Radio Podcast Aug 17, 2010. Rogers Cup Wrap Up & Cincinnati Preview

The Rogers Cup has wrapped up and the men have headed to Cincinnati this week for the second leg of US Open Series Masters Events.

Nima and Dan preview and wrap up the action from Toronto and make some bold predictions as to what they think will happen this week in Cincinnati.

This week’s show will also feature American Sam Querrey.

As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.

Cincinnati Masters: Querrey, Dent and Ferrer Advance to Second Round

Western & Southern Financial Group Masters—Cincinnati, Ohio

Day one action at the Cincinnati Masters featured two American players advancing to the second-round. Struggling to solidify himself as a top tier player, Sam Querrey defeated the inconsistent shot-making of German Philipp Petzschner 6-1, 6-4. Losing four points on his first serve throughout the 51-minute match, Querrey broke the German’s serve on four of five occasions, while dropping his own delivery once. Winning four titles on the year, Querrey remains adamant on capturing a quality result at the Masters 1000 level.

Admitting that his scheduling will need to improve as he creeps closer to the top 10, Querrey will next face David Ferrer, who defeat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

“Definitely as you watch my year next year, the scheduling is gonna be different from what it was this year,” commented Querrey. I think fewer tournaments and, you know—yeah.”

Ferrer overcame some testy times against the unpredictable game of Dolgopolov. Saving three of five break points, Ferrer used his percentage game to offset the shot-making brilliance of the Ukrainian.

Querrey will take a 1-0 head-to-head series lead over Ferrer into their second-round match.

Taylor Dent proved to be too tough for the serve and volley game of Feliciano Lopez on Monday. Dusting the big-serving left-hander 6-3, 6-2, Dent won his eighth match of the year and improved to 2-1 against Lopez in lifetime meetings.

Clocking his serve consistently at 225 KPH, Dent saved all four break points he faced, while pounding 12 aces. Recently becoming a father earlier this year, Dent will next face top seed Rafael Nadal in second-round action. Dent was defeated by Nadal earlier in the season during the second-round of the Miami Masters.

Dent talked to the media after his victory, while providing his game plan against the Spaniard.

“Dictate play consistently,” said Dent. That’s it. Um, best scenario, I go out on the court and I’m hitting a lot of first serves in, hitting a lot of big second serves in, and taking those first and second balls and really not giving him a chance to set up and hit forehands.”

Other winners on day action included: Stanislas Wawrinka d. No. 14 seed Nicolas Almagro 6-6, 6-3; Thiemo de Bakker d. Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3; Paul-Henri Mathieu d. Victor Hanescu 6-7 (6), 7-6 (2), 6-3; No. 13 seed Jurgen Melzer d. Santiago Giraldo 6-1, 6-4; Viktor Troicki d. Radek Stepanek 7-5, 6-1, and Michael Berrer d. Tommy Robredo 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (8).

Movers and Shakers on Tour: Murray Defeats Both Nadal and Federer

by: Nima Naderi

The week in Toronto went by faster than in previous years, but there was certainly a lot of great tennis to behold.

We saw the pink movement take over Canada last week; didn’t Rafael Nadal start that trend at the French Open last year? We saw an underhand serve by Michael Llodra. Heck, what didn’t we see from the Frenchman in his third-round match against Roger Federer? We witnessed David Nalbandian hold his form; Gael Monfils hit the ground and stay there, and finally, Andy Murray defend a Masters title for the first time in his career.

A lot went on in Toronto last week, let’s take a quick look back.

Andy Murray: Coming into Canada without a coach, Murray dusted both Nadal and Federer in straight sets. Using his backhand down-the-line as his go to shot, Murray once again proved his comfort level at the Masters events. Becoming the first player since Andre Agassi to repeat at the tournament since 1994-1995, Murray will head into Cincinnati full of individual confidence. No word yet on weather or not his mother Judy will be attending. I’d hate to lose in front of her if she was my mom.

Roger Federer: The Swiss master showed some moments of brilliance in Toronto, but he also offered a few warning signs that his game is in decline. Struggling at one point or another with all of his opponents throughout the week, Federer’s movement and backhand were a shadow of what they once were. However, Federer will forever hold the experience card over pretty much everyone on Tour, and that should allow him to win a few more Majors.

Just a thought, when was the last time anyone can remember Federer hitting his vintage dip backhand cross-court angled passing shot? Pass along the video if you have it.

Rafael Nadal: Starting his week at the CN Tower, Nadal delighted the Center Court crowds with his ground hugging baseline game. The Spaniard did struggle with the the depth on his forehand and serve all week, and he even showed rare negatively against Murray during his semifinal loss. But good old Rafa appeared mighty relaxed in his post-match presser, when he walked in with a wide smile and a bag of chips in his hand.

I can’t say I blame the Mallorcan for taking his loss in stride. He’d won five of his last seven tournaments after Murray ended his run. I fully expect Nadal to have a great week in Cincinnati, but a US Open victory will be awfully tough to grab this year.

Fernando Verdasco: Too much and too early for Verdasco coming into Toronto. Whipping through his most successful clay-court season to date, Verdasco looked spent and unsure of himself during his second-round loss to Jeremy Chardy. Losing the match after serving for it at 5-4 in the second set, Verdasco swore (on multiple occasions), broke his racket on his foot, and let his camp (highlighted by Darren Cahill) know exactly what was on his mind. Verdasco seemed to be hitting his shots with enough vigor in Toronto, but I believe that he hasn’t mentally recovered from his extensive journey on the clay just yet.

