Miami Open (Itau)...ATP 1000...Miami, Florida...United States of America

[don_budge]

Amazing to come back after that match with Nick "The Jerk" Kyrgios and beat Rafael Nadal. He looked completely exhausted but Nadal looked really bad. Here comes his runner up speech. Uh oh...he sucks at this.

Here is Roger's projected schedule.

https://www.facebook.com/RogerFedere...20391361404037

1.Hopeman Cup
2.Australian Open
3.Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship
4.Indian Wells
5.Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
6.Rome Masters
7.Roland Garros
8.Mercedes Cup
9.Gerry Weber Open
10.Wimbledon Championship
11.Rogers Cup
12.Cincinnati Masters
13.U.S Open
14.Shanghai Rolex Masters
15.Swiss Indoor Basel
16.Paris Masters
17.ATP WTF 2017

Now it appears that Federer will not be playing until Roland Garros. That is ten weeks to recuperate and absent from the tour. This doesn't make a lot of sense. If he was fit enough to take Indian Wells and Miami consecutively then why would he not be fit to play a tournament or two in the runup to Roland Garros?

This to me is suspicious. It reminds me of Nadal missing from the tour and coming back fitter and better than ever. Unprofessional? Afterall his comeback is the biggest story going in professional tennis and the tour is basically on life support without him. I would think a couple of weeks off and he would be fit for fight again. Strange. Very strange.

[stotty]

Miami Open (Itau)...ATP 1000...Miami, Florida...Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal



That was some match...and I don't mean that in a good way. I never imagined Rafael Nadal playing so abysmally poor. His forehand was a scattershot. Only Mark Petchey saw something of merit in the match and he realized how foolish he has sounded after it was all said and done. I don't remember ever seeing such a poorly played final.

Federer looked as if he could barely get his legs under himself. He badly misfired many times. He was missing by meters and normally it is by centimeters. Only his perfect service motion saved him. Even under such duress he was able to control that aspect of his game. He had the ball in his hand and all he had to do was toss it in the right spot then rely upon his motion.

It is amazing how far Rafael Nadal has fallen but in the same breath he made it to the finals. I don't know...that was one weird match. A final no less. The speeches were equally strange...Federer barely had anything to say. That match with Nick Kyrgios no doubt took a lot if not everything out of him. He looked as if he couldn't believe some of the poor contact he was making with the ball. I almost felt sorry for Nadal...that's how bad he played. Given how much I despise him...that is saying a lot.

Anybody else see what I did?

I saw it exactly the same way.

The media are full of superlatives about Federer and much of it is richly deserved, but Federer's sudden mastery of Nadal is not all one way as it is being portrayed....that's fake news. Nadal was downright awful in that final and he is still a shadow of his former self. His forehand, once the most secure in living memory, is often a weakness these days. His length in the final was shocking to say the least. I cannot see him winning a clay court tournament in his present form. Nadal is not the brightest button on the tour and is clearly bemused by his own poor form. Right now he is vulnerable to the big, tall hitters like Kyrgios and Zverez who are likely to beat him on any surface.

You had to give credit to Federer as he had by far the tougher draw in my view. He looked spent in the final and, yes, it was his serve that held it together for him, no question. But that was the worst final those two have ever played yet I have yet to read a press article that reflected the match how it was.

The fact you felt sorry for Nadal says it all. I felt sorry for him too. It all comes down to the game of tennis whoever we support....most of us just want to see a darn good game.

I didn't bother with the speeches...never do...banal affairs they are usually. I've switched off by then.

[don_budge]

Miami Open (Itau)...ATP 1000...Miami, Florida...Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal

Yeah...I was going to say Petchey is a zero. Which is the equivalent to a donut...or a bagel. Nadal looks real bad. It looks as if Federer is just biding his time. He just bided his time in the first set and then he struck. It was over. I hope it is straight sets. Roger needs to get off of his feet and get some rest.

