He's touching 27 and is likely to not last beyond 29 ..so like it or not if he wins 2 more grand slams to equal pete sampras it would be just sheer luck.
Given how strong Nadal is and how well Djokovich plays , I seriously doubt Federer is going to win any slam in the next 2 years.
He is going to be the "greatest tennis player who almost made it "
RE:Federer era is over.
by Pooja Das on Jun 21, 2008 11:28 AM
How typical of a crowd behavior. Jus because Roger happens to lose a couple of matches, he is tagged as heading towards the twilight. Utterly ridiculous! And what kinda age herois are offered to justify this logic? If you would notice, Roger is probably one of the fittest player in the tennis circuit today inspite of being a part of the 25 genre. And we see younger lots (n yes...that includes Nadal) falling prey to the injury woes more often. 27, 28, 29, 30 or beyond, will hardly have an effect on a player of Roger's mental strength who has a sight to play for another 8-9 yrs. An we are talking abt the end of an era for a guy who has reached the semis and finals of almost all the most tournaments this year as well?? Expectations get the better of us... and of Roger too at times. He's human. Having said that, I am not denying that the other guys, especially Nadal and Djoko are improving by leaps and bounds and are definitely potential threats to Roger. But that jus brightens the picture...a tougher battle to be won for Roger.. however, he still remains the one with ALL the weapons in his arsenal. So, dont write him off... not as yet! P.S. I am supporting Nadal fr Wimby! Roger's my second fav :)
We are talking of a man who has 12 Grand Slam titles, 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals and is the no.1 for the past 3 years. To say that he is seeking redemption at Wimbledon is ridiculous, to say the least. Change is an essential part of life. When Federer was winning everything, they said Men's Tennis is boring. When others start winning, Federer is still the topic of discussion instead of talking about others. Remember everyone, irrespective of whether Federer wins another tournament, leave alone a Grand Slam, he already belongs to the pantheon of greats in Tennis and he needs no certificates from laymen about his greatness. Yes, Borg may be right in his assessment of Federer. But this is based on Federer's form over the last 6 months and that of his rivals over the same period. This does not in any way diminish the achievements of Federer and let us salute this great Champion and hope that he finds his touch in Wimbledon. Federer in full flight is a sight that no contemporary player can match on a Tennis court. He is a sublime artist against the brutal attack of the likes of Nadal and Djokovic. The touch has deserted him and one hopes that it is only temporary!
RE:What redemption?
by Vijay on Jun 20, 2008 03:36 PM
Great post. You need to maintain a fraction of this devotion level to your studies, and you can have a great future.
Nobody has said Federer cannot win this year. It is only being said that Federer is not a pre-tournament favourite' despite being the Top seed and World no.1. Now this tag of Pre-tournament favourite, is not something officially awarded by All England Lawn Tennis Club. It is solely an expression of public opinion, which cannot be unanimous. You may continue to think that Federer is a fovourite, but public opinion at large now, is; that Nadal has better chances this year.
Last year Venus Williams won the title being 23rd seed. Please understand this: There is no connection between the eventual winner and the favourite.
And stop being sentimental about Federer. Your sentimentality borders on foolishness.
RE:What redemption?
by VASUDEVAN V on Jun 20, 2008 04:04 PM
Mr.Vijay: Thank you for reminding me about my studies. I shall certainly keep it in mind. Yes, I also know that Federer is not the pre-tournament favourite this year. This is obvious from my posting as I have agreed with Borg on his assessment this year at Wimbledon. Yes, I am sentimental about Federer's game. All this is because of the trash that is being written about Federer. And I assure you I have as much knowledge about Tennis as you claim to have, because I am following Tennis since 1966 as an ardent fan. Hence, instead of using the Rediff forum for sermonizing, stick to your points and you will find that there are lot of people who can pass on their knowledge and wisdom to you as you appear to be lacking in both.
RE:What redemption?
by Vijay on Jun 20, 2008 04:41 PM
I beg your pardon Mr. Vasudevan. If you are following the game since 1966, you are my senior, and by this time, perhaps your children are worrying about their children's studies.
