Simon Reed: All over for Federer?
Eurosport - Wed, 11 Feb 09:32:00 2009
Will Roger Federer ever win another Grand Slam? Eurosport commentator Simon Reed kicks off his new blog by asking if it's all over for the Swiss star.
It's been over a week since Roger Federer lost the final of the Australian Open, and still all anybody wants to talk about is if it's the beginning of the end for him.
His trouble started with a mysterious illness at the beginning of last year, leaving him weak and allowing him to get picked off not just by the likes of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, but also by Mardy Fish and several others.
Doubt crept in - subconsciously, perhaps, but doubt nonetheless, and it seems like he's still struggling to get past it, despite playing some incredible tennis in Melbourne.
Before the tournament I had Federer as a distant third favourite - with Nadal and Murray neck-and-neck - but it was Roger who showed that at his best he is still the best in the world.
He can make Nadal look silly, Murray look silly, anyone look silly... but for all his brilliance, and his ability to be ruthless against lesser players, he alternated great performances with poor ones.
More worrying than that, though, is that there's now no doubt that he has real problems pulling the trigger against Nadal - and Andy Murray too for that matter.
Why? Well, I think that sometimes it just feels like there's no plan B with Roger - other than to play still more amazing shots. But under fifth-set pressure, with a stiff arm and against the very best in the world, those shots just don't come off like they do in the first set or two.
What's the answer? Maybe he should start looking for a good mental game coach, because building his confidence by playing the same events as Nadal and looking to beat him on a regular basis won't work for him: only the Grand Slams matter to Roger these days.
Such is his focus on the Slams that I saw him at Abu Dhabi - an event which Murray and Nadal were both taking very seriously - and he was actually playing around and practising shots during matches.
Breaking Pete Sampras's record is everything to him now.
But unless something changes soon, and with the possible exception of Wimbledon, he's simply not going to win another Grand Slam.
- - - - - - -
It's easy to look at Andy Murray's early exit in Melbourne and think that he must be disappointed at having gone out relatively early - but I really believe there's more to it.
I saw him around the place a lot and interviewed him several times, and to me he looked very under the weather: as if he'd really picked up a nasty virus. If I'm right, then it's all credit to him that he didn't say a word about it.
Even still, it was a tight match anyway, one that Murray was winning for a long time until Verdasco caught fire - and Verdasco is in the form of his life anyway, and went on to give Nadal a heck of a match later in the tournament.
I still believe that Andy wasn't right when he went into that match - he had a massive cold sore on his face, his legs looked leaden, and when you're talking about tennis at that level then a bug can make a critical difference of a few per cent.
Had he over trained and weakened his immune system? I've heard people suggest it, but only Andy knows how he felt.
Either way, it's really part of his maturing process that he refused to blame the defeat on anything other than meeting an opponent who played better on the day.
As for Verdasco? Well, I've always thought that a leopard can't change his spots - and he's always had a reputation as a bit of a playboy. In fact I've even seen him in action out on the town, getting girls' phone numbers - he's as quick off the court as he is on it!
But last year he trained with Agassi's former fitness coach Gil Reyes, a fearsome taskmaster who takes no prisoners. He survived the experience, and has become a much better player for it. He's certainly better than Novak Djokovic.
If he doesn't become a top-five player by the end of the year then you'll know that something has gone wrong.
Simon Reed's exclusive blog will be right here every Tuesday and Friday - come back at the end of the week to find out why he thinks this could be the year Serena Williams wins the Grand Slam.
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Comment 70 - 89 of 89
I am revisiting this article again after US open. Every sentence from this article makes zero sense. Mr. Reed from what I know watches a lot of tennis, as he is a commentator on Eurosport. Yet his knowledge on tennis is so poor that whatever he wrote in his blog was wrong and simply laughable. He wrote another article about prediction of women US open champion only when the tournament had reached the quaterfinal stage; and he named 3 players who could potentialy win. Well anyone could include Kim and Serena by that stage so that article is utterly pointless.
