OT - Roger vs. Novak
After a rain delay, we have the much anticipated US Open final: #1 Novak Djokovic vs. #2 Roger Federer.
42nd career meeting - Roger leads 21-20, but Novak leads the series in majors.
Novak is going for his 2nd title in New York, and Roger is a 5-time winner of the tournament.
Come on Roger!
September 13th, 2015 at 7:12 PM ^
Come on Rog. Just 1 more to get into the 18 Club with Serena this year.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:13 PM ^
September 13th, 2015 at 7:14 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 13th, 2015 at 7:17 PM ^
Novak's not defending. Cilic won last year.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:21 PM ^
Good point!
September 13th, 2015 at 7:28 PM ^
1:30 in the morning here in S. Africa, wasn't remembering quite correctly at this hour
September 13th, 2015 at 7:18 PM ^
didn't win last year
September 13th, 2015 at 7:20 PM ^
How easily I forget about Cilic...whoops
September 13th, 2015 at 7:31 PM ^
Cilic is a footnote in the grand scheme of things,
September 13th, 2015 at 7:19 PM ^
September 13th, 2015 at 7:22 PM ^
Getting tired of Federer playing his best during the QF and SFs instead of the actual Finals ugh...
serve is already rocky
September 13th, 2015 at 7:26 PM ^
Not sure it's peaking too early so much as Djokovic putting a ton of pressure on. He's probably the best defender in the history of the game, and he forces you to go for things that you're not comfortable going for.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:27 PM ^
Except it's not that. Fed can't even hit the 1st serve into the box... Dude is shook atm.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:28 PM ^
The serve is not the same against each player. Djokovic's return forces Federer to go for more on the serve as well, and his percentages will be lower because of that.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:25 PM ^
And the forehand is already shaky too... ugh.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:26 PM ^
September 13th, 2015 at 7:30 PM ^
What a year for the Djoker - four consecutive Grand Slam finals. I'd like to see Fed win one more though.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:32 PM ^
Womp womp womp...
Djoker is dialed in...
September 13th, 2015 at 7:33 PM ^
Much like the Wimbledon final, I have a hard time seeing Fed hanging with Djokovic at the baseline. He's got to get creative, very aggressive, and hope that Djokovic hits a lull here and there and gives him some chances.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^
Rog just caught a break.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:39 PM ^
Yep. Really big to get back on serve there. I'm pulling for him.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:39 PM ^
Come on Novak!
September 13th, 2015 at 7:39 PM ^
September 13th, 2015 at 7:46 PM ^
Pretty awful service game there to get broken.
September 13th, 2015 at 7:57 PM ^
Can someone who follows tennis more closely explain the controversy behind SABR? Is it just people being sore losers?
September 13th, 2015 at 8:02 PM ^
It's deemed disrespectful b/c apparently exploiting opponent's weaknesses in their serving motion is off limits.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:06 PM ^
“He’s basically trying to half-volley a male pro tennis players’s serve and take it and come in on it,” McEnroe said after Federer used SABR for the first time in Wednesday’s quarterfinal win. “It wouldn’t be much of a stretch for me to regard that as insulting. ‘Is my serve that bad that he can do that?'”
September 13th, 2015 at 8:03 PM ^
This is gonna be over in straight sets at this rate.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:09 PM ^
Why are crowds so pro-Federer? Rooting for Novak partly because of this.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:13 PM ^
Why do crowds like waning all time greats?
Gee idk sir.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:16 PM ^
Before he was waning, he has always curried favor with the crowds, most evident in his Wimbeldon matches with Nadal. The French Open is the only major where I haven't heard the crowd backing Federer. Why doesn't Novak get the same love?
September 13th, 2015 at 8:22 PM ^
Federer changed the game of tennis. That's why. He was Sampras' clear successor since he was 19. And he pretty much killed the volley with his baseline play. Not to mention his style of tennis is just a beauty to watch. And he has the largest toolkit of any tennis player ever. Hence his nickname Swiss Maestro.
Nobody likes Nadal cuz of his excuses, suspicions of HGH use and woman-like grunting.
Djoker just falls into the middle somewhere and Murray is a headcase during matches.
Nadal, Djoker and Murray are super athletes that play a more physical brand of tennis in a sport where elegance and fluidity is valued.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:22 PM ^
The French Open crowds are actually very pro-Federer, and they've always hated Nadal.
I think it's the combination of Roger being (1) likely the greatest of all time, (2) playing a very visually appealing style in the age of almost exclusively baseline bashers, and (3) being a super nice guy.
I think most tennis fans of this era have tended to choose between being a huge fan of Roger, Rafa, Novak, or Murray, and those three other guys all have a more brutal, physical, retreiving style that's less appealing to watch for many.
September 13th, 2015 at 9:16 PM ^
And in the case of Roland Garros, Federer speaks French fluently, which is always a big plus with the crowds in Paris. Nadal OTOH has never learned it, and that hasn't helped to endear him there.
Djokovic incidentally is one of the biggest polyglots on the tour, speaking something like six languages.
September 13th, 2015 at 9:19 PM ^
September 13th, 2015 at 8:43 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 13th, 2015 at 10:46 PM ^
Bitching about SABR is just the latest in Djokovic's dickishness. It's much harder to choose a side in Federer vs. Nadal.
September 14th, 2015 at 9:33 AM ^
This is what Novak had to say about it:
"He tried that in Cincinnati, It worked a couple of times. It's an exciting shot for him. For his opponent across the net, not so much"
I guess for Federer nutriders that constitutes bitching these days. Novak has never been anything but gracious and complimentary to Federer. If there are any publiclly disparaging remarks between the two it usually comes from Federer, and somehow Novak is the dick.
September 13th, 2015 at 11:13 PM ^
Novak is the most engaging and accessable player with fans, way more so than Federer, who can come off an elitist. Novak calls a local dancing New York fan to join him on the court after a win. Federer would probably want the guy escorted out of the building and Novak is that dick. What a joke.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:15 PM ^
the "old" guy just like back in the day with Jimmy Connors
September 13th, 2015 at 8:09 PM ^
September 13th, 2015 at 8:11 PM ^
SABR just got Federer back into this HAHA
September 13th, 2015 at 8:16 PM ^
God damn it...
September 13th, 2015 at 8:18 PM ^
Federer can't hang with Novak if he doesn't close out games.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:44 PM ^
This crowd LOL
September 13th, 2015 at 8:47 PM ^
September 13th, 2015 at 8:49 PM ^
Djokovic beating himself; must break Federer and this crowd
September 13th, 2015 at 8:52 PM ^
Fed is choking so hard on these gimmies.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:56 PM ^
Fed can only blame himself for not winning this set. Had about 3 chances.
September 13th, 2015 at 8:57 PM ^
The Old Guard is there.
Djokovic's coach is Boris Becker and Federer's is Stefan Edberg.