Federer finally got a "real competitor"....coz Nadal is capable enough and has studied his game thoroghly.....previously...Federer was also playing his best tennis so no one could inch closer......so if that made him invincible at that time without any competitor......that's his credit....Andy Roddick used to get close but yet....nevermind back to the topic.....Pete Sampras was also a class player....one of the best in the history of Tennis....but his game was better read by other of his "close competitors" during that time....u can say Pete Sampras - Andre Agassi is like Roger Federer - Rafael Nadal.....but don't say Federer ruled Tennis coz he had "no competitor".....that's lame....hope I amde a point
Andre Agassi is one great who who all 4 slams and belongs to a select few who have done so. Besides being a showman to the maxim Agassi had great talent and brought back the fans to the stadia in droves when tennis was going through its lowest phase with the coming to an end of the Lendl-Wilander-Edberg era.
If tennis fans have to recall one name who everyone seemed to love, it will be Andre Agassi without doubt. Whether in victory or defeat the man was a showman personified and had the talent and record to boot.
The guy has been a finalist for the last two grandslams and still its a bad year for him. Does not this speak volumes about this guys potential. BTW i like nadal more but still what federer has achieved is great.
Re: Federer having a bad year
by Tommy Cat on Sep 05, 2008 12:36 AM
Federer would have beaten Sampras 9 times out of 10 on any surface....he is the greatest tennis player to have walked the earth in the open era!!
Re: Federer having a bad year
by santhosh shanbhogue on Sep 05, 2008 04:42 AM
he is right. Federer was reigning supreme until Nadal showed up. And even after that he was able to win Grandslams except french. But I guess form cannot be permanent. But Class is and Federer is a class player.
Re: Federer having a bad year
by vanity fair on Sep 05, 2008 06:02 PM
chup..i think u dont even knoiw who is sampras..just go to school and njoy ur choco..
Re: I was there
by ss on Sep 04, 2008 10:59 PM
it should be my question to you...anyway i don't want to keep those intitials that ssimilar to you a person who doen't have minimum etiquettes..i feel shame on...
Re: I was there
by vimalan sadhasivam on Sep 05, 2008 07:13 AM
it was just a simple statement to show my happiness..sorry Mr David if i have offended you by mentioning that i saw the match live
nice to know that you have traveled across the world
Re: I was there
by David Coverdale on Sep 05, 2008 10:27 AM
Extremely sorry to have hurt you.....sincere apologies extended!! I was pi&ssed off in a team meeting yesterday and immediately after the team meeting which ended beyond 9PM, i entered...and the furstration just spilled over...really sorry about it!!
Re: I was there
by Proud North on Sep 05, 2008 10:31 AM
Next time you're pissed off..go pund some sand, or bang your head against a wall.Big deal you've been to Ozzfest and US Open..I've seen 3 of four Grand slam finals, seen Monsters of ROck, Donington,and Rock In Rio.Guns N Roses live in Rock in Rio 1991-one of the greatest live shows ever!Freddie Mercury tribute concert...the works.So get over your powertrip and deal with it..
Re: Re: I was there
by David Coverdale on Sep 05, 2008 10:43 AM
Next up for me is "night of the proms" in 2008 scheduled to be in Antwerp and Madrid....
Astronomical ticket prices but who cares when the bands are Alan Parsons, Keats, cockney rebel..
Re: I was there
by David Coverdale on Sep 05, 2008 10:38 AM
Nice to see that you have seen Rock in Rio.....i saw Rock in rio live in 1985 and was treated to a grand exhibition by the legendary British heavy metal band Whitesnake....
Yeah yeah Whitesnake...not some puny sissy band like GNR....hahahahahaha!1
Re: Those who foresaw a Fish-FedEx final
by vidhya h on Sep 04, 2008 10:36 PM
That is so sad, underplaying or writing off a person's entire achievments citing that the rest wasnt good enough, thats not his fault or problem. No wonder our country is not progressing at all, we always cant tolerate other people's success and downplay them.
Its not fair to him and his achievments saying tht others werent good enough, the fact is the others couldnt touch him coz he was playing like god and no one could match his standard, its now when his standard has come down or when he has become human, that all of them are cropping up.
Even i can say that sampras didnt have any opponents except agassi. Borris and stefan were fading and the rest were new.
Even now I can say that Nadal won coz fed wasnt upto his mark and at his peak like he usually does, but is that fair NO .
Nadal won coz he played better this year and thts what matters but to underplay ones achievments as if blaming him for other people's flaws is unfair.
all said and done, every peer and every legend has accepted once in for all that what fed did and achieved is phenemenonal and that he is one of the if not the greatest player of all times in tennis.
if this still isnt proof enough, I guess we have to start wuoting the legends.
pete sampras took 13 years to take 14 slams which is a great feat, he was beaten several times by several players in between. does that make him a lesser player or will anyone write off his achievements , NO, coz he is a great player coz of his game and ac
Re: Those who foresaw a Fish-FedEx final
by ss on Sep 04, 2008 10:41 PM
This is the most sensible post that I have ever seen till now.. One must absolutely agree with you.
