Sorry I could not resist a bit of the old Anglo Saxon alliteration! :D

I had a deja vu before the match that Fed would beat Roddick 3-0 and make him look as inept as he did in that Wimby final. I heard Roddick was a much improved player since his partnership with Connors and that he now had the stuff to trouble Fed, at least stretch him and nick a set. My deja vu was right, I just didn't believe in Roddick at all and it looks like one of his problems is that he doesn't belive in himself either.

There is no getting away form the fact that Federer played a truly outstanding match of pure genius, even by his standards. Winners were flying off his racket (45 compared to A-Rod's meagre 11) like a certain substance from a shovel, well done, it really was a phenomenal perfromance :bow: :bow: :bow: Of Roddick though, he was back to his old ways - A-game fails, gets rattled, no plan B, no variety, Fed reads him like a book, he flounders round the net and game over. Big serve but what else? I know it was tough for Andy and I felt sorry for him, but I really expected a better fight and he made so many mistakes. I'm no technical expert, but he seemed to be serving big but without variety. Fed was returning it with interest, but he just carried on regadless. He also seemed easy to read, and his net play was totally ineffective and left him a sitting duck for Fed to pass time and time again. His volleys were poor, and I think he made a lot of msitakes in they way he approached the net - he only won 9/31 net points compared to Fed's staggering 10/11. One area where I think he totally lost the match is when he started to show he was rattled and you could see he had no belief to even win a game let alone a set. He had given up, and reverted back to the Roddick we saw get hammered by Fed's 'bathtub' at the Wimby final a few years back. Not sure how many in total but I recall at one point that Fed had won 11 games in a row. That should not have happened as Andy is one of the game's best servers and ought to be able to hold a bit better than that.

I would not have expected anyone to beat Fed today or get even close, but I do think other players could have done better or at least tried better tactics than Roddick did. Despite my sympathies for Andy I do feel that in light of this performance, his improvements have been somewhat over hyped. Sure he's got his confidence back and is moving through the early stages of slams with reasonable ease, but Connors or not, I don't see him being any threat for Federer in the future whatsoever and I can still see the likes of Murray undoing Roddick time and time again. Roddick should NEVER have let on to Roger that he really feared him in that match, and I think he's been too honest about this fear in the press too. He needs to toughen up big time, because I don't think he took eveything he had to Federer today and it was a very poor perfromance indeed. My sympathies to Andy's fans. :)

Any comments?

Roddicks game is still, and always will be, severely limited!

Roddick needs to play to his strengths more, and go for his shots! There are far too many safe 'rally shots' from him, his backhand especially.

When he gets any chance on the forehand, he has to gamble against Fed! Forget serve-volley, he can't volley! He has to try 100% all the time on his serve, and try and leather the ball off his forehand! They are his strengths! Also that kick serve of his is excellent, but he never uses it against Rog's backhand! Why?

What can you say about Federer though - the GOAT, not just on Earth, but in the universe!

I know! They were talking about the kick serve toady and saying where is it? How stupid not to use it. And his volleys - yep, they are very bad. There was a point where he had almost a full court to volley into and he netted it. terrible.

It reminded me of Wimbledon final 2005 when Roddick was coming into the net and Federer was hitting winners past him from all over the place .

Exactly. It was the same old thing.

a very very discouraging result for roddick. he's so concilliatory in defeat. you've got to wonder what kind of fight roddick has in him after losses like that :unsure:

Federer :bow:

:pray: God :pray:

Phenomenal performance! a worthy champion

Already posted in another thread but just too good so let's post again:

Mats Wilander talking about today's FED second set

Seven-time grand slam winner Mats Wilander has hailed the tennis produced by Roger Federer in the second set of his 6-4 6-0 6-2 demolition of Andy Roddick as the best he has ever seen.

The defending champion raced through the set, dropping just six points, and leaving his opponent dazzled with a stunning array of winners from all over the court.

"That's the best set of tennis I think I've ever seen anyone play," he told Eurosport. "I would put that among the top five sets I've seen, and they all belong to Roger Federer."

"And this is not [against] somebody who just keeps the ball in play very much, this is a big forehand and a huge serve he is facing."

Details here

:rolleyes:

PS: Mr. Wilander is the FED has no balls BTW roflmao roflmao roflmao

I was really surprised... after Roddick beat Federer in the Kooyong Classic final I really thought he had a chance here but once again, Federer manages to storm past him easily... Roddicks game is just too unflexible and once you master the serve and the power, he\'s very easy to beat...

Great comments from Wilander. Btw what't the Fed has no balls stuff? :)

The score looks phenomenal as do the reports. I recorded it but can't get to the tv till tomorow which should be good.

BBC said the other semi-final match is probably for the runner's up cheque with Federer in this form which is usually only seen in the latter half of the year.

I think it's Grandslam year :P.

So do I :D

If today's performance is repeated throughout the year, he will be unstoppable, I agree. I thought it was astonishing.

However, he has not yet even won the Australian Open yet. He may turn his ankle in the final here, or somewhere else.

We have not seen Nadal on clay yet, nor Federer.

I think talk of a grandslam is premature - clay on a hot day in June is a whole different ball game, as Federer and other fast-court greats such as Connors, Sampras and Mac have shown before.

awwww, poor old Rodders. Just as he confidence was on the up, just after he felt he might be able to actually win against Fed when it counted, Fed gave him a gentle reminder of whos boss ;)

Got to give all credit to the unbeatable Fed :) and SB, we've said it before, Rods problem has been a lack of B or C or D game... I had hoped that this may have been worked upon, but given your description of above, I guess theres still a teeny weeny bit of work to be done.

Well shed loads of work I'd say. It really wasnt; good.

roflmao well, I was trying to be kind in case he looks in ;)

You are spot on. I just believe in Federer to do it. He's got close and he's the kind of player who will go all out and work at winning the FO, and frighteningly for Nadal, Fed is capable.

Good idea Pebs! Only kidding A-Rod, you were robbed! :D

Amazing match :bow: Best Fed match ever :D

OMG, you posted on one of my threads without taking the piss! roflmao And you've crossed over to ATP. :o Feeling OK are we? :D

Roddick, as I said, would get closer to Fed if he used his two geniune strengths flat out, instead of trying to be the all-rounder he isn't

Great post, SB!! :clap:

I can't think of too much to add to that, except to say that whilst Fed was on his 'A' game today with a lot of scintillating tennis, Andy was below par in the match. Too many unforced errors, and suffered psychologically in the second set. The match that Fed played was brutal artistry, a silken destruction, if you like.

And if any player is below par against an in-form Fed, then it will simply exacerbate the difference, and make them look a lot worse than they actually are. I actually think that Andy has improved a lot in the last 6 months, and would still think that he has a good year ahead of him.. But Connors willl now need to show his value in getting A-Rod back on course mentally.

Cheers Petalp (Petalp :D )

I love silken destruction! :D And I agree that Connors will have much to do now cos that is another huge blow for Roddick mentally.