Top Spin Blog » Federer

Greatest Tennis Player of All Time? Roger, Of Course, Despite the Fact I’ve Beaten Him 17 Times

Joe Samuel Starnes — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:54:05 +0000

The GOAT discussion reached its most ludicrous point yesterday when John McEnroe’s endless search for an answer to the unanswerable and interminable question landed at Rafael Nadal’s feet after he beat Roger Federer for the 17th time, the sixth time in a Grand Slam final. (Federer has beaten Nadal only eight times, and only twice in Grand Slam finals.) McEnroe said something like, “Somewhere in your heart you must think you are the greatest of all time.” Rafa responded in his usual humble fashion. “No, it’s Roger. He is the greatest.” It must feel good to have a .680 winning record against the GOAT.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

2009: The American Tennis Year That Almost Was

Joe Samuel Starnes — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:04:42 +0000

There’s a Flatlanders song in which Joe Ely sings: “I thought I had died and gone to heaven/in fact, I had lived and gone to hell.” That might describe the five days that passed for fans of American men’s tennis from the point where Andy Roddick almost took a two-sets-to-none lead over Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final to the devastating back-to-back five set singles losses five days later in Croatia suffered by James Blake and Mardy Fish on the first day of Davis Cup. Instead of Roddick hoisting the Wimbledon trophy and the U.S. moving on in Davis Cup to face Spain at home on a glassy fast hard court, all three American men suffered agonizing losses and were left to limp in for the remainder of the seemingly infinite tennis season. End of year rankings have seen Roddick fall to sixth in the world, while Blake has plummeted to 44th and Fish to 56th. The future looks to be Sam Querrey, 25th, and John Isner, 34th, but will they have the games to equal the success Roddick has enjoyed over the past seven years? The optimist in me hopes they will, but the realist doubts it.

Can Fish Turnaround the Spanish Beatdown of American Players? The matches between Spanish players and Americans at Wimbledon have...
See You in Texas — U.S. Will Try to Avenge 0-6 Wimbledon Singles Record Against Spanish in Davis Cup With Mardy Fish’s quarterfinal loss to Rafael Nadal, the American...
Davis Cup in Roddick’s Hometown: Austin The U.S. Davis Cup match against Spain has been set...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Federer Cries at Swiss Anthem, His Country He Ditched in Davis Cup

Joe Samuel Starnes — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:27:33 +0000

He is crying now, but Federer missed the Swiss anthem in Birmingham, Ala., in March when the Americans trounced the Swiss team without him. http://www.topspinblog.com/2009/02/federers-davis-cup-flop-a-precautionary-measure/

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Sizing Up the Swiss Davis Cup Team, Sans Federer

Joe Samuel Starnes — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:54:42 +0000

"Hey, where did Roger go?"

Roger Federer’s decision to skip this week’s Davis Cup match in Birmingham, Ala., between the Swiss and U.S. team is like Andy Roddick and James Blake preparing to play the circa ’90s Chicago Bulls only to learn that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are out. Federer’s departure on what would have been essentially a two-man lineup leaves the Swiss with one quality player, No. 17-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka.

Wawrinka is a threat to win his singles matches against Roddick and Blake — something he will have to do if the Swiss have any chance. He cracked the top 10 last June, and partnered with Federer to win the Olympic Gold in doubles. He reached two ATP finals last year and also the fourth round at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He also has never lost to Roddick or Blake, beating Blake twice on clay, including a five-setter in the French Open in 2005 in which he came back from two sets down. He also has a 1-0 record against Roddick, although it is not much of indicator because Roddick retired down 0-3 in the first set of the the Italian Open semifinal last year.

Federer’s most likely sub is Stephane Bohli, a 25-year-old ranked No. 147 who has spent most of his career on the Challenger tour. His highest rank ever achieved was 126 last September. Bohli, who is so obscure that ESPN hasn’t bothered to include his photo on his bio page, has played only 15 matches on the ATP, coming in a with a record of 6-9. He lost in the first round of the Australian Open qualifyings, although in February he beat No. 59 Teimuraz Gabashvili in a Challenger event. His only ATP match in 2009 was a loss to Gaels Monfils in which he retired down 0-1 after losing the first set 6-4. He has never played Blake or Roddick.

