Ugh. The headline in the biggest news website in Israel?

"Federer: I'm injured. Berdych: Just an excuse"

Lovely.

Oh, well. No surprises here.

It falls on deaf ears, CL (and Alexis). And no one really wants to bring up the comparison to Nadal and how the press reacts to his various mentions of injuries. It doesn't feel great to do that. But it simply is a double standard that Roger, because he NEVER does this, must endure, I guess.

Pity. It would have been a nice redemption of the media in my eyes if they'd have taken a breath, counted to ten and looked at the big picture. Alas.

"If they are injured, and they believe that had something to do with it, then are they expected to LIE about it, or avoid mentioning it in the name of good sportsmanship? That's such a repressive view of good sportsmanship"

Manners is the art of telling small, reassuring lies. Sportsmanship is a form of manners.

I agree that both Soderling and Berdych are playing better. I think Sod's new coach has done wonders in tweaking Sod's game and giving him confidence. Berdych has always had a good game, but for whatever reason, it has come together pretty well for him this year. Fed has said that the biggest difference he sees in them is their consistency. That is absolutely right. But fundamentally, I don't see their games as being markedly changed. Fed's game is not markedly different either. But whatever little things have improved for them, and whatever little things have gone down for Roger... therein lies the turn-around.

Federer fand--I feel your pain over Roger's loss, and the non-acceptance of his stated physical injuries as an excuse by some players and some commentators. However, I don't believe that Rafa necessarily gets a break regarding his illnesses. Rafa missed what would have been his first French Open (2004) because of knee problems.

The speculation regarding Rafa's physical state is almost the opposite of Federer's--because Roger has hardly ever had physical injuries (as opposed to the illnesses that we are all subject to), he now has a hard time convincing anyone that he plays hurt. Since at least 2004, the speculation has been that Rafa's knees would give out before long, so before and after every match that he plays, he has to answer the "how are the knees" question.

These questions may give Rafa a ready-made excuse for losing matches, but he also has to constantly reiterate that reports of his demise (due to bad knees) are premature.

Federer has been sporting enough to give credit again to Soderling for breaking a 23 SF streak on a day he has been booted out of Wimby.

His analysis is that that losing in the QF of the FO was because Soderling played "fantastic" while today that wasn't the case.

But the presser dosen't strike me as bad-tempered. Sure, short curt answers but Federer has no obligation to hand out drinks to the journos and make merry talk after losing the biggest tournament of the year.

This is from the telegraph:

"The Swiss six-times Wimbledon champion gave a bad tempered press conference after losing 3-1 to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, sitting hunched over the desk and at times holding his head in his hands.

He repeatedly snapped at journalists and said he did not plan to watch the Wimbledon final – the first in which he has not appeared for eight years. "

Also...I didn't find him snapping at anyone...sure...dismissive of some questions..but looks like that's the universal opinion that it was a bad-tempered presser?

Grant- always good for thought provoking laughter-- are you on Twitter? lots of TW folks there...

Hate to drudge this up again and yes I was silent after FO, Wimby 2009 & AO 2010 but Roger really needs to rethink having a real full time coach (not luthi). Higueras helped him even though they worked for a short time. Cahill made some great points about Roger adjusting a step or two toward his FH return of service from the deuce court where he was continually hurt by body serves on key points. Let's face it, the field is getting better and Roger is still ahead of most, but needs to put his ego in check on the coaching topic.

Also, Vilu at 4:11 and Or at 4:29 make interesting points (if indirectly). Federer seems to pick and choose which players he respects. I'm not sure what the common thread is between these players because they include someone who has beaten him a lot (Nadal) and others whom he regularly dominates (Roddick, Hewitt, even Ferrer) and really most other players.

But there are a handful of players, albeit in the minority, whom he doesn't seem to respect with his comments such as Murray, Djokovic, and today a little bit with Berdych. Is it a function of their feisty personalities? I don't really know. But there's no doubt he doesn't speak of them the same way as the other group, win or lose.

All that being said, I think he displays much better overall sportmanship than Sampras in his prime (someone earlier mentioned Pistol Pete's "about a dozen grand slams" comment which was one of the all-time low moments of disrespect in tennis).

You know, the funny part is that both Fed (BBC) and Berdych (ESPN) gave interviews where they were very complimentary of each other. Roger praised Tomas, and Tomas said something like he hopes Fed is fit again soon. But no doubt the press, including Bodo, is going to take this and get as much mileage out of it as they can. As Roger said, the press has been waiting for this but no matter what they said (he says he can't control it), he's not going anywhere.

You know what I have always found curious. Federer had his right leg strapped for his second round match. I went back and read all of his pressers and no where in that press conference did anyone ask him about the tape on his leg. It was so visible. There are pictures. Did they not see it? I did not watch the match. After he got broken in the 4th set, thought it best for my heart not to watch, but even during the first match of this tournament, Fed has not been moving well.

I will go even further. His serve has been way off and many of us here were speculating as to whether he was having back problems again as he was serving up many double faults and his serve did not have the same amount of velocity that it usually does. His placement on the serve was way off as well.