Notable mentions on the week go to Chardy for finally winning some matches; Monfils for putting his body in harms way for the highlight reel; Tomas Berdych for proving that he’ll be a force for the foreseeable future, and the Toronto crowd for coming out by the thousands.

Tuesday night sell out crowds are no joke people.

See everyone soon.

Nima

Toronto Roundup: Murray Comes Through in the Clutch

Andy Murray: Can you believe Canada is Murray’s first tournament win this year? Oh, wait, you probably can, since the Scot hasn’t really been dominating the conversation since his run to the Australian Open final. That doesn’t mean, though, that he hasn’t been listening to it.

In response to charges that the Scot was too passive or just didn’t have the weaponry, he stepped up his aggression levels considerably, complementing his natural affinity for counterpunching in dismissing David Nalbandian and Rafael Nadal. Then, in the final, he brushed aside any doubts about his competitive instincts, saving a break point in the final game with some Becker-esque clutch serving.

This can’t be the end, though; Murray must assume that Federer and Nadal (and maybe someone else) will improve between now and the latter round of the US Open. I won’t make a pick for the Open until after the Cincinnati Masters, but if Murray continues at this level, his chances are good.

Roger Federer: For all his struggles recently, the Great Swiss has won four of the last eight majors. He’s won a grand total of two Master’s Shields in the last three years, though, so it’s not all that surprising that he fell short here.

But it’s a kind of victory to see him battle back from behind against Tomas Berdych, his conqueror at Wimbledon, and narrowly top Novak Djokovic, a player whose game (and personality) bothers Federer. He is not playing at his best level yet, but following a series of tight losses, it’s really good just to see Federer competing that well.

The better he competes now, the better his chances of finding his range under the New York skyline.

Rafael Nadal: It was pretty clear from the moment Stanislas Wawrinka pushed the world No. 1 to a 14-12 tiebreak that Nadal was not on top of his game. Unlike at other events where this has been the case recently, like Wimbledon and Madrid, the Spaniard could not play himself into finer form.

Murray, though, deserves credit for playing aggressively and not allowing the Spaniard to find his range. The good news for Nadal is that those who win the US Open tend not to care if they lost in Toronto. What less good is that Nadal has never won in Cincinnati, his next stop, and this year isn’t looking too promising.

Novak Djokovic: He’s no longer No. 2 in the world, but it’s just as well, as these days few would have said that Novak Djokovic was the second-best player in the world. Even as he fell short against Federer in the semis, there were reasons to be encouraged.

For one, the player who went away against Berdych at Wimbledon and was subject to an epic collapse against Jurgen Melzer in Paris competed gamely after a disastrous first set, and managed to push the Swiss to the limit. Furthermore, at the end of the match Djokovic’s counterpunching appeared to seriously frustrate the Swiss, to the extent that the Serb had break points at the end and could have served for the match.

Two and a half years ago I never suspected that we’d be looking for encouragement from Djokovic’s narrow losses in Master’s Series events, but at least he appears to have stopped the drop.

David Nalbandian: So, is Da-veed back? I suppose it depends on what you mean by “back”: He is once again a dangerous player capable of causing upsets, as he proved by stopping No. 12 David Ferrer and No. 5 Robin Soderling in his first two matches.

But he is not yet back to his late-2007 level, when he beat Federer and Nadal twice each in the Madrid and Paris Master’s events, allowing the Swiss one set and the Spaniard none. Even in his big win in Washington, Nalbandian seemed to be having a bit more trouble taking care of his service games than he did then, and that goes a long way in explaining why it took him three sets each to dispatch Ferrer and Le Sod.

That, coupled with the energy exerted against the big Swede, left him in bad shape for the match against Murray.

The good news is that he still appears to be climbing, as his ranking is all the way back up to 37 now, and he still has time to improve between now and the Open. For now he’s still the USO dark horse, provided he doesn’t injure himself in the meantime. Injury, though, is the big unknown, as the Argentine’s build places more stress on his joints and his service motion remains an ab injury in the making.

The Challenge of a Number: Murray over Federer

Rogers Cup—Toronto, Canada

I suppose no man can escape the inevitable decline of their abilities. There’s that feeling of bending down for a bag groceries and not being able to stand back up. Or how about eating a burger right before two hours of strenuous exercise and later finding yourself running for the best tasting antacid?

Sound familiar? Well, if it doesn’t, you’re young enough to get away with being careless and enjoying a body that can recover quickly.

For Roger Federer, Sunday at the Rogers Cup represented a few more reasons as to why the recently turned 29-year-old is nowhere near the form that he once occupied.

Losing his serve to begin the match, Federer found enough precision on his forehand to level the set at 2-all. Feeling the effects of a long night match against Novak Djokovic, Federer would once again drop his delivery to trail 4-3. While Murray’s backhand depth was troubling the Swiss, Federer did manage to show some vintage form by breaking the Scot while he was serving for the first set.

However, Federer’s lateral movement struggled in the very next game, while his backhand slice was exposed by Murray. Fighting off a 15-40 point with a first serve, Federer steered the game towards deuce before engaging in a cat and mouse point. Chasing down a Murray drop shot before it hit the court twice, Federer pedaled back for the lob only to throw up a meek reply. Losing the point and his serve to trial 6-5, Federer would lose the first set for the first time during the week.

Taking into account the amount of tennis that he had logged coming into the final, Federer’s day was essentially over.

Attempting to use his experience to force a final set, Federer caressed two drop shot winners in the third game of the second set, while taking the maximum allotted time between points.

Breaking back to tie the set at three apiece, Federer continued to find difficulty in gaining momentum during the  rain-plagued match, and ultimately the fresher legs of his opponent.