The Swiss also could call on Marco Chiudinelli who is ranked way down in the 400s due to missing 18 months with a knee injury has a suprisingly strong 4-2 Davis Cup record, including impressive wins over Fernando Verdasco and David Ferrer when the Swiss beat the Spanish team on fast carpet in Switzerland in February 2007. His highest career ranking was 129 in 2005. He has never played either Blake or Roddick. He is lifelong friend of Roger Feder, writes Randy Walker on Tennisgrandstand.com.

In doubles, the Swiss team most likely will go with Wawrinka and 30-year-old doubles-specialist Yves Allegro who has a 5-5 Davis Cup doubles record, including a lopsided loss with Wawrinka against Belarus last year. But they will run up against a hot team in the No. 1 Bryan brothers, fresh of wins of the Delray Beach tournament on Sunday and the Australian Open in January.

My prediction? With a rowdy Alabama crowd behind them, either Blake or Roddick beat Wawrinka on Friday and the U.S. goes on to take the first three matches to clinch with ease.

See You in Texas — U.S. Will Try to Avenge 0-6 Wimbledon Singles Record Against Spanish in Davis Cup With Mardy Fish’s quarterfinal loss to Rafael Nadal, the American...
U.S. versus Spain: 0-9 Zero to nine. The number says it all. That is...
U.S. Davis Cup: Roddick, Isner, Bryan & Bryan In his first official order of business, U.S. Davis Cup...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Federer-Free Rosters Set for Davis Cup in Birmingham

Joe Samuel Starnes — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:57:17 +0000

It’s a long drop from the number one and two rankings in Switzerland men’s tennis to the number three spot. The U.S. and Swiss teams have submitted rosters for the March 6-8 matches in Birmingham, and as expected instead of putting up the No. 2 player in the world, the Swiss will now lean heavily on No. 17 Stanislas Wawrinka and No. 150 Stephane Bohli in singles the matches against No. 6 Andy Roddick and No. 13 James Blake. The U.S. also has the world No. 1 doubles team, Bob and Mike Bryan, fresh off their Australian Open victory, while the three and four spots on the Swiss depth chart drop farther down into the netherlands of the ATP rankings: No. 443 Marco Chiudinelli and Yves Allegro, who has no singles ranking but is No. 87 in doubles.

Of course, the paperwork is somewhat meaningless as teams can substitute up to one hour before the first service tossed is in the air. How ’bout it, Roger? Changed your mind yet?

Gluten-Free Streak: Is Being No. 1 Worth This? Much has been written and said lately about Novak Djokovic’s...
U.S. Davis Cup: Roddick, Isner, Bryan & Bryan In his first official order of business, U.S. Davis Cup...
See You in Texas — U.S. Will Try to Avenge 0-6 Wimbledon Singles Record Against Spanish in Davis Cup With Mardy Fish’s quarterfinal loss to Rafael Nadal, the American...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

If Federer’s Cagey, He’s Bluffing — But Probably Not

Joe Samuel Starnes — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 03:02:37 +0000

Roger Federer has announced that he won’t play in the first round Davis Cup matches against the U.S. in Birmingham, but Davis Cup rules allow him to change his mind right up until one hour before the matches are played on Friday, March 6.

When the U.S. played Russia in the Davis Cup final in 2007, the Americans were aware of the possibility of Marat Safin being dropped into the Russian lineup at the last minute. Wouldn’t it be a shock to Andy Roddick and James Blake to see Federer’s name slotted in to the Birmingham draw as a late addition?

Even though he’s one of the greatest players ever, I’ve lost some respect for Federer for dumping Davis Cup as a “precautionary measure” even though he’ll play Indian Wells one day later. I understand that making it at this lofty level requires being selfish, and doing what you have to do. But popping into Birmingham at the last minute to play would be a big surprise, and it wouldn’t it make a good story? But don’t count on it.

