Re: RF Tennis News 2017

by Márcia Wed Nov 08, 2017 9:56 pm

^^^
Indeed, despite the need of putting the other person's name in the same sentence as Roger's. To be fair, I understand the need, he must be impartial. But...

by ph∞be Wed Nov 08, 2017 9:58 pm

Don't particularly care for the way Paul always manages to mention his book.

by MaxUS Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:16 pm

Márc19f wrote:Indeed, despite the need of putting the other person's name in the same sentence as Roger's. To be fair, I understand the need, he must be impartial. But...

I don't think that this is a good example of being impartial. When Roger was at the similar age of the person to whom he is being compared in this article, pundits were not marveling at his longevity to the extent that Nada is being hailed in this piece and others of a similar vein where his accomplishments are heralded along side Roger's. Yes, Roger got many accolades for winning W2012 and was in the running for YE#1 (I think that Roger's late season performance was hampered by what happened at the Olympics), but they seemed more subdued at the time and then the same old refrain of "Roger should retire," made a quick comeback during the disastrous 2013 season.

By drawing a comparison of his achievements this year to Roger, Nada is being lauded for covering similar ground as Roger did five years ago and giving it more meaning than it deserves, IMO. Were the field as diluted in 2012 as it was in 2017, then, I believe, that Roger's results that year may have been even greater than they were. For this reason, I see this article as just another attempt to elevate the profile of a lesser player by comparing it on unequal terms to Roger's brilliance.

While Nada may very well stick around as long or longer than Roger, until he does and challenges for YE#1 when he's 37 years old, then he hasn't earned the right to this particular comparison. It's impossible to know what the field will look like in four years time, Roger was fortunate that the field was what it was this year, but when he was healthy and motivated, he outclassed the entire field this year. Only time will tell if Nada will be able to match this year's performance by Roger when he's of a similar age, still by then Roger will have carved his own path through history which others will need follow in order to merit the comparison.

by HeartoftheMatter Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:39 pm

Annacone has touched on the major aspects of Roger's talent and success, on his having achieved such heights. He, maybe rightfully, did not specifically delve into the "talent" category, beyond observing that a greater than a generous allottment of talent, and the desire to work toward fulfilling it, counted for a great deal.
As I see this particular and undeniably the most important component, it appears to include unusual combinations, such as a particular type of physique, or center of gravity, or clean-limbed movement, strong, straight shoulders, wide chest for a good air supply, hand-eye coordination and a natural inclination toward footwork that aids in getting to the ball within the right striking distance, a reliance on instinct and reflex, and a mind that perceives in less than a flash possibilities where perhaps others' might not.
Right environment is important. Financially not deprived, nor overpriviliged, and steady parents who want the best for their child, but are willing to let him have his chance at his passion, and live it, to very vaguely paraphrase Lynette Federer, Roger's mother.
Everyone always talks about the small percent of talent needed compared to the large percent of work and effort required. Perhaps, but this much I know, without that percent of talent, the unusual talent, just to differentiate because there is a lot of talent around, no amount of work, striving and will shall accomplish the same things.
High [b]P.S. I would like to hear from Severin Luthi in this regard, and also, Pierre Paganini, who has been so instrumental, in my view--had to have been--for Roger to gather all his talents into one defining and amazing package. Same for those who believed in him, Peter Carter, and Lundgren, and Mirka, and others, along the way.[/b

by HeartoftheMatter Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:53 pm

P.S. i don't quite get the "Modify" or "Save" message I received after I posted, because others had posted while I was writing my response. I pressed "Save" once before, and the message seemed to disappear.
At any rate, I addressed my post as it relates to Roger. That is the key issue, the real gist of the matter, as far as I am concerned. (If I have to have an opinion, I shall stick with Roger's singularity, and let RN be king of clay.)
Annacone has his own outlook, and possibly, the attitudes of the ATP, as well as American/Anglo attitudes. Sorry, this is true, and it might as well be admitted. It's as though the Americans and related groups admit to Roger's greatness despite themselves, for they prefer an American, a Brit, Scot, Celt, Australian, or if not, some other ethnicity with the blood-and-guts approach to the game that they prefer. Anything but what is from Mount Parnassus. (I used to be a blood-and guts fiction editor, and hence my understanding of the proclivities of some for this kind of sport, even if what I did was action adventure.

by **Cromar** Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:18 am

What I saw in this article is a great insight into Roger's abilities and mental strength as a professional athletes, and the personal experience Paul had the privilege to share with Roger.