That was some match...and I don't mean that in a good way. I never imagined Rafael Nadal playing so abysmally poor. His forehand was a scattershot. Only Mark Petchey saw something of merit in the match and he realized how foolish he has sounded after it was all said and done. I don't remember ever seeing such a poorly played final.

Federer looked as if he could barely get his legs under himself. He badly misfired many times. He was missing by meters and normally it is by centimeters. Only his perfect service motion saved him. Even under such duress he was able to control that aspect of his game. He had the ball in his hand and all he had to do was toss it in the right spot then rely upon his motion.

It is amazing how far Rafael Nadal has fallen but in the same breath he made it to the finals. I don't know...that was one weird match. A final no less. The speeches were equally strange...Federer barely had anything to say. That match with Nick Kyrgios no doubt took a lot if not everything out of him. He looked as if he couldn't believe some of the poor contact he was making with the ball. I almost felt sorry for Nadal...that's how bad he played. Given how much I despise him...that is saying a lot.

Anybody else see what I did?

[stotty]

Minority opinion, Fed showed again why he is the best of all time. Nadal to me is the 2nd best of all time.

I'd put Djokovic in front of both.

[stroke]

Minority opinion, Fed showed again why he is the best of all time. Nadal to me is the 2nd best of all time.

[stotty]

If Federer wins, it's always a good result. Except for that quarterfinal on Thursday.

Anyways, here are some interesting stats...

-Federer becomes just third play to beat Rafael Nadal 4 times in a row. Djokovic and Davydenko are the other two.

-Federer has saved match points and gone on to win the tournament 6 times. World Tour Finals 2003, Dubai 2005, Halle 2006, World Tour Finals 2006, Shanghai 2014, Miami 2017.

-Federer 19-1 in 2017. 6-0 against slam champions (Nadal x3, Wawrinka x2, Del Po X1) 3-0 against slam finalists (Berdych x2, Kei x1).

-The 5 time Federer has ended the year #1, four times he has left Miami with the race lead.
Race Lead
1. Federer 4045
2. Nadal 2235

-Federer's 91st career title. #rd all time behind Lendl (94) and Connors (109)


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Great stats as usual. I wonder if he will catch Jimbo up in career titles...must be on the cards.

Well, Djokovic must be fuming. He has owned this part of the season in the past and right now he has had to watch Roger steal his thunder.

But Nadal was awful today, truly awful. His footwork was way off and his forehand was even further off. His two key assets just aren't there anymore in the same way.

Roger looked knackered. He did what he had to and got off the court in two straight. He must be mightily relieved to have got away with that win so easily.

[klacr]

If Federer wins, it's always a good result. Except for that quarterfinal on Thursday.

Anyways, here are some interesting stats...

-Federer becomes just third play to beat Rafael Nadal 4 times in a row. Djokovic and Davydenko are the other two.

-Federer has saved match points and gone on to win the tournament 6 times. World Tour Finals 2003, Dubai 2005, Halle 2006, World Tour Finals 2006, Shanghai 2014, Miami 2017.

-Federer 19-1 in 2017. 6-0 against slam champions (Nadal x3, Wawrinka x2, Del Po X1) 3-0 against slam finalists (Berdych x2, Kei x1).

-The 5 time Federer has ended the year #1, four times he has left Miami with the race lead.
Race Lead
1. Federer 4045
2. Nadal 2235

-Federer's 91st career title. 3rd all time behind Lendl (94) and Connors (109)


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Not the best of games.

Now, is it me or is Federer getting an amazing amount of luck in matches? Everything seems to be rolling his way right now. Shanks, net cords...right at key moments in all the big matches he's played this year. Sure, a player makes his own luck, but it all seems a bit uncanny of late. I have a sneaking feeling it will eventually run out...right at a key moment later down the line. Luck is like that.

[don_budge]

Amazing to come back after that match with Nick "The Jerk" Kyrgios and beat Rafael Nadal. He looked completely exhausted but Nadal looked really bad. Here comes his runner up speech. Uh oh...he sucks at this.

