Rome Masters - Day 4 Thread (R4)

[lydian]

First topic message reminder :

Here's the mens line-up today - Federer is on late shift.

CENTRALE Start 12:00 noon
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) v [14] Juan Monaco (ARG) ...Djokovic owns a house in Monte Carlo...today he'll own Monaco too
Marcel Granollers (ESP) v [2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) ...lets hope Nadal knocks out Mr Tumbleweed...as soon as possible

Not Before 9:00 PM
[3] Roger Federer (SUI) v Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) ...a close 1st set but after that plain sailing...Juan Carlos will not be King today

SUPERTENNIS ARENA Start 11:00 am
[6] David Ferrer (ESP) v [11] Gilles Simon (FRA) ...battle of the Metronomic Counterpunchers...except Ferrer will be more clockwork
[16] Richard Gasquet (FRA) v [4] Andy Murray (GBR) ...interesting match-up. Gasquet doesnt like playing Murray. He wont today either.

Not before 7:00 PM
[10] Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) v [5] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) ...Battle of the Sluggers! JMDP in 2 tight sets.

PIETRANGELI Start 11:00 am
[7] Tomas Berdych (CZE) v [12] Nicolas Almagro (ESP) ...Return of the Grudge! Berdych to prevail in 3...and not shake hands at the end!
Andreas Seppi (ITA) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) ...Seppi will give a good match but Stan will get the gladiatorial thumbs DOWN at the end!

[LuvSports!]

set point :/

[lydian]

40-30...maybe LF!

[LuvSports!]

damnnnn itttt

[laverfan]

... and he does.

[hawkeye]

Poo!

[lydian]

Wow....and he does!
You have to hand it to Ferrero for hanging in...he wasnt a slam champion and fomer #1 for nothing.

[Guest]

Ferrero 90% first serves in that second set!

Fantastic

[laverfan]

W/UEs

First set Federer 15/10 Ferrero 3/4.
Second set Federer 16/21 Ferrero 7/8.

[lydian]

This 3rd set is not what Federer wanted at all. Late night...compounds the hip niggle...niggles at the confidence abit.

Anyway, can Ferrero keep up this high level he's now pushed himself to. He is showing what a great claycourter he was, no doubt about that.

[lydian]

Wow, what a FH from Fed!

[luciusmann]

Solid start from Fed, as long as he continues the recovery and gets the break early he'll cruise this set.

[laverfan]

2 BPs. Break. Ferrero flagging?

[luciusmann]

Beautiful stuff from Fed, the confidence has flooded back!

Very few loose hits from Fed!

[lydian]

Looks like Federer has slammed the door shut in J-C's face! Great play.
Djokovic beware!

[laverfan]

Federer should try and push for an insurance break.

[luciusmann]

I agree Laverfan, the insurance break is always comforting for us Fed fans, makes us less nervous!

[laverfan]

Ferrero has won 8 sets in a 3-9 h2h.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/Head-To-Head.aspx?pId=F316&oId=F324

[laverfan]

Nice BH DTL. Very good timing.

[lydian]

Fab BH DTL...

[lydian]

Exactly LF...I dont think Fed needs the insurance of a double break but he may get it anyway.

[laverfan]

New racquet means aggressive play in the sixth game to shut the door.

[lydian]

Cracking BH winner for the break but you have to feel sorry for Ferrero at 40-15...

[luciusmann]

What an awesome rally -Fed gets the double break!

If Fed can recover from his dips in matches this week, he stands a pretty good chance of beating Djokovic....definitely an area he has improved in compared to last year!

[lydian]

Well done Rodge

Yep lucuismann, Djokovic will be nervy if he's seen Federer playing recently.

Seppi will be knackered tomorrow so Federer will be able to conserve energy for sure.

[laverfan]

Seppi played really well today while Stan was but three TB sets would have drained him. Pretty certain Seppi-Federer will be a night match (yes it is).

Seppi will have the crowd behind him.