The Swiss would put up a final fight in the last game of the contest by holding a break point at 30-40. But Murray would answer the call with the biggest serve of his life at 225 KPH to remain in control.

Removing his headband and shaking out his well-groomed hair after a final backhand sailed long, Federer approached the net and congratulated the Scot.

Talking about the match during his post match presser, Federer addressed the state of his body.

“It was a bit tough to get some rhythm going, but, you know, it’s just little things here and there,” said Federer.

What was perhaps the best part of either players post match press conference occurred when Murray addressed Federer’s current form.

Needlees to say, the Scot not only hit aces against Federer on Sunday, but also in front of the assembled media.

“I don’t think—like in his game, I don’t think—I don’t think he’s got worse,” claimed Murray.

“I think the game’s got better, the depth, I mean, has got better. And his consistency for four or five years was unbelievable and probably [will] never be matched with what he was doing in the Slams, and getting to semis and finals of pretty much every tournament he played in.

“And I think that, you know, as you get older, it’s a lot harder to keep that up, you know, as young guys coming through and a lot of big, big hitters like Soderling and Berdych that can make it very, very difficult. So it’s going to be—he’s still playing great tennis at the Grand Slams, that’s for sure.”

Murray’s remark about the “game getting better” was one that must be taken seriously. As players improve, and as Federer gets older, it will continue to become more and more difficult for him to capture titles.

The Swiss proved this week that he can remain a contender, and I fully expect him to battle for many more Grand Slam titles to come. However, his inability to bend down effectively for a half volley, or his lack of explosiveness to defend a bullet return down-the-line, will in the long run prevent him from ever dominating the sport again.

Federer is a great champion; he showed that once again this week through his gracious and fair play. But when looking for a return to dominance from the Swiss star, it might be best to examine why that won’t be happening in the foreseeable future.

“The big hitters can make it very difficult…he’s still playing great tennis at the Grand Slams,” confessed Murray.

The US Open and that great tennis (hopefully) await for Federer.

***

Thanks everyone for joining our Toronto Masters coverage this week. See you all very soon from Cincy and New York.

Nima

Rogers Cup: Andy Murray Championship Press Conference

Q. Can you tell me what’s more satisfying for you, getting your first title of 2010 or finally reversing your streak against Roger in ATP finals?
ANDY MURRAY: I hadn’t thought that much about ?? you know, I don’t know how many times I’ve lost to him in finals. I think three maybe. But, no, I mean, winning a tournament is always great, but it’s the first time I, you know, I beat Roger and Rafa in the same tournament, which is probably the most pleasing thing, and then didn’t drop a set against either of them. So it’s good for the confidence for the next few weeks.

Q. You talked yesterday, I think it was about how you’re expressing yourself a lot more on the court this week. Can you talk a little bit more about that?
ANDY MURRAY: It’s just in the way I’m playing. I’m just playing a bit freer. I was going for my shots more today. You know, just felt pretty calm on the court all week, and that’s ?? you know, if you can put sort of the emotions and how you’re feeling into I guess the way you’re playing rather than sort of showing it after every point, sort of saving up and putting into the points and the rallies, you know, I felt like it worked well.
It was one of the best weeks I’ve had, so yeah, it was just kind of expressing myself with the way I was playing. I played pretty free?flowing tennis and didn’t get too nervous.

Q. This is the second straight Canadian Open. Do you think there is something in your training schedule that allows you to be in better shape at this stage of the season than the other players?
ANDY MURRAY: I don’t think the other players. I think, you know, I have played a lot of my best tennis when it’s been after long breaks. You know, like in Australia this year, you know, a long time to prepare and get ready for it physically, and then here I had quite a few weeks to get ready for it.
A few years ago after the US Open I had four or five weeks and won the tournament in Madrid. It’s just something that, you know, there’s not ?? you’re a lot fresher mentally maybe coming into these weeks, and that’s maybe why the top guys do normally play a bit better, because they take a break after Wimbledon, and I think that helps.

Q. Are you surprised to have won a big title without a coach?
ANDY MURRAY: No, because I think, you know, coaches are very important, but it’s ?? when you lose a coach, it’s not ?? you know, all the work that you’ve done with them is still there, and, you know, it’s just ?? you don’t become a worse player just because you don’t have a coach.
It’s just ?? you know, to improve does help to have someone with you that can improve on some things, but, you know, I’ve done a lot of work the last few months just before Wimbledon and after Wimbledon to get ready here, and, you know, it’s not ?? it’s not always down to the coach whether you play well or not. It can be down to yourself most of the time. So it’s not that surprising.

Q. You don’t show a lot of emotion in victory. What are you feeling inside when you’ve won the match today?
ANDY MURRAY: Um, I feel great. Any time you win a tournament, you’re obviously incredibly happy. There’s a sense of relief, especially at the end of the match like today where you’re up, and then you get delayed and he comes back at you and has some chances, and, you know, you just managed ?? like I saved a breakpoint in the last game, and, you know, that could have changed things if he had got it.

Yeah, there’s a bit of relief there, but I’m very happy but it’s also important not to get too ahead of yourself that, you know, there’s a couple of very big tournaments coming up after this one, and I want to try and keep it going.

