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Like .. when Russell Crowe raises his arms to the Colosseum .. and shouts "Are you not entertained?"
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grif
Nov 23, 2011, 2:44:30 AM11/23/11
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By Simon Briggs
Roger Federer's matches against Rafael Nadal are so often duels to the death
that a straightforward, straight-sets canter for either one of them seems
wrong, somehow. Like watching Germaine Greer cosy up to Hugh Hefner.
But Tuesday's match bucked the trend of tennis's greatest rivalry by being
thoroughly one-sided. Federer delivered a truly transcendent performance at
the O2 Arena. He ousted Nadal in a mere 60 minutes, with the air of a
surgeon performing a dissection. The scoreline - 6-3, 6-0 - was less a
beating than a landslide.
The debate after the match encompassed Nadal's lack of sharpness as well as
Federer's supreme ball-striking. The Spaniard admitted last night that he
had not practiced at all on Monday because his shoulder was hurting.
But it would be wrong to take credit away from the victor. Anyone who saw
Federer torch Tomas Berdych in Paris just under a fortnight ago will know
that he is playing some of the silkiest tennis of his life. You only have to
ask the man himself, who said "This one ranks extremely high in my career,
because it's against my biggest rival probably".
The match started in the most misleading manner possible, as Federer
delivered a double-fault on the first point. But as soon as his next serve
had landed, he was on his way. A sweating, grimacing Nadal managed to stay
in the slipstream of the Fed Express for the first 15 minutes, by which
point the score had reached 2-2. But then things turned ugly for the
Spaniard.
Having served for 3-2, Federer broke to love in the sixth game, clinching
the job with the rally of the match - a pulsating exchange in which both
players seemed to cover every inch of the O2's blue rectangle before an
exhausted Nadal finally shoved a backhand wide.
The game was still only 20 minutes old, and yet Federer had, in effect,
already claimed his match point. Because this was one of those rallies that
reveals the true balance of power between the two players - their respective
levels of energy, rhythm and self-belief. And it was after that rally that
Federer began his rampage, claiming 10 of the last 11 games.
Having finished the job with a forehand drive that Nadal could only slice
into the tramlines, Federer swatted a celebratory ball into the crowd and
gazed around the Arena with a conqueror's stare. It felt a little like the
moment in Gladiator when Russell Crowe raises his arms to the Colosseum,
having swiftly despatched a squadron of heavily armoured enemies, and shouts
"Are you not entertained?"
This was the heaviest defeat that Federer has ever inflicted on his great
rival, and arguably the most one-sided of their 26 encounters. The other
contender for that title is Nadal's 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 victory in the final of
the 2008 French Open, which is hard to compare directly because it was
played over the best of five sets.
You might think that Federer would have forgotten the suffering he
experienced that day at Roland Garros, given all he has achieved in the
game. But the depth of feeling in this seven-year battle shone through when
a reporter brought it up last night. "Nobody's ever going to talk about that
moment any more," replied Federer, with a chilly smile.
"Sometimes it [the match] just derails for you, like it derailed for Rafa
today and it did for me at the French Open," he added. "Next thing you know,
you're facing a debacle."
This win put Federer through to the semi-finals, and it is hard to see
anyone getting close to him if he carries on like this. Indeed, he will
surely be hoping to draw Novak Djokovic in the knock-out stages so that he
can make amends for the trouble the Serbian has caused him in the last few
grand slams - most recently the semi-final of the US Open.
In the other match yesterday, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Mardy Fish 7-6,
6-1. Fish, who has a dicky hamstring to line up alongside Nadal's sore
shoulder and Andy Murray's strained groin, cannot now reach the semi-finals
unless others start pulling out through injury.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/atptour/8908401/Roger-Federer-shows-no-mercy-in-Rafael-Nadals-hour-of-need-at-ATP-World-Tour-Finals.html
Roger Federer's matches against Rafael Nadal are so often duels to the death
that a straightforward, straight-sets canter for either one of them seems
wrong, somehow. Like watching Germaine Greer cosy up to Hugh Hefner.
But Tuesday's match bucked the trend of tennis's greatest rivalry by being
thoroughly one-sided. Federer delivered a truly transcendent performance at
the O2 Arena. He ousted Nadal in a mere 60 minutes, with the air of a
surgeon performing a dissection. The scoreline - 6-3, 6-0 - was less a
beating than a landslide.
The debate after the match encompassed Nadal's lack of sharpness as well as
Federer's supreme ball-striking. The Spaniard admitted last night that he
had not practiced at all on Monday because his shoulder was hurting.
But it would be wrong to take credit away from the victor. Anyone who saw
Federer torch Tomas Berdych in Paris just under a fortnight ago will know
that he is playing some of the silkiest tennis of his life. You only have to
ask the man himself, who said "This one ranks extremely high in my career,
because it's against my biggest rival probably".
The match started in the most misleading manner possible, as Federer
delivered a double-fault on the first point. But as soon as his next serve
had landed, he was on his way. A sweating, grimacing Nadal managed to stay
in the slipstream of the Fed Express for the first 15 minutes, by which
point the score had reached 2-2. But then things turned ugly for the
Spaniard.
Having served for 3-2, Federer broke to love in the sixth game, clinching
the job with the rally of the match - a pulsating exchange in which both
players seemed to cover every inch of the O2's blue rectangle before an
exhausted Nadal finally shoved a backhand wide.
The game was still only 20 minutes old, and yet Federer had, in effect,
already claimed his match point. Because this was one of those rallies that
reveals the true balance of power between the two players - their respective
levels of energy, rhythm and self-belief. And it was after that rally that
Federer began his rampage, claiming 10 of the last 11 games.
