnati Masters with Back Issue
So as many fans expected and feared Roger Federer has withdrawn from the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati after sustaining a back injury in yesterday’s Montreal final against Sascha Zverev.
The news broke via the @cincytennis official twitter page with a brief statement announcing “Seven-time champion Roger Federer has withdrawn from 2017 tournament due to a back injury. ”
Then followed a few quotes from Roger who’s obviously woken up in Ohio this morning knowing that playing is not worth the risk.
I am very sorry to pull out of the Western & Southern Open as I always enjoy playing here. Cincinnati has some of the best fans in the world and I am sorry I will miss them. Unfortunately, I tweaked my back in Montreal and I need to rest this week.
So not good news here for Cincinnati or the fans as it’s one of the best tournaments in the calendar but even worse it confirms what we all saw in the final that there was a back problem.
No word on the prognosis other than he needs to rest for a week and I imagine he’ll keep shtum about it for now. Hard to know how serious it is but he’s been dealing with back problems for virtually his whole career even locking it up against Lopez at Wimbledon in 2003 before going onto to win his first slam so at least it’s not a ‘new’ injury.
Let me know your thoughts or share any other news you’ve picked up in the comments below. Hopefully, he’s not up against it to get for the US Open which starts in 3 weeks time.
First
Hopefully nothing too serious, and not worse than WTF 2014 injury. Friend of mine sent me a text that Roger is currently on a vacation in Croatia, passed right by him in a car.
Dunno about that. Montreal > Cincy > Croatia > New York seems unlikely.
Obviously Federer knows his body better than anyone , hope the back issue isnt major and honestly I dont care about the US open as well , just want our man to be healthy and 100% before he hists the court. Yes he seemed to struggle yesterday but it almost felt like he completed the match to quickly to stretch it further (almost standing while returning in 2nd set). As far as his resume in cincinnati is concerned its pretty okayish with 7-0 finals there so I ll contend with that.
If its a precaution its definately a great move schedule wise too. Feel like Federer will find his best tennis should he stay healthy throughout the 2 weeks in New York.
Rest.Rehab.Resume Attacking Tennis? Roger that !
See you in 15 days !
Yeah no updates from him so far. I did read Shanghai tournament director asked him or something and said be fine for US Open. But could be bullshit.
Geez finally a podium finish. I reckon I am the first Kashmiri (Indian) player to do it.
Goodness *Male* player I mean !
Good job you specified male as I would have banned you from the blog.
He knows what’s best for himself…But wish he had not played Canada…Oh well, this year has been amazing…we can’t win ’em all.
It’s all part of the plan. Get two weeks of rest before New York. Which means play Montreal, conjure a believable reason to skip Cincinnati, then focus fully on New York and win it. I like the plan. Good plan!
That info straight from Team8?
Yeah, good move. I’m glad, didn’t want him to force through and potentially end his season or worse.
Now we just have to hope it’s not too bad.
Hopefully a spasm that will pass but caution is a good measure. The Montreal trip seems like a gamble now and it backfired. Got some matches and points but it has been a tricky hunting ground for him. Wish Fed a speedy recovery.
Yeah hindsight 20/20, although better for it to flag up 3 weeks before rather than 2.
No! Noooooo!! Nooooooooooooooo!!! Waaa! Waaaaaaaaaaaa!! Poor decision, horrendous decision….wow! Horrible, horrible!
Sad news. I hope he gets better soon. I just want him to be healthy and 100%. Hope nothing serious. He didn’t have a medical timeout or anything, so I hope its precautionary. (But he was definitely walking gingerly brown points let alone not moving much during points.)
Roger in did a huge favor to nadal to guaranteed no 1 at least temporarily. hopefully Rafa will return a favor by having his typical fall season after lots of matches during first 1/2 of season , and our Roger staying healthy and much more fresh than others and finish 2017 as no 1.
Yeah no MTO so I guess he knew the deal with it. See when he or his camp make some noises, maybe he will just turn up in NY and practice.
Good decision skip Cincy. And if need be he should skip USO. The important thing is to keep healthy.
