Roger Federer - Pure Genius

[madridlion]

Anyone see Fed put Rafa away last night, I believe it was as close to sporting perfection as you can get.

His year has been very poor by his standards but fourteen matches unbeaten, he will be difficult to stop in the London Masters.

In rugby terms, I believe Roger is Leinster and Rafa is Munster, pure style versus dogged defence.

[tackle-bag]

Anyone see Fed put Rafa away last night, I believe it was as close to sporting perfection as you can get.

His year has been very poor by his standards but fourteen matches unbeaten, he will be difficult to stop in the London Masters.

In rugby terms, I believe Roger is Leinster and Rafa is Munster, pure style versus dogged defence.

Ignoring the merits of the analogy for a moment, which no doubt will be challenged by our southern brethren, the point you're making is just completely untrue. Rafa is one of the greatest shot-makers the game has ever seen; because he is a base-liner with superhuman fitness, people seek to class him as a grinder.

Federer is on a good run of form at the moment and is a phenomenal sporting talent, I will agree with that. However, he is a massively arrogant and conceited individual who many people (myself included) will never be able to warm to.

Tennis is lucky to have many great players, who are also men of great humility, such as Nadal, Djokovic and Tsonga. Federer, to the detriment of the game and his own legacy, does not fall into this category.

[Amz]

Wow, glad to see someone agrees with me on Federer. No denying he's a super talent, but I never could warm to the guy. The other players you mention are far more likeable and it's easy to support them and want them to do well. It's just not like that with Federer for me, I haven't missed him being at the top of his game in the slightest.

[fourthirtythree]

Look, Nadal may be a pretty boy who does a great line in humility (and I must say, unusually enough it doesn't seem forced, he really does seem like an absolute genuine gent. And his uncle was a great too) but you can't stand for him: he picks his shorts out of his arse after every shot on the telly.

I can't stand seeing him play tennis for that reason.

[Peg Leg]

Look, Nadal may be a pretty boy who does a great line in humility (and I must say, unusually enough it doesn't seem forced, he really does seem like an absolute genuine gent. And his uncle was a great too) but you can't stand for him: he picks his shorts out of his arse after every shot on the telly.

I can't stand seeing him play tennis for that reason.

You prefer the shorts up his arse then?

[Leinster Exile]

Look, Nadal may be a pretty boy who does a great line in humility (and I must say, unusually enough it doesn't seem forced, he really does seem like an absolute genuine gent. And his uncle was a great too) but you can't stand for him: he picks his shorts out of his arse after every shot on the telly.

I can't stand seeing him play tennis for that reason.

That made me laugh. A classic Dublin phrase

[jezzer]

Anyone see Fed put Rafa away last night, I believe it was as close to sporting perfection as you can get.

His year has been very poor by his standards but fourteen matches unbeaten, he will be difficult to stop in the London Masters.

In rugby terms, I believe Roger is Leinster and Rafa is Munster, pure style versus dogged defence.

Ignoring the merits of the analogy for a moment, which no doubt will be challenged by our southern brethren, the point you're making is just completely untrue. Rafa is one of the greatest shot-makers the game has ever seen; because he is a base-liner with superhuman fitness, people seek to class him as a grinder.

Federer is on a good run of form at the moment and is a phenomenal sporting talent, I will agree with that. However, he is a massively arrogant and conceited individual who many people (myself included) will never be able to warm to.

Tennis is lucky to have many great players, who are also men of great humility, such as Nadal, Djokovic and Tsonga. Federer, to the detriment of the game and his own legacy, does not fall into this category.

Djokovic is a tosser. Money-obsessed and arrogant. Federer I don't see as "massively arrogant", I have to say. I think he puts out a bit of an image alright, but behind it I think he's a pretty sound punter, who married his childhood sweetheart, has time for his fans and behaves like a gentleman.

The missus drives me nuts though - always wears a fiseog like she's smelling a turd.

[sarah_lennon]

That's Mirka.....

She needs a slap

[sid]

Federer I don't see as "massively arrogant", I have to say. I think he puts out a bit of an image alright, but behind it I think he's a pretty sound punter, who married his childhood sweetheart, has time for his fans and behaves like a gentleman.