I am as devastated as many other Fed fans that Fed lost. It is not however the end of the world. He is 29 years old and reaching the end of his career. He has had a very good season so far. Many players would kill to have won a major already this year. I take the positives from this.

2 years ago he was all but written off and his sankey (look it up) was being sung. Since then he has won 3 majors, one of which is the French Open. As a fan I can live with the downs as much as I can live with the ups.

As we say in Jamaica, "me life soon sort out, no bother worry"

I have to say the headlines are quite irritating. It isn't such a big deal really.

The guy has a legitimate back problem that flares up from time to time...and sure, he rambled on about it which is unlike him..but the headlines do no justice.

And has strapped his thigh.

Besides, Berdych handled his presser with so much of class...not the way the media portrays it.

And I join in with the people who find the double standards in the media irritating...whatever the reasons are...its not fair to Roger.

Incidently, Rafa announced last year before the FO final about his bad knees and injury...before the FO was over. I thought it was insensitive but nobody said a word or complained about it. All sympathy.

Now, the same people blow up headlines as if Roger has committed a crime.

jbradhunter - Twitter seems perfect for me, so I will fight against it with all of my being

Ugh. This is not the first time Roger was asked after a loss whether he's gonna watch the final. I seem to recall that in Miami 08 he said 'I don't care' or something like that.

That seems to be the popular reaction of top player after a loss, I've seen Roddick and Murray both say the same thing on prior occasions.

While I'm not a big Fed fan, I do think he is overall a better model of sportmanship than Sampras ever was. Someone earlier pointed out Pete's "dozen grand slams" comment which was one of the all-time low moments of tennis disrespect IMO.

Though I prefer Nadal, I have no problem admitting that Federer has been great overall for the game and has represented the game very well, effectively increasing the sport's popularity worldwide.

So Fed's not injured and purely making excuses? Well, thanks for clearing that up, Dr. Bodo, or wait in terms of a second opinion, it was Dr. Berdych, right? Got it.

Fed -- next time take some MTOs. You gotta pre-sell this stuff a little more.

Rafa- Unsporting on the court (slow play, calling physio) & humble in interview
*I really just came to terms with it this week. I really like the guy and it's frustrating*

Roger- Sporting on the court & Pompus baby in interviews
*I first noticed it at Wimbledon 09' and it gets worse the more he loses*

Yes I feel the same about all players.

Including Nadal who is always talking about his injuries, and the Williams sisters who are always giving excuses for losing and rarely crediting their opponents.

It is a given that in all sports, players are rarely 100% injury free or fatigue free.

It is part of the sport - for all sports.

I don't even know who said what because I didn't see any interviews.

It won't make any difference ActionFlunky. He had a MTO against Murray in Shanghai a year ago and no mention of his back (he had even pulled out of Paris the week before due to his back). Roger even stated in his presser that it was probably good that he lost to Murray because he never would have been able to play the next day with the way he was feeling. Didn't make a bit of difference to the press.

JJB - you need to go back and read Rafa's post DelPotro match USO 09 presser. He talked..quite a bit about his ab strain as a FACTOR in that loss.

Given the headlines that have already been quoted here today, it seems that the press has taken the bait of "Fed as a match loser and a SORE loser" hook line and sinker. I watched the video of Fed's presser and if they truly think that is someone 'snapping' at them, they need to meet me having even a normal sort of day. And the only time he put his head in his hands was when ElJon tried to lead him down the string theory path, and Fed wouldn't play along. The press corps seemed to find him amusing enough as they chuckled along with his 'everybody is playing so lousy' riff. How the heck do the square THAT circle??

Well, maybe enough people have stopped reading newspapers and will watch the actual video themselves and make up their own mind. But even if they do, this particular 'untrue' narrative is going to dog Fed know matter how many times it is shown to be false and unfair.

Roger beat the big hitters in the past because he played at a tempo that was a tad too quick for them. He used to hit a little harder too because he could move into position to hit that way. Watch his demolition of Delpo at AO 2009, it looked like the ball was always coming back too soon for Delpo to get a handle and start belting away. Fed's a little less quick these days (and thus less aggressive) which allows the big guys to dictate more than they could before. Once the balance tilts this way his lessened quickness makes it even harder for him to recover from defensive positions. It all starts in the legs, folks. Try listening to the rhythm of rallies sometime; the quicker things are, the better for players who take the ball on the rise like Fed and Davydenko. Fed plays less aggressively than he used to because he doesn't move as aggressively as he used to, this is either down to age, injury, or both.

For the matter, I think it is Ok to say that something like "I am injured" and "I would have played better if I were not", if an injury is indeed there - one should not lie about it. What is not acceptable for the player (or any fan/press people) to say under that circumstance is that "I/he would have beaten the opponent if I/he were not injured", because it is an intrinsically false statement as it is based on the imaginary what-ifs. I think the "if you play you are not injured" narrative is essentially the attempt to stop such what-if thoughts, but it only works for certain people. No surprise there.

Thanks to someone upthread who posted the link to the BBC article.