Re: Those who foresaw a Fish-FedEx final
by vidhya h on Sep 05, 2008 01:35 AM
exactly he didnt, thats why i am saying that its absolutely unfair to make such statements. Its like telling a hard earned first rank holder that he/she came forst coz others didnt study hard enough or telling an person who got a job after all the interviews and exams that he got the job coz others didnt do their interviews well. Thats unfair. All I want is ackenowledgement that he deserves for achieving what he did.
Re: Those who foresaw a Fish-FedEx final
by ss on Sep 04, 2008 10:34 PM
during the Pete days evryone used to comment like this..That he had no serious challenger..
Nadal is in top gear now...he is just 23...federer did the same to sampras when he was ageing...its rubbish to say federer is better than sampras...sampras beat him recently few months back even at this age in best of three exhibition...Roger stayed at top coz he had lesser competition as compared to other great players of their era...when the real competition came federer bowed...u can make that out this year when the usually kool federer is getting emotional day by day on court...
Re: Is federer the best ??? i have doubts...
by narmada on Sep 04, 2008 05:46 PM
and abt "lesser competition" during federer's era...let me quote Safin..... "He put tennis, the bar very high—very high. It's incredible what kind of game he can play"..
Re: Re: Is federer the best ??? i have doubts...
by vakkeel kumaran on Sep 05, 2008 04:20 PM
Interesting views by everyone. Here's my take: Federer is the top 3 in the world on any given day. Could an in-prime Sampras have beaten an in-prime Federer? Sure...but I would say maybe once in 3-4 matches. Both have incredible gifts, booming serves, lethal forehands, mental strength, what really differentiates for me: Backhand and Agility around the court. If you see one thing that made a difference between Fed before 5 yrs and now is mental strength and how he has made backhand as his weapon more. Sampras used to pretty much slice it back 90% of the times but Fedex can slice it and rip it with precision. So what exactly has changed now for Fedex? He has contracted an illness called mononucleosis which seems to be sapping his energy. Mind you, he is still good enough for most opponents but Nadal and probably Djokovic. Both are in their prime and can move around like gazelles. On top of that, Nadal has a very solid game that rivals anyone and he has figured out how to create angles on the court with his cross-court forehand that is a sure-shot winner. In Fedex's own words he admitted that Nadal had the game to trouble him because Nadal's game matches his game very well and causes him problems with fatigue in the latter half of the match.
Re: Re: Re: Is federer the best ??? i have doubts...
by vakkeel kumaran on Sep 05, 2008 04:27 PM
And by the way, Nadal has 5 titles already (6th in the offing now). By the age of 23, nobody, not even Borg had that many. I think he is just moving into his prime now and the way he is going, he is unbeatable on clay, unflappable on grass and has a good a shot as anyone to win a hardcourt title. There is a good chance he will overhaul Fedex's tally.I am expecting Fedex to eke out at least 2-3 more once he recovers from his illness.
Re: Is federer the best ??? i have doubts...
by narmada on Sep 04, 2008 05:37 PM
and it was federer who won against sampras at wimbledon grass court.. Only Meeting(other than exhibition matches) 2001 Wimbledon R16 Federer d. Sampras 7-6(7) 5-7 6-4 6-7(2) 7-5
and what does Pete Sampras say about Federer?
“I have never enjoyed watching somebody to play tennis like Federer. I am in reverence." Pete Sampras
Re: Is federer the best ??? i have doubts...
by parthasarathy sarathy on Sep 05, 2008 12:59 PM
That shows the greatness of Sampras. A really great player acknowledging a younger champion. Sampras and Federer at their peak - unbiased real Tennis fans will agree that there is hardly anything to choose between them. Who can play the backhand overhead smash better than Pete Sampras? Both are very great players and only Borg runs them close for two reasons - one, he won 11 titles in Paris and Wimbledon and reached four US Open and two - Borg retired very early at age 26 because of death threats in the US Open. If one were to choose the top 5 players of the Open Era since 1969, they will have to be Sampras, Federer, Borg, Nadal and for the fifth spot, you can have your choice - any one of Becker or McEnroe or Edberg or Agassi.
Re: Is federer the best ??? i have doubts...
by Avi on Sep 04, 2008 06:55 PM
That's not the truth ... Every Great player will phase out one day or the other to make ways for juniors ... That's the rule ... No doubt Nadal is playing great tennis but Federer is not losing only to Nadal, he's bowing out to many lesser players which he didn't when on peak ... So Nadal is current no 1 and Federer is best till date in tennis ... Let nadal be there in the top for 4 years ... then we will compare ...