Q. If I’m not mistaken, you said something after the match about this being one of the best weeks of your life. You beat Rafa and you beat Roger. It might be hard to tell because Cincy is coming up, but is this the most confident you’ve been going into a Grand Slam?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, obviously results?wise it’s definitely helped, but, you know, before here and Wimbledon a few weeks back, I hadn’t been doing that well, so ?? and after Australia where I played some of the best tennis of my life, I went for a couple of months, I didn’t play particularly well after that.
So, you know, I know things can change in a very short space of time, but obviously feel good after this week and try and have a good run in Cincinnati, but, you know, I’m looking forward to the US Open. That’s always been a tournament I love playing, so hopefully I can do well there.

Q. The decisive game in the second set you seemed to find something a little extra with your serve at deuce. Is that a conscious thing where you try and add a little more, or is it just the adrenaline flowing at that point?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I think the adrenaline does help, but also it is nice in those situations to get ?? you know, to go for a big serve and get a free point if you can. The wind was blowing into my face on that end, so it becomes a little bit difficult once you’re in the rallies to get the ball through the court.
So I managed to come up on the breakpoint with a big serve, and actually I think the deuce point is the fastest serve I’ve ever hit. I think it was 225, which is just over 140 miles an hour. So that’s obviously something that, you know, I’ve been working on quite a lot. I just went for it.

Q. I know you touched on this a little, just a little bit a little earlier, but how satisfying is it to beat not only Rafa and Roger in the same tournament but also win the tournament along the way right now?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it’s very satisfying. I mean, it doesn’t happen that often for anyone. Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve done it, but it’s ?? I
mean, I was satisfied with the way that I played the last three matches. Against Nalbandian was a very good win, and then obviously, you know, beating Rafa in straight sets, and Roger, you know, I’ve never ?? I don’t think I’ve ever beaten Roger in straight sets before.
It’s just good for the confidence, very satisfying, and hopefully I can keep it up.

Q. Roger was in here and he said that now I guess that you’ve beaten him in the final or beaten both him and Rafa, you don’t have to prove a point anymore. Do you or have you felt like you have something to prove having reached two Slam finals?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, I want to win one. That’s something that I don’t ?? it depends what I’m trying to prove to myself only that I can do it. You know, I believe I’m good enough to, but like I said on the court after the match, it’s a very, very difficult thing to do just now because the players that are around, you know, Roger and Rafa are two of the best ?? I think they will be the two best rivals ever.
I don’t think that will be in question by the end of both of theirs careers. So it’s a tough era, but it’s also something that is exciting and challenging, and that’s why I think if you can do it, it makes it a much, much greater achievement. So hopefully I can give myself a good shot at the US Open.

Q. You have actually a pretty good record against Roger, a winning record, for your career. He has I think won one tournament now in about the last calendar year. Is there a difference in Roger now versus Roger maybe a year or two ago, and if so, what is it?
ANDY MURRAY: I don’t think ?? like in his game, I don’t think ?? I don’t think he’s got worse. I think the game’s got better, the depth, I mean, has got better. And his consistency for four or five years was unbelievable and probably never be matched with what he was doing in the Slams, and getting to semis and finals of pretty much every tournament he played in.
And I think that, you know, as you get older, it’s a lot harder to keep that up, you know, as young guys coming through and a lot of big, big hitters like Soderling and Berdych that can make it very, very difficult.
So it’s going to be ?? he’s still playing great tennis at the Grand Slams, that’s for sure. And I think that’s what his goal is, to play his best tennis there. But I think it’s difficult to be as consistent as what he was for four or five years. To keep that up for seven, eight years is very, very tough.

Q. Do you think your current form is good enough to win the US Open?
ANDY MURRAY: Um, well, the last few matches have been great. You need to obviously be in your best shape going into the Slams because of the best?of?five sets, but, you know, if I can get a little bit fitter and stronger the next couple of weeks, play like I have been the last few matches, I’m not doing as much running as I normally would on the court and dictating a lot more of the points, then, you know, I’ll definitely give myself a chance to ?? the surface in New York is my favorite one, so I definitely got a shot, but I need to play great.

Q. You mentioned the relaxed state of mind that you’ve had on the court. Can you pinpoint what caused that? Is that just a decision you’ve made to be more relaxed, or is it something that’s happened to make you feel more relaxed?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I don’t know what it is. I just felt ?? I felt pretty good this week, and I prepared well for the tournament, you know, and I said in here yesterday that definitely helps. If you have the right preparation, you remove some doubts from your mind, and, you know, I just wanted to go for my shots more this week, you know, play the way that I felt like playing and definitely ?? it definitely worked.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

Rogers Cup: Roger Federer Finals Press Conference

Q. Can you talk a little bit about why you think Murray has had success against you in the Masters level but he hasn’t been able to defeat you in Grand Slam finals?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, we only played twice in Grand Slam play, so it’s not a whole lot of chances for him, really, to get me. The first time around, I mean, I was the big favorite going into the match, so you can’t expect him maybe to win the first time we played maybe at the US Open there.
But best?of?three match like here at the Masters 1000 levels, there’s not much in it. As we saw today, could have gone either way. A guy’s gotta win. If you have a bad start like I did today or if he starts off well, you’re always running behind the score; whereas a best?of?five?set match, that’s not quite the case.

Q. Despite the loss today, what are some of the positives you take out of your first hardcourt appearance of the summer moving forward towards the US Open?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, it’s nice winning matches, you know, and especially winning close ones to ?? the ones I did against Berdych and also Djokovic. And today was another tough match physically with the breaks, coming back, the breaks, coming back, and with all the physical strain I had to go through this week, you know, honestly I’m feeling actually pretty good, considering. That’s definitely a good sign for what’s to come.