Your post somehow looked childish to me, and your love for Federer seemed like a teen's infatuation. Nontheless, you are entitled to your opinion.
I concede all points to you for knowing more about Tennis than me. For me, Tennis is not something about which I need to know much. I like the game and find it much more attractive to watch than Cricket. That's about all I know.
Like you, I am also a Federer fan, but I wouldn't mind if Nadal wins this year. After all, both are of your children's age and there is no reason why you should prefer one over the other. Nadal has been working very hard for last so many years. Not being as talented as Federer, he has to. If after all this hard work, he has managed a pre-tournament favourite's tag, why should you grudge him?
He is as nice a guy as Federer, and fully deserves the hype being showered on him. At least this is the way I see it, being much too older than either of them.
RE:What redemption?
by VASUDEVAN V on Jun 20, 2008 05:00 PM
I still maintain. No sermonizing Mr.Vijay. You enjoy the way you like to enjoy and I will enjoy the way I like to enjoy. Leave out the sdermonizing out of it. And as for my being childish, I am very happy to appreciate your maturity. But, your very calling me childish proves that you are not giving up your sermonizing part. That should prove who is more childish - you or me!
RE:RE:What redemption?
by DEVENDRA ZARKAR on Jun 21, 2008 02:33 PM
you both are fighting like tom n jerry ridiculous yaar ,we love tennis also nadal n fedrer , djoker , who plays tennis well ... stop fighting see the matches , I am bored reading your fights .....pls
RE:What redemption?
by abbc on Jun 22, 2008 05:13 PM
mr.vasudevan,
i presume that u r quite elder to vijay considering that u say u've been following tennis since 1966...but thw way uargue to prove ur point over vijay,just for ur sheer joy in praising federer,makes u seem very very childish...coz i have never seeen mature elders babbling the way u do....n as far as the facts r concerned,vijay is very very correct about his opinion...i am sorry,mr. vasudevan.
RE:What redemption?
by jade on Jun 20, 2008 06:31 PM
Mr. Vasudevan, nobody is denying Federer's preeminence as a tennis player but the 12 slam titles are a thing of the past. On the form of the last six months or so, he seems VERY LIKELY to not win Wimbledon this year. If he does win, he shall be redeeming himself and that is what the author of this aricle is saying. No need to feel that your hero-worship of Federer is being slighted and attacked and, in turn, saying that the 'redemption' commentary is 'ridiculous'!!!!
RE:What redemption?
by VASUDEVAN V on Jun 21, 2008 09:04 AM
Mr.Jade and Mr.Vijay. You both appear to be having difficulty in understanding English. I have accepted in my initial write-up that over the last six months Federer's form is not all that good and this is evident from my final sentence which states that one hopes it is temporary. I have also stated that the past performance of Federer is enough to put him in the pantheon of greats. This has nothing to do with his present form, which may be temporary or permanent. Only time will tell that. Nowhere I have belittled and grudged the present form of Nadal and Djokovic. In fact, I have accepted Borg's assessment that Federer is third favourite in this year's Wimbledon. So, I do not understand what exactly you both are trying to tell me. Are you exposing your lack of English knowledge by not reading my initial post properly? And, one last word to Mr.Vijay - in a sports discussion you have unnecessarily dragged in studies, children, grand-children etc. This proves you lack basic manners. So, if I am chidlish, then you, Mr.Vijay or boorish and loutish!
RE:RE:What redemption?
by VASUDEVAN V on Jun 21, 2008 09:07 AM
Mr.Vijay: the last sentence in my post is: then you, Mr.Vijay, are (not `or' as indicated in the above post above) boorish and loutish!!!
RE:What redemption?
by Sunil Kumar on Jun 21, 2008 09:41 AM
Yaar Vijay. Levae this old man alone. He seems to be a senile person, who knows English well, and deserves to be ignored.
RE:What redemption?
by VASUDEVAN V on Jun 21, 2008 09:47 AM
If I am senile, all of you are mental cases who lack basic manners of how to post in a discussion forum. Probably all of you are just out of a mental asylum. Perhaps your upbringing is to be blamed for this. I am not going to report you all to the Moderator to remove your postings. But, I only hope that your behaviour improves and you learn to be decent, especially to elders.