I just really think that it is an insult to the readers of the yahoo sport webpage that a person with no tennis knowledge can bullshxt some articles and pretend to be an expert. Those who do not follow tennis and read the articles will be mislead and think Andy Murray is the best thing happen on Earth since Jesus and Federer's career is finished 18 months ago when he lost the 2008 Wimbledon title.
Simon Reed is useless! Federer cant pull the 5th set trigger? Federer has no interest in the game? He rated Murray over Federer?? Murray over Federer?
This man Reed is ****! and double ****!!
Can you not appreciate a great match when you see one? Dont you know a great player when you see one?
Simon Reed is very s****!
I will never read another of his blogs, or whatever he calls them, so as not to spoil my day! Nonsense!!!
Is it all over for Federer? NO. Hes only 27 and not retiring any time soon. I love it when Federer and Rafa play aginst each other. It is one of the great rivals in Tennis as he has lost the last 5 grand slam finals to him which is tough. But it is not over. He still has a lot of life in him. He played a bad match, making so many unforced errors and not making first serves and he still took Rafa to 5 sets. If he played anywhere near as he did in the semi final against Roddick who knows how the match would have gone. But there is a reason why he plays the way he does against Rafa, because Rafa makes you play that extra 2 shots when the point would be over against anyone else.
Federer has always "practised" shots during matches. Look at the Wimbledon 2007 Semi Final against Gasquet, and you will always see him pushing his shots until he gets it right. Against lesser opponents he can afford to drop these points, but Nadal is something else!
Why can't we all just marvel at the tennis that is played between all of the top players...this sport is fantastic and deserves nothing more than our humble appreciation.
As for the press...they do what they are paid to do - provoke reaction.
mrs. simon you can,t count deffinently take a matemathic lesson pls. now let me help you, NADAL IS NO 1 FEDERER IS NO 2 AND DJOKOVIC IS NO 3 then comes your boy M. ok did you get that and ALL OF THE 3 GOT A GS not your boy M YET . will he win well let,s wait for that moment to come, ok? if NADAL FEDERER AND DJOKOVIC are ALL out of court MABY but let,s wait for him to become the great player as you say and WIN for REAL A GS TITLE.again NO 1. NADAL, NO.2 FEDERER, NO.3 DJOKOVIC ..........................and then the rest of the boy,s.
Dear Mr. Reed,
Federer can make Nadal look silly? Well, maybe when Nadal was 20 years old. Not anymore.
And why do you mention Nadal and Murray on the same page? How many Grand Slam titles has Murray won?
YOU JUST WISH
I believe most commentators are so much in love with Roger's skills and brilliance as well as his ever cheerful, gracious and likeable personality that they have found it difficult to criticise his decisions. As long as he kept winning, it was assumed he was doing the right thing. Roger's decision to keep playing without a coach was his undoing. While the rest of the field has been gradually catching up, Roger has not improved and has kept playing the same way for the past 3 seasons. Infact, he has gotten worse in some areas such as serving and volleying. He has what it takes to win more majors if he can drop the notion he can play without a good coach. It's a delusion and he's gotten away with for a long time. The hammering at the French Open and the loss at Wimbledon should have woken him up but winning the US Open seemed to reassure him that all was well. If he keeps playing without a coach, more players will start beating him and winning another major will definitely be a mighty struggle. He should be humble and forget all the praises about being the best player that ever held a racket. People wish him well and want him to surpass Pete's record. Time is however running out.
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"He can make Nadal look silly, "
No he can't !!!
If there is anything wrong with Federer in last year then it is the fact he is unable to beat Nadal. Result of this brings series of serious grandslam final losses. Final losses they are because they have no other place to meet but in the final. Federer suffered some mental breakdown after the Wimbledon defeat and it got him underperforming against some not quite strong players and also let him down to Murray even if the Murray problem may have different causes. Shall he manage to get into finals of grandslams and shall he meet there Nadal which is very propable he is facing his worst nightmare.