How many players would go and give an interview (after a presser) again after losing the biggest tournament of the year? And after losing for the first time in eight years????

Facing the same questions over and over again about your career going downhill...I always thought that players would rather pay the fine than the scrutiny that comes with a presser...but i guess Roger had promised an interview before the match.

Alexis,

I can assure you that there is nothing nice about having tendonitis and it is an ongoing condition.

Dissapointed with the assessment.

First, I don't think Fed was making an excuse. He always gives his assessment for whatever happened in the match. I am yet to come across anyone who agrees with the "sun" factor in AO against Davydenko. Cahill himself said the match turned around because conditions got cooler at night and did not quite agree with Fed.
I think Fed is misunderstood whenever he talks about a match. When he says it was the conditions he does mention that full credit to his opponent because the conditions are same for him too.
By the way, did Fed mention an injury at the end of US Open ? or French Open ? or Wimbledon 2008? So how come when he mentions it today it is such a big deal ?

Also, full credit to Nadal for being rock solid. He is a great player and an artist in his own right. His injuries are also always talked about by the press. He rarely talks about it himself. So kudos to him.

As for Fed, well he is still great. He won't win as many as he used to. That's all there is to it. The dominance is over. The greatness remains.

Karen,
If we are talking about transportation for Roger's fans we should consider those everlasting Toyotas as you see them in Cuba or in one of the countries of the Arab League. Lots of wear and tear but still running.
For the time being and to fend off the inevitable assault of the media I suggest we could use this one for the next week or two.
http://tinyurl.com/3y7o5me

Incidently, Roddick has also had tendonitis...and I have never heard him mention that he lost a match because of that.

But that's probably his biggest weapon is his serve, not his defense.

Still..it dosen't seem fair to me.

"Jon Wertheim"?

Someone mentioned about the dude in comment below. I would NOT bother to read Jon's column or opinion anymore.

HOWEVER, Pete provided insightful comment here which is worth attention. I never realize that it was big-tall, powerful servers/forehanders who had beaten Federer lately (other than Nadal, of course). I do think more players in that class have read Federer's play and known his game. After all it has been 7 years of Federer's domination. What is SHOCKING here is the fact that Federer ranking now drops to #3. WOW!

I don't like to bring up Rafa when discussing Roger but I have to in this instance with regards to the press. Where was condemnation and dismissals when Rafa came out after he lost @ RG to Soderling and said that his knee was troubling him. All the press, describe Soderling's victory over Rafa as a fluke or dismiss it because he was injured. Roger says the same thing and the press refuses to accept it. Injury is never an excuse but it's the reason why Rafa and Roger sometimes have been unable to perform at their best. Maybe Roger's problem is that he decides to play through his injuries and illnesses when he should rest. If he had pulled out of Wimbledon, maybe the press would be more willing to accept that he also gets injured.

CL, it makes a better story. As Roger said, the press has been waiting for this. It's way more fun for them to trash Roger and rake him over the coals. They'll do it to anybody. Honestly I'm surprised that Roger is as nice to them as he is. I think that is what befuddles Roger. I mean, no player is more giving than Roger is to the press, and yet they forget that and turn on him at their first chance. And yet Roger continues to be nice to them. I remember Roddick once saying something to the press about not understanding why Roger was so nice to them after the way they treated him... he said he would have torn them up.

I don't remember Nadal's remarks after the Delpo USO loss, but I'm not going to bother looking it up as I'm sure you're right. My main point is that it's other people (commentators, fans, writers, etc.) who talk about the injuries way more than either Fed or Nadal, by a huge margin. The players are not responsible for what other people say about them. It's really the "unlucky bounces" comment that is more surprising to me.

As in any press conference, there were a small handful of absurd questions such as the one about Berdych's shots seeming to go way long than dipping into the court. I don't have any problem with how Fed responded to the couple absurd questions like that one and the one about the dangerous players being out of Murray's way.

"Where was condemnation and dismissals when Rafa came out after he lost @ RG to Soderling and said that his knee was troubling him."

+10000

Infact, I think I was the only one who was surprised that Rafa did not wait till the FO was over to announce. He had to let Queens know and ofcourse, Uncle Toni gave a whole page of knee news.

I still say Roger could have rambled on less because its unlike him to harp on an injury, but why is he being crucified in the press for it?????

Vamos Rafa!

Federer must be humbler in this cases and admit he was overpowered by Berdych´s groundstrokes, as in the last US open´s final. He had no answer to Berdych´s forehand. Period. No back or whatever excuses, not even running with a scooter woulda been enough to get to those balls. I´m sorry Roger, but there are certain guys with more powerful strokes than yours. Not to take away his immense talent and skill, which is unmatched.
But speaking in terms of power from the baseline, Roger is not the best. The Roger-Rafa era, which was WONDERFUL, its beginning to fade. Let some space to the blasting tennis..haha..I love it. Can´t wait to see again del Potro´s booming crosscourt forehands..haha, many jaws dropping, miss u so much Juan Martin!! Get well and come back strong!!

wilson75... that is my point. Why is it okay for Rafa to mention being tired or having an issue with his knee and the press just goes "okay.... let's asterisk that match'. Yet Fed never gets that same consideration.