Hope he recovers very quickly for the US Open!!
As far as i’m concerned, 2017 has already been a success with 2 majors and 2 masters titles!!
A 3rd major will be the ice on the cake but at 36 i’m not going to get very picky!!
1000% a success not even close to being questionable, even if you remove the slams it would have been a great season.
No surprise really. He shouldn’t have played Montreal.
Yeah if only he had that foresight 😆
so his back injury just like we talk yesterday rest well roger we want to see you play in us open and 20th slam win
Looking back at Rog’s first few matches in Montreal, I was wondering about the back. As he stood ready to receive serve, he hardly bent at all those first few matches. His opponents were horrible so he barely had to expend any effort so it was a little less noticeable. I was wondering if I was imagining an injury.
Everything about this past week was off. The beard, post-match comments were weird, fairly pedestrian play. Didn’t look like he was having fun at all. Most fun was on the podium yesterday. He seemed relieved it was over.
I remember that when Roger’s first trainer died in a car accident, Roger was in Canada (Toronto). It was on Aug. 1, 2002.
The funeral took place on August 14, 2002 (just 15 years ago yesterday).
We know the role P.Carter had in RF’s career.
Maybe, this sad anniversary may have impacted Roger more than a physical issue as he played last week in Canada again ? ?
I wouldn’t read that far into it.
Yeah, I didn’t see much play but was surprised at how much he struggled against each opponent (apart from Polansky). In particular, I though his first serve percentage was really low all week (between 48% & 56% I think) & I kept thinking it was good because that percentage would definitely rise as the week went on but it never did.
He also got broken a lot more than usual and was talking about how he battled with the fast courts and how the ball flies, which I’ve always thought was his preference because it allows him to be more aggressive. So just wonder if he was carrying the injury all week in some form
I cannot agree more with you. His serve was off the entire week and not at asingle point, was he enjoying like he did all here… Also he was slicing his backhand a lot like the old Roger, which were all indications that something was going on with him… I guess he may have tweaked it after he got to Canada, so he continued playing….
I didn’t really notice anything before the final. Serving numbers were down but he looked to be moving pretty well. Played solid enough opposition too, Ferrer is back in some form.
Sensible move. Hope he is 100% for US Open and the WTF on the way to year end top ranking.
I still don’t know why he played Montreal. I was preferring Cincinatti, but he is the owner of his life. Poor people who bought tickets to see him. I hope really he ‘ll be back soon for US Open.
On the other hand, I suppose all those people who’d been buying tickets for Canada all these years hoping to see him were pleased.
Exactly!!!!
Always a bad decision when you get injured. But nobody knew that was happening beforehand so don’t think a mistake to play it. I think many said Miami was a bad idea and to play Monte Carlo 😉
Expected, really. It would have been daft to try and play in 2 days’ time before he’d fully recovered, and put the USO at risk. That’s the trouble with back-to-back Masters events, as I’ve said before: no time to recover in between. I hope Canada appreciate the fact that it was them who got him this year, rather than Cincy.
Hoping he’ll be okay for the USO, but the important thing is to recover fully.
Looking back at the reports from the Ferrer match (lunging for the ball, sluggish, poor footwork), I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find the problems started around that time and that this is the knock-on effect.
Agreed. I think the back issue started after the Polansky match. There was a marked difference after that. Probably just kept getting worse. Add to that the fact that the quality of opposition would only grow with each round, it makes sense.
And yet the quality of opposition wasn’t sufficient actually to knock him out, even so. Perhaps if he’d encountered a seed before the final …
Well, aren’t we all being mature about this. Mostly 😉 Hopefully this means amazingness in NYC. With a fully healthy back.
Well, I can go “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!” if you like, Thinker 🙂
I guess we’re all assuming that it’s one of these things which will be okay with some decent rest. I hope so, anyway 😮
Yeah, what you said. I’m kind of flip-flopping between those 2, actually! 😀
Why is everyone saying he shouldn’t have played Montreal? Winning for the first time there is also special. He wasn’t himself most of the tournament. Too much partying with Chris?