Re: Re: Is federer the best ??? i have doubts...
by parthasarathy sarathy on Sep 05, 2008 01:04 PM
Federer losing to lesser players in early rounds is not Nadal's problem. He can play and beat only those who come to the semi finals or finals againsst. And in two slam finals this year, Nadal has beaten Federer including Federer's favourite surface of grass and given a solid pasting reserved for a world no. 300 or so with a 6 - 4, 6 - 3, 6 - 0 on his favourite surface of clay. So, to suggest that Nadal can be compared with Federer only if he stays as No.1 for four years is absurd. That way, any one can say that Federer cannot claim any greatness until he wins four French titles like Nadal. Have some Tennis sense before posting messages.
Re: Is federer the best ??? i have doubts...
by breddy on Sep 04, 2008 07:08 PM
U can't say federer is out of form, jus for the reason he is losing to players, whom he didn't in the past. Every game do evolves, so do tennis. Every one has a strengths and weekness, so do the federers, nadals.. The player got to know of federer better now. I don't think any serious lose of federer form and he himself admits it. The same will happen to nadal if there is no continuous improvement in his game.
Re: Is federer the best ??? i have doubts...
by ss on Sep 04, 2008 10:36 PM
during the Pete days evryone used to comment like this..That he had no serious challenger..
Amazing points, forehands, the serve done well, a real number one. Sorry for Fish, he had been great until this meeting in last 8, but...Rafa is Rafa...CONGRATULATIONS TO RAFA..The last three sets were easy !! The match as a whole was fast and of high quality, unlike Murray's match with Del Potro which was slow and boring ! RAFA , VAMOS !
No Fish,Murray or Federer can stop this Spanish Juggernaut.Nadal has been shwoing he has it in him to replace Federer by winning on all surfaces.He has won on grass at Wimbledon,on hardcourt at Olympics & is on way to Win US open.Not to forget he is king of clay. Welcome the New World No.1-Rafa. Good bye Federer.
Re: Nadal is going to be US champ
by narmada on Sep 04, 2008 06:04 PM
its way too early to get into any discussion of Federer's regime coming to an end. He might have lost his power of domination but still is good enough to beat all his opponents on a given day. Watch out!!
Re: Nadal is going to be US champ
by RAJ BHANSALI on Sep 04, 2008 03:08 PM
Dear
Two years or four years is not important the current supremency in Tennis of NADAL is to be appreciated and we all know that Fedrer at present is failing like anything.
Re: Nadal is going to be US champ
by Ganesh Ramaprasad on Sep 05, 2008 01:26 PM
why dont u take the place of fedrer and win him all masters and the grand slams. Probably nadal might let u win a game.
Re: Nadal is going to be US champ
by sriram krishnamoorthy on Sep 04, 2008 03:38 PM
what is moreimportant is to realise that nadal could dethrone federer only when the champion has become 27 years old. Remember that even Nadal acknowledges the fact that Federer is still the greatest, as he held the ranking even when Nadal was in top gear. NO doubt, Fedex is the greatest. When Nadal himself agrees to that fact, why should you and others fight on this issue?
Re: Nadal is going to be US champ
by breddy on Sep 04, 2008 05:24 PM
The same federer said, "Nadal deserves to be no.1". He also admitted it is because nadal has improved his own game alot and he, himself is not playing that badly.
By the way do you think 27 yrs is too old to retain no.1 spot?
Re: Nadal is going to be US champ
by ranya sudhakar ravindra on Sep 04, 2008 07:34 PM
To breddy,sriram: So the moral of the story is that both Nadal and Federer deserve to No.1. It doesn't matter who is at No. 1 and who is at No.2. Federer had his hay days at the top. Now it's Nadal's time.(But wait, FedEx has not yet departed....He'll be back with a 'BIG BANG')
Re: Nadal is going to be US champ
by Abhijit Das on Sep 04, 2008 05:27 PM
Nadal is in top gear now...he is just 23...federer did the same to sampras when he was ageing...its rubbish to say federer is better than sampras...sampras beat him recently few months back even at this age in best of three exhibition...Roger stayed at top coz he had lesser competition as compared to other great players of their era...when the real competition came federer bowed...u can make that out this year when the usually kool federer is getting emotional day by day on court...
Re: Re: Nadal is going to be US champ
by vakkeel kumaran on Sep 05, 2008 08:05 PM
Hi Abhijit, Fedex had a problem with mononucleosis that has impeded his movement on the court since Jan 2008. Considering that players like Ancic took a 6 month break for the same illness, it is a wonder he is still playing at the level he is. Of course all this is not to slight Sampras, he is pretty much in the same league as Fedex. Here's my take: Both have incredible gifts, booming serves, lethal forehands, mental strength, what really differentiates for me: Backhand and Agility around the court. If you see one thing that made a difference between Fed before 5 yrs and now is mental strength and how he has made backhand as his weapon more. Sampras used to pretty much slice it back 90% of the times but Fedex can slice it and rip it with precision. So if I were to take a 5 match series between the two, I would say Fedex wins 3-2.
Re: Nadal is going to be US champ
by Muzzammil on Sep 04, 2008 08:12 PM
efd./ex is bound to rooooooool.......its only a bad patch///////////// he will reatliate back....................n jus will again .......ripp offffffffffffff.nadals ..n murrays .n fishes.......got it!!!!!