To me it appeared that Federer was lacking muscle tone.

Maybe he couldn't train because he was sick.

Or maybe he just made a mistake in training.

Roger has had a back injury before and I do believe him when he said it was troubling him today. I'm not saying Berdy only won because of it but I am saying that a back injury is quite incapacitating and I don't believe that Roger's movement was very good today.

As most people probably know, fitness and weight loss are the magic cure-alls for whatever problem your game is having.

Berdych said he trained more in the gym.

Federer to me looked out of condition a little.

That is enough to change the outcome of their match.

Btw...is Pete going to asterisk the winner of this tourney, seeing that the six time winner...and defending champion...not to mention a 77-2(?) record on grass....is out?

Or are we just going to accept i guess that Roger cannot keep his date in the final...where his record is 6-1. :-)

"Federer appears increasingly vulnerable, and Soderling and Berdych have shown themselves capable of beating both icons, it's bound to re-emerge—with a vengeance."

Both may be somewhat capable, sometimes, of beating some people, but what does it matter if they never win any tournaments? Every player has good matchups and bad matchups, but most don't have anywhere near Federer's number of trophies. Or even Rafa's.

When the big guys with the big serves actually start winning a lot of tournaments, especially slams, then maybe we can talk. DelPo obviously might have been an opening to the conversation, but then he blew out his wrist and we haven't seen him since last winter.

That being said, I'm really pleased about Berdych's play this year. It will be unfortunate if someone with his ability never makes it to a slam final. Maybe this year is his chance at last.

BTW, Berdych has thighs like an NFL linebacker - Obviously he is working quite hard. In addition, his body serves at critical moments killed Roger today.

Jake, the fact that Roger rarely offers up a physical issue as to why he didn't play his best - like after the USO final (as you said) makes his comments today more believable, in my opinion. Roger has never run away from being honest after losing a match and saying when a guy outplayed him - as he did with Del Potro. Roger said that Berdych played the big points very well; that he came up with big shots and there was nothing Roger could really do. But Fed honestly felt that his physical woes prevented him from playing how he wanted and it frustrated him. There's nothing wrong with that. Just like Roger did not use a physical excuse for why he damn near lost to Falla.

I almost said the same thing ladyjulia. Since Roger's FO win doesn't count because he didn't go through Rafa. It seems to me that if anyone other than Berdych wins Wimbledon, well it shouldn't count either. I mean, we all now that Rafa only lost at the FO last year because of his knees (Soderling who?). And since Roger was not 100% this year and didn't make the final, well if Djoker, Murray, or Rafa wins... well, it shouldn't count either.

Right Pete? I mean that's how you think right? Or is there another double-standard there too?

Well, I wrote a question to Jon W about the double standards scenario. Let's see if he answers.

All things must pass.

Um. Just thought of something. Anyone seen Pierre Paganini in Roger's box in Wimby?

Well, Bodo's insinuating-he-wasn't-injured stuff aside, Couch's question was a good one, and I think these guys' power (DelPo's, Berdych's, and Sod's) have proven (recently) as big a kryptonite to Fed's game as, in years past, Rafa's topspin to his BH.

Oddly enough, Rafa (I believe) can hang with their baseline power better than Fed, but where he has occasional trouble with them is that topspin sits up for them.

Anyway, should be in an interesting Friday and Sunday, and looking forward to seeing more of Berdych in the future.

Not likely we will see a Roger resurrection. He seems to be on a downward spiral to retirement now. Nadal will rule the game with iron fist now.

Alexis...he he..I know!

Best scenario for that would be Roddick...if he had won without going through Roger. Would the press have been sympathetic, heave a sign of relief or criticize the win because it didn't come against his rival with whom he has a 2-19 record?

Unfortunately, Roddick lost...but I am willing to bet money that people would have put it down to fate, or the fact that Roddick works so hard and deserved it...or something like that!

Btw..I am a fan of Roddick too...but this is so funny. Glad that I am not Roger...or I would be seeping in anger. Fortunately, none of this is personal to me...but its personal to Roger. The journos are more sensitive than he is at this point!

First, this was not about Rafa, but about Roger. The difference was that Rafa is always ASKED about his knees, he didn't just offer it up. Primarily he was asked about them because he called the trainer, and because it is well known that he is suffering with them.
I totally believe Roger if he says he was injured, but honestly, at this point in a Grand Slam, especially so close to the French everyone is dealing with some type of injury or another. The way he phrased it seemed to suggest that he was taking credit away not only from Berdych, but from Lleyton beating him at Halle. Agassi played for years with a bad back, and still managed to win...and many others. Sorry that he is injured, but by taking the court that indicates that he believes that he can play through that injury and still claim a victory. When you do not, then it really negates the fact that you have one. I don't believe that Roger intended to take credit away, but unfortunately by mentioning it he kinda did in some people's eyes, especially if they are looking for something negative. If the question was were you struggling, or whatever, he could have said many things without mentioning the injury.