Would if he skipped Montreal and injured his back in Cinci and lost in the final to Nadal? AND missed the USO, would everyone be happy then? He never should have drawn a bath for his daughters 1 1/2 yrs ago either.
It could be a blessing in disguise for sure.
But things could go the 2013 route from here on due to that bad back. Only RF and team knows the extent of the damage.
You’re not helping, Sue. He should’ve been playing Cincinnati, damn it! o(>< )o
Everyone on the blog is anti-Canadian and anti-Trudeau except you and Hartt 😀
You need a so so mean button. Hey, went to Vancouver Open yesterday. Beautiful weather, nice time. Saw a good match between T Daniel and some Canadian guy. The Canadian guy won but no one cared.
Please, don’t even get me started on Trudeau….please!
I feel for you Sid. Are you going anyway?
You kidding me! Going to watch who? Nadal?
Zverev, Sid, Zverev. Then you could give us all the low-down. 😉 Bet you’ve already cancelled everything though…
Only thing I’ve canceled is my stay (that was based off points anyways). Never booked flight as wanted to be sure Federer will make it to Friday play. He never did. Can you believe it? First time in the history of ever I was going to go to watch tennis live. And this **** happens?
Not going to watch Zverev. I like Zverev. Great behavior and sportsmanship and happens to be a Federer fan. But ain’t exactly a lovely playing style, the reason I love Federer.
Bah Humbug. Venus? You need to get out more Sid. Work too much.
Venus? Venus?? Like as in Venus Williams??? Heck i like Nadal more than the Williams and that is saying something.
You compliment them so often, I thought that would be a good plan. Oh, wait a minute, I could be wrong.
Okay, now I am surprised. You were going to go without TICKETS.?!!
I wasted my tickets (will waste it) if that’s what you were asking. No cancelation, refund, or transfer allowed. $410, down the drain.
I’d go anyway. In 2016, no Roger at IW. Went anyway and stayed with a mass murderer and had a great time.
[Stayed with a mass murderer]
Wait…what am I missing?!?
Also, I’ll spend at least about $800-$1000 more (includes burning my hotel points, flight, rental and incidentals). Not doing it if no Roger. I guess you could say that’s money saved? 🙂
Will he return next year? Will he come to the US again?
Stayed with a creep at an airbnb….see my 2016 IW report.
Did you have night session last night? Guessing you can get a free one for next year as per the rain policy…
You sure about non-transferable? Loads on reseller sites. E-tickets prob? I’d have sold them
I know it’s “against the law” in California to resell tickets. But everyone does it anyway. Sid, you can resell on lots of sites. Craigslist, stubhub, etc. Four hundred bucks is a lot of tennis balls.
Jon, my tickets are only for Fri-Sat-Sun, all sessions. Do you think I can still sell them? Never bought tennis tickets ever, so never sold them.
Slightly concerned. Hope that Roger will take plenty of rest and spend lots of time on treatment table so that he could have some conditioning exercise on court before getting ready for USO. The USO title 17 is Roger’s for the taking. Hmm a worried time.
Backerer
Best decisionerer
Have to go with the blessing theory but he will be missed. Looking at the forecast in Cincy might have been scheduling dramas due to rain and compromised rest not to mention all the hype with fans and press must be draining…Pacerer version of Fed seems to be working this year & the sensible option now so good health and rest are maximised for what’s to come.
Good prediction on the weather, already a day behind now.
He played struggle tennis all week except for 1st match but Polansky no oppo anyway. Came for the fans, knows he won’t be back, & for the pull of getting to no 1 which is very strong tho, especially against Rafa for whom he has biggest respect. 600 points to the good? No complaints. Am just relieved he did it last week and not this week. He is much more cautious re his back compared to 2013 so I see the withdrawal as precautionary. I wld love Yr end no 1 but going to be tough especially if Andy comes back to full fitness. Zverev the man to beat at the moment and I very much doubt Rafa will win Cincy. Wishing Rog a full recovery and a kind USO draw as he will be 3rd seed………
“I wld love Yr end no 1 but going to be tough especially if Andy comes back to full fitness.”