Here is Roger's projected schedule.

https://www.facebook.com/RogerFedererTheOneAndOnly/posts/1020391361404037

[stotty]

Yeah...I was going to say Petchey is a zero. Which is the equivalent to a donut...or a bagel. Nadal looks real bad. It looks as if Federer is just biding his time. He just bided his time in the first set and then he struck. It was over. I hope it is straight sets. Roger needs to get off of his feet and get some rest.

It should be done in two. But all it takes is a little dip with Nadal. Even in poor form, he's dangerous like that.

[don_budge]

Yeah...I was going to say Petchey is a zero. Which is the equivalent to a donut...or a bagel. Nadal looks real bad. It looks as if Federer is just biding his time. He just bided his time in the first set and then he struck. It was over. I hope it is straight sets. Roger needs to get off of his feet and get some rest.

[stotty]

Mark Petchey...fawning idiot. The match so far is very spotty. Both players look to be off. Federer looks to be exhausted. Nadal just doesn't look very sharp at all. Petchey is doing everything he can to convince us this is high level tennis at its finest.

Good analysis. Petchey is donut.

I am watching on TennisTV where plenty of the filming has been on ground level. Nadal's second serve is sitting up like mine. He's slow so far today and missing loads. The match needs to pick up. It's a bit dull so far.

[don_budge]

Mark Petchey...fawning idiot. The match so far is very spotty. Both players look to be off. Federer looks to be exhausted. Nadal just doesn't look very sharp at all. Petchey is doing everything he can to convince us this is high level tennis at its finest.

[stotty]

Sometimes when I watch Roger Federer play tennis I only watch him. Not the opponent. Not the ball...just Roger.

I do exactly the same...

He wasn't amused and I am assuming...very, very tired and exhausted. Kyrgios amazingly looked pretty fresh. He could have gone on like that for quite a while.

It's very likely Roger could have overdone it this week. Let's hope the final won't be a step too far.

[don_budge]

Nadal is a strong favorite at 1/5 vs Fognini. Roger is a slight favorite at 4/7. Nick somewhat appears to be trying his best most of the time now. His serve is a scary fast twitch motion, as Darren Cahill called it remisnicent of Roscoe Tanner. It really is on the returner quickly. His movement is top shelf. I do not think any other player could beat him in a 40 yard dash, but his movement is way more disciplined than someone like Monfils, who has similar athletic gifts. One thing I think we all know. Nick will not win 18(or 19) Majors. But if he does not win at least one, he can go down as a Marcelo Rios type best player never to win a Major.

The oddsmakers were spot on. stroke...your comments about his ability to move kept going through my mind as I was watching the match. It was a match of two equals in this department as both were trying with all what they had at hand to maneuver each other out of position. Sometimes when I watch Roger Federer play tennis I only watch him. Not the opponent. Not the ball...just Roger.

Interestingly I did the same thing with Nick Kyrgios and I found that he was rather interesting to watch. Very interesting and his movement is very pleasing to the eye. He did his best the entire match I would say. He threw in his fair share of distractions but for the most part his behavior was certainly within the boundaries of what modern tennis accepts. The broken racquets were rather amusing. He broke one on the way to shake hands with Roger. The handshake you could have written a book about. Kyrgios was less than gracious after smashing his racquet...actually he was sort of gracious after that. Maybe he just had to get it out of his system. Roger was less so. He wasn't amused and I am assuming...very, very tired and exhausted. Kyrgios amazingly looked pretty fresh. He could have gone on like that for quite a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TypQP75Pos

In this short clip it is "The Amazing Mr. Monfils" who has a few moments to show case his basketball moves. Pretty nifty stuff in my book. Kyrgios shows his technique on a single shot off of the dribble and it looks to be pretty darn good fundamentally speaking. Another thing that would escape the eye of anyone that doesn't know basketball is the Kyrgios defensive set. This guy can defend...whether or not he has that hard nosed defensive capability remains the question. Judging from his performance against Federer he does have the capability. The key "d" in defense is often DESIRE.

Basketball Jones...Cheech and Chong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f5aE1JXJfM