Tennis: Australian Open 2017

[rangerssharks414]

There was really no argument, as good as Nadal is IMO.

You think there wouldn't have been an argument? Nadal would have been 7-2 (?) against Roger in major finals, and he'd only be two majors behind.

 

[Clare2904]

One of my friends has followed Roger since she watched him win Junior Wimbledon back in 1998, even wrote to his manager to get a copy of the match. She is on holiday back home in Saffa and said she would jump fully clothed into the swimming pool if Roger won, she has just sent me the hilarious video

 

[Savi]

There was literally no reason to think he was done at 1-3. He was outplaying Nadal significantly at that point.

Just a feeling I had, I thought he would collapse mentally

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Phew.

What a night. See if I can come down from this high to catch some zzzzzs....

 

[Beau Knows]

I can't believe that just happened! #18! Holy ****!

 

[MsMeow]

Just woke up to the glorious news!!!!!

 

[Cruor]

You legend Federer, couldn't be scripted better.

 

[Belenos]

Yeaaaaaah! GOAT!

 

[Loosie]

Congrats Federer on #18!

Also MTF servers can't handle this result right now...

 

[Evilo]

You think there wouldn't have been an argument? Nadal would have been 7-2 (?) against Roger in major finals, and he'd only be two majors behind.

Even so, there is no argument to me.
Federer reached a level of play Nadal never reached IMO.
Sure, Nadal has the upper hand on Feds and is his nemesis. But that doesn't change the whole picture.

 

[kihei]

Of course, I want to slit my wrists. Hope I can find a replay.

Sounds like a match with a Hollywood script. Sorry for Rafa, but Roger is the absolute greatest.

 

[Savi]

This one really sums up that 5th set.

 

[Desdichado93]

This one really sums up that 5th set.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va6MHO2lqxI

us -> --> Federer.

 

[CupofOil]

Just saw the replay, couldn't stay up all night to watch it live and that was an epic 5th set. The 4-3 game in particular was some of the most intense tennis that I've seen in years and there have been some classics to pick from.

I don't know how anybody can be disappointed wtih the performance of either during the match. This is two 30+ year olds with a lot of wear and tear on their bodies so some dips in quality is expected at times. All in all, this match lived up to the hype and then some.
He really needed a win over Nadal in a major final to cement his legacy and he won it at Nadal's pace.

I hope we see a couple more years of high level of tennis from these two but that's far from a guarantee so we should enjoy every bit of these two before it's over for good.
Bravo to both of these champions. We are living in a Golden Age of tennis.

 

[SB164]

I stayed up and watched the whole match with my mom. We've been Rafa and Roger fans for so long. We still remember watching the 2008 Wimbledon Final.

Such an amazing match. These two legends have given us so much.

Anyways, so should Federer even bother with the French Open at this point? Or should he simply try to focus on Wimbledon and the US Open?

 

[Panteras]

Even so, there is no argument to me.
Federer reached a level of play Nadal never reached IMO.
Sure, Nadal has the upper hand on Feds and is his nemesis. But that doesn't change the whole picture.

I'm not going to argue Roger is GOAT. But it's not so black and white as you make it out.

Nadal has had to battle through probably the greatest generation of stars to get to where he is at and cement his legacy.

From the beginning, in his first GS, Nadal had to defeat Roger in the semis. By that time Roger had already won 4 GS titles.

In Nadal's first 8 GS finals he had to face Federer 7 times and won 5 of them...meanwhile, Federer was battling the likes of Roddick, Safin, and Hewitt to get his first 4 titles.

Then Djoko and Murray also came into the scene. Arguable much better and deeper talents than anything Federer was facing with the likes of Roddick and such...

 

[kihei]

I stayed up and watched the whole match with my mom. We've been Rafa and Roger fans for so long. We still remember watching the 2008 Wimbledon Final.

Such an amazing match. These two legends have given us so much.

Anyways, so should Federer even bother with the French Open at this point? Or should he simply try to focus on Wimbledon and the US Open?

I would be amazed if he didn't show up for the French Open. He seems to love to compete, and he doesn't carry his defeats around with him for long. I can't see him deliberately missing any Grand Slam unless there is an injury issue somewhere.