Greatest Tennis Player of All Time? Roger, Of Course, Despite the Fact I’ve Beaten Him 17 Times The GOAT discussion reached its most ludicrous point yesterday when...
Roddick Finishes the Job in Chile; Where to next, Andy? Big-time comeback for Roddick on the red clay in Chile...
U.S. versus Spain: 0-9 Zero to nine. The number says it all. That is...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Federer’s Davis Cup Flop “A Precautionary Measure”

Joe Samuel Starnes — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:20:22 +0000

Roger Federer beamed holding his Olympic gold medal in doubles last August, and in October vowed to compete again for his home country of Switzerland in the 2009 Davis Cup. But Tuesday that promising vow rang hollow when he put this paragraph on his web site: “Today I am disappointed to announce that I am withdrawing from both Dubai and the Davis Cup tie in the United States. This was a hard decision to make as I am missing not only one of my favorite events on tour in Dubai but I am also missing out on an opportunity to help my country try and move on to the next round of Davis Cup. After injuring my back last fall, I did not have enough time to strengthen it completely. As a precautionary measure, I will use the next few weeks to make sure the back injury is fully rehabilitated and I am ready for the rest of the 2009 season.”

A “precautionary measure”? That’s a lame excuse. The last time we saw him it was ego and pride that brought him to tears, not a bad back. And note that his announcement doesn’t say anything about pulling out of Indian Wells, the Masters series event scheduled to start March 9, one day after the Davis Cup first round. So much for committment to your country. No wonder his favorite cap is the one emblazoned with his own initials.

The Swiss now will have to count on No. 18 Stanislas Wawrinka and a player to be named later. There are no other Swiss in the top 100. The next highest ranked Swiss player is No. 150 Stephane Bohli. Beyond that is No. 227 George Bastl and No. 244 Michael Lammer. Bastl was the last player to beat Pete Sampras at Wimbledon, pulling off the unlikely upset in 2002, but at 33, don’t expect him to reproduce that magic. This match is all but certain to be an easy walk for Andy Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan brothers. They went from underdogs to top dogs in one web site update. Anybody want to buy my ticket for Sunday’s dead rubbers?

Provided there’s no Swiss upset, next stop for the American team will be an away match in either Croatia or Chile in the second round later this spring.

This is the third consecutive Davis Cup match in the states where the international star power has wilted. Last April, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga pulled out days before the match in Winston-Salem, N.C., with a knee injury, and Richard Gasquet, suffering with blisters, competed only after the team outcome had been decided. In Portland 2007, then No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko passed on playing singles in the match where the U.S. won the cup.

See You in Texas — U.S. Will Try to Avenge 0-6 Wimbledon Singles Record Against Spanish in Davis Cup With Mardy Fish’s quarterfinal loss to Rafael Nadal, the American...
Roddick Finishes the Job in Chile; Where to next, Andy? Big-time comeback for Roddick on the red clay in Chile...
U.S. versus Spain: 0-9 Zero to nine. The number says it all. That is...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Davis Cup Preview: Bama-Bound Swiss Dominant Against U.S.

Joe Samuel Starnes — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 03:09:04 +0000

In no other event is home court a bigger advantage than in Davis Cup. The home team selects a surface suited to its team, and traditionally staid tennis fans all turn raucous in favor of the hosts. When the U.S. and Switzerland square off in Birmingham, Ala., on March 6-8, the Americans would figure to be the favorites of this first round showdown in this football-crazy town.

But check out the previous match records of the anticipated pairings. The combined singles record of Americans Andy Roddick and James Blake versus Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka is a dismal 3-27. The suprising part of this is that Roddick and Blake are a combined 0-3 against Wawrinka, although all matches were on red clay, and Roddick’s one loss was an injury retirement in the early part of the set in last year’s Italian Open. As expected, Blake and Roddick have lopsided series with Federer — Roddick is 2-16 and Blake is 1-8.

And you might think that the Americans could rely on dominance in the doubles when they turn to Bob and Mike Bryan, the twins who are the world No. 1 doubles team and fresh of an Australian Open championship. But Federer and Wawrinka beat the twins in the Olympic doubles semifinal in Beijing, on the way to the Swiss win of the gold in doubles.

