2017 Australian Open...ATP 2000...Melbourne, Australia

[klacr]

Good stuff klacr. Nishikori's five set match record slips to 15-6 and Federer's raises to 26-20. Double check that klacr...but that is somewhat surprising. Outstanding performance in the fifth here against Nishikori. Federer just piled on the pressure and never let up. He was hounding him in nearly every service game but Nishikori kept hanging on.

Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have played in a watered down talent pool.

don_budge Your stat is spot on in regards to the five set records.

Here is another cool stat. After Federer's victory over Nishikori, it makes his 200th win over a top 10 player. That counts as nearly one fifth of his total wins (1087). Thats damn impressive.

Player	Win-Loss vs. Top 10 Players	Index
Roger Federer	200-107	.651
Novak Djokovic	180-84	.682
Rafael Nadal	140-77	.645
Andy Murray	100-80	.556

want one more? Federer has double digit wins over top 10 players in 11 seasons on tour.

I can't resist...
He has played in 85 tournaments where he has defeated multiple top 10 players in the same event.

Against the best? He has 52 match wins the the ATP Tour finals. The most of any player.

Roger Federer: Not my favorite player, but he's pretty damn close!!!!!!

Ok. I'm done. I think.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

Federer wins 1st set over Zverev in 19 minutes. Looking sharp. Zverev has no answers...as of now.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Federer on top of Zverev early. 5-0 up in just 12 minutes.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Federer wins 1st set over Zverev in 19 minutes. Looking sharp. Zverev has no answers...as of now.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Bing...bang...bye. See ya. Zverev now in Federer's rear view.

Roger Federer's previous win over Mischa Zverev in Halle, Germany on the grass was 6-0, 6-0. The dreaded double bagel. Look for Federer to keep the pedal to the metal until it is a foregone conclusion. That is the goal. Zverev on the other hand much get his teeth into the match.

[don_budge]

Zverev's feeling in his hands is returning. He was so nervous the first set he couldn't feel his hands or even believe he was where he is. But now he has a feeling for the situation and he is beginning to apply some pressure on Roger Federer and Federer is feeling it. The different tempo that Zverev's style of play doesn't allow Roger to get in the comfort zone he likes. Zverev takes even Roger out of his game. Zverev was up a break but Roger has evened the score. Now it will be a bit more cat and mouse. Tit for tat. This is what John was referring to...drama.

[don_budge]

It was tit for tat. But Roger delivers a haymaker and breaks Zverev at love. Roger serving for the second set at 6-5. This is where he is so good. He gets this look on his face..."it's my serve and you can't have it".

[don_budge]

It's been a fascinating match. Federer to serve for it now at 5-2 in the third. I just love that look on his face when he is serving for the match. But John is right...it's the dramatic effect that is missing in the game today. Of course I have been saying the very same thing over and over for the past five years or so. But with John McEnroe in the booth it has been a sublime experience. 30 love.

Some of the things that McEnroe has mentioned throughout the match adds to the canvas like feeling of a Roger Federer tennis match. 30-40...all of a sudden. Mischa Zverev has brought an element back to the game if only for a moment in time...an element that has been engineered out of the game with the courts surfaces, racquets, strings and hijacked coaching.

Game, set and match...to "The Living Proof". You know who.

Time to walk "The Puntzie".

[don_budge]

Federer wins 1st set over Zverev in 19 minutes. Looking sharp. Zverev has no answers...as of now.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Isn't it great to have something to talk about? The presence of Roger Federer changes everything doesn't he? Zverev certainly did have some answers coming after that first set. It was important for him to get some work out of Roger in the first set to try and play on his conditioning. To test him. At the same time it was fortunate for Roger that he got on top of Zverev so early...and so completely. He took some of the belief out of Mischa. To Zverev's credit he never hung his head and he kept coming forwards to press the issue. He needs to see this level of the game more and more and if he continues to go deep into the draws he is going to get these looks and he will be more and more comfortable with the level...not to mention become more and more clever with his own game.

Roger Federer brings so much to the game. It gives the game appeal...an attractiveness. But he couldn't do it solely on his own. Characters like Mischa Zverev give him opponents that will bring out different elements of his game. He discussed this and several other things with Jim Courier after the match. He used to face serve and volleyers. He didn't seem to mind them. He has adapted to the slugfest behind the baseline. He said he doesn't mind that either. What is it our fellow member Charles Darwin said in that thread a while back...regarding the survival of the fittest. It isn't the strongest or the smartest...it's the one that adapts.

