WTF: the new Toothface.
The ONE time I wanted Murray through to the semi, the ONE. EFFING. TIME. No, even better: Juan Martin del Potro has played nothing but shithouse tennis since the US Open. The one time he turned up on court with any semblance of form… the ONE. EFFING. TIME!
Cease showing off your teeth!
But it wasn’t meant to be, as Federer lost to del Potro 62 67 63. He had a chance to take the match at 3-3, when he shanked 3 breakpoints on del Potro’s serve. Visibly annoyed and scolding himself, Federer promptly went on to be broken at love the next game with a bit of bad luck, a shank, and a double fault.
One minute, Federer was on a string of comfortable service games and inching his way into del Potro’s, the next, he was down a break and the Pony was serving for the match. That’s tennis, y’all.
Sad (pretty) face for sad hearts.
Monkey was feeling a little down too! 😦
The good news is that Federer is through to the semifinal as the winner of his group despite the loss. Murray, Federer and del Potro all posted 2-1 records in their round-robin group, but Federer won out on percentages of games won/lost, while del Potro beat Andy Murray by a single game. Had Federer held at 3-4, Murray would’ve been in. Roll in the ridiculous tanking rumours.
The bad news is that the H2H against del Potro now reads 6-2, and 2-2 for the year. Given that del Potro is an up-comer and has won their last two meetings, this puts Fed’s advantage in their H2H in theoretical territory.
It also means that del Potro is now not just an execution problem, but a game plan problem. Sure, Fed’s execution was abysmal in the first set. During their Australian Open quarterfinal this year, Federer made a total of 9 errors and 38 winners.
Today, we had glimpses of Ferd and his stinky play instead. Exhibit A:
Ferd, you didn’t need to make it that cute… and you wonder why the man was so visibly angry throughout the last set.
Until Federer figures out a way to stop sending balls back to del Potro within his strike zone, Ponyboy is going to keep pounding forehand monstrosities at him. And because del Poop hits flatter and harder than anybody on tour, it takes away the need for him to go for the lines, while increasing pressure on his opponents to pull the trigger earlier, constantly change directions on the ball.
It also means that no one is going to overpower Pony with sheer bludgeoning tennis. It’s a similar style of play to Maria Sharapova – they don’t do everything, but what they do? They do ridiculously well.
It’s time for Federer to get back to the drawing board for this guy. Figure out a way to handcuff him, neutralise the groundstrokes. While Pony is many times the player that Ivo Karlovic is, it would help for Fed to take a more “big servers” approach to Pony: hold thy own serve, prepare mentally for tiebreaks, and for fuck sake, take whatever breakpoint second serve that comes your way.
I knew it was a mistake letting Federbear out of the cupboard. Back to solitary confinement, I’m so not having your babies!
xx doots
23 responses to “WTF: the new Toothface.”
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Who the hell is dootsiez?
Melbournian lawyer. Blogger. Unapologetic Federer tragic.
Need to contact me? Pop me a comment here, or find me on twitter or through the contact form above the header.
Go on, I don't bite. =)
All I need is a picket fence ... 
GUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTED. But for the fact that DelBoy bumps (old) Toothface out, I am just slightly less upset. Only JUST. Do not like the scene of Roger being outplayed and out-hit. I am more worried about Roger continues to be outpowered in future than this single loss. And being the stubborn champion, not sure if he will actually go back to the drawing board? afterall it took him years to learn the drop shot….
Of course Fed will go back to the drawing board. That I’m not worried about. Isn’t that what he did after he lost to Murray for an obscene number of times?
First of all, I’m betting that you’re comment regarding not wanting to have Fed’s baby will be retracted in, oh say about 5 seconds? Am I correct? yeah, good girl. 🙂 Now, regarding the match, I don’t to kick you when you’re down, dootz, but as you know, I am both a Fedtard and a Delpo fangirl,so I am taking this opportunity to thank the tennis gods for granting my Christmas wish. This has just made my day, nay, my year. 🙂 Rainbows and ponies all around 🙂
I HATE PONIES. AND RAINBOWS TOO. *sob sob sob* but ESPECIALLY PONIES! *wails*
Please note that Delpoop as now been downgraded to Delpee. I’ll reconsider calling him Poop again if Federer wins the tournament.
*stubbornly refuses to have Federbabies*
I should be happy that Roger is through and Andy is out but I’m not!!
I’m angry at Roger for losing, DelPo for winning, all these fucked-up conspriacies and the fact that power beat artistry! It’s sad to see a player like Roger, who has variety and artistry, loses to someone like DelPo just because he doesn’t hit the ball harder than him
As much as i like DelPo, i don’t want the future of mens tennis to be just about big serves and big forehands. We have the WTA for that!!! (just kidding :))
Also doots, as a big Maria fan, i like to think that Maria executes this style of play better than DelPo!. Agree??