The Birmingham match will be first time that a Swiss team led by the dominant Federer has played the American team anchored by Roddick, Blake and the Bryans. The U.S. won the Davis Cup championship in 2007, the first American cup in 12 years. Before that, the U.S. had dominated in the first 100 years of the event, winning the championship 32 times. The Swiss have never captured the cup despite competing for 79 years.

But Federer, at 27 already one of the greatest players of all time who can tie Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slams with his next major victory, has vowed to change that. Last year he devoted himself to bringing the Davis Cup to Switzerland after he and Wawrinka won the Gold medal in doubles at the Olympics.

The U.S. is hosting because the last match between the two teams was played in Switzerland. The Americans are known for their power—Roddick holds the record for the hardest serve ever hit, a 155-mph bomb during a Davis Cup match in Charleston, S.C., in 2004—and will choose a very fast-playing hard court. But the fast-court is not a huge advantage against Federer. He has won five U.S. Opens in a row and counting, and also has had great success at Wimbledon where he holds five titles.

America and the Swiss are tied 1-1 in Davis Cup history, last playing in 2001 when Federer led his team to a 3-2 victory in Basel, Switzerland. That was Patrick McEnroe’s first match as U.S. captain, and before Roddick and Blake joined the team. The U.S. beat Switzerland in 1992 in Fort Worth, Texas, with a star-studded American lineup of Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and John McEnroe.

Birmingham last hosted a major pro tennis event in 1994 when the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships was played here. The city also hosted a USTA Pro Circuit men’s challenger from 1991-93 and 1995-2003. Blake won the doubles titles and was the singles runner-up at the Challenger in 2001 and the Bryan brothers won the doubles title in 1999.

The Birmingham bout will be one of eight first round matches played across the globe on the first weekend in March in the 16-country World Group flight. Teams including Spain, Russia, France and Serbia, are competing for the 2009 cup to be decided over the course of the year. The best-of-five match competitions feature four singles and one doubles match, and are often collectively referred to as a “tie” in Davis Cup lingo. The winner in Birmingham will go on to play either France or the Czech Republic in the second round.

See You in Texas — U.S. Will Try to Avenge 0-6 Wimbledon Singles Record Against Spanish in Davis Cup With Mardy Fish’s quarterfinal loss to Rafael Nadal, the American...
U.S. versus Spain: 0-9 Zero to nine. The number says it all. That is...
Can Fish Turnaround the Spanish Beatdown of American Players? The matches between Spanish players and Americans at Wimbledon have...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Nadal Knocks Federer Off in Five Again

Joe Samuel Starnes — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 13:23:11 +0000

I woke to my alarm at insane setting of 3:30 a.m. today, but it was well worth it. The Nadal-Federer match in the Australian Open was resplendent tennis for the first four sets, with rallies of seemingly impossible angled groundstrokes. Nadal’s strength and speed is machinelike, so strong that he forced even Federer to get tight, ultimately stumbling in the fifth set when he made some uncharacteristic errors.

Only two days after winning the longest match in Australian Open history (5 hours, 14 minutes) against Fernando Verdasco, Nadal won Sunday in 4 hours, 23 minutes by a final score of 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2. Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slams is safe at least for a few months. But forget about that. Could Nadal take the French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open to achieve what no one has done since Rod Laver in 1969, winning a true, caendar year Grand Slam?

Greatest Tennis Player of All Time? Roger, Of Course, Despite the Fact I’ve Beaten Him 17 Times The GOAT discussion reached its most ludicrous point yesterday when...
Davis Cup in Roddick’s Hometown: Austin The U.S. Davis Cup match against Spain has been set...
Nadal To Skip Davis Cup in Texas This shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed Davis Cup for...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Bryan Brothers Bag Seventh Grand Slam Title, Third Australian Open

Joe Samuel Starnes — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 13:06:04 +0000

From the ATP World Tour web site: Americans Mike and Bob Bryan captured their third Australian Open crown and seventh Grand Slam championship title as they rallied from a one-set deficit to defeat third seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 on Saturday evening in Melbourne.

A good sign for the American twins looking ahead to the March 6-8 Davis Cup matchup with Switzerland and the Olympic gold medal team of Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka.

U.S. Davis Cup: Roddick, Isner, Bryan & Bryan In his first official order of business, U.S. Davis Cup...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.