Alex,

Iron knees would be more convenient for Rafa than an iron fist.

apologies if this has already been posted - Federer's post-match BBC interview. imv he says his injuries prevented him from playing the way he wanted to but gives credit to Berdych for playing well and pushing him. Does not say he lost because of his injuries - BIG difference. I also thought his demeanour in the interview is really good all things considered...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/8776313.stm

Or, I don't think PP comes to Wimbledon. He is always at Halle for the change of surface. He was there this year.

For anyone doubting Roger's back problem, he only ever squats and flexes his back on the match court when it is hurting. He did it before serving the first point in the Melzer match.

It's unfortunate how frequently and to what a great extent this forum becomes an exchange of taunts, jeers, accusations, and insults between fans of Federer and fans of Nadal (as well as fans of both men and of other players). Reminds me of the message boards at IMDB.

I suppose it's an inevitable feature of this type of public forum, in which excited and excitable fans can shed their inhibitions with the assurance of anonymity. However, it shouldn't have to be the norm here. I really think tempers would flare a lot less if people would:

a) avoid making absolute statements and assumptions.
i.e. "Fed's glory days are definitely over" or "It's obvious that Nadal was faking"

b) resist the urge to insult others, including other posters, the bloggers at Tennis.com (whom we should be thanking for providing us with fodder for discussion), and the players themselves.

I know how easy it is to get angry, especially in response to someone who has done one or both of the above. But if we channel that anger into writing something thoughtful in response, we'll reduce the negativity that runs rampant so often and, hopefully, replace it with more nuanced, insightful analysis of the game we all so plainly cherish.

I agree with Jean ("When Federer wins, he is a champ and so excellent, and when he loses, he is blaming everything else but his lack-luster games"). Federer is a sore, sore loser. It's evident that he doesn't believe his competitors beat him because they're good -- he thinks he is unbeatable and so any loss is just a fluke.

I have disliked Federer since he whipped out that monogrammed jacket at last year's Wimbledon -- the height of arrogance and disrespect to Andy Roddick after such a close match, in my opinion.

ladyjulia - LOL

"Not likely we will see a Roger resurrection. He seems to be on a downward spiral to retirement now."

Well that would be a great loss for tennis, but thankfully for tennis, this cruel statement is not even close to being true.

Thanks Pete,

Tomas has been playing of late the best tennis of his career.His results show that.Tomas probably played the match of his career to date in beating Roger at Wimbledon.

In saying that points at times were close.Roger showed why he is soo great on the grass.

I have had the pleasure of watching Roger play live on many occasions.To me still the greatest shot maker I have seen.

Roger to me is a class act.He waited for Tomas and they both left the center court together.

Congrats to both Tomas and Roger.

Jen,

"It's evident that he doesn't believe his competitors beat him because they're good -- he thinks he is unbeatable and so any loss is just a fluke."

I suppose that is why he still maintains to this day that Djokovic deserved to win the AO because of a phenomenal serving display, that Soderling played fantastic at the FO to knock him out and that Del Potro is going to be a "great player" one day for whom "the sky is the limit".

I just looked up the 2009 transcripts from the post-match interviews from both the French and US opens.

Nadal said NOTHING about his knees in the post-SOderling interview. The press meme then was "how tired are you??" from the long clay season. He never took the bait. Just said repeatedly that he didn't play well, that he played too short, and that Soderling played great. (Wasn't Toni the one who said something about the knees, eventually?)

In the US Open, he was asked incessantly about injuries during interviews after the early matches, and said his knees were perfect, and refused to talk about the stomach until after the tournament. (I think he had been treated in the abdominal during a match, that's how people knew.) So when asked after being beaten by Del Potro, he did finally tell everyone (who had been asking over and over again) what was up.

The difference today is that Federer brought it up early, in his second response, without being prompted. And then used it for the reason he didn't play as well as he wanted in the next 5 replies or so.

Thus, I can see the disconnect between someone looking at this from the press box and, well, the rest of us.

Really, with injuries, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. You are either honest and unsportsmanlike, or you're a liar yet a good sport. Injuries are part of the game. Some athletes are more prone than others (although when you're looking at professional athletes, they must be the least prone, overall, or they'd never have made it so far.) Federer is probably the least-injured athlete in history, it seems! Whether it's why he's so good, or why he's so good is because he's never injured, who knows, but I greet his losses "due to injury" with a big shrug. It happens to everyone...

agastya, thank you so much for posting the link to that interview. I wonder if it occurs to anyone in the press room that Roger's 'passive aggressive' response is exactly that - a response to the way they are.

As the saying goes it takes two to tango.

One thing that truly amazed me was how inaffective federer's forehand today. I have seen his matches with bad serves occasionally but Fed losing his effect on his forehand has been a rarity to me. That tells me that he was having some nagging issues. In fact his backhand was much more effective today than his forehand.

I am a hardcore fed Fan but Birdy did play a great game and took all his chances. Fed did not and that was the biggest difference including sub-par returns on Birdy's serves.

oh my aching TOE.....