Why? Andy will have dropped all his points from last year by then, and Roger *does* have 2 GS and a couple of Masters to his credit. I’m not sure Andy could catch him.
Also, I’m highly unconvinced that Roger played Montreal just for the points. Why not just wait a bit?
Alison, I am absolutely convinced that the back issue was a ruse. Montreal was used to pick up points in place of Cincinnati and not let Nadal run away too much. It helped that Nadal crashed out early and suddenly not playing Cincinnati made sense. Now, he gets a full two weeks of rest before the US Open.
A ruse? Sid, I don’t think you really think so? The way he moved? I have alternative idea – his back was fragile – and when in 1. set that challenge came about the ball which was out but photoed in by a millimeter, and the point went to Sasha, his back started protesting – and came up tweaking in 2., forcing another way of life for a small period. We all weep about Cincy-skip – Roger included!
Its a blessing in disguise, he has extra week of rest as compared to everyone. Rest is important for back recovery and I think he will be well rested for USO. Speedy recovery Roger!!!
Jonathan, would you please take down that go***** Cincinnati weather widget for crying out loud? o(>< )o
I will if you tell me Fed’s current location.
Like everyone else here I hope we get our Jolly twittering Roger back soon, healthy and playing his best. As for me, I’ll have more time as I won’t have to check scores, watch Fed replays (several times) or give a toss what they are doing in Cincinnati. I hope his family have persuaded him to lose the beard and cheer up. And of course he didn’t stagger round the court grimacing like #Lastgen Moanery, Fed is so #stylish even when he is grumpy.
I see a former trainer thinks he will play till he is 40, I hope for him and us that will be the case.
Jonathan, I should have added, thanks so much for the many blogposts throughout Montreal, it’s great to share Federer thoughts with you all and get latest news.
Thanks 🙂
What can we say? Wishing good rest, good stretching, good chi. Obviously his back would not let him do tennis just now. Such things must be obeyed, maybe he earlier disobeyed too much. Understandable, as this is his great fun and call of life. I’m truly sad, and a bit worried. Let him take his time and make happy tennis whatever long his time off before that.
The top priority now has to be rehabbing the back and making sure he’s healthy for New York. He was never completely convincing in Montreal, even when he was winning in straights, he never played really cleanly. Against a top player like Zverev he couldn’t bluff his way through.
Don’t know that it was a mistake to play in Montreal. The transition from grass to hard courts was bound to put quite a bit of strain on his body no matter where he made it. If he’d skipped Montreal and played Cincinnati he could just as easily have tweaked the back in Cincinnati and then he’d probably have been out of luck for USO, so this is definitely preferable to that.
Keep things in perspective, there’s every likelihood that Federer will be healthy and fit enough to contend for the title once New York rolls around, and then after that there’s the indoor season where he’s historically done well and where his new, super-flat, aggressive backhand is likely to be even more devastating and allow him to shorten the points even more. One bad Masters final does not undo the amazing year he’s had.
Agree only a mistake with hindsight. Was a good tournament so I’m glad he played it.
Well, the back setback is back.
Read somewhere that they had seen a clean shaven Fed, and he was his happy smiling self
Looks like Mirka has been busy!!
Are they in NYC now? Looking at the “raspberry” Cinci shirt in this photo…one of my all time favs.
Oh, now I know! He was missing his family. Tried to lose in order to see them earlier! “Oh damn, I also won this time, trying so hard, even giving away a set for Ferrer! Oh, damn. all the others I won in straight sets, and rather fast! Oh damn, this is the final! Could be very long! ” Everybody knows that such miss and disappointments are no good for the back. Finally happiness and fast recovery now on the way!
Don’t you start appropriating my theories, muser 🙂
He’s keeping a low profile by looks of it.
Looking at the weather thingy, I thought: is Cincy under water, or something? But apparently that’s the symbol for Fog 🙂
Yes, shame he lost to Thiem.
Maybe “under water” might have been more appropriate?