The fact that he mentioned Nadal within the context of this extraordinary season of 2017 should not detract from the overall content of this article, which is about Roger, and only Roger!

Nadal is the other most successful player on the tour and cannot always be ignored.

by Guest Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:30 am

Cromar wrote:Nadal is the other most successful player on the tour and cannot always be ignored.

Yes he can. Hee hee

by **Cromar** Sun Nov 12, 2017 5:14 am

Highlights of the year it has been... and that magic AO moment!... Still gives me goose bumps! Embarassed

ATP Finals Preview: Roger Federer

NOV 11, 2017
by Jeremy Eckstein | BASELINE - Tennis.com

  
The timeless greatness of Roger Federer keeps ticking along like a fine Swiss watch. At age 36, he won multiple majors for the sixth time in his career, and he's risen back up to No. 2.

Federer is the top seed in the Boris Becker Group in London, with round-robin matches to take place against Jack Sock, Marin Cilic and Alexander Zverev.

2017 Record

• 49-4 record
• 7 titles (Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Halle, Wimbledon, Shanghai and Basel)

Best Performances

Federer's most dominant performance was running through Wimbledon and dismantling Cilic in the final. However, his most memorable match was an epic-five set comeback over Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final. It reversed the course of their rivalry for 2017, with Federer winning all four of their encounters.

Season Low

Perhaps the most disappointing moment for Federer was a back injury during the US Open series. He struggled in the Rogers Cup final in losing to Alexander Zverev, skipped Cincinnati and was nearly ousted in the first round in New York by Frances Tiafoe. Federer had enough left in him to get to the quarterfinals, but he was outplayed by Juan Martin del Potro and missed out on a chance to play eventual champion Nadal for the first time ever at the US Open.

Roger Federer: Back injury contributed to 'rusty' start at US Open | https://t.co/31e4ofNVHA pic.twitter.com/MpxvPPusXh
— TENNIS.com (@Tennis) August 30, 2017

Best Social Media Moment

Federer has really kicked up his social media game in 2017. Who else could make faces while riding a golf cart in Indian Wells and feel confident enough to share them?

Afternoon commute from the office @BNPPARIBASOPEN pic.twitter.com/8Xv5YtWsSM
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) March 15, 2017

Best Quote

While accepting the winner’s trophy at the Australian Open, Federer was sincere and gracious. He put a stamp on the greatest match of the year (so far) with this statement: "Tennis is a tough sport, there's no draws, but if there was I'd be happy to share it with Rafa tonight."

#Federer: "Tennis is a tough sport, there's no draws but if there was I'd be happy to share it with Rafa tonight."#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/PbmQObhoq4
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2017

RF Tennis News 2017 - Page 37 52a20b41e5a14ea5905359f5e3ff58c9-desktop-copy

by **Cromar** Sun Nov 12, 2017 8:21 am

RF Tennis News 2017 - Page 37 New_tennis_logo

Why Federer is happy with only 16 seeds at the majors

RF Tennis News 2017 - Page 37 10138big_pictureu_index

Roger talks about some possible changes in the future to come.

11-Nov-17 | Mark Hall - TennisTonic

The Next Gen Finals have introduced a lot of new rules (probably too many) to give some new and fresh ideas about the evolution of the tennis.

Apparently, the representative of all slams are going to meet in London to discuss new rules such as the introduction of the “famous” shot clock, the use of the Hawk-Eye live (i.e. no lines judges), and the reduction of the seeded players from 32 to 16.

Federer’s opinion

Roger is quite happy with the introduction of new rules, and he focused on an “innovation” that could impact big time on the draw: having only 16 seeds instead of 32.

Having only 16 seeds will make the draw much more volatile to have more interesting matches in the first week of a slam. Also, having fewer seeds means that new upcoming players will have more chances to have a longer run in the tournaments. Federer commented

"There’s definitely something intriguing about having 16 seeds. I do see the problem of the 32 seeds, plus you have eight seeds who get byes at Masters 1000.

You have these stairs that can make you feel safe, and I feel like there’s too many to get to the top. It’s hard to drop out, and it’s hard to get into. Having 16 seeds? That might be interesting. The draw could be more volatile, better matches in the first week.

The top guys have made a habit of not cruising but getting through the first week quite comfortably for a long period of time. Playing against the Nos17, 19 or 20 in the world is not something I really want to do, but it is what it is.”

Is 16 seeds the next big change in slams?