[stroke]

This is very interesting now as Fed tries for another major. I will be curious to see the betting odds on the Fed vs Wawrinka match. Fed will probably get through that and then there is the Nadal/Raonic winner looming. I would think Fed is going to be able to get past anyone except Nadal, but it would be something to see him try to work his was through Nadal, his own personal krptonite.

[klacr]

3 of the four semifinalists, Federer, Wawrinka, Dimitro

All one-handed backhands. Surviving and thriving on the fast hard courts.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Three out of Four Ain't Bad...

3 of the four semifinalists, Federer, Wawrinka, Dimitro

All one-handed backhands. Surviving and thriving on the fast hard courts.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Not too shabby...eh klacr? What a post! What news! Is it the culmination point that good old don_budge has been rambling on and on about. In between Donald Trump narratives. Is it a sign? You know what the Indians say...see the signs and know their meanings.

The slightly faster conditions. Amen. That's all that it takes? It's unbelievable! What gorgeous backhands they are too. I say speed up the courts and reduce the size of the racquets even. Great post...I was just saying to my boys the other day that there were three one-handed backhands left out of eight. Now it is "three our of four". Its infinitely better...isn't it?

[don_budge]

2017 Australian Open Semi-finals...Roger Federer vs. Stan Wawrinka


In a word...fast courts. Ok, two words. Mats Wilander just went on record saying that this is the fasted venue that the men will play on all year. Not only that...Rod Laver Arena is playing faster than the rest of the courts.

Stan Wawrinka has never beaten Roger on any surface other than clay. If Roger serves well today that is likely to still be the case at the end of the day. stroke...what are the odds? It doesn't matter to me. I'm taking Roger Federer. He may even be the underdog which only makes him more of a favorite for me. The history of the game of tennis stands at a culmination point and who more than Roger deserves to stand on the precipice. Answer...not a single solitary soul.

Roger wants to get on top and stay there. The points are going to be quick and lightening fast. If Stan can consistently stand up to the baseline and deliver enough heavy duty body blows and crushing knockout shots it will be a long day for Federer. Or a short one. But if Roger can get into his rhythm of serving and holding serve and working Stan over on his serve it is going to be a match that Roger can win. Roger needs a hight percentage of first serves. He can win alright. Just look at those statistics that klacr posted earlier in the thread. All of which amount to absolute zero now as the players take their warm up serves.

Even the 18-3 advantage to Federer in their head to head means absolutely nothing. Roger to serve. What am I saying? That 18-3 advantage is the great equalizer now. Certainly Stan should win. He is younger and he should be fitter. But what about the mind game? What's in the head? Stan has to have some doubts. Roger has some jitters. There is the difference.

[don_budge]

First Set...4-5 Federer

Federer has been been fighting his nerves up to this point as well as fighting Wawrinka who has come to play. He has been struggling on his serve as well. But at 4-4 he holds at love. Now he must follow up with a convincing return game to win the set.

[don_budge]

First Set...4-5 Federer

Federer has been been fighting his nerves up to this point as well as fighting Wawrinka who has come to play. He has been struggling on his serve as well. But at 4-4 he holds at love. Now he must follow up with a convincing return game to win the set.

Tough first set. At 5-6...Stan gets a couple of close calls and loses both challenges. Federer breaks for the set. He was rock solid in holding his serve towards the end of the set. It all bolds well psychologically for him...now if he can just hold up physically. Winning that first set was of the most utmost importance for Federer physically speaking. Not so much physically for Wawrinka...but psychologically it was more important. It's the speed of the course that makes the difference in the players minds. If Roger continues to maintain pressure or even increase it he is the finals. He was a bit shaky actually but he may just have his legs under him now. He aces Wawrinka on game point for the first game of the second set. A good sign.

[stroke]

Fed is the favorite at minus 140 or so to plus 125 for Stan. Nadal is a bigger favorite over Grigor. If Roger and Nadal end up in the final, what a huge matchup with major repurcushions on the Major count. Will it be 18-14 or 17- 15. Massive difference. Nadal would be the favorite I would think.

[don_budge]

Fed is the favorite at minus 140 or so to plus 125 for Stan. Nadal is a bigger favorite over Grigor. If Roger and Nadal end up in the final, what a huge matchup with major repurcushions on the Major count. Will it be 18-14 or 17- 15. Massive difference. Nadal would be the favorite I would think.

Federer serving for the second set. He has that look in his eyes. This is my serve...and you can't touch this.