[lydian]

Seppi's going to need alot more than the crowd behind him!

[luciusmann]

That's great, I'm sure if Djokovic and Federer make it to the semis, that will the night match too? That will be on during the night (or evening)?

[Tropicalfruiter]

What is this hip niggle business. Is it true? Has Fed confirmed it?
Bugger! is all I can say (ahead of the coming slams). After that long break out, to pick up one so early is verrry nerve making.
Is the blue stuff to blame? In Midrid final Fed looked so out of sorts. I will be really annoyed if the blue stuff does for our Rog this summer.

[laverfan]

TF... Federer called for the Trainer during a break in the Madrid final. He almost skipped Rome. I have rarely seen the trainer called by Federer, perhaps TMC 2008 against Murray is the last one, IIRC.

During some rallies with JCF, especially during high BH shots, he did wince a bit.

He will carry on.

[LuvSports!]

is feds nursing some potential injury?
If so maybe he should not exert much energy in the next match or even play if he is struggling, as i didnt see the match i cannot tell.

can anyone enlighten me? did he look tired or labored in his movement?

[lags72]

Good effort from JCF to at least make Federer play a third (one of the few guys still on tour older than Fed himself...)

Amongst all active players, I don't believe anyone - other than Rafa of course - has more clay titles than Ferrero, and with that experience there was always the chance he would make a match of it

[invisiblecoolers]

I always like JCF skills on tennis courts when he plays with interest, even an out of form JCF exhibited a lot of skills to please the eyes, its so sad his journey came to an end, wish to see him make his presence felt come RG.

I don't think Fed wants to quit, he wants to make sure Nadal goes to RG as no.3 and not as no.2, which gives him a chance to win RG if Djoko takes Rafa down in semi's.

[laverfan]

Regarding Seppi-Federer...

Federer v Seppi 8-0 with a single set to Seppi in Doha 2012.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/Head-To-Head.aspx?pId=F324&oId=SA93

[lags72]

Well Seppi somehow managed to make a Swiss roll today ; but, even with the stadium behind him, I doubt he will be repeating the trick tomorrow .....

(hey lydian - you could have borrowed that one for your Day 5 QF preview thread.. )

[LuvSports!]

poetry there from lydian's tongue!
i see this at the same time as a watch dead poets society, o joy what a film

[laverfan]

Lahyani made two bad calls, one in the fifth game of the third set, when Ferrero had scooped the ball cleanly (slowmo showed that clearly), and then overruled the line judge on a bad spot (hawkeye showed it to be wide out).

Very nice of Ferrero to not make a stink. What a gentleman! I will miss him when he hangs up his racquet.

[reckoner]

I don't think the scoop call would have changed the outcome of the point, but didn't see the other one. Was it at a key moment?

I quite agree btw laverfan - it was a pleasure to see Ferrero playing - I hope his injury woes are behind him and he can reclaim some of the glittering future that was predicted for him when he was coming up with Fed / Safin.

[lags72]

Yes, it's good to see Ferrero, a player whose game you feel always offers much more for the spectator than the power hitting that has become the characteristic template of so many of the generation that followed him.

But there's much to be said also for the view that JCF (for all sorts of reasons) never really maintained the focus required to make the most of his talent. Time has gone by and it's now around 9/10 years since there was any silverware of note for his trophy cabinet.

As for reclaiming some of "the glittering future that was predicted" .... well, a nice thought reckoner, agreed. But - given that his next birthday will be his 33rd - I think the reality is that we won't have him around on the circuit too much longer .....

[reckoner]

Ahem yes perhaps that was a bit OTT in terms of phrasing but I just meant hope he gets to play well and show off his game for a bit rather than going on a multi slam winning spree, lol.

[lydian]

Well Seppi somehow managed to make a Swiss roll today ; but, even with the stadium behind him, I doubt he will be repeating the trick tomorrow .....

(hey lydian - you could have borrowed that one for your Day 5 QF preview thread.. )

Nice one lags...I'll use that one!

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