INTERESTING POINT FROM ROGER

Roger Federer of Switzerland speaks during a press conference prior to the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena on November 10, 2017 in London, England. Getty Images Sport | Julian FInney

by **Cromar** Mon Nov 13, 2017 5:56 pm

Love the title! :lol!: Some good humour all around...

Federer Shakes Off Butt-Shot Shocker To Down Sock

Nov 12 2017

RF Tennis News 2017 - Page 37 Atpwtlogo-50x50

ATP Staff

Swiss No. 2 off to a winning start but not before Sock deploys a couple of surprise tactics

Jack Sock’s confidence is understandably riding high coming off his biggest career title in Paris to qualify for his Nitto ATP Finals debut. But staring down a 0-3 deficit in his FedExATP Head2Head series with Roger Federer coming into their opening round-robin clash on Sunday, it stands to reason he would have a few shock tactics up his sleeve to try throwing off the No. 2 seed.

With Federer comfortably edging his way towards the opening set with a break in hand, Sock looked to have blown a game point for 3-4 when his attempted half volley propped up for a routine Federer putaway. Stranded at net and feeling the point was all but lost, the American turned his back and pointed his rear end in Federer’s direction.

It was enough to throw off the usually unflappable Swiss as his forehand caught the net, drawing a grin of astonishment from Sock and a cheeky question as to whether his butt was the culprit. Asked just how big a distraction it was, Federer didn’t skirt the issue.

“It was a big distraction, I'll tell you that, because it was very big,” Federer said to laughter. “That's what I should have aimed for. That target was bigger than the down-the-line court that I had. It's happened sometimes in the past, but not on a big stage like this.”

For his part, Sock said the butt distraction was not a typical surprise tactic he deployed throughout the year. “I mean, I did it more for fun,” Sock said. “I probably do it three times a year. No, it's not a normal tactic.”

Federer ensured his 25-year-old opponent would not get away with a second surprise tactic late in the second set, when he out-showboated Sock on a somewhat lucky passing shot. Serving for a 5-4 lead, the American made a forehand tweener volley only for the Swiss to flick a backhand passing shot on the run into the corner.

“Well, I mean, he hit a good shot, credit to him. But it was a minor shank,” Sock said. “When he hit it, it wasn't very clean, I figured it was going to go out. It landed just inside both lines. But, I don't know. It's Roger, I guess. He can do no wrong. Everything goes in (smiling).”

Having chosen to skip the Rolex Paris Masters, Federer relinquished any chance of finishing ahead of Rafael Nadal for the coveted year-end No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking. It was a decision the Swiss did not regret, even when seeing his Spanish rival handed the year-end No. 1 trophy on Sunday.

“He was better throughout the year,” Federer said. “He played more tournaments. He was incredibly successful throughout. So, no, I don't have any regrets because I feel like in my stage of competition, my age, either it comes to me or it doesn't.

“He had more gas left in the tank than I did. I couldn't play as much as I've wanted … Things evaporated very quickly after he won the US Open. That's when he made his final push, in Asia. That was it for me really.

“In some ways I'm happy he clinched it because he deserves it. And like this, I can focus on playing the tournament, and not having to talk about that at the same time. Sure, I would have loved to be (No. 1), but you can't be it with (so few) tournaments, so it's no problem for me.”

You May Also Like: Federer Records 50th Match Win Of 2017

by **Cromar** Wed Nov 15, 2017 12:25 am

Good in-depth article about the up-coming generation and their game:

"Who will inherit the men’s game when the old guys finally wear out? More pressing for the spectator: What will that game look like? And more specifically still: Will Federer’s style — the variegated and beautiful all-court approach — live on in the next generation?"

Federer can’t play forever. Once he’s done, what will men’s tennis look like? And can it still be both beautiful and fun?

Story by Giri Nathan

Photos and Video by Calla Kessler

Published on August 24, 2017

by **Cromar** Wed Nov 15, 2017 6:31 am

With his RR2 win over A. Zverev yesterday at the ATP Finals, Roger becomes the top prize money earner in individual sports. He had passed Novak Djokovic as top ATP earner after his win in Basel in October.


Roger Federer To Overtake Tiger Woods As No. 1 Prize Money Earner In Sports

Nov 14, 2017

Danielle Rossingh, Contributor | Forbes
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Roger Federer is one win away from overtaking golfer Tiger Woods as the top prize money earner in individual sports.