Q. How do you think the multiple rain delays impacted the ultimate outcome of the match?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, look, it was definitely easy for either one of us. It was predicted to ?? the rain was in the area, so you already play tennis, you know, knowing that in the back of your mind that rain could come at any moment.
So that sometimes plays some tricks on your mind. I thought, to me, it was particularly hard being down 3?Love with a double break, running behind the score, and still losing the first set, and not coming through there obviously was a bit of a blow, and then the rain delays completely shut it down for me to get any kind of rhythm.
I know for him, as well, but it was just a really hard match to go through at the very end. You know, it was played on a couple points here and there, and it didn’t even feel like the end of the match, you know. Just all of a sudden it was all over. So it was just kind of a touch disappointing, obviously.
But I thought he played well. He was aggressive. He was taking the ball early. He wasn’t giving me much, and he clutch?served at the very end when he had to, and he deserved the victory.

Q. When you noticed that Annacone wasn’t actually in the stands, does that mean he’s gone to Cincinnati or he’s gone home, or what’s the situation now?
ROGER FEDERER: No, he was watching from elsewhere, you know, from a fairground because he’s still involved with the LTA.

Q. Is he going to Cincinnati?
ROGER FEDERER: No, he won’t.

Q. I have a feeling that you didn’t force a serve at the very beginning of the first set as much as you used to. I mean, was it because you felt a bit of pain after last night or was it another reason?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I tried to go more wide than down the T on the deuce side. I guess that’s what you mean. Wide, you usually don’t go full blast. You kind of try to place it. I didn’t place it so well.
He picked it up a few times very nicely. I do have muscle pain all over my arm and my shoulder and my chest. That’s something I’m quite used to. That started actually at the beginning of the week. Small hindrance maybe, but, I mean, I could serve full, and it didn’t, you know, play anything on my mind. It was just general fatigue a little bit, but muscle pain, that’s not something I’m worried about.

Q. Andy, on court there, said it’s always an honor to play against you. I think we could all see what it meant to him to beat you finally in a final. I know Slams are a completely different animal, completely different tournament. What do you think this does for him, beating you and Rafa in the build?up to the U.S. ?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, it’s obviously nice. It still doesn’t give you a Grand Slam title, you know, what you guys are expecting him to do so badly, but it’s definitely right direction. I think most important actually for both of us is that since Australia, you know, maybe we’ve had not the results we were hoping for after playing so well right off the bat at the beginning of the year.
I think, for us, it’s really important knowing we’re back on hardcourt, that our game’s back on, and now we can look ahead of what’s to come because we are staying on this surface for the next seven months. I think that’s a big positive for both of us. For him, obviously it’s even better. He won the tournament. He didn’t just make the finals like I did. For me it was a good tournament, as well, and regardless how it goes in Cincinnati, we’ll be one of the favorites to win the tournament.
To me, he doesn’t need to prove his point anymore. He’s beaten me six, seven times now. He’s beaten Rafa in the past on hardcourts. It was just another great showing from him on a big stage.

Q. In the grand scheme of things, how does this affect, this particular result, affect your preparation going towards the Open? I mean, obviously you would have loved to have won the match. So what does the loss do, if anything?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, you deal with it. You move on. You know, I’m planning everything for Cincy now, defending champion over there. I played some awesome tennis there last year, beat Murray and Djokovic along the way, so that was a great tournament for me. So I have some work to do over there.
It was a good start, that’s for sure. I take it week by week, and it’s not always just revving up for the US Open. I think it’s the wrong mindset. I think we could see that today. We both wanted to win badly today. There’s only one winner in tennis. That’s how it goes. There’s no draws. It’s a bit disappointing moving away from a tournament not on the winner’s side, but still, it was a good tournament.
I hope I can get a Wednesday start, because I definitely need some rest. It would be good if I can rest my body for two days, because after that, if I want to win the tournament over there, I need to play five days in a row again, and that’s something that’s tough, but I’ve done it before so I’m ready.

Q. Given that this match was decided on a point here or there, same with Djokovic, same with Berdych, you hadn’t played since Wimbledon, what did you learn about the state of your game this week, and where do you think it is?
ROGER FEDERER: Um, I thought I played well, you know. I didn’t play my best. But it was good enough to get somewhere and have a chance to win the title, so that’s obviously good news for me.
You know, I had some issues sometimes, whatever, whether it was on the serve, forehand, backhand. That’s normal. I think that’s more from not playing enough matches lately and some rust, but I still made the finals and beat great players along the way who have caused me difficulties in the past.
So I’m really happy, you know, with how I have been playing, and this gives me obviously great information how I want to play the big points, what I need to do, you know, this upcoming week or so. Not just to prepare Cincinnati and the US Open but also the rest of the season. It’s definitely a good start into the hardcourt season.

Q. When you’re playing the way you really want to play and when you occasionally are, like you said, are a little rusty or maybe not quite where you want to be, what is the difference for you? Is it a technique thing? Is it a confidence thing? Is it the other guy or a combination of everything?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, obviously the opponent has a role to play in this whole thing. I’m very good, but I don’t have the margins like maybe exist in women’s tennis or whatever that you can just come out and maybe dominate an opponent every single time. That doesn’t happen in the men’s game, because we neutralize ourselves much more because of the serve we have in our game.
That’s why you need to be really sharp and taking the right decisions at the right time. That’s sometimes hard to do when the ball comes at you so fast and you only get a couple of chances sometimes. And today was a bit of a roller?coaster match, you know. Many breaks involved with two good servers. I consider him a very good server, too.
It was a bit tough to get some rhythm going, but, you know, it’s just little things here and there. You saw this week how close matches are being played, and when you’re just not feeling 100% you take wrong decisions, or sometimes you’re just unlucky or sometimes the other guy is just better. That’s how small the margins are sometimes.

