Is Federer's Crown Slipping?

So, you were agreeing with me.

All's well that ends well.

 

You do see I'm quoting the guy you said was saying Federer was washed up, right?

 

I most definitely did not say that.

I wrote that he has perpetuated the notion that others were saying that.

No one was.

 

Lost in the semis at Indian Wells today to unseeded Mardy Fish, who'd never beaten him before.

 

The evidence got much more weighty today.

 

I wonder if the mono's still dragging him down a bit. Mardy has played a hella great tournament too.

 

Agreed. I didn't see the match, but I am stunned by this loss. This is like when McEnroe lost to Vijay Amritraj, whose best pro result was a role in Octopussy.

 

Fish played absolutely out of his mind, and he played the type of match that gives Fed a little trouble: attack, attack, attack.

Really, the tournament of his career, regardless of what happens.

The two top guys are playing with a definite lack of imagination right now.

Fed seems a little unsure about what to do on the court, now that he's perhaps not 100% and is being challenged more often. He'll start attacking the net, then suddenly stop doing it. His footwork doesn't seem as crisp. Beyond health issues, I think he's getting a little stale and could benefit from a tennis "consultant."

Not a coach; guy doesn't need to be told to go out and train, or be taught how to fix his backhand. But when you go your own way, things can deteriorate - just a tad - with each passing day. Even if it's 1/2 of one percent. And a couple of months later, you're not hitting a shot as well as you were, or you're becoming predictable with your shot selection, and you don't even realize it because you see yourself every day.

He's a little stubborn that way, I think.

As for Nadal, got, either he's the most coachable player in the planet (and needs a better coach than Uncle Toni), or he's just dumb.

Does he have to hit EVERY serve down the T. Does he have to hit EVERY backhand crosscourt? (Actually, seeing him try to hit his backhand down the line yesterday, it appears he does).

As tough as his shots are, his opponents now pretty much know what he's going to do on every shot. And if you know, you can get there. And if you can get there, you can hit it back.

Interesting time. It's not that Djokovic is all that great (count me among his non-fans), but he's primed to take advantage of the down period for the other two.

And that makes me cry.