I dunno about executing it better, but she’s hotter, louder and awesomeness epitomised.
(Yes, I have double standards for the WTA, if only Delpee was born with ovaries)
” dunno about executing it better, but she’s hotter, louder and awesomeness epitomised. ”
That’s what i meant!!! Maria is the epitome of awesome!
Also, I have double standards regarding Maria. I mean, i find her grunting ok and funny but when Dementieva does it, i hate it. I critisize Safina for being just a ball basher but i love Maria’s game. Also i find Murray and Djokovic on-court demeanours annoying and OTT but i think Maria demeanour is badass (especially after the JJ Comment!!)
Anyway, didn’t mean to ramble, i just think Roger and Maria (my two faves) are the perfect ying and yang. One is the perfect player (in terms of style and persona) and the other’s a bitchy ball bashing badass!! lol 🙂
Maria is the epitome of awesomness, that’s why I’m sad you compared her to Pony 😦
Ah, but everything depends on context JFK. Masha is clearly the steadiest, most talented and charismatic player on the WTA, no?
The ATP competition is more fierce, and I’d rather drool over Roger and Rafa.
We now have to deal with Delpo as new arch rival to the current mix of Nadal and Murray. Delpo strategy was similar to Nadal, pound Roger BH endlessly. Delpo uses brut force to play and its works. Ferd, time to call back the Master….
Ferd. GO AWAY. We don’t like you and don’t want to be friends with you and don’t want to have your bebes!
Come on, there is something to this. I think Fed hashed out the numbers already — down to sets and games — enough to know which scenario would give him the top slot while taking MAndy out of the semis. But he had to make it respectable, you see, and Del Po’s the guy to rope in for that. Now, we just have to wait and see who he’ll be up against — Djok or Davy. Am praying that latter but then again, Djok has to pay for taking away that fantastic trophy in Basel.
Not a conspiracy theorists, but I wouldn’t mind Fed playing Djoko for the semi, and BEATING HIM. But then again, I’d rather Djoko didn’t get to the semis cos I want Rafa to stay No 2.
I can’t believe people thought del po and Fed planned it so AM would be taken out, not that I’m not glad. Hopefully Davy or Soderling will beat him in the semis.
Everything is, of course, tongue-in-cheek. Dear me, tennis players can’t be that good in math.
Not here, but there’s talk of it on some of the forums. AM is still confused about the rules, he wrote about it his twitter.
My most horrible experience of the year after the Australian Open Final. OH MY GOD Federer. Honestly, WHAT THE FUCK?
Del Potro clearly has changed something in his game. and it just left Feds to defend points rather than attack. Not being a tennis guru, I have no idea what the change was, but he was fucking good at it. It honestly scared the crap out of me.
And Federer, 2 freaking points away from being kicked out. Remind me again why being a Federer fan is not a crazy idea. And honestly, I thought this ONCE federer would want some revenge from Del Potro. The man cost him a slam dammit. If at all Federer meets Del Potro in the finals, I hope to god he kicks Del Potro’s ass, cause right now, I feel like giving up tennis. DAMN YOU FEDERER!!
“My most horrible experience of the year after the Australian Open Final”
Wow. Really? You thought this was worse than Miami? Or Haas at Roland Garros?
i actually did. miami was just hard to watch, but i understood in a way because i mean roger was having a hard time with tennis during that period.
haas at roland garros and wimbledon didn’t scare me that much because i know roger can fight back. its best of five, and surprisingly that calms me. 3-setters always scare the crap out of me. me and my illogical ways of thinking.
I like Del Potro, he is my 2nd fav after the Fed.
And the h2h is 3-2 this year no? There was the Aus annihilation, the Madrid mauling and the French fumble against him, before these last 2 loses no?
Oh that’s true. I totally forgot about Roland Garros of all places.
Meh, too late to make JMDPee one of my boys. It’s a stylistic thing. I’ve been spoilt by Roger and Rafa.
Must say I’m a little gutted. At least no MAndy, although after mulling it over for a night I’ve decided that MAndy would be much more fun to anti-support than Del Pony is to, well, neither support nor not support.
I kinda like Del, much in the way I like Rafa, ‘cept not as much as I like Rafa. But as with Rafa, I would prefer it if Roger didn’t lose too much against him. Ya know. Win most of the matches next yeah, eh, Feddy?
I know this is a totally random question but you know how delpo style of play is described as big babe tennis on the WTA tour. What’s it called on the ATP Tour? Big …Guy …Tennis??