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/3842/x610bn.jpg

"I suppose that is why he still maintains to this day that Djokovic deserved to win the AO because of a phenomenal serving display, that Soderling played fantastic at the FO to knock him out and that Del Potro is going to be a "great player" one day for whom "the sky is the limit"."

All further manifestations of arrogance, obviously.

Let's face it. Federer will never regain the top spot, and his great skills are starting to decline. But on my blog I offer another way to think about this: http://wordinedgewise.org/?p=1283

Rafa's presser after his USO loss:
http://2009.usopen.org/en_US/news/interviews/2009-09-13/200909131252880634406.html

Bobby, I definitely agree with all that. People are free to root for whichever player they like and discuss the finer points of the rivalry but that can all be done without insulting other posters, bloggers, etc.

They're the two top player fed and nadal I mean, so yeah they're most likely to slow down sometime around. Rafa is by far the fav to win but never doubt the other players...Just ask fed. He go bye-bye.

First, I watched the video of Roger's presser and he was not 'snapping' at any of the reporters. In fact, at the end (of the English version), he was making jokes! So I don't know why some press would say he was 'snapping' at them? Confused on that.

I just got on line and haven’t had time to go back and read all the comments. I just want to give my comments about Roger’s match:

Roger has made me enjoy tennis so much in the past that I can’t even be upset about this loss. I mean, when he lost the 2008 Wimbledon to Nadal, I cried (literally cried) and was sad for over a week. That was the worse I ever felt after a Roger loss. I also kept saying to myself that if Roger could just get that 1 French Open and somehow break Pete’s record, I would be satisfied. I really wanted that to happen, but after 2008’s Wimbledon, even I doubted that it would happen. But Roger came back in the US Open that year and my spirits picked up.

When he finally won the French and broke the record in 2009, I then said “I’m happy and I’m satisfied”. Roger had fulfilled everything that I could hope to wish for. So from then on out, I viewed all of his losses differently. I say “oh well - he can’t win them all’! And then I said that if he does anything else from this time forward - it’s all a bonus for me. The Australian Open this year was a ‘bonus’ for me. I was a little sad when the SF streak ended, but heck - it had to end sometimes. But now - I’m sad when he loses, but I’m not devastated. I just say “oh well, he lost”. So even if he drops out of the top 100 - nothing can take away what Roger has already done. I’m ’satisfied’ and will be a fan of his always!

—————
Now, I want to congratulate the fans of all the winners today: Djokovic’s fans (he has great fans here on the forum); Berdych’s fans (if he has any out there? lol); Murray fans and finally all the great Nadal fans here. It should be 2 interesting SF matches, especially if they all play up to their capabilities. It should be exciting (even though Roger is out). I’ll be watching them all!

Ahh. So Roger should have Mirka inform the press of his injuries! That would do it. Make note, Roger. LOL.

Really.

Wasn't it Uncle Toni who gave a presser last year, before the final of the FO breaking the news that Rafa was injured during the FO?

I remember it because i thought the timing was not good...given that the slam was not over yet. And that Soderling was going to be playing in the final.

Similarly, Roger's timing is quite weird...but he was asked a direct question...it was the first question:

Q. Difficult moment, but what couldn't you do that you wanted to do?What let you down?

ROGER FEDERER: Uhm, well, I mean, I don't think I played poorly. But, uhm, I think he went after it. I mean, I know Berdych. I think I've played him 10 times already before. That's the way he plays, you know.

I think he's been able to play more consistent last year or so, and I was just not able to defend well enough and I didn't come up with the good stuff when I had to. So it was disappointing, you know. Yeah.

JJB @4.41
Fed's 'disrespectful' comments towards Djokovich, Murray and Berdych ... well, firstly, i've heard Fed praise all of these players highly!- but since your're asking ...Djokovich - Fed has quite bluntly questioned his MTOs, time-wasting etc. It goes back to an old Swiss/Serbia Davis Cup tie when a young Djoko appeared injured to the extent everyone was concerned and in the next game Djoko - in Fed's words "was running round like a rabbit". Djoko's mother saying "the King is Dead" when Djoko beat Fed at Aus08 semis (Fed's mono year) and Djoko retiring against Fed later that year (with Fed in a winning position) with a sore throat probably didn't help their relationship! Saying that, they seem to get on better these days :)

Murray - Fed not a fan of Murray's gamestyle and, unfortunately, been quite vocal about it. He prefers aggressive to defensive (passive) tennis and feels that Murray gained a winning H2H against him when he (Fed) was not playing his best. When Murray really started to rise in the game - 2 years ago - he gave a number of interviews about the 'future of tennis' involving himself, Djoko and Nadal and how they'd moved on from the Fed generation of players.

It's not always about Fed calling other players, though you'd never know it - sometimes he reacts to their comments!

Regarding Berdych, other power hitters etc - frankly I don't think he rates them (professionally) that highly - in his prime he dominated H2H against players like Berdych, Soderling, even Del Potro early on.