Q. Rafa wore pink this week. You wore pink, as well. You think you’ll wear pink again?
ROGER FEDERER: Next week? Yeah, that’s the plan, and then we’re moving on to a different color again for the Open. I think I have a day and night session outfit for the Open. I know I won’t be playing in pink for a while after this. Not that I don’t want to, but it’s all already in the plan till about end of next year already.

Rogers Cup: Finals Preview—Federer vs. Murray

by: Nima Naderi

Rogers Cup—Toronto, Canada

Under passive and forceful play, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have earned a spot in the culminating final in Toronto.

For Federer, his luck came in the form of surviving a match game down against Tomas Berdych in the semifinals. The gun-slinging Czech had the match on his racket, but couldn’t cash in on a third straight victory.

Federer has served exceeding well throughout the week; a shot that has held him close to the top of the rankings for the last four years. Kicking and sliding his serve when he’s needed to, Federer has also clobbered his delivery at the right moments. Not moving as well as he once did, the 16-time Major winner has proven that he still has what it takes to compete at the Masters level.

Let’s give some much deserved credit to the defending champ. Entering Toronto without a coach or a tournament title on the season, Murray defeated Gael Monfils, David Nalbandian, and Rafael Nadal in succession. Although the Scot hasn’t won a Slam title to date, his record and consistency throughout the Masters events remains stunning.

Murray played a near perfect match to defeat Nadal in the semifinals, and he’ll have to adjust his tactics if he’s to upend Federer for a seventh time.

The forecast has called for rain and thunder showers on Sunday, and at the very least the conditions will be overcast and slower.

Who will that favor, and will it even make a difference?

Let’s now take a look at tomorrow’s championship preview.

Roger Federer vs. Andy Murray

Murray leads the pair’s head-to-head series 6-5.

What Federer and Murray have accomplished better than anyone else this week has been weathering the storm. Both men have lost sets here and there, and both players have saved their share of break points. But throughout the chaos, late night press-conferences, and long rides back to the hotel; Federer and Murray have allowed their rackets and footwork to brush aside the other 54 men in the field, and set up their 12th career meeting.

Federer has defeated Murray the last three times that they’ve met, but the Scot holds a 3-1 career record in Masters events.

Taking the conditions of the final into account, Federer will have to deal with the heat of playing during the day, and he won’t have to comfort of the flood lights over his shoulders. Federer has also encountered two grueling three set matches, and that may become an issue considering that he just turned 29. Federer has been serving well this week, and that could inevitably save the day for him against his younger opponent.

Murray hasn’t done anything incredibly well throughout the event, but he’s played his percentages accordingly. Taking his chances when they’ve been presented, Murray will be best served to make Federer beat him with his backhand. The Swiss did a pretty good job of defending his one-hander against Djokovic, but there were also countless occasions when he was forced to lunge and stab at his backhand. I’ve said throughout this week that Federer is not moving anywhere near the level that he used to, and whether or not that’s a byproduct of a decrease in foot speed or anticipation, the end result has been a slower player.

Murray doesn’t have the serve and volley gear at his disposal, but his ability to run all day and return well remain the cornerstones of his success. The No. 4 seed will be able to stay out there for three full sets if need be, and his efficient semifinal victory will allow him to hold the freshness card.

Murray did lose a heart-breaker to Federer in Australia; a match which brought the Scot to visible tears. A win in Toronto won’t replace a Grand Slam victory, but capturing a seventh career win over the all-time Major leader won’t hurt his confidence either.

Federer will be hard pressed to win another three setter on Sunday, but his serve should be around to aid him when he’s in danger. If the Swiss star can hold onto his delivery throughout the latter stages of the match, then he should have some opportune moments to pounce on Murray’s weak second serve.

It’s taken four matches and a great deal of momentum shifting moments for Federer and Murray to get to this point. With only one match to go, I’ll leave the potential champion in the hands of the man who has played the best tennis this week.

Where Federer has fought and entertained two sold out night sessions, Murray has sweated and played with the proficiently of a man on a mission.

A week of well earned ball-striking and point construction will usually end on the right note. Murray has been that man this week, and an end to his Toronto journey should result with a title defense.

Pick: Murray

Rogers Cup: Roger Federer Semifinal Press Conference

Q. You know, early you came out charging. He came back. He got his foot in the match, and in the third set you were able to pull out another tough one. How does it do ?? maybe you’re not completely playing your best tennis throughout the match, but how does it build your confidence going forward knowing that, hey, I can sit back here and win these matches by being patient, waiting, and I can pull it out when it counts?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, the great thing is that I’m coming out and playing great, you know. Because in the past, for some reason, you don’t know. You just don’t start very well or not very confident, and I’ve had a lot of those matches where I just lost the first set or had a slow start.
That’s not happening anymore. I’m always winning the first set now and played great against Berdych in the first set. Everything worked. Same again today. That’s definitely a good sign. I was really this close of, you know, getting on a run also in the second set and then taking advantage of that and then just bringing it home.
But there I think credit goes to Novak. He came up with some incredible tennis after that, some super down?the?lines. Look, he’s a great player, so he was always gonna get something of a chance, and then he really took advantage of it. We had this very long game which he was able to hold midway through the second set. That kind of helped and I got broken twice serving against the wind. That was kind of tough.
But, you know, I kept trying, and I thought I had it all wrapped up at 4?1, but with that kind of match, that was always going to be a bit of a roller coaster. To come through obviously feels great. Playing against tough guys back to back is something that makes me very happy, and I got a chance now to win the title tomorrow, so I’m excited about it.