 

[Evilo]

I'm not going to argue Roger is GOAT. But it's not so black and white as you make it out.

Nadal has had to battle through probably the greatest generation of stars to get to where he is at and cement his legacy.

From the beginning, in his first GS, Nadal had to defeat Roger in the semis. By that time Roger had already won 4 GS titles.

In Nadal's first 8 GS finals he had to face Federer 7 times and won 5 of them...meanwhile, Federer was battling the likes of Roddick, Safin, and Hewitt to get his first 4 titles.

Then Djoko and Murray also came into the scene. Arguable much better and deeper talents than anything Federer was facing with the likes of Roddick and such...

Every generation is a golden generation. Ask Borg, Connors, Mc Enroe.
Or Mc Enroe, Lendl, Willander. Or Sampras/Agassi/Courrier.
There are some transition phases and indeed, Federer started to win in a transition phase.
But you said it yourself. Federer had 4 GS before Nadal came in. And he won 14 after that. Just as much as Nadal.

 

[SB164]

I'm not going to argue Roger is GOAT. But it's not so black and white as you make it out.

Nadal has had to battle through probably the greatest generation of stars to get to where he is at and cement his legacy.

From the beginning, in his first GS, Nadal had to defeat Roger in the semis. By that time Roger had already won 4 GS titles.

In Nadal's first 8 GS finals he had to face Federer 7 times and won 5 of them...meanwhile, Federer was battling the likes of Roddick, Safin, and Hewitt to get his first 4 titles.

Then Djoko and Murray also came into the scene. Arguable much better and deeper talents than anything Federer was facing with the likes of Roddick and such...

Didn't Hewitt look pretty damn amazing once upon a time though?

 

[Cruor]

Of course, I want to slit my wrists. Hope I can find a replay.

Sounds like a match with a Hollywood script. Sorry for Rafa, but Roger is the absolute greatest.

Do yourself a favour and watch the match if you can. There were some real surprises, Federers backhand which he used as a offensive weapon (against Rafa!) being one of them. He used it crosscourt and down the line, almost never slicing it to reset points. I couldn't believe my eyes, it was a bigger weapon than his forehand (he even hit it faster).

Secondly, Federer won in short to medium long rallies, and was tied in long rallies. You know those rallies against Nadal where you knew he would shank it or send it wide? It didn't happen this time.

Thirdly, Federer's mental toughness. He was down a break 3-1 in the fifth, and it looked like it would be just another heartbreak. But suddenly he started swinging freely, from his presser:

Q. After the semifinal you touched upon the fact that you might have tensed up a little in the final set. How were you able to focus coming from a break down?

ROGER FEDERER: I told myself to play free. That's what we discussed with Ivan and Severin before the matches. You play the ball, you don't play the opponent. Be free in your head, be free in your shots, go for it. The brave will be rewarded here. I didn't want to go down just making shots, seeing forehands rain down on me from Rafa. I think it was the right decision at the right time.

I had opportunities early on in the fifth, as well, to get back on even terms. I could have been left disappointed there and accepted that fact. I kept on fighting. I kept on believing, like I did all match long today, that there was a possibility I could win this match.

I think that's what made me play my best tennis at the very end the match, which was actually surprising to me. I went through a little bit of a lull in the fourth and the beginning of the fifth set.

It was like he stared down and conquered his biggest demons in that match. Very impressive.

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

Federer, take my energy.

 

[rangerssharks414]

Watching this again on the DVR... still can't believe Roger won

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ FEDERER TAKE MY ENERGY ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

FTFY

a

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Didn't Hewitt look pretty damn amazing once upon a time though?

In the first 4 years of Federer's career, Hewitt beat Federer in 7 of their first 9 matches before Federer started his GOAT run and then proceed to win 15 in a row against Hewitt in the next 6 years.

 

[Cruor]

In the first 4 years of Federer's career, Hewitt beat Federer in 7 of their first 9 matches before Federer started his GOAT run and then proceed to win 15 in a row against Hewitt in the next 6 years.

Not to mention that "the likes of Roddick and Safin" have positive head-to-heads against Djokovic. The weak era argument is...well, pretty weak.