RE:What redemption?
by lambawalla on Jun 21, 2008 09:57 AM
You are right yaar. Vijay, who seems to have left the forum yesterday evening, has practically apologised for being 'elderly', but this fellow is still abusing him. Leave him alone with his knowledge of English and Tennis.
RE:RE:RE:What redemption?
by abbc on Jun 22, 2008 05:24 PM
seeing u r elderly,i felt a need to respect u though u seemed childish....U R SO VERY IMMATURE!!the way u abuse ppl younger to u who post msgs here,that very thing makes u immature...u telling them that they dunno english(indirectly saying that only u do) n they lack manners is so idiotic...its like a small kid in school having petty fights with his classmates over a topic with ridiculously,no point to prove....
lemme ask u a question mr.vasudevan, are u sixty plus??
Nadal's present form is being over-hyped by one and all. Everybody refers to the French Open final to indicate his demolishing form. But, what they fail to realize is that it was not Nadal's brilliance that rewarded him the lop-sided win over Roger, but it was over-cooked by Federer himself.(Not to take away anything from Nadal. But he played his normal game, nothing OUT OF THE WORLD!!.)It could clearly be seen right from the 1st game of the final at RG, that Federer was a lot more nervous than usual. Perhaps the pressure of winning his only missing Grand Slam got the better off his nerves. Even if he had played the type of tennis he played against Monfils in Semis, he would definitely have won at least a set or two and not gone down so easily. He was becoming very desperate, which was evident by the way he was approaching the net and failing to volley so many easy ones, from the 2nd set.
So, the only thing Federer has to ensure to win further Grand slams(possibly even French Open) is to clear the figure of 14 Grand Slams (of Sampras) from his minds or of Agassi,Laver,&co.(winning all 4 grand slams). That can possibly be the only roadblock ahead of him winning grand slams.
RE:Nadal's present form is being over-hyped
by Vijay on Jun 20, 2008 03:46 PM
I fail to understand what you want to say. I hope you know what you are talking about. I have only been able to understand that you are troubled by Nadal being called a favourite to win the title this year. Great as Federer is, let us spare a thought for Nadal. Nadal is one guy, who despite near total dominance by Federer has chosen to believe that he could be World No. 1. He has shown the courage to challenge Federer, most of the time successfully, where other potential challengers like Hewitt and Rodick have given up. Federer respects Nadal, and so should you. Nadal matches Federer in off court behaviour and gentlemanly conduct. Why should anyone dislike Nadal? If he wins this year, it would be a just rewatd for his hard work. P.S.: I am an ardent Federer fan, and want him to win.
RE:Nadal's present form is being over-hyped
by kap jo on Jun 20, 2008 04:42 PM
Nowhere in the comment have i mentioned about any dislike for Nadal. He deserves whatever he has achieved and is continuing to do so. I just pointed out the reasons for the thrashing that Federer received at the hands of Nadal in French Open final
RE:Nadal's present form is being over-hyped
by Romesh Agarwal on Jun 20, 2008 04:41 PM
It is great to see Nadal maturing. His on court behaviour has vastly improved as in his early days he WAS shouting and pumping his fist when he wins a point. Now he has become a cool customer. Well Done. I am also a Fedex fan but do not mind if Nadal wins this time.
RE:Nadal's present form is being over-hyped
by A Singh on Jun 20, 2008 03:50 PM
Well said Mr Vijai. I am also a Federer fan, and would like him to win, but I wouldn't mind if Nadal wins it. He is a worthy successor.
RE:Federer seeks redemption at Wimbledon
by A Singh on Jun 20, 2008 03:18 PM
Very funny. If a person says Federer is not the favourite this year, he has got to be a bad guy. Great logic. But at present, half the world comprises bad guys. Even Sampras is saying Federer can do it. Nowhere has Sampras called Federer as the favourite to win the title. Federer may win, but Nadal is the pre-tornament favourite, and whenever history of Wimbledon 2008 will be discussed, it will always be discussed that Nadal was the pre-tornament favourite. I cannot forecast who is going to win, and I believe nobody can.
