everyone knows fed has been happy at damp, humid hamburg, but i don't see this as a good thing for him. these matches are 3/5 sets and that can get really draining. the courts have been dry and fast, and fed has been whipping the balls around like he's on a hard court.
humid and damp will prove beneficial to bumrooters (coria, and also nadal).
"StephenJ" <c20@setyrtfj.77com> wrote in message news:vtnme.4977$%Z2.4563@lakeread08...>> You know Fed is getting happy.>
everyone knows fed has been happy at damp, humid hamburg, but i don't see> this as a good thing for him. these matches are 3/5 sets and that can get> really draining. the courts have been dry and fast, and fed has been> whipping the balls around like he's on a hard court.>
humid and damp will prove beneficial to bumrooters (coria, and also > nadal).
True. It could be a location thing as opposed to a conditions thing.
Like Hewitt always plays well at Indian Wells. Safin always plays well at Paris Indoors. Agassi always plays well at Miami, etc, all despite whatever conditions.
You're also right in that if Federer and Nadal meet, that's going to be an awful lot of topspin going high to Fed's backhand, which might grind him down over time.
Ted of Ted's Tennis 29 May 2005 22:27:21 [ permanent link ]
Somebody claiming to be "David Henry" <telemachus7@msn.com> wrote in news:6ImdndfcvqienwffRVn-ug@comcast.com:
"Luke Tang" <ginzton@yahoo.com> wrote in message > news:d7culo$m34$1@news.Stanford.EDU...>> due to rain>
You know Fed is getting happy.
The other half of the draw was always going to play its fourth round matches on Monday, and quarterfinals on Wednesday. So it's not like Fed is getting that much help with the weather.
The bigger help is that Federer gets to play Victor Hanescu in the quarterfinal.
<pedrodias@snip.net> wrote in message news:1117394893.668303.290990@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...>
David Henry wrote:>> "StephenJ" <c20@setyrtfj.77com> wrote in message>> news:vtnme.4977$%Z2.4563@lakeread08...>> >> You know Fed is getting happy.>> >
everyone knows fed has been happy at damp, humid hamburg, but i don't >> > see>> > this as a good thing for him. these matches are 3/5 sets and that can >> > get>> > really draining. the courts have been dry and fast, and fed has been>> > whipping the balls around like he's on a hard court.>> >
humid and damp will prove beneficial to bumrooters (coria, and also>> > nadal).>>
True. It could be a location thing as opposed to a conditions thing.>>
Like Hewitt always plays well at Indian Wells. Safin always plays well at>> Paris Indoors. Agassi always plays well at Miami, etc, all despite >> whatever>> conditions.>>
You're also right in that if Federer and Nadal meet, that's going to be >> an>> awful lot of topspin going high to Fed's backhand, which might grind him>> down over time.>
Federer has said outright that it is the slow clay that he enjoys, not> Hamburg specifically. And, whatever the reason, he *has* done well> against strong opposition there, so we know that the conditions don't> slow him down enough to be a problem against most players. Nadal may be> a different issue.
You're also right in that if Federer and Nadal meet, that's going to be an> awful lot of topspin going high to Fed's backhand, which might grind him> down over time.
I think another reason the dampness will help coria/nadal is that it will help take federer out of his comfort zone movement-wise. Right now, Fed is in Cassius Clay mode - he's floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.
When Federer is "dancing", when he's up on his toes and flitting around the court, he probably can't be beaten. And that's how he's playing right now. He's not getting down and dirty in the clay, he's floating and skipping around on it like it's grass or a hard court, and whipping his shots around the court as a result.
To beat him, someone is going to have to do what joe frazier could do to Ali occasionally - get him down off his toes and onto his heels, or at least flats of his feet. Make him do some grinding on the inside. Not that this would garauntee victory. Like Ali, Fed can go toe-to-toe if he has to. Of the last 3 guys who forced him to do that - roddick at W, safin at the AO, and nadal at Lipton - two of them still lost and the guy who won was down match point. But it's a prerequisite to victory, IMO.
Fed's movement advantage is huge. And if the clay gets soft and damp, that will slow him down, make him more flat-footed.,...
-- "if federal judges have the final word over its meaning, the Constitution would be a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, which they may twist and shape into any form they please".
The other half of the draw was always going to play its fourth round> matches on Monday, and quarterfinals on Wednesday. So it's not like Fed> is getting that much help with the weather.
Yup, but Nadal is in Federer's half and is scheduled to play his QF match on Tuesday