Agree, though admittedly I'm a bit biased. He doesn't seem to buy into the mind games that Nadal persists with, like bouncing the ball fifty million times when he's under pressure.

It's also nice to see someone who can play without grunting/screaming.

Have to give credit to Rafa though, I gained a lot of respect for him after his Wimbledon loss to Djokovic for his humility.

Objectivity aside, I'm focking delighted Federer hammered him

[yellabelly1961]

I'd never use the words 'humility' and 'Djokovic' in the same sentence.. Federer is a genius with a tennis racquet, and hopefully he's just about to win in London.

[yellabelly1961]

And he did, just not as early as I'd hoped!!

[tackle-bag]

Federer I don't see as "massively arrogant", I have to say. I think he puts out a bit of an image alright, but behind it I think he's a pretty sound punter, who married his childhood sweetheart, has time for his fans and behaves like a gentleman.

The missus drives me nuts though - always wears a fiseog like she's smelling a turd.

Don't know where you're getting the idea from that his sour-faced auld bint of a wife was his childhood sweetheart. I'm pretty sure they only met when they were both in their 20s, while playing representative tennis for Switzerland.

Could I have won it easier? I guess; I had it in my hands. I had to go through the third set but eventually I made it, which probably felt even better. The joy was great. If it's a match like this it's fine as there's enough tennis for the people... But if I would have served it [the second set] out, it would have been over in a hurry. I think I almost felt the spectators weren't quite ready for it to end quite yet. Although many would have been happy for me, they would have loved to see more tennis.

If this isn't a simply breathtaking level of arrogance, I don't know what is. He's effectively suggesting that he could have won the match at any time, but elected to drag it out a bit for the sake of the crowd.

[jezzer]

Could I have won it easier? I guess; I had it in my hands. I had to go through the third set but eventually I made it, which probably felt even better. The joy was great. If it's a match like this it's fine as there's enough tennis for the people... But if I would have served it [the second set] out, it would have been over in a hurry. I think I almost felt the spectators weren't quite ready for it to end quite yet. Although many would have been happy for me, they would have loved to see more tennis.

Totally misrepresenting the quote. He was asked if the final should be a 3-setter or a 5-setter and he said he would prefer if it had been 5 instead of the 3 it was. He simply said that lucky it was a very tough match and that he didn't win the second set otherwise it would have been over very quickly for the fans.

As for Mirka, turns out they met when she was 22 and he was 19. I feel a little dirty having to dig up that stat just to justify an offhand comment.

We get it. You don't like him.

I do. And Rafa. I even like Murray in his own way. Tsonga seems likeable even if he's very French in his inconsistency (and he's a bit of a serve-and-volley throwback). But not Djokovic.

[madridlion]

Started this so would like to talk about a recent run of form

more Grand Slams than anybody else in history, 18 I believe

100 finals and 70 victories in his career

one-handed backhand

no picking his underpants or grunting or no holding up opponent between points

when he loses matches it is because the other player won more games, not because of an injury or being tired.

Number one in the world again I think

[sarah_lennon]

Ah here, If you're going to make an argument based on stats, at least google them

[madridlion]

Sorry 18 masters, only 16 grand slams from 23 finals, 237 weeks consecutive world number one.

In 2011, he was voted the second most trusted and respected human after Nelson Mandela.

[Amz]

Eh, says a lot about people that those 2 are top of the list.

[Leinster Zulu]

Are you talking about the same injury-feigning Nadal in this thread? The guy is a complete con.

[jezzer]

Are you talking about the same injury-feigning Nadal in this thread? The guy is a complete con.

The Nadal that came back from a foot injury and faced Federer in the ATP Finals, getting completely spanked by Roger in an amazing display. He lost 6-3, 6-0 or something. Didn't see him walk off the court then and he could have done it easily having returned from a foot injury...

The guy has trouble with his feet and in general he probably has been putting his body through more than his frame can support. He is certainly prone to a bit of injury-timeout gamesmanship, but a con?