Totally agree with Alexis about the unfairness of Fed commenting on his injuries ... amazing how (quite rightly) it's fine for Rafa (I remember a poster suggesting Rafa's knees had their own blog last year) but Fed mentions it and the press rip him for it. Would have been better (and understandable) if Fed had skipped the presser altogether!

To be fair, Uncle Toni was in Spain by then and can do whatever he pleases...but still..quite impeccable timing on his part. I would have preferred to hear from Rafa himself about his state...

Gravy...

Sorry..its the second question:

Q. You beat him almost every time you played him. Was he any different?

ROGER FEDERER: Like I said, I think he was a bit more consistent than in the past. I lost to him in Miami this year, where it was a really tight match as well.

But from my end, obviously, you know, I'm unhappy with the way I'm playing. I couldn't play the way I wanted to play. You know, I am struggling with a little bit of a back and a leg issue. That just doesn't quite allow me to play the way I would like to play.

So it's frustrating, to say the least. Looking forward to some rest anyway.

Lady Julia -

Yup. It was Toni who gave out interviews. And IMHO, it's the exact same thing.

Whatever the reasons, back, legs, or "nerve", today's match reveals one thing that very few were willing to admit earlier this year when Fed lost go Baghdatis, Gulbis and others earlier, which is that Fed is no longer able to "just turn it on for the slams". Some of us stated we sensed a decline beginning and were ridiculed. Nevertheless It is sad for any player to lose that "nerve" or edge as thier careers wind down; we are seeing it with Roddick, Venus and it happens to everyone especially when the margins between a W and and L which Pete so eloquently described at the end of the 4th set are so thin. When you look at Fed's stats for the match, they were very good, few unforced errors, good % of first serves etc, but it was the "nerve" or extra that he displayed with abandon from 2003-2009 that is now missing and will be very difficult to recover. No amount of rest or practice will do it. It now boils down to how bad he wants it back and can he muster the skills to win a few more. Because he is such a beautiful player, I hope he does for our sake.

Pete,
You've been calling out The Fed for months and since the AO he has been coasting on what little was left of his aura and average B-C grade tennis. He knew (or should have known)how dangerous Berdych would be. A+ tennis was needed. He didn't have it today and hasn't for a while now. All credit to Berdych and I am a Fed fanatic. I do not see this as all bad. I am upset but maybe just maybe losing in the quarters at his beloved Wibledon is just what the doctor ordered for the Fed to reinvent his game again. He simply has to if he hopes to win in the future.

I am disappointed in Roger for mentioning his injuries at all. You lost, man up, get a coach and get back out on the practice court.
Andrew is right the game is changing again. If he's not willing to change with it then get out of the game!

Or,

True..but last year, apparently I was the only one who found it weird.

This year, about 10,000 newswriters find its not to their liking.

I think I like Venus best in this regard.... her career is her own, she knows why she loses, why she wins, when she is injured and how much injury she has. Never heard her talk even once about an injury.

So Catrice... you say that today Roger also negated Hewitt's win against him by mentioning that his thigh was also bothering him in the Halle final. Well, isn't that exactly what Nadal did here as well? When he was talking about his knee issues, he suddenly mentioned that they were bothering him in Miami... thereby negating Roddick's win over him after-the-fact. But gee...I didn't see the press pick up on that one. Again, double-standard when it comes to Fed.

Or,

True..but last year, apparently I was the only one who found it weird.

This year, about 10,000 newswriters find its not to their liking.

I think I like Venus best in this regard.... her career is her own, she knows why she loses, why she wins, when she is injured and how much injury she has. Never heard her talk even once about an injury.

The journos in these pressers want to be snowed. They don't want direct, honest answers. They want platitudes and phony humble talk. They would prefer players' coaches to inform them of any injuries, not the players themselves. Roger has always been straightforward and direct, and this has always gone against the grain of the journos sensibilities! How "low rent"! How arrogant!

It is remarkable how much this mirrors the broader media. They like "the game". They don't want to hear or print the truth. They want what fits their narrative. And if that sounds bitter, it's because I am bitter. There were so many positive, GRACEFUL ways to write about this great champion's loss at his beloved Wimbledon today after his long, amazing run there. That it was the media who chose the truly "low rent" path is not surprising.

This is insane!
If Roger Federer is held to a different standard is because he has aet different standards with his brilliance and outstanding results.
He has been relatively healthy for most of his illustrious career so it seems only logical that people will make a big fuss of it when he admits to being injured after a loss.
I can understand fans may feel it's unfair but I'm not sure how bringing up what other players do or don't do makes it any better *shrugs*

So Roger hasn't done enough for some of you? Gee, I'd hate for you to be a fan of 99% of the other players! lol! That 'monkey' is still really hugh on Roger's shoulders! No other tennis player (not Agassi, not Pete, not Nadal, etc.) has had to live up to the high standards some folks have for Roger! When Nadal didn't win a tournament for almost a year, it was brought up some, but not like it is when Roger loses in a QF!!!! Some people on other forums are actually calling for the guys to retire! Retire! lol! I'd hadte for them to be fans of all those tennis players who have never even made it to a grand slam QF or for all those players who don't even have 1 grand slam - less have 16! Some of you guys are just brutal! I'd hate for you to be a fan of mine if I were a player.