Having finished the job with a forehand drive that Nadal could only slice
into the tramlines, Federer swatted a celebratory ball into the crowd and
gazed around the Arena with a conqueror's stare. It felt a little like the
moment in Gladiator when Russell Crowe raises his arms to the Colosseum,
having swiftly despatched a squadron of heavily armoured enemies, and shouts
"Are you not entertained?"
This was the heaviest defeat that Federer has ever inflicted on his great
rival, and arguably the most one-sided of their 26 encounters. The other
contender for that title is Nadal's 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 victory in the final of
the 2008 French Open, which is hard to compare directly because it was
played over the best of five sets.
You might think that Federer would have forgotten the suffering he
experienced that day at Roland Garros, given all he has achieved in the
game. But the depth of feeling in this seven-year battle shone through when
a reporter brought it up last night. "Nobody's ever going to talk about that
moment any more," replied Federer, with a chilly smile.
"Sometimes it [the match] just derails for you, like it derailed for Rafa
today and it did for me at the French Open," he added. "Next thing you know,
you're facing a debacle."
This win put Federer through to the semi-finals, and it is hard to see
anyone getting close to him if he carries on like this. Indeed, he will
surely be hoping to draw Novak Djokovic in the knock-out stages so that he
can make amends for the trouble the Serbian has caused him in the last few
grand slams - most recently the semi-final of the US Open.
In the other match yesterday, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Mardy Fish 7-6,
6-1. Fish, who has a dicky hamstring to line up alongside Nadal's sore
shoulder and Andy Murray's strained groin, cannot now reach the semi-finals
unless others start pulling out through injury.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/atptour/8908401/Roger-Federer-shows-no-mercy-in-Rafael-Nadals-hour-of-need-at-ATP-World-Tour-Finals.html
TT
Nov 23, 2011, 3:58:55 AM11/23/11
to
23.11.2011 9:44, Grif kirjoitti:
> You might think that Federer would have forgotten the suffering he
> experienced that day at Roland Garros, given all he has achieved in the
> game. But the depth of feeling in this seven-year battle shone through
> when a reporter brought it up last night. "Nobody's ever going to talk
> about that moment any more," replied Federer, with a chilly smile.
Hahahaha...you think?
> You might think that Federer would have forgotten the suffering he
> experienced that day at Roland Garros, given all he has achieved in the
> game. But the depth of feeling in this seven-year battle shone through
> when a reporter brought it up last night. "Nobody's ever going to talk
> about that moment any more," replied Federer, with a chilly smile.
arnab.z@gmail
Nov 23, 2011, 4:39:58 AM11/23/11
to
TT
Nov 23, 2011, 4:47:50 AM11/23/11
to
what everybody remembers is Murray demolishing Fed in similar fashion at
2010 Shanghai...
Sure...
TT
Nov 23, 2011, 4:56:30 AM11/23/11
to
Anyway watching Fed's interview now: Roger said "Nobody is going to talk
about that (rg2008) anymore" - with a jest. He was joking...of course he
knows this is no way comparable. Actually pretty funny comment from Roger.
Superdave
Nov 23, 2011, 5:52:26 AM11/23/11
to
roger really smithereened the cockaroach. expect more of the same in 2012.
RzR
Nov 23, 2011, 6:49:38 AM11/23/11
to
are not this stupid in the real life :D
arnab.z@gmail
Nov 23, 2011, 9:42:07 AM11/23/11
to
On Nov 23, 3:56 pm, TT <as...@usenet.org> wrote:
> 23.11.2011 11:39, arnab.z@gmail kirjoitti:
>
> > On Nov 23, 2:58 pm, TT<as...@usenet.org> wrote:
> >> 23.11.2011 9:44, Grif kirjoitti:
>
> >>> You might think that Federer would have forgotten the suffering he
> >>> experienced that day at Roland Garros, given all he has achieved in the
> >>> game. But the depth of feeling in this seven-year battle shone through
> >>> when a reporter brought it up last night. "Nobody's ever going to talk
> >>> about that moment any more," replied Federer, with a chilly smile.
>
> >> Hahahaha...you think?
>
> > Kind of like the knife comment he made about Hewitt.
>
> I don't know about that.
Which means you didn't follow tennis back in 2004, around when Federer
> 23.11.2011 11:39, arnab.z@gmail kirjoitti:
>
> > On Nov 23, 2:58 pm, TT<as...@usenet.org> wrote:
> >> 23.11.2011 9:44, Grif kirjoitti:
>
> >>> You might think that Federer would have forgotten the suffering he
> >>> experienced that day at Roland Garros, given all he has achieved in the
> >>> game. But the depth of feeling in this seven-year battle shone through
> >>> when a reporter brought it up last night. "Nobody's ever going to talk
> >>> about that moment any more," replied Federer, with a chilly smile.
>
> >> Hahahaha...you think?
>
> > Kind of like the knife comment he made about Hewitt.
>
> I don't know about that.
made that comment and when it was a staple topic in tennis
discussions.
Interesting.
Katya
Nov 23, 2011, 11:43:02 PM11/23/11
to
the 2nd set at RG08, see below:
"Once you're down a set and a double break, you're not even playing to
win anymore, you're just hoping to stay in the match. That's what was
for me the case when I was down two sets to love because I did have
chances in the second set at Paris. Nobody's ever going to talk about
that moment anymore"
kaennorsing
Nov 24, 2011, 7:19:59 AM11/24/11
to
full and couldn't place it. Thanks for pointing it out... This is as
disingenuous as only journalists and politicians can get.
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