Roger will be OK. 2 weeks in plenty of time to fix up the back. I am not a tennis player but I hear that always after a long break, getting back on the hard courts causes a LOT of stress on the back and joints, so this is not entirely unusual. The fact that he made the final and picked up 600 points was pretty good in itself. If the back was at a 100%, I am sure that he would have at least forced a third set against Zverev and who knows.
At this point, let’s hope for a great recovery and a successful US Open 2017 campaign. ?
Yeah maybe, depends on the courts I guess. The deco turf has a lot of layers so not the worst on the body compared to asphalt on public courts.
Many thanks for all match recaps and updates, Jonathan. The blog is the only place for me being able to keep in tough with Fedworld without proper Internet at the moment. ‘No Fed’ is kind of consolation as I can’t watch any Cincy anyway. Very sorry Sid, though… Maybe try to see him in NY?
Still in Japan?
Think of the bright side…not playing cincy really saddens me… but not playing US open I will freak out!!! So im gonna chill out and get myself busy in 2 weeks…
In my class today My student ask me if who’s the only person that I want to stalk( our topic is about technology and just discussing about social networking… I told them that Im have one sportsman that I really love. Then
Student1: is it nadal??
Me:A Big big NO!!
Student 2:or is it Djokovic.
Me:Sighhhh… my only love is Federer…
My students was laughing then.
Student: Mam your fan girling right now…:)
2017 is the year of injuries but its also the year of Fed fans!!:)
‘Ma’am you’re fangirling right now’… LOL!!!
Least the students knew it was tennis 🙂
Nice to hear from you, Wanda!
Nishikori out for the year, it’s an epidemic! Roger started a trend last year. Murray playing USO?
It seems they are smashing each other out, instead of the ball artistry in! 🙁
Use the reply button and it shows under Wanda’s comment.
Andy just under way to NYC. Probably wants to see, how the hip will work in heavy practice and then finally decide.
Couple of reasons why I believe this feels like a good strategic break to get USO #6:
1. Who eats 5 b’day cakes and expects to win a tournament? It obvious he was out of shape to even get to finals. He was surprised himself but the draw made it possible as well.
2. Has RF played two full events before a Slam this year? No. He always had one good event thereby saving tons of energy for the main event. I don’t think he would have played Cincy had he won Montreal. The back issue might have played straight into his plans.
3. I don’t think RF would have had a good reason to skip Montreal straight away after Wimbledon. On what grounds would he do that? It would have been harsh on the fans given he hasn’t played there in a while. He does care about the fans.
4. How important was winning Cincy? Not so much and it would have been a grind right before a Slam which he wouldn’t want for sure. He knows that on HC he might have to go 5 sets in a match as compared to Wimbledon where I think he was confident no one was breaking his serve. He needs that rest/recharge for the USO.
5. RF was practicing on HC all through the clay season. Cmon, RF can’t just suddenly lose his HC game because of his back. He always does his homework and has a plan.
Breathe easy fellow RF fans.
Hope you are right, Claud. But his moving during last part of the Montreal final tells additional. Still worried.
I agree with 3, skipping it although he has no obligation to play wouldn’t look great.
Fed withdrew to show his solidarity to all other ill/injured/non-operational fellow top players. How would it look like, Fed winning a Masters final against a guy from third row? He was unshaven for Montreal to show, how rough the condition of the sport is. 185 cm high (incidenta
BTW – just heard, ATP is planning to introduce VirtualNet starting with WTF 2017. No more material net on court. Virtual net would be displayed with laser technology. Actual height as default for 185 cm high (incidentally taken Roger’s heighjt???). 1 cm higher/lower for each cm of body height more/less, so Schwarzzman would see the net cord at 76,5 cm and Dr. Ivo at 117,5 cm. Netting would be signalled as a specific sound and chair umpire instantly call the end of the rally and point for the other player. Similar to electronic GoalLine in soccer. Can anybody confirm?
Sorry – don’t know why, but the text “185 cm high (incidenta” was added by some troll or what? Can the Moderator delete it from my post before apoproving and then don’t post this one?
