2014 Aussie Open SF: Fedal Volume 33

[kskate2]

Nadal leads the series 22-10

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/Head-To-Head.aspx?pId=N409&oId=F324

Rafa won all 3 HC meetings last year. The most recent was the SF match at the World Tour Finals.

Who ya got?

vs.

 

[britbox]

Rooting hard for Federer, but the head says Rafa in 4. Lot of variables in this though, so not a foregone conclusion and I think it will be competitive.

 

[DarthFed]

Until Roger shows that Rafa isn't completely in his head there is only one pick. The X's and O's don't really matter and form coming in is secondary to the players' history and the matchup. The last couple times they met in slams it seems that Rafa really never needed to get out of first gear to win going away. He is extremely confident vs. Fed especially on the big points. Roger has to flip that script or this ends all too predictably.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

this is federers best chance to beat rafa/wafa since before the beginning of recorded time.

off key nadal has problems with what..courtspeed/timing ?, blisters on hand ?, just off form a bit ?, federers serve is key as with most players, also key (for me anyhoo) is fed stepping in and hitting drive volleys from the T,and hitting topspin bh as often as possible to stop rafa running backwards like a bagfull of nervous nuns to get it on his fh..

federers new wand / attacking mindset/ influence of sir Stefan of Edberg..IS the key IF nadal plays like he did in round4 and qf.

if rafa finds his form its prob rafa going to win but i' still with the fedster in 4 or 5..(vote later).

will fed paint a canvass of mythical amazingness or will he paint a vulgar picture ?, will nadal channel his inner rocky balboa or dissolve into his inner audley Harrison. ???????????/:idea:

 

[isabelle]

Manacor's bull in 3, maybe 4

 

[coban]

Heart says Federer but my head says Nadal in 4.

 

[the AntiPusher]

If Rafa wants to be the Greatest he has to consistently keep defeating Roger at every venture. I just hope Rafa keeps moving forward and wins.

 

[nehmeth]

There is always a chance for an upset, but I'm not expecting one. Picked Rafa in 4

 

[El Dude]

Heart says Federer but my head says Nadal in 4.

Me too but I voted with my heart. Rog in 4!

 

[El Dude]

Furthermore: while Nadal is the obvious favorite, at least its worth discussing - and this might be the first time in over a year that a Fedal match was at all in doubt.

 

[bobvance]

I think Roger has a real shot, but those annoying match-up issues are still going to be there--Roger's slice is basically dead against Nadal, and when he comes to net he's going to get passed much more than he did against Tsonga and Murray. Still, I think knowing that he won't have to face Novak in a final will give Roger a little extra motivation, and the court seems to be playing faster than in the past so maybe he can get over the hump.

 

[Riotbeard]

Picked Roger in 4. I think he may actually have a good chance this time. Rafa has not been on fire. It would also mean a more compelling final...

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Roger in straights. Why? Because I want it to be. He won 2 good matches, he looks fresh, just ride the momentum and don't look at the past. Plus, Edberg might have some fresh ideas. Obviously ideas are a dime a dozen and at the end of the day, you have to implement them on the court, but a fresh voice might help.

It is my pick and I am sticking to it.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

isn't tennis ace ?. :celeb:

 

[Goldenboy]

Rafa in 4. I believe he will remove the bandage. But I still expect this to be a real fight. It is a De facto final.

Roger will want to win very badly, but so will Rafa. Rafa needs to move well, maeke returns and fire with his forehand in both directions. He should be a little more comfortable at night as the conditions are a bit slower.

If he plays like he did against Monfils, I like his chances.

 

[Riotbeard]

Rafa in 4. I believe he will remove the bandage. But I still expect this to be a real fight. It is a De facto final.

Roger will want to win very badly, but so will Rafa. Rafa needs to move well, maeke returns and fire with his forehand in both directions. He should be a little more comfortable at night as the conditions are a bit slower.

If he plays like he did against Monfils, I like his chances.

It's only a defacto final if Rafa wins. A Berdy-Fed final would be potentially very competitive.

 

[imjimmy]

Well - If Nadal plays as he did against Dmitrov or Nishikori, he will be on the express flight back home. That much is clear. I can't recall Nadal beating Fed when he was playing this bad. In fact, I don't think he would beat any top player playing this way. Thankfully, it's not Djoko he has to contend with. That would have been a beat down, what with Nadal's WTA serve and forehand UFEs.

I'm sure Rafa knows he needs to up his level especially on the serve and the forehand. Whether he can (blisters?) or will, is a different story.

With no disrespect, this match most definitely is the defacto final. Neither of the players should have difficulty with Berdych/Wawrinka in the final.

Fed looks good. He just seems to have that extra pop and his serve has looked better than I can remember. He still gets nervy though as he did in the closing stages of the match. But all credit to beating Murray.

I think someone gets this in 4 sets. The biggest variable is whether Nadal puts up a better performance. If not, Fed should get it, otherwise you have to back Rafa given their history.

 

[Denis]

Rafa hits a ball to Roger's backhand.
Roger slices.
Rafa runs around the slice and kills the ball.
50x.

I don't see how Roger can avoid this enough to win the match. But I'll be looking forward to how he handles it. Rafa in four.

 

[huntingyou]

There is no pressure on Rafa to serve MUCH better, just be tactically aware of the situation and utilize the surprise "big" serve that he always find in these matches. Rafa will slide the first serve to Roger's backhand at least 80% of the time with perhaps some variation on the deuce court. In the last few years, Rafa's backhand has done a lot of damage to Roger's forehand and the usual CC pattern between 1HBH and Rafa's forehand it's overblown.....at least outside of clay.

Roger has to serve above 65% first serve but they don't have to be big....just accurate in the box. Anything around the 60% range will translate to painful running and at this stage, Roger can't afford to defend much against Rafa.

If Rafa can bring up his level to his average performance for GS SF he takes this; but another day like the one he had against Grigor......Roger has a good chance. It has to be in 4 or 3 and he has to take the first set.

 

[nehmeth]

Rafa in 4. I believe he will remove the bandage. But I still expect this to be a real fight. It is a De facto final.

Roger will want to win very badly, but so will Rafa. Rafa needs to move well, maeke returns and fire with his forehand in both directions. He should be a little more comfortable at night as the conditions are a bit slower.

If he plays like he did against Monfils, I like his chances.

It's only a defacto final if Rafa wins. A Berdy-Fed final would be potentially very competitive.

Thanks for mentioning this RB.

I guess since few expect Fed and Berdy to win, it hasn't really been considered.