Mens Quarter Finals

by legendkillar Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:13 pm

First topic message reminder :

Who is your money on?

Nadal v Fish
Murray v Lopez
Federer v Tsonga
Djokovic v Tomic

Surely is it going to be Semi Finals where the big 4 are there again? Can anyone remember the last time that happened at back to back Grand Slams?

by Guest Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:42 pm

Simple_Analyst wrote:It's really hard to argue against the fact 2004-2007 was a weak era for tennis. The competition was just poor when you have Blake, Ljubicic, Robredo and them trading places in the top 5. Cant remember a period of tennis that poor.

What a load of tosh,

Both Nadal and Djokovic were top 3 in 2007,

Stop being so disrespectful to Lubicic, he won his first masters title in 2010, beating Nadal in the final and gave Murray fits just a few days ago at the age of 32!

Murray was top 15?

How do you explain the fact that only last year Ferrer, Roddick, Youzhny, Melzer, and now Fish have all been in the top 10, all of whom are 29+

Does Berdych and Soderling reaching grand slam finals constitute a stronger era?

Federer made that era seem less strong because he was so much better.

The other top 3 players have improved, combined with Fed's decline, this has levelled the field.

You sound suspiciously like like UE from 606.

by Guest Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:46 pm

barrystar wrote:I agree that the balls at RG gave Fed a new lease of life - IMHO by his high standards (which are the standards that count if he's to beat Nadal or Djoko) he's been far from overwhelming at Wimbledon since as long ago as 2007. He won in 2009, for sure, but he made a bit of a meal of beating an admittedly inspired Roddick and did not otherwise have to reach deep within himself to negotiate a particularly hazardous draw (4 sets v. Kohlschreiber and 3 sets each v. Karlovic, Soderling & Haas).

I repeat, I am judging him by very high standards - but those are the standards that will count at Wimbledon this year. His great performances now are few and far between - you can debate RG this year, but otherwise I'd say Aus Open and TMC 2010 are the last time he truly hit heights required in the current era of a very strong top 3/4 and if you are looking for performances of a similar calibre before then you've got to go a long way back - particularly if you are restricting your gaze to his Wimbledon performances.

Edit: I have removed 'lighter' from the description of the RG balls!

Completely agree. Fed can still produce the old magic on occasion but the consistency is gone.

Time waits for no man.

Thankfully, he has done more than enough to be considered a tennis immortal.

At his peak, he was without doubt the best, most complete, all-surface, all-court and beautiful player I have ever seen.

by Simple_Analyst Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:50 pm

Lol is Federer the only 29 year old to ever beat a world No.2 or be 3rd in the rankings?
Pushing Nadal on his favourite surface? Is that some kind of victory?
Can't see any diminishing of Federer. I guess for Borg saying this era is the strongest also diminishing?

by Guest Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:56 pm

Simple_Analyst wrote:Lol is Federer the only 29 year old to ever beat a world No.2 or be 3rd in the rankings?
Pushing Nadal on his favourite surface? Is that some kind of victory?
Can't see any diminishing of Federer. I guess for Borg saying this era is the strongest also diminishing?

What on earth are you talking about ?

It would be wise to think, then construct your sentences coherently, and finally post - in that order.

Your silence seems to confirm my suspicions.

Please go ahead and write a full blown article about the weak era and the 'young lions' of the golden era, so we can all resume our laughter at your expense.

Very Happy

by Simple_Analyst Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:01 pm

Silence about what?
You seem to be reading a reply not addressed to you.

by Mad for Chelsea Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:18 pm

not the start Tsonga wanted on serve, missing an easy forehand and then netting a simple volley

by Mad for Chelsea Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:20 pm

Tsonga all over the shop so far, Roger doing the sensible thing and making him hit a few balls,

by Guest Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:28 pm

On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate Fish's chances at about 3.5.
I just cant see him getting a plaice in the semi's.
He'll obviously be be gutted to lose.

by Mad for Chelsea Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:31 pm

yes I reckon we could see Fish floundering today.

On a side note, I just clocked Federer at 23 seconds between points on serve then, ban him I say Wink

by Guest Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:33 pm

Behave MFC Wink

by Tom_____ Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:34 pm

Personally i don't think Federer is past his physical peak - hes still young enough and largely injury free. He just seems to have been progressively rattled over the last few years from his dominant time beforehand.

Its quite possible that Federer playing well could get taken out by one of today top 4. Its just the way things are now. I think he can win wimbledon, but i also think others are capable of playing well enough these days to take it away from him regardless. Potentially a very close second week this

by Tom_____ Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:35 pm

Mad for Chelsea wrote:yes I reckon we could see Fish floundering today.