This virtual net-thing seems to solve the problem of so many annoying outcomes, and might save tennis from the annoying powerplaying giants. But seriously – is it possible – how- where to try it out? Have you invented it, knowing the software technique? I think that the present plague has to be solved somehow!
Well, you wouldn’t be able to see where the net is. Laser light, just any other light, is invisible in itself. You would need some dispersing media, like smoke or dust. I suggest marijuna fumes, to calm down some wild tempers…
? Rui!
What about holograms? Of course the image needs a carrier – this can be of course marihuana fumes as good as water vapour 😉 Bu there are also 3D laser technologies, using 1 kHz pulse laser, where no carrier is needed. Well – it is, but it is a plasma produced from particles present in the air. Laser technology is only one possibility I know about, but there are for sure more. The main question is, if there is someone really interested in resolving the body height problem in tennis, so a match between Dr. Ivo and Dudi Sela is not reduced to the final scene with Dudi embracing warmly Ivo staying on a chair 😉
Another possibility would be a material net driven by high-speed and high-precision mechanical systems., making the net go up and down according to a programmed (once for the match) body heights of both players, so the net changes it’s real height just after the ball passes it in a given direction. Maybe a challenge for engineers, but give them enough money and you get the optimal system in a month 😉
And there is still the possibilty to categorize players like in boxing and different martial sports and say let play Isner with Dr. Ivo simply in a separate tournament. Should this prove to be interesting for crowds, this would work. If not, the “oversozed” players must go to play basketball or golf or bridge or chess, whatever they prefer 🙂
Hahaha, PRF, the net dancing up and down with a small and tall player on either side, would be fantastic to see, – oh! No less in watching doubles where one or both teams have 2 players of different height! Tennis would be really entertaining then! But I think one unfortunately might got used to this also after due time…
MUSER, it’s just simple. Two dancing nets for doubles resolves the problem 😉 It would be only bad if two of the pair hit the ball at the same time and they are not the same height. But this seems not to be allowed 😉 Another possibilities: use arithmetic average height for each team or allow only teams consisting of equally high players 😉
Haha ?
But something must be done, unless boring towering powerplayers overtake and destroy all tennis enjoyment
*double facepalm*
Who’s rooting for Dimitrov people?
Virtually everyone on this blog?
Not really, Sid. I”m rooting for Nick because BabyFed is since long time no more AnyKindOfFed and no more BabyOfAyKind and Nick is a big surprise for himself. And I like surprises 😉
well…..me, yes, a bit. Because Grisha is a better artist.
Both passive abd boring baseliners. I’m leaving 🙁
Can’t help but think, if Fed was healthy, he’d be the winner of Montreal and Cinci. Hope is back has healed and is on the practice court.
Nice to see you are active on the blog and speaking my mind too, Sue. I thought he could win both masters easily since they’re missing top guys. Just looking forward to seeing him on the court very soon! See you guys on the chat during USO from Tokyo!
Hope I can see you there at times!
… along with the rest of him 🙂
Sorry, couldn’t resist 🙂
Everyone here, just calm down! Nothings wrong with the back. Probably just a niggle (err…an excuse to skip Cincinnati and for the Zverev loss). Deep run at New York on the cards. Probably goes all the way.
Another theory. Fed is learning from commercials and minipeople, how to make opponents go crazy about him (unshaven look, stiiff back, a kind of playing dead learned from Djoko) and then suddenly coming fresh and fit and do with ease next step to a calendar slam to reach where he had last bad bath service. This time no bath, no children, tuxedo with cobra as outfit. Must do such things, because simply winning slams at 36 may be boring. 18 and counting, 19 and counting, 20 and counting … boring, because expected. He wants us (and all the world) to be unsure, so to make our happines even bigger. Thank you, Roger 🙂
So disagree with you, Sid. He does have a back injury. He told Zverez that at the net at the end of the final. Sasha knew he was injured and couldn’t play to his normal standard. Fed’s movement, serve, return of serve stance, walk all says 2013.