Q. For playing against Murray tomorrow, what do you think will be your strong point against Murray? You’ve played him a lot, obviously. Where do you think you’ll have the edge against him?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, against the top guys, especially the best?of?three?set match, I mean, it’s up for grabs really quickly. You can have a bad 5 to 10 minutes, and that can cost you the match, 5?All in the first set, 7?5, 2?Love down. The match is over some degrees.
So you have to just make it as hard as possible for the opponent to beat you, and you want to come up, come out and get a good start. You know, if I do that, I have my chances.
I didn’t see much of the Nadal match today because I was in transport and then practicing, but I’m sure he must have played a great match playing Rafa on the run he’s been. Rafa doesn’t give you a match easily. I’m looking forward to a really hard run tomorrow.
I hope I won’t be too banged up because of today’s match for tomorrow, but I’ve gone through this kind of stuff multiple times, so I’ll be ready for tomorrow.

Q. You have a history of turning rivalries around in your career. You’ve done that with Andy Murray, as well. You were 6?2 behind; you’ve won the last three. How have you turned it around? What has changed?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, there was a time when ?? not to take anything away from Andy, but there was a time when I think I was coming back from mono. I think we played in the first round of Dubai. I mean, I played okay under the circumstances, but first round to play Murray wasn’t a nice draw to get.
Then I played him many times in a row when he had the momentum, really. I think he got me three or four times in a row. That’s his credit that he was able to do that, you know. It shows what a great player he is.
But then sometimes you get unlucky how rivalries turn out to be, and then sometimes you get stuck behind in the head?to?heads, you know, because you maybe didn’t play him on your favorite surface or on the perfect day for you but on the perfect day for the other guy.
Yeah, I mean, he’s been very good at a very young age. I knew that the very first time I played him in Bangkok in the final that he was one who was going to fight for world No. 1 and for Grand Slam titles. That’s exactly what he’s been doing.
Look, I’m happy I’ve been able to win the last few, but they were not easy. I expect something similar again tomorrow.

Q. It’s interesting, you mention Bangkok. You’ve played him three times in finals. You’ve won every one: Bangkok, New York, Australia. Does that figure in your mind at all?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I guess once I make it to the finals, I know where my game is at. I mean, same thing for Andy tomorrow. But with my experience obviously I have, you know, I win more finals than I lose finals, and with the confidence, usually I come out and play a good match.
Rarely do I go through to finals and just play a shocker, you know. I think that’s kind of good to know, but then again, it’s not the same playing a guy ranked 40 in the world and world No.?whatever?he?is. 4? Yeah. So that then changes and he comes off a win beating Rafa.
We all know how hard it is to beat Rafa and me, but it’s been done in the past, and that’s why I have to be very careful tomorrow.

Q. Did the almost three hours you played last night play a role in your not being able to close the match early tonight?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I don’t think so. I was doing everything right. He just got ?? put the foot in the door before I was going to close it. But no, he played well. He came up with some great stuff. He had some incredible pickups redirecting the ball, some massive forehands when he needed them. You know, credit to him that he came back so strong.

Q. A gentleman asked Djokovic before that he told you something at the end of the game, and the answer of Djokovic was, Ask Roger. So what did he tell you?
ROGER FEDERER: Um, well, he told me that he thought I should have won the match earlier, so I deserved the victory. (Laughter.)
I was like, Yeah, I kind of agreed. But look, I’m still happy I won either way, you know.
You know, he’s a good sport, and we enjoy, you know, the tough rivalries through guys like him or Murray or Rafa, whoever it is at the top. Makes you a better player. I think we’re, to some degree, thankful that the other guy is around, too. Sometimes, of course, we wish that they weren’t there so the road maybe to victory would be a bit easier, but at the same time, it’s great playing against such good?quality players.

Q. If I’m not mistaken, this is gonna be your fourth final of 2010. Do you think that this is the best tennis you’ve been playing since Australia, or is that a little difficult to tell?
ROGER FEDERER: I played great in Madrid. Maybe got a bit unlucky towards the end of the match against Rafa, but I played well in the semis, quarters, you know, in the second round. I had a really good Madrid, I thought. I also played some good tennis elsewhere.
Here again, I’ve just been a bit streaky but consistent. The other guys came back into the match, you know, because of great play. It wasn’t just because of me handing it over, okay. I had a bit of a bad game against Berdych, you know, when he came back in the second set to win that set.
But all in all, I mean, I thought those guys played really good tennis. Hardcourt is what they like a lot, and they hit really tough. So under the circumstances, I guess this is definitely a very good tournament for me, so I’m happy. I don’t know. It’s always hard to judge and remember exactly how well you played before, but look, it’s not been all that bad this season what people have been saying.

Q. What kind of relationship do you have with your new coach Paul right now?
ROGER FEDERER: It’s very romantic. (Laughter.)
I don’t know. Look, it’s ?? it’s going okay. I mean, we don’t go to candlelight dinner every night. I have a wife, you know.
So what to say? Yeah, I mean, we don’t know yet if he’s going to come to Cincy yet. We’re debating that. Severin has just arrived in Cincinnati today, so we’re, you know, looking at the schedule now that we know how this is going to end, you know, regardless if I win or lose tomorrow, and we take it week by week, and he’s been able to help me, tell me good stuff, like I expected. He’s a nice guy. So far it’s been going well, so we will see how it goes tomorrow.

