Question For Federer Fans

First topic message reminder :

What player do you like watching Federer play against? Who has the talent to bring out the very best of from this great player? What matches have you seen were he has had to play his very best in order to be competative? As a fan I like to see him pushed (nice as it is to see him play exhibition like matches against lower ranked players). Who is able to do this?

For me this is an easy question to answer. I like to see him play Nadal. Federer knows he has to bring his best if he is going to have chances to win and even if he does bring his best he may still lose. Most times when he has played Nadal it has been in a final and quite a few of the finals have been slams. I've enjoyed all the matches they have played even where the score has looked one sided. My favourites are Rome 2006, Wimbledon 2006, 2007 and 2008, AO 2009 and this years FO final. Its difficult to narrow it down. There are 2 matches I have never seen but wish I had. Miami 2005 and the 2005 FO semi.

Of course other players have beaten Fedrer but only Nadal can be relied on to consistantly push him. Nadal is able to ask one of the best players ever some tricky tennis questions. Nadal has helped make Federer the player he is.

legendkillar wrote:George Bastl anyone??

In the Graveyard of Champions.

Indeed. But when someone mentions 'domiance' I think Bastl was ranked around 130 or something. I am waiting for the 'he wasn't fit' excuse to come pouring out.

I remember watching a tribute to Sampras on ESPN and I found him such a warm character. Found it surprising given he was painted to be a bit 'arrogant' I am sure Agassi will find it in him to forgive him one day

So Bastl beating Sampras at Wimbledon is trending now? Couldn't be worse than losing to the great Jiri Novak at the same Wimbledon

No it is not trending as it isn't on 606V2 Twitter account.

Your saying Sampras was dominant compared to Federer. My point is that any great player has a 'blotch' somewhere on their record. Sampras won his first Slam at 19 and Federer at 21 Nadal at 18. Sampras had years he didn't win a Slam and Federer has endured his first year in his peak years Slamless. I can't see that you can claim Federer to be dominated by his 'rivals' given that Nadal has been the only threat and 2011 has seen the emergence of Djokovic. Federer has won 3 Slams in a year 3 times. Something Sampras didn't do. Nadal has done it once. Before you blow the whole 'Weak Era' trumpet, in any era that is nothing short of a remarkable achievement.

Lol, i like it when they shot themselves in the foot. They make a comment and when you counter that with an even hilarious one like Jiri Novak, they get emotional and attempt to write something worthy.

Anyway, have to attend to more important things. Legendkilla, Rome was not built in a day, i've giving you enough tennis lessons for the day.

You have a life?

Nadal has the matchup I've most desired over the career and probably still do, but lately the Djokovic one has been the one that produced the consistent high quality.

Many players, like Tsonga, Monfils, Murray, Dolgopolov would be really interesting to see them play at their very best against Federer.

I was at that Sampras-Federer match at Wimbledon in 01, A terrific encounter that grew with significance as the years went on.
The only other time I have seen Fed live was at the recent 02 event when he smashed Rafa. I must say the Rafa-Rog matches are the most exciting for me. I've even "enjoyed" some of the big GS defeats for Rog - Wimbledon in 08, the AO in 09 and the French in 11 - as they were just fabulous matches.
Rog has also had some terrific matches against Djoko and Murray. I think as long as he's good enough to only lose to these guys then he'll carry on. No shame in being third or fourth in the world after the career he's had.

sirfredperry wrote:I think as long as he's good enough to only lose to these guys then he'll carry on.

If Doha is any indication, his 'back' may cause more heartburn as he ages. It is good to see him continue to play with such motivation and hunger.

DSICLAIMER: not a Roger fan, but could not resist posting.

I like to watch Roger play Rafa on clay because Rafa gives Roger real beating virtually every time they play. Also love the fact that Rafa's crude/raw style of play on dirt seems so unpopular among those who believe style/talent/suaveness/offense etc is "the way" to play tennis and how they hate him for beating Federer with a style of play they despise.

10IS wrote:DSICLAIMER: not a Roger fan, but could not resist posting.

I like to watch Roger play Rafa on clay because Rafa gives Roger real beating virtually every time they play. Also love the fact that Rafa's crude/raw style of play on dirt seems so unpopular among those who believe style/talent/suaveness/offense etc is "the way" to play tennis and how they hate him for beating Federer with a style of play they despise.

You have opened the door for the mention of Nole 2011. as well as made it the usual Fedal debate.

laverfan wrote:

10IS wrote:DSICLAIMER: not a Roger fan, but could not resist posting.

I like to watch Roger play Rafa on clay because Rafa gives Roger real beating virtually every time they play. Also love the fact that Rafa's crude/raw style of play on dirt seems so unpopular among those who believe style/talent/suaveness/offense etc is "the way" to play tennis and how they hate him for beating Federer with a style of play they despise.

You have opened the door for the mention of Nole 2011. as well as made it the usual Fedal debate.

Hope I did not violate house rules by spilling a few unpleasentries in this praise-federer Ocean.

10IS wrote:DSICLAIMER: not a Roger fan, but could not resist posting.

I like to watch Roger play Rafa on clay because Rafa gives Roger real beating virtually every time they play. Also love the fact that Rafa's crude/raw style of play on dirt seems so unpopular among those who believe style/talent/suaveness/offense etc is "the way" to play tennis and how they hate him for beating Federer with a style of play they despise.

Don't worry about not being a Roger fan - hard to believe but not everybody is

10IS wrote:Hope I did not violate house rules by spilling a few unpleasentries in this praise-federer Ocean.

No, you did not. Democracy of opinions is what such forums are all about.

It is good to see that other tennis players try to emulate what Federer has achieved in his career despite his detractors.

The monotony of Fedal debates just ignores other players. There is tennis outside of these two players.

10IS wrote:DSICLAIMER: not a Roger fan, but could not resist posting.

I like to watch Roger play Rafa on clay because Rafa gives Roger real beating virtually every time they play. Also love the fact that Rafa's crude/raw style of play on dirt seems so unpopular among those who believe style/talent/suaveness/offense etc is "the way" to play tennis and how they hate him for beating Federer with a style of play they despise.

Pretty accurate summary of a fed fans point of view. You must have been when this same style beat Roger on all the other surfaces as well.

sportslover wrote:

10IS wrote:DSICLAIMER: not a Roger fan, but could not resist posting.

I like to watch Roger play Rafa on clay because Rafa gives Roger real beating virtually every time they play. Also love the fact that Rafa's crude/raw style of play on dirt seems so unpopular among those who believe style/talent/suaveness/offense etc is "the way" to play tennis and how they hate him for beating Federer with a style of play they despise.

Don't worry about not being a Roger fan - hard to believe but not everybody is

Definately one of the hardest things for me to come to terms with when first encountering tennis forums.

Djokovic, Murray or Tsonga are all good matches for him now as he can play his game and they can play theirs and has made for some good spectacles. Less so with Murray I guess as one tends to be dominant in their matches.

Nalbandian, Davydenko and Agassi in the past for me made amazing match ups with Fed as their games really pushed each other to greater and greater heights.

break_in_the_fifth wrote:Definately one of the hardest things for me to come to terms with when first encountering tennis forums.

In what sense is it hard to come to terms with?

JuliusHMarx wrote:

break_in_the_fifth wrote:Definately one of the hardest things for me to come to terms with when first encountering tennis forums.

In what sense is it hard to come to terms with?

That other people not only didn't think Fed was tennis but considered him to have 0 slams and thought other players from his era were superior

Who are these people who are not Federer Fans. They need to be educated. Or as I was once told. "someone on the internet is wrong. I need to put them right."?!