It could be too presumptuous to even assume that there will be another final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the French Open 2008. There is a long list of excellent clay court players that in any given day on a five set match could beat either Rafa or Federer.
For the sake of commentary, let us agree that a final between Nadal and Federer does happen and I will try to answer the title question.
After carefully watching the Monaco ATP Masters Series 2008 tennis video final, it became apparent to me that for Federer to win against Nadal at the French Open, there is no revision of what I have been saying and writing for years, including The Book on Nadal or The Lion Effect – THE ATTACK!
Nevertheless, what bewilders me is whether Roger Federer really means or realized what he said at the press conference:
- “Federer: "I thought I played okay. Disappointing second set, I guess, after playing the right way against him and then letting him back into the match. It was disappointing. Maybe I didn't play my best for sure. But it's tough against him and he deserves to win in the end... because he's a helluva clay court player.”
On one hand Federer says, “after playing the right way against him and then letting him back into the match.”
And what was the “right way”?
Well, if Federer is in tune with what he did on the court, the right way was very simple; it was the attack! Starting at the first break in the second set, Roger attacked consistently and won all games at the net until 4-0 and then decided to stay on the baseline and lose 5 games in a row. To attack again and go 5-5 and then lose with his own mistakes at 5-6. That was clear to me.
Was it clear to Federer? I guess not!
- “Federer: "The amount of times I got broken today wasn't what I was hoping for but at least I was finally able to break him also on several occasions, which is the good part. Maybe my attacking game didn't work that well maybe like in the past against him."
Here comes the confusion with Federer saying; “Maybe my attacking game didn't work that well maybe like in the past against him."
This is in total contradiction to the success he had on the second set up to 4-0!
The challenge Federer is facing is not the quality of his attack or attacks, rather his lack of desire and commitment to train and condition himself to be able to play a five setter consistently ATTACKING his opponents!
Many talented individuals tend to be “lazy” and do not like to work hard because everything comes easy to them!
If memory does not fail me, that very same lack of condition/fitness cost John McEnroe the ultimate glory which was the Roland Garros title. Unlike the final score tells you, John did not lose in the fifth set against Ivan Lendl in 1984, but rather in the fourth set when he ran down a short cross drop-shot angle from Ivan Lendl to the left post and we all saw with great chagrin that McEnroe was cramping-up! Yes! Conditioning, fitness or the lack of it cost McEnroe the ultimate title!
My friends, as a coach I take great exception at seeing top athletes losing because of lack of fitness. I am sick and tired of seeing it happening with David Nalbandian, who for example lost in the previous round against Federer for obvious lack of fitness or in the 2006 Roland Garros semi-final where he was drubbing Federer 6-3 in the first set and leading in the second set when his unfit stomach muscles gave up on him and he had to give up in the third set!
A professional athlete can lose for many reasons, but one, lack of FITNESS!
It is an absolute disgrace that Federer once said, that he did not serve and volley more often because it made him too tired! What are younger players going to think, when their teachers try to coax them to serve and volley?
Today and in the last few years Federer was and is NOT FIT to implement a serious attacking game! Now it is because he is recovering from the “mononucleosis” and then what was it in the past? Lack of hard work.
Why would an athlete that is making millions of dollars out of the game and more millions out of endorsements, refuse to put in the work and the effort to do something that would have made him, without a doubt, the best player of all time and win Roland Garros as well?!?
José Higueras is a well respected coach, I know him personally and I think if Roger allows him to do the work, José will make him a stronger, fitter player and therefore a better attacker.
Even though José was a (paparra) purely a baseliner, he is smart enough to know that the key to winning Roland Garros for Roger is at the net and in the fitness, I certainly hope he will work on both with Roger.
Still, there is a big question mark that was raised more than once by Rafa in these duels vs Roger. And that is; has Rafa inflicted mental wounds on Federer's psyche that are too deep? Roger's 8 or 9 unforced forehand errors in Monte Carlo, in just three games, looked very identical to how Davidenko reacts mentally to pressure against Federer...and what concerns me the most is that I have seen it happen in the final of Rome 2006, where Federer led 4-1 in the fifth set and had two match points at 6-5, to miss two forehands, one of them pretty routine for a player like Federer.
Anyway, let’s be positive and hope that Federer follows up Jose’s advice with hard work and he could be holding the winner’s cup for the first time at the French Open this year.
Wait a minute....fat chance say’s Rafa!
What is in this for you?
If you want to be a better tennis player, develop your attacking skills and include a serious conditioning program in your tennis training schedule, it is a must!
Sergio Cruz
Do tell a friend about this website it will take you just a second of your time. :-)
Support the TenniCruz site…Do visit our link sponsors, that is how this website will stay free for you.
Tennis Cruz Main Page
Copyright © Tenniscruz.com®. All rights reserved.
|
Comment by GUEST on 2008-04-29 06:24:48
Hi Sergio,
Your articles are helping me greatly but there is something I would like to say and to see if you agree with me.
I was greatly disturbed by Federer's relapse in tactics in the Monte Carlo 2008 final in that he began to hit everything to Nadal's backhand over and over again in a repeat of last year's French Open final almost as if he wanted to try and break it down. This bordered on insanity because when Federer opened up the court with some cross-court backhands, he could then either do something with Nadal's response
E.g. 1: If Nadal went back cross-court, Federer could either go down the line to make Nadal hit his backhand on the run or back wider cross-court to force Nadal further out of the court.
Or
E.g. 2: If Nadal went down the line, Federer would have a cross-court forehand to Nadal's backhand on the run or a down the line forehand behind Nadal to wrong foot him.
I just don't understand why he didn't persevere in keeping with his attacking/aggressive ALL-court tactics that had lead him to the position of 4-3 in the first set and 4-0 in the second. He pulled a Djokovic in that he didn't die trying to see out the match in this manner at least...very disappointing to see from my idol and I look forward to your reply!
Regards,
John Lui
Sydney, Australia
|
Comment by GUEST on 2008-04-29 06:38:13
John
Thank you for your comment. I am glad that you are benefiting.
I could not agree with you more on the backhand duels. Sometimes players get into these ego trips about breaking down their opponents, which sometimes is absolute nonsense. And that is when a coach is important on the sidelines to stop it.
At 4-3 in the first set and 4-0 in the second Federer run out of steam (no fitness to consistently play the attacking/aggressive game)!
Let's hope that José Higueras will address it.
Regards
Sergio Cruz
|
Comment by GUEST on 2008-04-30 17:49:29
Still way below his standards remains Federer. I was disappointed to watch him play the Monte Carlo final to Nadal, hiding from his backhand, he kept running around it trying to catch Rafael behind to no avail. Again, as in Paris last year, his slice backhand, wich is his best defensive part in his arsenal, and many times even more productive than his T/sp. back hand was almost absent. No slice = no change of pace, money in the bank for Nadal as he likes to belt high bouncers. Like Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur said once : ``Good soldiers never die, they just fade away`` . For sure, this soldier is fading away from us, and tennis.
Jose Higueras has a tough cookie to crumble in the coming weeks, hope he can snap Roger out of this self defeating attitude.
Best Regards Serge,
Alberto.
|
|
Tennis Articles 
