Davis Cup photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eye witness account of Federer’s ‘linesmen’ change episode. From Sol. Thanks.

SOL

Well, I was there and let me tell you, those linesmen were really asleep. At least 4 times the linesmen made wrong calls and the umpire had to overrule another 2 times. There was something really wrong with them. And after all this, the swiss captain Severin Luthi TOGETHER WITH THE BELGIAN CAPTAIN, talked to the umpire and an official asked for the change to be made. So don’t get fooled by these news that make it sound like Roger was unhappy and everybody else followed ok? We were booing like crazy cause some calls were unbelievable, for both players. Even the belgian supporters started yelling out “Afflelou” at the linesmen, which is a well-known french company that makes glasses and contact lenses. It was just ridiculous.
This kind of article just pisses me off cause they take something completely out of context. As if Roger could honestly influence the decision like that. Yes he’s playing at home but the lines poeple and the umpire aren’t swiss or anything. So Arbit, chill out.

Gerard on Federer. Thanks.

GERARD

Your first response was a great read Anand, congratulations. very eloquently, almost prose like in content.

I can not fault your points and the way you presented them. I can honestly say that until Federer came along no one has ever wielded a tennis racquet (a la like a magic wand) since McEnroe and before him Laver. So I can completely understand anyone who has a soft spot or high degree of admiration for McEnroe’s prodigious and mercurial talent and his exploits at the top level of tennis in his years on the circuit. In saying so and of course only IMO I saw a great gap between him and Borg due to the temperament of Borg being so completely focused and unflappable as compared to the volatile, impetuous behaviour of McEnroe and when they came together, McEnroe tamed himself due to the complete awe and admiration that he held for Borg, but in doing so he bottled his aggressive and flamboyant game to a softer and considered game strategy, which was competitive at best, but fell short of mastering Borg. Yes, he won against Borg and tested him but nod like Nadal does to Federer, so the rivalry was always going to be in Borg’s favour. Even though the stats will show a 7-7 career in head-to-heads between them. The exhibitions and world series between them belonged to Borg. I remember watching live both matches between Borg and McEnroe in Sydney in 1981 at the Hordern Pavilion, one of many exhibition matches they were invited to play around the world and the rivalry was always a spectacle in itself, they never played one match half-hearted, both players wanted to dominate each other no matter what the status of the match was. Borg had a great record against McEnroe in these events right up till he retired and dominated him. Borg won the best of three in Sydney 2 nil BTW. What a thrill to see them. All that were there will never forget, considering he never came to Australia for the Australian Open we were happy to get to finally see him. Just by the way the curtain raiser for those matches was a game of doubles between Laver and Rosewell Vs. Newcombe and Roche. How lucky were we who were lucky enough to be there.

Your reverence of Federer is completely understandable. He is without question one of the most gifted and complete tennis players who has ever graced the game of tennis and with an impeccable attitude that really is a treat to see and be witness to and a wonderful roll model for all the players and fans of the game around the world. Some people believe he is becoming a bit too conceited in more recent times, and I must admit I can also see that creeping into his psyche more and more in the post match interviews he gives, which is above and beyond the incredible self belief he has deservedly built over these last 4 amazing years. In this part of comparing these two champions Federer lags Borg still. Borg was even more impeccable than Federer and never became conceited at all. He was to me the greatest Ambassador of fairness in any sport. His focus never boiled over or manifested itself in a conceited way in any of his interviews. He hated the limelight or fame that was thrust upon him as the icon of world sport in his day and avoided it at all cost.

Nadal as you say has mellowed too over the years and I agree 100% with you that it has been Rogers influence on all the players that has been the single greatest influence in this regard as it was in Borg’s day, when Nastase and then McEnroe used histrionics and unsettling behaviour on court to try to turn a match, which Borg admirably never gave a stillborn second to. I remember reading a quote from Borg in the early days of his retirement, that when asked how did he keep so icily calm and remain so focused when McEnroe for example was losing his self-control up the other end of the court on points that to him were wrongly called, Borg replied something to the effect of, whenever he thought he was given a dubious or wrong call, then in his mind, he would make sure he won the next point and it was that simple. I would imagine the number of next points he won in such instances would be as high as his career matches he won, close to 90%.

What wonderful players; Borg, Laver, Federer and Nadal were and are. Surely they have to be regarded as the GOATS of tennis and as biased as I may appear to sound, Borg’s reign has certainly been closed by Federer with his US Open victory recently and for reasons that cause hysteria in threads like this, I will allow those who believe Federer to be the GOAT to make that call and will not dare nor attempt to dismiss that opinion.

I just know that what I saw with Borg in his day was to me even greater than the best that Federer has shown us in his career to date and we were denied in being granted this being fact by his sad early retirement. His best nine years have to me been a better indicator of his greatness than just the four amazing years out of the ten that Federer has just completed and played thus far, also included for me is the fact that Nadal has such an imposing record of dominance against him which to me augers and conspires against him IMO as being a contender to usurp Borg as GOAT.

As for Nadal on clay being considered the best ever on clay, I will most definitely have to concede to this as being so if he wins a fifth consecutive French Open. At the moment I have Borg as number 1 and Nadal a close second. Borg’s six titles out of 8 attempts, with a 4 in a row streak edges Nadal by the fact he doubled that up with his consecutive Wimbledon streaks 3 years running all back-to-back and with no lead up tournament to adjust to the surfaces that both Nadal and Federer do.

I also remain skeptical that Nadal can maintain this ferocious level of tennis for much longer, it must have a huge wear and tear effect on his body. I hope for tennis’s sake he can maintain it though. Tennis fans around the world want Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and now Murray to give us the best matches they can and throw in the Latvian Gulbis, we have a great few years ahead of us.

Bring it on…
Cheers
Gerard

Who will be the GOAT? Federer or Nadal? From arbit. Thanks.

ARBIT

Hello Folks
I was wondering which one is more possible…..rafa winning australian and US open during his career or Roger winning French. Also, if we assume for a moment that it is more likely for Rafa to win US and Australian during his career (which is what I think)…..then who will be called the GOAT….it is almost impossible for me to imagine Roger not being the GOAT just because of his sheer brilliant and fluid style of play….though it will be definately difficult to argue against Rafa. Obviously many of us would like to think that Rafa wont’ win as much GS as federer. Let us know your opinion