Not saying that Roger should use Mirka as his mouthpiece, no. There is no evidence Rafa used Toni that way. In fact, it appears that Rafa gets irritated with Toni talking too much, LOL! (If the other day is any indication)

No, we don't know what's going on behind the scenes. But it's no different than hearing after the fact that Federer had mono during the AO in 2008. Like I said, things happen. Players get hurt and sick, just like normal people. Most try to do the dance of "I'm not making excuses because he played great but yes I was hurt too which is I couldn't play long but all credit to him because he took what I gave him because I couldn't play freely which is how he executed SO well" ad nauseam.

In regard to the injury discussion, I think the argument that someone is healthy if they step on the court is unconvincing and too easy. It seems to me that many posters here resist taking injuries into account because they complicate the narratives of tennis. This is understandable, both because the ever-developing storylines of tennis are part of why we love it so much, and because for the last several years we've been spoiled with one of the juiciest sagas the sport has ever known: the Federer-Nadal rivalry.

We can handle plot twists (i.e. both are knocked out before the AO '08 final, Nadal loses to Sod at FO '09 and Fed goes on to win) but we are overwhelmingly resistant to "asterisks" because they disrupt the clean outlines of the story.

Well, like it or not, asterisks are a part of tennis, and indeed of any sport (unless you're in Hollywood). These tennis players are human beings and they do get injuries. They do get ailments. They face personal and psychological issues like everyone else. Sometimes the injuries and issues are so great that they withdraw from an event or retire mid-match. Other times they attempt to fight through them and win, other times they lose. But if they win that doesn't mean the injury wasn't there, and if they lose that doesn't mean it was simply and conclusively because of said injury.

Of course, a given players' explanations for their losses, whether or not they include references to hamstrings or heartache, can be interpreted differently by fans, other players, and members of the media. But we should always be prepared to accept that such things can and do have an impact on matches.

Here! Here! Tari! Drinks on me for that post. (6:05)

Tari,

Jon W did not write anything about the press conference in his article.

That was his personal twitter a/c where he made the remark.

But 999 others did..

yes

aet = set

Kate Battersby, WTF were you watching?....Nadal Muddles Through?????

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/match_reports/2010-06-30/201006301277893313855.html

I believe Federer has become very comfortable with his life and new family.Hes done it all in his tennis career. The killer instinct is gone.

I think Federer will win one more Slam, but I do not know where or when
The game is shifting, I agree. I also agree Nadal gets treated special---who else could take all that extra time between points that is over the time prescribed,and not be penalized?(Like Roddick never being fined when his foul mouth chews up umpires)
I hope Murray beats Rafa. I can never cheer for a man that promotes a half million dollar watch when so much poverty and suffering surrounds us all throughout the world.

sam hill,

Roger did mention in that Dubai conference that he was confused what to do about his mono..whether he should keep it to himself, or tell the media finally...or when to tell. He apparently had no coach either...so he decided to say it when he arrived at the next tournament i.e. Dubai. It was a month later.

I stagger home to discover that Fed has lost. Darn. Well, I suppose I can watch the World Cup.

What is all the fuss about injury? I read somewhere he was wearing a bandage lately. Was that the problem?

Congrats to TomB. Well done.

Anyway Fed is 29. At that age he should be battered and bruised. Cut him some slack.

Tari, it's been so good to see you here recently.

I expected the media to be appalling and they have lived up (or down) to all my expectations in spades. However, if anyone wants to know how Roger is regarded by tennis fans I suggest they listen to the cheer he received when he turned to wave to the crowd as he left the court. I have never heard anything like it.

Lonnyhaze
You may just have apoint there. Winning the French may not have been such a good thing. LOL

"When he was talking about his knee issues, he suddenly mentioned that they were bothering him in Miami... thereby negating Roddick's win over him after-the-fact"

Not true, he did not suddenly mention them; he was punching at his knees DURING the match against Roddick in IW when he had his meltdown on court and the journos askd about that. Obviously, if someone is ranting on in Spanish and beating at their knees , people are going ask about it.

I suppose next time, Rafa should control his emotions and suffer in silence so that journos dont cotton on to the injuries.

Pete obviously thinks Roger shouyld have done the same......

Thanks, Caroline! That made me (mistily) smile. :) And thanks, FoT.

Also, ladyjulia. I didn't read Wertheim's article, but did read his tweets. I thought they were cheap shots. His tweets are his thoughts.

Sam hill -

I've said it before. Rafa, at 24 years old, is fully responsible for whatever Toni says about his injuries and his career. The man may be his uncle, but he is also his coach, and therefore represents him.

He's a man grown now, if anyone from his camp, whether it is an uncle or a trainer, is speaking out of turn and against his opinion, it is up to him to tell them to shush it.

Red, you are tough on the Fed.

Anyway, you have a great handle as in My Name is Red.