Roger Federer during an ATP Finals press conference in London last week.
(Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

If Federer beats Germany’s Alexander Zverev in his second group match at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in London on Tuesday, he’ll take his career prize money to a cool $110,235,682.

That means he’ll surpass current prize money leader Woods, a 14-time major golf champion who has earned $110,061,012 in prize money in his career.

Unlike Federer, the American’s earnings have stalled since revelations in 2009 about his private life and a string of long-term injuries in recent years.

Tiger Woods addresses the media at this year's Presidents Cup in Jersey City, New Jersey.
(Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)

Federer, 36, has been on the men’s ATP World Tour since 1998. During that time, he’s won 95 tournaments, including a men’s record 19 grand slam singles titles. The Swiss has had one of his best seasons this year, coming back from a six-month long injury break to win major titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

by HeartoftheMatter Wed Nov 15, 2017 2:38 pm

It's silly that I am being cut off by some directive or other so frequently. I didn't say anything unsuitable.
Last year, I think, there was some news about Djokovic having made the most money. That surprised me, but then I thought that if it was so it was due to the prize money being greatly increased at some stage. So I don't know what the real story is. At any rate, comparing earnings when there are changes in the money allotted does not make a lot of sense, within the sport, at least,

by HeartoftheMatter Wed Nov 15, 2017 3:00 pm

Girl Nathan is trying a little too hard. Roger's game is not "variegated" but varied. As for the rest, there will always be top players, Wimbledon etc. other GS champions. What is important is that Roger's talent is so unique that one truly hopes that the money concerns in the game realize that encoraging young players to go more toward his style of all court play--thanks wcr[b][/b], for clearing that term up for me--is the one heading up the future. Otherwise, I feel sad for the sport. No truncated matches for me to accommodate the increasingly taller players. Though as said, there will always be top players, etc., the sport's prestige is heightened by unique talents, such outliers as Roger Federer. Just don't expect to see another version of him on the court again, ever.

by ph∞be Wed Nov 15, 2017 4:14 pm

Here is the NYT interview with Pierre Paganini
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/12/sports/tennis/roger-federer-atp-finals.html

Edit (cromar): Already posted in the General Interview topic.

by **Cromar** Mon Nov 20, 2017 3:03 am

Roger Federer reveals off-season plans after David Goffin defeat

George Bellshaw | Mettro.co.uk

Saturday 18 Nov 2017 6:29 pm

RF Tennis News 2017 - Page 37 875792194

Federer is ready for some time off (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Roger Federer is looking forward to a period of rest and some down time with his loved ones after drawing a close to what’s been a phenomenal 2017.

The Swiss won two Grand Slam titles during a fine year, while ending the season with more titles (7) than anyone else on the ATP Tour.

David Goffin ensured he didn’t add an eighth trophy to his collection on Saturday by dumping him out of the ATP Finals at the semi-final stage.

But the 19-time major winner is just thankful for a fantastic year and is looking forward to spending a bit of time with his family.

‘It’s been an amazing year for me,’ he said after the defeat. ‘I’ve been so happy that I was playing at this level from the beginning till basically the end, till today. So it’s been great. Really enjoyed myself in the process.

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Goffin took the Swiss out (Picture: AFP/Getty)

‘I felt I was, you know, playing in a way that I also, you know, like – you know, playing forward, playing attacking tennis. I wish I could have done that a little bit more today. It’s kind of disappointing to finish on this note. But whatever happened today is less important than if I look at the entire season. With that season, I’m extremely happy.

‘Looking ahead, look, clearly the buildup is not going to be six months like it was last time around. It’s not going to be six weeks of tennis. It’s just going to be two, three weeks. It’s going to be short. But I did that 15 years previously, so I know how to handle the buildup.

‘Then I’m just looking forward to some time off now, away from the match court, away from the pressure, then hopefully play well in Australia. I can’t wait to play there again. I had the best time of my life this year, so can’t wait to go back there.

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Federer is ready for a holiday (Picture: AFP/Getty)

‘I’ll probably take two weeks off, two weeks’ vacation. I feel like it’s what we always need at the end of the season, not just myself, but my wife as well, and my kids, too. We all need to spend some family time together. We love that. Most important time of our lives, to spend the time together like that.

‘After that, I’ll start the beginning of December my training again. Maybe on vacation, obviously I’ll start moving around a little bit so the comeback into training is not so hard, you know.

‘Then I leave at the end of the year for the Hopman Cup to get ready. I think I’m playing on the 30th, my first match. That’s the plan there.’

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RF Tennis News 2017