Q. I think it’s fair to say most of the tennis world were disappointed that Rafa didn’t come through because perhaps we would have seen the Rafa?Roger final. Do you feel any tinge of anything at all that you’re not facing Rafa tomorrow? Is it relief or can you feel for tennis fans that they’re not getting the final perhaps that everyone wanted?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think Scotland is happy, right, and many other Murray fans around the world. (Laughter.) And I think my fans don’t care who I play in the finals, you know.
For myself, I think once you get to the semis that the top four guys are in the draw, you know that to win the tournament it’s gonna be hard. You know, we were able to pass, Murray and myself, and we’re excited I think playing each other now, but, you know, I didn’t feel anything, you know, after Rafa lost.
It’s unusual seeing him lose sometimes, especially when he’s on a streak like that, but you could predict that Murray was gonna have his chance today because hardcourts is Murray’s best surface, and he’s beaten him in the past, in Australia, for instance, and it’s just proved his point again that he’ll be one of the No. 1 contenders for the US Open.
That’s what he’s proven, you know, at the Australian Open, at the US Open in the past, and for this reason I’m happy to be playing Andy. I’ve played Rafa so many times that, you know, we don’t need necessarily to play more and more and more. I hope we can play at the Open. That’s what I kind of hope for, because that’s never happened before.

Q. What do you want to achieve in the sport? Maybe Davis Cup with Switzerland? What more do you want to achieve? What’s your final, I mean, goal in tennis?
ROGER FEDERER: Winning tomorrow. This is ?? it’s going to make me so happy, you won’t believe it. (Laughter.)
No, that’s the short term, you know. Very short term is tomorrow. But, no, I mean, there’s a ton of stuff I’d like to achieve, but I don’t have one of these boards, you know, where I need to tick off everything that I’ve done.
It’s all going to fall into place if I practice hard, if I stay healthy, and if I play well. And, you know, it’s exciting that I still have so many years ahead of me, and I’m going to give myself many chances, I’m sure. So that’s exciting.
Now, what would I take if I only had one more victory, that kind of stuff? I don’t have to answer, you know, because I’ll get many, many chances throughout the season to prove my point, and it’s at the end of the career where you kind of look, what did I achieve and what did I not achieve? But at the moment, it’s just focusing on what’s next.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

Rogers Cup: Novak Djokovic Semifinal Press Conference

Q. First set went by very quick, and the second set you were down 2?Love, but somehow out of nowhere it seemed like you turned things around. What happened out there? Why the difference?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I had a very slow start. I knew Roger is gonna take the ball early and try to take pressure on me. He did. He did it extremely well.
I kind of didn’t find my rhythm, you know. After only half an hour it was already set and break up. But I managed to come back, and I started feeling the ball better. But overall, I think it wasn’t the best performance by my side. I wasn’t serving well when I needed to, and I made a lot of unforced errors on my backhand side.
So to be able to be in the position to win this match with the performance that I don’t think it’s good enough, it’s okay, it’s fine. You know, it’s a little bit frustrating that I haven’t used the opportunity I had in the end, but, you know, he was realistically a better player today.

Q. Any reason why you think you didn’t have that rhythm when you came out in the first set? Anything you can pinpoint?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don’t know. I don’t know. I just ?? I just made too many unforced errors from the backhand side. I just don’t know the reason for that.
I was too impatient, and as soon as I started putting more, one ball more than him in the rally, I won most of the points, you know.

That’s what I was supposed to do. It was a big chance and 5?All, but yet again, on a break ball, another unforced error and things change. You know, if you don’t use against a player like him, it will come back to you.

Q. What do you think as the rallies went longer that you thought you had the advantage?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don’t know. I just felt like I had more chances to win those rallies than he did. I thought I, as long as the rallies went, I felt more comfortable hitting the ball, and he ?? I guess he knew that, as well. And he tried to win the points shorter, and he was doing that well, you know. I was managing to fight back, but, you know, in the end I didn’t succeed.

Q. At the end of the match you came to the net and you were smiling and you said something to him. If it’s not too personal, can you tell us what you said?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You ask him.

Q. Are you the kind of player who gets angry at yourself after this, or do you try not to?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I do get angry. You could see that at 5?all. (Smiling.) It didn’t work for me, the racquet breaking, this time.
Well, as I said on the start of this conference, I am frustrated with the loss and upset about the loss. Of course I am. I am a competitor, and it doesn’t matter the way I play. If I have a chance to win and I don’t, I’m not happy and I cannot be happy.
But it’s semifinals. It’s a good result. Played couple of matches quite well, had a lot of hours on the court. Now I’m going to Cincinnati, trying to get even better result, and in the end in New York which is the most important for all of us.

Q. With that slow start, I mean, is this something you look at your serve in the first set trying to help you out at least a little bit, get some free points, maybe get a little 30?Love lead in the game so that you can start to find the rally?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, that’s something that I wanted, but as I said, he was doing extremely well putting a lot of returns back and then just stepping in in each shorter ball that he had.
So I didn’t find a solution. For 40 minutes, I didn’t find any solution. Then I broke him in a good game, and then it was all square, I think, up to the end.

Q. If you were to assess your performance this week compared to, say, a year ago, how good do you feel your form is right now?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It’s better. It’s better. I’m ?? well, I’m trying to compare it with the first five, six months of the year that I haven’t played the best tennis, and I had a lot of ups and downs with the results, with the help and different side factors that kind of affected my game.
But since Wimbledon I’m playing much better, played in Davis Cup great, great matches, and here, as well. You know, just ?? I’m a little bit unsatisfied with unforced errors that I had today, but overall, it’s okay. You know, it’s good result, and I’m confident that I can play good tennis in upcoming weeks.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

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