OzTennis

If you watched his match against Roddick you were privilged to see one of the best performances by any sportsman or sportswoman, ever!

Roger has actually improved a lot since last year - more topspin on his backhand and bite on his serve.

And still some people say that until he has won X Grand Slams or X titles that he isn't the greatest player of all time!

As Mats Wilander said on the commentary, "the best 5 sets of tennis I have ever seen in my life have all included Roger Federer and that (the 2nd) was the best by far (Roddick with his serve and forehand won 6 points). His highlights tape for that match would exceed anyone else's for a year."

OzTennis

Bordy

It should be a crackin final if they both play like they did in the semi.


Well done to the Scottish teenager winning the doubles.

OzTennis

Yep, Gonzalez has played really well against Nadal and Haas but I think he will be blown away by Federer.

Euan Dyce comes from Edinburgh and is the top 18 & U boy in GB. He's been based at Bolliteri's in Florida this last year and has come on a treat. Like Murray going to Spain, the key has been to leave these shores to succeed! Nice lad, great player (not Murray's potential though) and I can tell you from personal experience he too hits a mean ball. His father was an excellent player, Scottish internationalist, but not quite good enough for the tour.

An Aussie boy from Perth is in the Boys Singles final and plays a seeded Frenchman. The lad in the losing pair in the Boys doubles finals, Stephen Donald, comes from out your way Bordy - Ringwood way I think.

OzTennis

JackTheLad

Yeah, I've gotta say, Federer looked unbeatable against Roddick. But then Gonzalez looked the same tonight.

It should be a great final.

And where did this Fernando Gonzalez bloke spring up from anyway!! I don't follow tennis as much as I used to, but I thought I was up to speed on all the new guys. .

JTL

OzTennis

He's been just below the top 10 for the last 3 or 4 years but had top 5 potential written all over him. Problem was he had fantastic technique and is one of the hardest hitters but wasn't tough mentally and tended to be too flamboyant. He got a new coach last year, Larry Stefanki (who coached Tim Henman for a while) and has been gradually starting to live up to his potential. Without looking up the stats I'm sure he hasn't won against Federer and has played him around 10 times. We'll see how the new improved Roger goes against the new improved Fernando (fancy being named after an Abba song)

Oh, and Gonzalez and the other good Chilean, Nicholas Massu won the gold medal in doubles at the last Olympics.

OzTennis

JackTheLad

Yeah, Federer has improved, if that was possible. Well, I hope for tennis' sake Fernando gives him a bit of a run out.

"Can you hear the drums fernando? "

Sorry for the Abba quote

JTL

OzTennis

He'll also be hoping on Sunday that 'there was something in the air that night'.

Correction to earlier post, I gave Graeme his father's name Euan! I've already had my email from Tennis Scotland advising of Graeme's win - they are justifiably proud.

OzTennis

framac

Was hoping young Murray would do it but Federer is in a class of his own

OzTennis

His day will come but as he said in his press conference, half joking/half serious 'after Roger retires'. He already has a win over Federer and he and Nadal were the only players to beat him in 2006 (Nadal 3 times).

A lot of pundits are wondering whether Federer can beat last year's 91-4 and 3 Grand Slams record. If I was a betting man I'd ask a bookie for odds on a 'Fed Express' Grand Slam or the even better odds for going the whole year unbeaten.

Can you imagine Tiger Woods winning nearly 20 tournaments a year to put it in perspective? I realise that outwith Grand Slams (128 entry) that the tennis field is usually smaller than golf (most tour events are 32, 48 or 64) but it's an interesting talking point. Is Federer or Woods (or someone else) the best sportsman/woman on the planet? The difficulty comes in comparing people who compete in individual sports with those who compete in team sports (Ronaldhino would challenge them for example).

OzTennis

Vash the Stampede

Always a pleasure to see a Seppo humiliated in public, and this occasion was particularly satisfying.

Truly, Federer is "God of Tennis".

DrWho

Not a chance in my opinion... Ronaldhino is good I'm sure, but to be compared to Federer or Woods he'd have to be called Pele or Maradonna...

Woods, Federer, Schumacher, Khan, Gretzky... People that rewrote the book about how to play their chosen game...

OzTennis

Actually I was thinking about who is the best sportsperson in the world currently not ever. Federer is the best tennis player ever, I was just wondering whether he was the best in the world at any sport. Ronaldhino is clearly best at soccer (despite awards to Cannavaro). Any other nominations?

Federer was in 3rd gear against Gonzalez and was still too good.

Mats Wilander again made an excellent point on the British Eurosport commentary - mankind swims, runs, jumps etc, etc, better than ever; how can you argue that they don't play tennis, soccer etc, better than ever? (in answering his question, it is because in some sports you don't have an objective way of measuring performance. Some old timers think Laver, Borg, McEnroe, Connors or Sampras were better than Federer - often by resorting to Grand Slams or titles won as their only objective measure.)

OzTennis

Womat

Rod Laver said he thinks Federer's form is good enough to win the Grand Slam this year and said .... "And if he does that, it will equate to the two Grand Slams that I won because standards are much higher these days."

OzTennis

I noticed that. Other old timers say Sampras has won 14 GS's, Roger has only won 10; Jimmy won 109 titles, Roger has won less than 50 as 'proof' that he is not the best player of all time. A case of 'the older I get the better I was' with many of them alas. If they agree that a player of a previous era is not as good as one of the current era they go down as a consequence seems to be the thinking.

OzTennis

OzTennis

Coming up, a photo of Me.

OzTennis