(Quite) agree, Sid 🙂 IMO Fed is pregnant and thus capricious. First wanted to skip Montreal and win Cincy, but changed last minute his mind. Than changed once more – why the hell should he suddenly win Montreal if Rafea ended with QF? Would be unfair and Fed is known for his sportmanship. So he decided to do No. 1 on suitable ground but then forever 🙂 Still he could change his mind once more (given his unusual state) and skip USO because of lack of matching opponents there.) Old too old, young too young. Back is a trick just like kids bath in Melbourne 😉 We must be patient – one can be GOAT forever, but not pregnant forever 😉
Nobody knows, Sue, what Roger told Alex, because it was in Basel dialect (not even SwiissGerman). Would he talk Alex on a public place about anything whe did not want Alex to forward it? Or it was a masterpiece with double bottom as in good thriller. Tell Alex, he has stiff back, but don’t talk about ut. Meaning – you must not, they are all on with hypersensitive microphones. A perfect gossup, a kind of master trojan. My prediction: in USO first rounds Roger will play in power-saving modus, always losing first two sets and play stiff back, then in semi and final he is suddenly playing like a God . and winning the trophy with doubke bagel against Zverev or Micky Mouse, no matter who 🙂
Haha, entertaining posts PRF, but I think you overrate our hero …IMO he is a bit too simple to figure out such intriguing process. But maybe hire you as strategist!
Guys, Federer was simply not capable of beating Zverev in the final at Montreal. Honest observation. If you guys thought I was joking about Roger faking an injury, you were wrong. I truly believe that it was an excuse.
Think about it rationally. Would he have possibly played both Montreal and Cincinnati, then gone into New York on a weeks rest? Not a chance. Not when he is 36 years old. Not when he has achieved what he has so far this year at that age.
Roger was never going to be good enough for Zverev on finals Sunday, on a fast court. I’m sorry if it hurts (I didn’t mean the back), but that’s the truth.
MUSER, Roger must not figure out anything. This comes out simply from his genius in form of RF magics. We, regular people, must speculate, build long chains of logic thinking, because we miss a GENIUS. Roger is doing all those strange things his humble, natural way, not even being conscious, how complicated they may looke like for regular people. And … how could a regular human overrate a GENIUS? We can only stare, speculate and always be surpsised 🙂 That’s why we love HIM !!!
Ahm, ahem, I think… I admire his genius, but love his natural way – with surprising adorable dogs, surprising n.s. a. players, surprising fashion a.s.o.
Could be part of his able genius. So you were just describing his unconscious, but genial developing scenario?
I’m not sure I agree, but maybe…you were at any rate making up a good story!
It’s DAY -7 of USO and we still have no idea of Rog’s way to the 20th?
No preview of possible draw?
No idea, how Roger will spend this WEEK-1?
No paparazzi to tell us, whe he is right now?
JONATHAN! Please start the discussion with a new nice article “USO PREVIEW” or the like. Will you?
So far we at last know Rog’s outfir for day (all red with a bit of white) and night sessions (black with a bit of white).
Meaning – Roger will be red-hot in day sessions and killing-black in night sessions. Maybe Roger skips USO, but at last we have outfits 😉
“A tennis champion is one who doesn’t just win matches, collects trophies or plays in an aesthetically pleasing way, but in the eyes of fans globally embodies professionalism, commitment and sportsmanship on and off the court.”
That’s what they are saying about Nadal after his return to No.1. Couldn’t be more untrue. Aesthetically pleasing? Professionalism? Sportsmanship? Really?!?
This is not an ultimative definition. I would contest the whole part after “in the eyes of fans”. Which fans? Fans are never objective, it’s just a part of a definition of a fan. If it’s subjective, we can have zillions of definitions. But let this definition stay. Where are Nadal’s deficits? I don’t see any. What’s more important is IMO just what the definition tells not to be: the aesthetic. Let’s ask ourselves, why we love just Fed, not Rafa or anybody else? Not just because of the aesthetics of his game and behavior?
Saw the solar eclipse today….so cool.