On a side note, I just clocked Federer at 23 seconds between points on serve then, ban him I say

Did you take account of when the umpire called out the score?

by Dave. Wed Jun 29, 2011 3:49 pm

Come on Tsonga!

by sportslover Wed Jun 29, 2011 3:55 pm

Djokovic is through 3-1

by CaledonianCraig Wed Jun 29, 2011 3:58 pm

Fed on the ropes now 2-0 down in the final set after leading 2-0 in sets. I wouldn't count Roger Federer out of this yet and one thing is sure Tsonga will have to stay mentally strong and win it.

by superochog Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:02 pm

Tsonga playing like Delpo in US final when Delpo won over Fed.

by droogle Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:02 pm

Tsonga: amazing.

by superochog Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:05 pm

I still feel that Fed will win - Tsonga is not a good front runner

by gallery play Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:09 pm

I said on monday that it wasn't a good sign that Federer made Youznhy look like a hard hitter.
Tsonga plays great, but this definitely isn't the Federer i know

by droogle Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:10 pm

Feds got no answer.

by gallery play Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:11 pm

I mean, what's this? 3-2 40-30 easy serve and Federer slices it wide?!

by superochog Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:12 pm

Fed is now winning his games in 40-0 and Tsonga 40-30. Fed needs to hurry up otherwise it will be 6-4 in the final set.

by Chazfazzer Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:13 pm

Federer needs Tsonga to stop serving 130mph aces on the line whenever there's a big point!

by barrystar Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:14 pm

Unless something happens quick in this 5th set it's lights out Federer - he's a break down with Tsonga serving at 3-4. Federer needs two breaks to win in this set and he's only managed one break from one break point all match so far (Tsonga has had 3 breaks from 9 break points).

by gallery play Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:15 pm

Tsonga's in the middle of the rally on his knees and what does Federer do: BH long...
He plays like sh$T really

by barrystar Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:15 pm

Tsonga - 4-3 and 30-15....

by Chazfazzer Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:16 pm

That was it...30-15, Federer puts a simple approach shot 2 yards long when he should have gone behind Tsonga. Oh dear....

by Tom_____ Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:20 pm

Is a bottle about to be lost here.......

by droogle Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:21 pm

Fed's lack of movement all too obvious. Wooden in comparison to Tsonga's spring-loaded bounce.

by gallery play Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:21 pm

left right, short long, Federer misses everything

by barrystar Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:22 pm

This is it - Tsonga serving for it at 5-4 and he scoops out 30-0 from two 2nd serves. Fed is not coming back, he looks beat.

by barrystar Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:23 pm

40-0 - OMG

by barrystar Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:24 pm

All over - well played Tsonga but losing in 5 from 2-0 up is a miserable defeat for Federer, the RG finalist who came into this tournament with such big hopes.

by Chazfazzer Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:25 pm

Well, there we go...an abysmal performance from Federer. Well played Tsonga for taking advantage of it.

by monty junior Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:25 pm

Tsonga was amazing, such power :o

Playing like that Djokovic is going home in straights

by Tom_____ Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:26 pm

Not dropped - Awesome precision serving from Tsonga for 3 sets and Federer's mental weakness come to the fore again.

2 sets up and loses for the first time in a slam, his favourite one at that.

Well done Tsonga it has to be said

by superochog Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:26 pm

I am shocked - Fed doesn't look upset and never seen him allow someone to come back like this.

by barrystar Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:27 pm

Did Sampras ever look so hangdog and past it between his Wimbledon win in 2000 and his final US Open win in 2002

by sportslover Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:27 pm

Well done Joe-Wilfried next stop Novak.

Remember him from the AO final thumbsup

by gallery play Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:27 pm

i'm a federer fan, but this 5th set in particular was shocking.
This was like a cow in a burning stable with the door open, just waiting to get burned.

Not sure what was going on there but that was a man who lost interest in tennis.

Anyway: Tsonga played very well. Good for him.

by Tom_____ Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:27 pm

my bets on Nadal and Djoko are looking much better now

by erictheblueuk Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:29 pm

Is this the same guy that got beat by Murray and Stepanek a couple weeks back ?

by barrystar Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:29 pm

Tom_____ wrote:Not dropped - Awesome precision serving from Tsonga for 3 sets and Federer's mental
weakness come to the fore again.

I think that's a tough verdict - he can't be that mentally weak with a career like his. It's more to do with how it looks when he loses I think.

by luciusmann Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:29 pm

I can't believe it either, Fed played the final 2 sets shockingly, just dreadful, what happened to Fed we know?

by dummy_half Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:29 pm

Federer made something like 14 UEs in the match, so it wasn't that he gave it away.

Tsonga just played the match of his life - only dropped serve once in 5 sets, and that was in his opening service game.

Congratulations to J-WT. Further proof that when he's fit and on form he can give everyone a real match.

by luciusmann Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:30 pm

Djokovic will be World No.1 on Monday, without a doubt.

by Tom_____ Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:34 pm

barrystar wrote:
Tom_____ wrote:Not dropped - Awesome precision serving from Tsonga for 3 sets and Federer's mental
weakness come to the fore again.

I think that's a tough verdict - he can't be that mentally weak with a career like his. It's more to do with how it looks when he loses I think.

I do think its fair really - hes become progressively susceptible to mentally wandering off and losing belief (particularly against Nadal) since 2007 when he became challenged more often by the current crop of players. Its something i see as 'current' in his game , rather than a career long thing.

That said in that last set for the most part Tsonga took it out of his hands. Although that First service game and the mid game opportunity on tsonga's serve were particularly striking in the way Fed 'failed in the moment'

by EnglishReign Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:35 pm

luciusmann wrote:Djokovic will be World No.1 on Monday, without a doubt.

Hope not, he's a Boobie. Tsonga for the win.

by monty junior Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:35 pm

Sorry but nobody can live with Tsonga playing like that, huge serve after huge serve. His forehand was his flat,low and extremely hard and he's great at the net. I think he could beat Nole but im not sure whether he could win the final.

by droogle Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:35 pm

Tsonga was outplaying Murray for most of the Queens final but flunked the crucial points. When he was on he looked devastating there too.

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