Will Novak get rogered or will federer get bullied by the jocks ( the American ones)

All right lads. Jules will be taking the honours of the main thread so I get the poll. Who's gonna win and by what margin For me it's roger in 3. This is Sampras Agassi 1999, you can't beat someone serving that well... Or can you?

Be sure to keep me up to date. I can't see the final as I'm meeting some very old friends for the day

I have taken the plunge and went for Federer in three. If his serve is as good as yesterday it puts more pressure on Novak and he has looked a little patchy in this tournament at times.

Dokovic in four big nosers are deluded as ever

Novak is going to win in 4 by virtue of [b]his superior baseline game and solid serving

None of these players have a superior baseline game. They just retrieve stuff.

Federer in 4 IMO.

Djoko in four. Fed won't play so well as in the semi. Nole will make more returns and make Rog move more than Murray did.

Djokovic in 5, artists don't beat bankers.

Based on what I've seen this tournament, I make Federer the favourite, and a relatively clear one at that. His level of play seems higher than Novak's and as for that serve... well, it's one thing to have a good day but Federer has been locked in on it since Halle. It really is purring right now, and I think he'll be incredibly tough to beat.

Normally in Djoko v Fed matches, I feel that Fed's chances decline sharply if he loses the first set. I don't feel like that about tomorrow. Federer is in good enough form to win 3 out of the remaining 4 sets.

The counter argument is that I felt the same last year but Novak really upped his level for the final. He must do that again this year. The level we've seen so far won't be enough.

My prediction is Federer in 4 and for Djokovic to spend most of the match in a very irritable mood...

The only way fed will lose his groove is pressure. If he can be broken early, things might be different

Tricky one to call.

Last eight matches, since start of 2014, have been split 4-4

Federer has to repeat his trick of 2012  (albeit in reverse) when he took out Djokovic in the semis, followed by Murray in the final.

But he's three years older now, and nobody has won Wimbledon at this age in almost fifty years of the Open era. Plus, Djokovic is arguably an even tougher proposition today than in 2012.

Would be surprised if Federer can match his own serve & winners stats from yesterday v Murray. If he can, then he can edge it.

On balance, Djokovic the favourite. Bookies have it close. But then they had Fed/Murray close, too .....

No chance. People are getting carried away by one performance.

Djokovic wins this in four, maybe five. Last year Federer went into the final having won 88 of 89 service games. This year it's 89 of 90. In the final last year he was broken four times. I'm expecting something similar this year.

Djokovic will get a read on the Federer serve and start to make returns. Feds gonna find himself in lots of 30-30 or 15-30 situations and eventually those deep returns that land on the baseline are gonnna bear fruit for Djokovic.

On the flip side Djokovic is also serving very well and Fed is not as good a returner.

The baseline rallies will be controlled by Djokovic. He won't be waiting for something to happen the way Murray does. He'll return Federer's CC angled FH's with interest unlike Murray who was just punting them back into neutral positions.

The longer it goes on the stronger a favourite Djokovic becomes.

I think Novak is going to win. Animalfan makes a good point. While Novak returns Roger's serve as well as anyone, Roger doesn't usually do to well in returning Djokovic's serve. I like the way Novak has been serving as well lately and also the groove he is on returning. After surviving Anderson's 40 plus ace fest against him and neutralizing pretty good deliveries from Cilic and Gasquet I think Novak will find away eventually to get into Roger's service games. If Roger serves mid 70s with quality first serves it will be hard. But Novak is capable of matching Roger in quality on serve if he is serving well on that particular day. Also Novak can find Fed's backhand and get Federer moving more easily with up the line shots. Fed is playing great and could certainly win but I think I would 60-40 in favor of Novak in 4 or 5 tough close sets.

Djokovic's the favourite, but I'm going Roger here. Partly because I don't think I've ever backed Djokovic in a match remotely 50/50, but also partly because what Federer did to Murray was just so... it was a masterclass. In a different way, of course, but it reminded me of Rafa walking through Murray in 2008. Just a performance with that "Eye of the Tiger", "Will not lose" aura

It's a very, very difficult match. I'm not going to predict because who cares what my prediction is, I'll say just one thing.

I really hope against hope that Federer wins this. Not just for the usual Fedfan type of reason, but because of the whole thing: very near the end now, go ahead of Pete with 8, the performance against Murray being so "pure", it just feels kind of 'necessary'.

Happy match everyone, I'll probably not show up until it's all over. I think I may find this one very difficult to watch.

I can't watch if I wanted to. I wonder if getting this eould prompt retirement from him sooner?

No, I doubt it'll matter either way.

kingraf wrote: what Federer did to Murray was just so... it was a masterclass.  

This is the crux of it for me. I still feel stunned at what I saw.

He produced a level that I know Novak can't reach and I don't think he can counter.

I think to produce another performance at that level is probably unlikely. But it was so stratospheric in its ruthless flair, he could drop a couple of percent and still be devastating.

I'm often pessimistic about Novak in slam finals but that's because I often expect him to underperform. In this case though, my feeling is more that there's nothing he can do stop Roger.

I'm feeling surprisingly (and pleasantly!) neutral for the match. My preference is for Novak but a Federer win would be such a staggering sporting achievement, I don't think I could be disappointed if it happens. And I think he 'deserves' to stand alone as the most successful player at Wimbledon. Rafa has RG, Wimbledon should be Federer's house.

