With Dootsie having so much fun with WTA tennis these days, she’s forgotten to check up on how Roger’s doing.
I don’t know about Roger Federer these days. The guy’s always so goddamn self-assured, which surely makes him one of the most suave and diplomatic tennis players around, but it also lulls people into a false sense of security regarding the status of his game (come to think of it, that’s what diplomacy is all about). I will not be fooled Roger. I’ll be watching you.
“I’m happy how I am playing now and it’s getting better every week,“ Federer told a news conference ahead of the Madrid Open clay event.
“It’s been rather a tough start to the season considering I haven’t won a tournament yet but I think I am very close to turning it all around,“ he added.
“I have struggled a little bit against my main rivals. I was always very close to beating them. So I just hope I can turn the corner and win those matches.
“I feel the game’s right there and that’s why I’m aiming high this week.”
Federer, 27, said it would not necessarily be a bad thing if he went into the French Open later this month, the only grand slam to elude him, not having played Nadal on the Spaniard’s favoured clay this season. Nadal has beaten his predecessor as number one nine times out of 10 on the surface stretching back to the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2005, his only defeat coming in the final of the Hamburg Masters in 2007.
“I think he’s playing the tennis of his life right now,” said Federer.
“But still I’m a great believer I can rattle him. I was so close at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.“Every match has to be played and I know that I have the game to beat him, even if he has beaten me on clay so many times and he knows how to beat me.”
Federer is currently without a regular coach and said he was not considering hiring one anytime soon despite his lack of success this year.
“At the moment I am very content with the situation. Things are calm in my team and I’m doing the right things and practising extremely hard to get my game back,” he said.
“Of course the main goal for me is the French Open and Wimbledon, trying to regain the Wimbledon crown and trying to win the French Open for the first time.
“But I’m an open person and I’m always looking for ways to improve my game. So if that’s talking to somebody else or somebody else giving me advice that’s not a problem but at the moment it’s not happening.”
Source: Guardian
We all know you can rattle Nadal, Roger, we just don’t know that you can rattle enough to win. At the Australia Open … oh don’t get me started.
And as for all this blue clay business, Roger joined Nadal and Serena in their vocal opposition to the colour of the surface. Back off you silly tennis players, after all, we have green clay, why not blue!? I’d image it would produce much more youtube-worthy materials than your average red clay. Tennis tradition my arse.
Madrid – Roger Federer Sunday joined Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams in condemning a back-door attempt by the Madrid Masters to install blue clay courts in the face of all tennis tradition. The re-launched event, moved from October indoors onto a new surface at the 160-million-euro Magic Box had tried to quietly get approval for blue clay courts, but the men’s ATP quickly knocked back the radical plan.
World number one Nadal took his shot at the attempt almost upon arrival, with the diplomatic Federer, president of the Player Council, giving a more measured condemnation.
”I don’t think there a chance for blue clay,” said the Swiss, who said he had only had a glimpse of the one blue practise court which was allowed to stay in the complex with its record three covered courts contained in one massive structure.
”I only saw it when I drove past it. But we are against it, red clay is the tradition,” he said in echo of Nadal’s thought the day before.
Williams left little doubt as to her position: “We don’t want to play on blue clay,” said the American who is looking for some redemption after crashing out in the Rome first round last week.
“I’m totally against it, 100 percent against blue clay.”
Federer was annoyed by the lack of procedure inherent in the affair, with Madrid officials failing to go through the ATP on the matter.
“You (should) go to the ATP and to the board in the normal way,” said the Swiss still looking for his first title of the season. “You don’t ask individual players.
“That is only dividing us, it should anyway be a unanimous decision.”
While Federer is hoping to start correcting his clay season with a potential final with Nadal, unbeaten in is last 30 matches on the surface, the Swiss strategist also says there is a benefit from not having yet faced the Spaniard on the surface in 2009.
“It might have been a little bit of an advantage for Rafa to have beaten me before Paris on clay in the past seasons. That gives him confidence and might have made it a little easier to beat me in the (last three Paris) finals.
“This year I haven’t played him on clay but I’m hoping to play him here in the final. But even if it doesn’t it could still be a good thing.
“It’s different when you have played a month earlier and got to Paris knowing that you have beaten someone.”
Source: Earth Times
It’s always interesting to see the differences between the way the players handle issues. Rafa emphasised tradition, and the ‘natural’ colour of the earth in his presscon. Serena gave absolutely no reason, except to say that she’s against it. Roger emphasises procedural propriety instead.
Meanwhile, looks like Roger’s been practicing with Gilles Simon in Madrid at their indoor clay facilities. Check out the red curtains in the background, what pomp.
Image Source: ANTOINE COUVERCELLE/TENNIS MAG/DPPI
Filed under: ATP, GFC | Tagged: Gilles Simon, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams
