2018 BNP Paribas Open...ATP 1000...Indian Wells, United States

[stotty]

Roger finds some inner steel right at the death of the second set. Game on...he wants it now. And so does Del Potro.

1 set each

[don_budge]

Roger doesn't look too bothered...bit like yesterday against Coric. He can't seem to get up for it. Something isn't quite right temperamentally....unusual for him.

3-2 up though

He is looking plenty bothered now. Unusually emotional. Split sets. Both players harping on the umpire. Del Potro not happy about the crowd noise on his service games. No announcers...it's just as well. Here we go...third set. Does Federer have the gas in the tank that is necessary to get this home?

[stotty]

Del Potro is tetchy...should have wrapped this up but now looking at 3 sets.

I love the way Roger cuts inside his backhands and weights the ball with nasty side spin. Del Potro is poor at the intricate stuff close to the net, Roger by contrast is very deft when dealing with intricate stuff.

Shame Roger couldn't have broken while Del Potro was reeling....

[don_budge]

Roger serving for the championship. He is so good at this. Didn't have his best stuff again at the beginning but clawed his way back into it. Unbelievable.

[don_budge]

Now he is serving to get to a deciding tie-breaker. Lot's of pressure by both players. Remarkable.

[stotty]

Del Potro wins....strange, could have sworn Roger had that in the bag.

Great game. Really enjoyed it even though I am not a diplodocus fan.

[tennis_chiro]

The level of play was just about the best this year. It was amazing to see how well Roger was defending, but you have to give Delpo credit for playing aggressively. He won most of those match points down with winners. Some of the rallies were just breath-taking.

Stotty, you have a good memory for matches. I remember watching all those RG finals against Rafa where Roger would miss so many short forehands. At almost 37, it seems like he is covering court better than ever and making a lot less unforced errors than even during the 2004-2007 run. What do you think? No question the backhand is better, but I think the big frame is helping with his retrieving and even his forehand.

Delpo is ahead of the pack in 2nd place in the race to London and his level of play says he clearly belongs there. Both players clearly played the best level of tennis I have seen this year. Perhaps his ranking is still only 6 after today, but I think he has to be considered top 3 right now, even if Rafa is healthy again. And his use of the front court is better than anyone else in the top 10 except Roger. It will be interesting to see how these two recover for Miami.

On the women's side, the Venus/Kasatkina match may have been the best women's match of the year. But she didn't bring that level to the final. However, Osaka continued to play very well. Look for her to oust Serena in the first round at Miami. If she does, she will have confirmed herself as a major arrival and she will be in the hunt for RG and Wimby and definitely seeded top 8 by the time the summer swing gets here, maybe even by Wimbledon. Definitely most exciting addition to the women's tour I have seen in a very long time.

don

[klacr]

Roger serving at 5-4, 40-15 everyone assumed the match was in the bag. But not Del Potro. Federer then goes on to make a mess of the tie-break. Double faulting twice. Could not buy a first serve. Tough match to lose.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

The level of play was just about the best this year. It was amazing to see how well Roger was defending, but you have to give Delpo credit for playing aggressively. He won most of those match points down with winners. Some of the rallies were just breath-taking.

Stotty, you have a good memory for matches. I remember watching all those RG finals against Rafa where Roger would miss so many short forehands. At almost 37, it seems like he is covering court better than ever and making a lot less unforced errors than even during the 2004-2007 run. What do you think? No question the backhand is better, but I think the big frame is helping with his retrieving and even his forehand.

don

It certainly was a high level match once Roger engaged better midway through the second set. He didn't seem to fancy it all that much at first but then his will to win kicked in and seemed to override his tetchy mood.

Without question Del Potro played well from start to finish and smothered Roger with power much of the time. But yes Roger's defending was the highlight of the match for me, as it was against Coric. Not only did he defend well in both those matches, he also managed to give his opponent really awkward balls to deal.

Most pundits think Roger is a better player than he was back in his youth. He is, they are right. Most pundits, however, think his volleys aren't as good as the start of his career, and they are right here too. I think he moves about the same, slightly slower at times.

Del Potro has been desperately unlucky with injury throughout his career. He is as good as any of them. Once he has the opportunity to plant and hit, it's game over. Opponents simply have to try and find ways to keep him off balance, which is tough when his first strike is nearly always so crushingly powerful.

I think back in those days of Rafa and Roger you speak of, there was so much pressure on Roger to hit winning forehands to avoid being penned in on his backhand. With his improved backhand, he has less need to worry about that and can be more relaxed and bide his time with his forehand. The difference has been amazing, not just in the Rafa/Roger match up, but against anyone. I think it will make everyone on the tour pay more attention to equipment. It can make all the difference in the world.

[gzhpcu]

It was the 19th time in his career they Roger had match points and failed to win.

[klacr]

It was the 19th time in his career they Roger had match points and failed to win.

Federer also leads the tour in losses with matches featuring Simpson's paradox. Even when he is bad, he is still good.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[arturohernandez]

I saw Friday's match against Chung on Thursday. Federer looked very unnerved. Just not in rhythm. Then he had a long semi and long final. I think he was just not playing that well this week and ended up losing steam. The unhappiness was already there during the week. In the quarters he was up 3-0 and then lost momentum. It felt kind of like the US Open. Maybe he is dinged up a bit or something is a little off. He is getting older.

[stotty]

I saw Friday's match against Chung on Thursday. Federer looked very unnerved. Just not in rhythm. Then he had a long semi and long final. I think he was just not playing that well this week and ended up losing steam. The unhappiness was already there during the week. In the quarters he was up 3-0 and then lost momentum. It felt kind of like the US Open. Maybe he is dinged up a bit or something is a little off. He is getting older.

It wasn't a good week from the outset. I have seen Roger like that before, not often, but I have. However, I have never seen him like that in a slam event and don't think I ever will. ATP 1000 events are expendable, slams aren't.

[stroke]

db, I saw your post about Larry BIrd. I like him a lot. Definitely in my all time starting 5. Still like Jordon as my Federer. Off subject, but I would go with Jordon, Magic, Bird, Kevin McHale, and Abdul Jabbar as starting 5. Tough to leave Lebron and a young Julius off.

[don_budge]

db, I saw your post about Larry BIrd. I like him a lot. Definitely in my all time starting 5. Still like Jordon as my Federer. Off subject, but I would go with Jordon, Magic, Bird, Kevin McHale, and Abdul Jabbar as starting 5. Tough to leave Lebron and a young Julius off.

That is really tough stroke. But you pulled it off. I'm more old school...what a surprise! But one of my most enthusiastic "fan" experiences was the Detroit Piston "Bad Boys" team. Bill Lambier, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Vinnie Johnson, Dennis Rodman...the whole bunch. Chuck Daly the coach. Sort of explains my disdain for Micheal Jordan.

Not too long ago I got into a Larry Bird youtube experience. Watched everything Bird. Growing up I was right in the middle of the Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson show in 1979. I was in college playing intramural ball for my fraternity. We won our championship. My doubles partner and I played guard together. Man...that was a lot of fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNkyv4S67EU

I like your pick of Kevin McHale. He and Bird were just so tough together. The rest of their crew too. Bill Walton comes to mind. Larry Parish. It's funny...the Pistons and the Celtics hated each other but I loved them both. Just loved them both.

I read an article about Larry Bird and he was saying that he would have rather played tennis or he should have been a tennis player. He said that because he said nobody wanted to win as much as he did and it was impossible to get his teammates on his level. He observed that in tennis it is just you and that is what he felt comfortable with. I concur...which just shy of saying that I agree.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcXv0JtzNQA

Look at 5.20 in this highlight video...he steals the inbound pass from Isiah Thomas. Broke Detroit's heart that day. Just loved him. Scorer, passer and rebounder. All of the intangibles. Larry all day long over Jordan.

Don't forget my Bad Boy bias.