Running Wimbledon thread

It would be oh-so-fitting if Roger could somehow win the French next year.

 

I don't know if that was the greatest match ever, but I know there aren't more than two or three better.

I hate, hate seeing Federer lose and today was tough to watch because he had so many chances and played so poorly on some of those break points.

It took a long time for me to come around on liking Nadal, but it was sure easy to be happy for him today.

The two most impressive things about him to me are his unbelievable athletic abilities and the fact that he never beats himself. Federer missed a handful of easy shots today, especially a couple of volleys, and that's not something Nadal does.

 

For me that match surpassed the two best I had seen at Wimbledon in the modern equipment era both Agassi-Rafter semifinal matches, Rafter winning both in five sets of brilliant tennis.

This was a shotmaking exhibition and maybe the greatest show of determination by two guys I've seen...in about three weeks (although it was more entertaining in my opinion).

On one hand I'm saddened. I think this is the beginning of the end for Federer. He still has a ridiculous amount of game, but I just feel like he's one of those guys who feels like life has more to offer than tennis. I wouldn't be shocked if 2009 or 2010 is his final year on tour.

On the other hand I think this secures his legacy in this generation moreso than any of his slam wins with the possible exception of last year's victory. He got fat on mentally and systematically whipping the Roddicks and Hewitts of the world. After what happened in May, the whispers of Federer being a front runner who couldn't stand up to this challenge were getting louder and if he loses that third or fourth-set tiebreaker it would have become deafening. But he fought, he grinded and he refused to let Rafa waltz into greatness without putting up some hellacious resistance.

Now I just want to see Rafa become a great hard court player. However, I'm hopeful Raj can win his fifth consecutive U.S. Open in a couple of months because if he does these two guys can bring the tour to great heights in 2009.

Either way, I won't forget match for a long time and I expect 20 years from now when NBC has two hours of time to kill they will show highlights from this match of the ages.

 

If Nadal Van de Velded the match, it would be one of the biggest choke jobs in recent tennis history.

 

Van de Velded? The guy didn't give up a service break in the final three sets. If he would have gotten broken...he would have gotten broken. It wouldn't have been a choke or anything close to it.

 

He was up two sets on Federer and then proceeded to drop the next two and nearly did the final one as well. He turned a near catastrophe into a stunning finish.

 

Very true, he was obviously playing himself :/. He didn't drop anything, he got beaten in two tiebreakers but a guy equal his talent. He didn't give up a service break, I don't think he made more than 10 unforced in the final three sets. Federer actually elevated his game. Sometimes that actually happens in sports.

 

So if Nadal lost this match after going up two sets on Federer and having two opportunities on his OWN serve to clinch the championship, would we be talking more about Federer's greatness or Nadal coughing one away?

 

i'm somewhat ambivalent about tennis, and my wife hates tennis, and neither of us left the TV from the fourth set on. what a spectacle.

additionally, kudos to the NBC crew for knowing when to shut up. there were stretches of complete silence on their end for a few minutes there. sometimes you just gotta know when the action's good enough to speak for itself.

 

Thinking it was possibly a choke has no clue about the game of tennis. A choke is losing after being up 5-1 in the second set (hello Jana Novotna).

Rafa did not get broken and went to two tiebreaks. Rafa came in and forced Federer to hit a passing shot on match point, that shot by Federer was a great shot. Federer hit 4 aces in the tiebreak alone.