The title of this article is just ludicrous, i would hate it if you were right though. Anyways, Federer is nowhere near his best at the moment. Obviously due to a number of things. He was out of tennis for much of the beginning of last year. He lost his world number 1 spot which he has held for 5 years. He cannot seem to find an answer against Rafa. Having said these things, Federer is 27 and not retiring any time soon so he still has a chance of being the greatest player with the most Grand Slams. I really hope he does.
this really has to be the most stupid heading for an article i have ever read...All over for Federer? The man has been in the final of the last four grand slams held, winning one of them, US Open '08, and apart from the French he shouldve destroyed Nadal in the Wimbledon and Australian finals, he is a better tennis player by a country mile and anybody who actually watches tennis and has done it for a while knows it...
I THINK SIMON MAY HAVE TO EAT HIS WORDS I HOPE SO ANYWAY. ROGER IS SUCH A GREAT PLAYER I WOULDN'T RIGHT HIM OFF YET SIMON.GO ROGER GO.
Andrew C whats with the caps?? A one handed backhand can be more controlled than a two handed backhand, and it is alot more powerful. Plus its not the backhand Federer has struggled with its his forehand.
WHAT IS THIS COMMENT ALL ABOUT,WHAT DO YOU THINK FEDERER IS, GOD HE CAN NOT WIN EVERYDAY ,EVERY PLAYER HAS ITS DECLINE,AND MOVE CREDIT SHOULD BE GIVE TO MURRAY AND NADAL FOR PROVING THEIR GAME .BEATING FEDERER AND THE OTHER PLAYERS TOO.FEDERER IS ON THE DECLINE ITS AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
THERE IS NO WAY A ONE HAND BACKHAND CAN BE MORE SOLID THAN A TWOHAND BACKHAND,THATS THE MAIN REASON FEDERER IS LOSSING,ALL THIS PLAYERS THAT BEAT HIM HAVE THE BEST DOUBLE BACKHAND IN THE WORLD.
Vic1925 - Your an idiot, have u ever watched a tennis match live before?? I bet you've only followed Tennis since Nadal and Federers rivalry.
Id put money on Roger Federer winning another Grand Slam, i think he will go on to better Pete Sampras's record aswell. I guess your right Federer doesn't seem to have a plan B, but then over the last 5 years he wouldn't have had to use it that much anyway. With Novak and Murray closing in im not sure if Fed will hold the number 1 spot for a great deal longer if he does manage to succeed Nadal. But he is very capable of doing it.
It is absurd to induge in composing premature obituary of a great tennis professional, who until in the not very distant past, was held in high esteem and was showered with encomiums befitting an undisputed icon. Roger Federer has atleast 2/3 years of solid tennis left in him and might win a few more grand slams as well. It is foolish to presume that Rafael Nadal will not be shaken. Rafael Nadal, an excellent player though, is more power oriented than touch and if he persists with his unwavering over exertion, he too may be timed out. Any true lovers and followers of the game should only restrict themselves to applauding the pleasure that these great players offer us and refrain from cheap, mindless and indecent criticisms.
i think simon whoever reed he is should shut his f***ing mouuth and stop commenting.
Actually i am not federer fan but a nadal one. but i hate people commenting silly things.Roger may have lost in slams but look at his losses always in finals and by close margins.
Any way my point is who the @#$% that murray is. mere by reaching one slam final
one is comparing and holding him above a great like fedex? How come? and knowing
fed is reaching all the finals on consistant basis even this year? do u think murray
can stop fed from winning 14 titels. first that brit presss created @#$% should winning a slam first which looks distant possiblity.i THINK IF NADAL has one bad day
in slam then number 14 is for sure for fedex. it can even happen in france i bet. Only player who can stop fedex appart from nadal is mr. Doko.
I m from doha and i saw fed expermenting with murray in doha even though he lost. such is respect for mr murray. from mr. fedex.
So talk something sensible mr Reed. Dont just comment.
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