Can Federer Expect The Wimbledon Crowd To Be Hostile?

Federer is a clear favourite tomorrow in the final against Murray. IMO the unpredictable factor could be the crowd. Federer unlike many other players can usually rely on support wherever he plays. He even says he enjoys playing the "local hero" and that for this reason he would prefer to play Murray rather than Tsonga. This interview was after his semi final win over Djokovic but before the 2nd semi final had been completed.

Q. The crowd clearly wanted you to win today. Who would you rather face in the final? If it is Andy Murray, do you think the crowd will be as supportive on Sunday?
ROGER FEDERER: I thought it actually was very respectful towards both players today. That's the feeling I got, particularly the first set, first couple of sets. I don't want to say there was that much to cheer about, but the points were awfully short.
The guy that had the break was in control. There wasn't that nail biter feeling quite yet. That started to come along in the third and fourth set, I thought. But I did feel big crowd support towards the end. You felt like they really wanted me to win, which is obviously a nice feeling.
Now for the finals, of course I'd love to play Murray. I always say in whatever country I am I like to play the local hero, I kind of call them, and Andy is exactly that here at Wimbledon.
So I hope the match comes along, even though I like Jo very much. Here it would be very special playing against him.
I don't know. I hope I have some crowd support, but it's not the very most important thing right now.

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/interviews/2012-07-06/201207061341589074663.html

Very brave words. But I am a little worried. On another thread I was reminded of the Murray Gasquet match at Wimbledon a few years ago. The crowds behavior in that match was the ugliest thing I have ever seen on a tennis court. Gasquet was destroyed and I sense that most other players would have been too. Of course Federer is not Gasquet and like he says he is used to having crowd support... but could it be different on Sunday?

In today's Times as would be expected there is blanket coverage about Murray and how important it would be for us and Britain if he were to win tomorrow. Amongst this there is the usual froth about how all the other players think Andy is such a nice guy and they all want him to win. For example https://www.606v2.com/t32178-at-last-some-happiness-for-rafa. Looking for a write up about the semi featuring Federer and Djokovic I could only find this snide piece.

At what point does Mr Perfect end and his parody begin? Roger Federer’s occasional displays of smugness have been mocked by a Twitter account called PseudoFed, presumably because the six-times champion gets up his nose, who refers to himself as GOAT (greatest of all time) and keeps talking about how humble he is.

It is a little cruel, but sometimes on the money. After beating Novak Djokovic yesterday to reach a record eighth Wimbledon final, the real Federer announced: “When I lost to Tomas Berdych [in 2010] everyone was like, ‘How can we survive a Wimbledon final without you?’ ” And then he did that Roger smirk.

Well, somehow Wimbledon did survive in 2010, as it did when he lost in the quarter-finals last year, but everyone will welcome the king back into his court, particularly when he plays so beautifully. Djokovic gave up an uncharacteristic 21 unforced errors, but most were due to the pressure built by Federer’s brilliance.

At one point early in the third set, someone shouted out: “You’re a genius, Roger. A genius.” It was hard to disagree after yet another powerful backhand passing shot. At the next change of ends, Federer reached into his bag for a fresh shirt, but had difficulty pulling it over his head. An unfastened button or a bit of extra swelling round the temples?

Federer is not exactly being sold to the British public. As a tennis fan I thought Federer's win over Djokovic was important but it's significance was downplayed in place of a sort of character assassination. Also quite rightly IMO Federer is never willing to play the role of Andy's buddie. This is enough to make me a little nervous about the crowds behavior tomorrow. Will the Wimbledon crowd be respectful towards Federer as he has come to expect? Or given that many will see this match as Britain's and their own chance of experiencing a "home" win will they be hostile? Federer has experienced many things on a tennis court but not this. I really don't want to see anything ugly.

Nah, been there done that, got the T-shirt.

Agassi at the USO?

I'm sure the crowd is going to be fine- you have to look to RG for the really hostile crowds. Also Fed is a big boy and it will not bother him either way.

i think the thing to note is that it wont be as hostile as any crowd in another slam final against a home player. And fed is so experienced. The british crowd is just abit more reserved shall we say!!

carrieg4

I hope you are right about the crowd. The British media have turned hostile though. I have to disagree about the RG crowd. No crowd was as ugly as that crowd at the Murray Gasquet match at Wimbledon.

hawkeye wrote:carrieg4

I hope you are right about the crowd. The British media have turned hostile though. I have to disagree about the RG crowd. No crowd was as ugly as that crowd at the Murray Gasquet match at Wimbledon.

Guess we will have to disagree there Hawkeye - the wimbledon effort at hostility was amateur by comparison. Feel a bit sorry for the French players sometimes because woe betide them if they don't step up. Not a relaxing atmosphere.

The Wimbledon crowd hostile??

What did they start doing, throwing their strawberries?

Come on! I remember watching that Gasquet match and they were behind Murray, bu not hostile to Gasquet. Have you never seen the crowd at RG? They boo, they whistle and if they don't like you they won't shut up while you're serving.

All of which is fine by me by the way. Crowds can support whoever they like. Wimbledon fans have never been hostile though, and certainly won't be with a favourite like Roger. Murray will have most of the support, but I think it will only be a 60-40 margin.

In today's Times as would be expected there is blanket coverage about Murray and how important it would be for us and Britain if he were to win tomorrow.

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It's not at all important to me that Murray wins so I hope he loses. I prefer Federer's game.

I expect the crowd to be very pro Murray and possibly to over do the enthusiasm at times, but not to be hostile to the Fedster. I doubt they'd be as partisan as with Gasquet but it's the biggest moment in Brit tennis for 74 years so we are in uncharted terrritory..

However if Fed wns and wears some absurd triumphalist gear like a jacket with a 7 or a 17 or a 1 on it or is smug in a speech whilst a crushed miserable Murray sits watching on then he'd risk losing a lot of respect and affection for him, even merit derision. I think that's his biggest risk of hostility and I hope he does not court it, although even as a Fed fan I'm not sure he wouldn't.

Thankfully I think the special jackets are one with. Hope so anyway.

There'll be ome idiots but most of them will be in the media box or commentary box. Generally Roger is a home favourite everywhere.

I have it on good authority that he is considering wearing this

https://twitter.com/PseudoFed/status/221866247799836672/photo/1

Not sure if he intends wearing it during or after the match.

barrystar You are scaring me again with your prediction of an over enthusiastic crowd and uncharted territory etc. That Gasquet match was a nightmare. If it was Djokovic or Nadal however I would be a bit more worried. They turned on Nadal and he was only playing Rosal and poor Djokovic has had to fight for every cheer. They wouldn't dare do that to Roger though and even if they did he could handle it. Couldn't he? Also if Roger gets so much as 1 foot fault I'm going to report it... um... I'm going to report it here...