My hunch is federer in 4 sets. However only if his first serve percentage is at 65-70% or better.

It is so tough to call, if Novak is in the groove on return he could make life very difficult and win. It's worth remembering that federer served and played really well in the Wimbledon final last year and djokovic still beat him and should never have even let it get to 5 sets.

It is a real 50/50 call. You just get the sense this could be destiny for federer but I hope I am wrong. That being said it would be an amazing achievement for federer if he did win at 33.

I fancied Murray to win Wimbledon this year and I was amazed at how federer disposed of him. For Murray to only have 1 break point shows how well federer is serving and playing.

I just hope we have an epic final like last year. If djokovic is to win tomorrow I could well see him finishing the year with double digit slams.

Hopefully a great final, enjoy everyone!

On paper its Novak all the way. He is world #1, defending champion, Aussie Open champ/FO finalist so this match is really on his racquet to coin an over used phrase.

I guess from a Federer fan perspective, he has been part of Wimbledon now for over a decade and Wimbledon and Roger Federer go together like strawberries and cream so it would be fitting for him to be the all time leader here with 8 just as it is right Nadal should stand alone with 9 RGs as he owns the FO.

It not a case of getting carried away and big headed I guess its just a massive 'I really hope he wins tomorrow'.

Flip side is how often have we seen Federer cruise through and amaze with his performances only to choke in the Final? The fact that now people say he can cos of serve makes me think its just going to be the opposite. I think he may have peaked too early. There was so much hype around meeting Murray it felt like a final. This is a bit like Novak at RG. Thumped Nadal into oblivion and lost the final people thought he would never lose.

The way I see it is, Novaks got 5 years to win. Every year now is a bonus for Federer. Therefore all I gotta say is Novak please be generous lol!

FedsFan wrote:On paper its Novak all the way. He is world #1, defending champion, Aussie Open champ/FO finalist so this match is really on his racquet to coin an over used phrase.

I guess from a Federer fan perspective, he has been part of Wimbledon now for over a decade and Wimbledon and Roger Federer go together like strawberries and cream so it would be fitting for him to be the all time leader here with 8 just as it is right Nadal should stand alone with 9 RGs as he owns the FO.

It not a case of getting carried away and big headed I guess its just a massive 'I really hope he wins tomorrow'.

Flip side is how often have we seen Federer cruise through and amaze with his performances only to choke in the Final? The fact that now people say he can cos of serve makes me think its just going to be the opposite. I think he may have peaked too early. There was so much hype around meeting Murray it felt like a final. This is a bit like Novak at RG. Thumped Nadal into oblivion and lost the final people thought he would never lose.

The way I see it is, Novaks got 5 years to win. Every year now is a bonus for Federer. Therefore all I gotta say is Novak please be generous lol!

Choke in the final?
I wouldn't say he choked last year as he saved championship points in the fourth to take it to a fifth.
Tactically he was poor vs delpo in '09. Rafa FO'11 he played v well ( I guess that drop shot miss?). Can't think of many if any chokes in finals.

Federer choke in a slam final? The only time I can think of where he completely flopped in a slam final was in RG 2008.

He could certainly have played better in some of the other RG finals but apart from '08 he's always made a match of it.

Federer ALWAYS brings it on the big stage and I expect him to do the same tomorrow. I just think at this stage of their careers he doesn't have the speed or agility to match Novak from the baseline, and ultimately that's where the match will be decided.

Also FedsFan. If, and it's a big if, Feds plays as well as he did vs Murray, it most certainly is on his racket.

Yeah, on a fast grass court a great server always should have the edge over a great returner. If Fed serves (and backs it up) as well as he did on Friday, then I think he will win in straights.

This isn't a fast grass court BS. Far from it. It's slower than last year.

HM Murdoch wrote:

kingraf wrote: what Federer did to Murray was just so... it was a masterclass.  

This is the crux of it for me. I still feel stunned at what I saw.

He produced a level that I know Novak can't reach and I don't think he can counter.

I think to produce another performance at that level is probably unlikely. But it was so stratospheric in its ruthless flair, he could drop a couple of percent and still be devastating.

I'm often pessimistic about Novak in slam finals but that's because I often expect him to underperform. In this case though, my feeling is more that there's nothing he can do stop Roger.

I'm feeling surprisingly (and pleasantly!) neutral for the match. My preference is for Novak but a Federer win would be such a staggering sporting achievement, I don't think I could be disappointed if it happens. And I think he 'deserves' to stand alone as the most successful player at Wimbledon. Rafa has RG, Wimbledon should be Federer's house.

The hot weather and fast conditions were exactly what Roger revels in, Murray less so and Novak even less. He's always been the best player on the fastest surfaces, we just rarely get them. Even Friday wasn't that fast, but it was enough to put the puff in Roger's chest

Today's cooler and so swings it to Novak for me

I hope I'm wrong. Roger's tennis this fortnight deserves the trophy

LuvSports! wrote:This isn't a fast grass court BS. Far from it. It's slower than last year.

Maybe. But if you add the heat of Friday or last week, then it becomes faster than last year

Wimby's pace is affected by the weather more than any other slam, simply because the weather can vary so much and the grass is so sensitive to the weather

kemet wrote:Novak is going to win in 4 by virtue of his superior baseline game and solid serving

*Sigh*; so said so done