The last time they played, it was an edge of the seat thriller.
Any opinions?

unfortunately am at work and can only follow the live score.
How are they playing?

Has only just started chet. Miami's a slow hard court, and Almagro has a decent shout here. Federer holds his first game with ease though. 1-0.

Edit: Almagro holds with consummate ease, in under a minute. Looks like the Swiss has his work cut out here. 1-1.

I think this is their first meeting outside of clay, though. Hard to predict from past meetings how this one will go.

Almagro seems to be holding with ease. Looks like Fed is in for a tough time.

15-30..
C'mon break..

Is that the sound of knitting needles I hear?

Fed holds.. :P

Good serving from both players so far; most points are set up by a well placed serve. Hardly any unforced errors either.

Federer holds to 30 in the end, and leads 3-2.

Both of them hold easily their serve ...Usual Cr@p...

Almagro seems to be a slightly more attacking version of Canas, and what's more he's serving well here too. There aren't too many rallies here - the guy who gets the iniative normally retains it.

A poor volley from Almagro is followed by a poor forehand from Federer, and a good serve from the Spaniard makes it 3-3. Federer's being kept guessing on the serve so far and he's not having any joy with it whatsoever.

Oooh... Almagro doesn't seem to like shoulder height balls :wacko: Just messed up two bigtime from 0-15, and Fed holds easily. 4-3.

4-4

0-15..

Will the Spaniard break now??

Good mixture of serving and returning gets us to 30-30, but a diabolical backhand from Fed gives Almagro game point, which he takes with an excellent forehand up the line.

Fed slips down to 0-15 after a phenomenal backhand from Almagro but more good serving gives him the game. 5-4 - let's hope Almagro doesn't choke here.

I haven't had a chance to watch much tennis lately. I've mostly just been following the scores. Has Federer been doing anything different with his serve? He doesn't seem to be as effective lately on his second serve, while his first serve has been almost untouchable (at least against Querrey and Almagro so far).

First break point of the match. Did Wise jinx Almagro??

Nope. He holds to make it 5-all.

Fed had SP and now its game point Almagro.
I feel federer seems to have lost the sting at converting these set points. he was so good at those the last few years. Seems like he's slipping slightly.

Federer forehand blistering there...30-15

Noticed Davydenko has gone out!!

I don't have the stats, but my impression is that he was never all that extraordinary at converting break/set points. He just was particularly good at generating break opportunities and converted enough of them . . .

He's hardly missed a first serve so far, generally putting it up the middle with a bit of kick, and like you say Almagro's had no joy returning it all. Hasn't faced any real pressure just yet though.

Almagro goes 30-0 up but chokes and it's back to 30-30. A good backhand up the line then gives Fed set point, but the Spaniard saves it with a brilliant kick serve out wide which gives him an easy winner. More good serving and he takes the game. Federer had a set point against Canas, but didn't take it and went on to lose - is the same about to happen here?

Exciting next game with a couple of overrules goes to 30-30, at which point Fed sees it fit to moan at the ballkids for rolling the balls to him :shrug: He gets a game point but Almagro takes the game to deuce - unforced errors starting to creep in now. He holds eventually though. 6-5.

Duece.
Deja-vu from canas match.
Few SPs saved at 4-5, Fed gets broken and loses set 7-5.

First serve percentages so far:

Federer 41%
Almagro 69%

chet - would you be able to pick up a pie on your way home from work? I sense we might be cooking another one here...

IDIOT :angry:

Fed not seeming comfortable out there... :angry:

Well that didn't happen but Fed's 1st serve % is quite terrible.

Aargh.
Double faults from Almagro. Two SPs for Fed..

You may be right, chet, in predicting another 7-5 set . . .

Indeed, Fed takes it 7-5. :P

Fed's first serve percentage is very low by his standards.. but still takes the first set 7-5 :ok:

Wise.
Was just going to order one but seems like Almagro already had a piece lodged in this throat.

Aaargh. Horrendous choking from Almagro. Double faults at 15-15 and then makes two awful forehand errors to gift Federer the set.

Forehand efficient as ever, backhand misfiring.

Federer looking to win, but not as smooth and effortless as normal. Maybe too much is expected of him? :whistle:

Yes, I remember when Chet posted on the beeb that A-Rod beat Fed at the masters last year.. just got a bit premature I remember.. :whistle:

I mean it is normal...There is a lot of wind out there and for me it is just aleady exeptional that both of them they are playing so well their serve game... :unsure:

I had a feeling the set win may have been down to an Amagro choke as opposed to Federer skill! :D

The problem is, players are expecting Fed to go up a gear, so they put too much pressure on themselves to win the set. That's the crux of the choke issue.

He's generally more vulnerable in the earlier rounds.. plus he stepped up his level well in the first set to force break points in the last 2 service games from Almagro.. which is a good sign.

Plus his break point conversion percentage is already higher than it has been of late, which is good too.

Anyway.. was a close set.. whilst advanatge Fed, could be an equally tight second set..

Look for Fed to ease to victory in the second set 6-3.

Agreed re: players expecting Fed to apply pressure at the business end of a set.. but most good players do that too :)

The key thing is performing when you're 15-30 down on serve and need to hold for the set.. iot's what separates the great players from the good players :)

Don't think Fed hit one winner, or even any noteworthy shot in that last game of the first set. Just left Almagro to it, and the Spaniard duly obliged by choking on the pie chet had ordered. Utterly pathetic.

Speaking of choking, Almagro's just gifted his service game to Fed after a tantrum costs him a penalty point. 2-0 and match over.

Incidentally, Berdych's just lost. Chela vs Delic - not quite the match we were expecting :blink:

4 games in a row for the Fedster.. breaks to go 2-0 up..