OK, so it's finally going to be the final we've all wanted: Roger v Rafa on clay!

Who's going to win it? I haven't been able to follow the matches, but it sounds like Rafa is on fire. On the other hand, Roger seems to have eased himself more into his matches (and the tournament), with the first set usually involving him getting broken a few times, and the second set turning out much more solid.

It seems like many people have the money on Nadal, but I'm not about to neglect the ninth commandment! I expect Fed to come out of the blocks a lot sharper tomorrow, from the very start. He seems to have followed his usual strategy for a tournament, even though it let him down in the previous two tournaments, and it's carried him through to the final.

There seemed to be some ridiculously good odds on Fed winning, so I put a little bit of money on him as well, to spice things up. :) :ok:

So come on, Roger! :yahoo:

Yeah MJT. I am an optimist by nature and would have supported and believed in Fed year in year out even on clay but frankly Nadal is bringing a special dimension to the game on this surface and I can't see him lose tomorrow.

I d love to be wrong and even if I am and Fed wins tomorrow, it will be another task to win in a best of 5 in the FO. Nadal plays simply much better than the 2 previous years. He has become a much more complete player with his baseline shots really going deep and powerful.

I will be watching to see what fed can do but for once I won't be hoping much....sadly!!!

It's difficult to predict. I'm just hoping for a match that lives up to the anticipation that has really been building since the RG final.

Federer has truly lifted his game his last two matches, steadfastly overcoming slow starts in timely fashion; before those performances it was looking like he might become a hapless victim to the defending champion after scraping his way to the final. Nadal of course has been merciless all week, but I didn't find him convincing in the second set of his semi once he faced stiff resistance for the first time. Berdych was bossing him around the court, and the Spaniard had that all-too-familiar hunted look he can get when he starts to become overly defensive and doesn't go for his own shots, preferring just to hang on in rallies. All credit to him for not buckling mentally and weathering the storm, but by rights Berdych should have pulled the trigger at 5-4 (a game in which Nadal didn't get a single first serve into play), the Czech throwing in far too many errors at the worst moment, culminating most ignominiously in the DF on break point although I think Nadal would have won the decisive break anyhow.

I would say that the best of three format (confirmed in the order of play sheet) heavily favours Federer, but in all four of their clay encounters it was Nadal who was the first to win two sets each time, so history seems to cancel out the conventional wisdom in this case. Nevertheless I can't shake the feeling that the No 1 will finally break his duck against the No 2 on clay this time round, though I would be more than happy to have my suspicions proved wrong. He just wants it too much, and now he has the advantage of having come out on top in their last two meetings to bolster his confidence.

Good summary Manzi but do not expect much less errors from Federer. Nadal is pushing you in taking big risks. Fed made many UE against players that don't spin the ball as much as Nadal, so tomorrow will be a big test for Fed against. Even if he is in form, playing Nadal is almst like playing a different game.

My only hope is that Fed will prbably be able to break Nadal more often than Berdych or Khol but I expect him to get broken a few times too.

Looking forward to it for sure!

:ok:

Thats a scary thought if Nadal is better than last year. Only a couple of months ago people were writing him off , but now he's back on his best surface and playing so well Id have to say Federer will really have to produce something exceptional to beat him. As exceptional a player as he is, can he keep that level up on clay over a long match ? He might have a chance over three sets, but its a real war of attrition on clay. :unsure: Especially since Federer couldnt beat him last year , how's he going to do it this year if Nadal has improved? :huh:
Im just remembering commandment No. 9 and praying feverishly. :bow: :bow: :)
But Im looking forward to it very much :D

It's important to remember that Fed has improved as well - and from what I hear he has Tony with him for the whole clay season; he is already in MC. :ok:

(The downside is that it looks like Tony will not be there for the grass season for Roger :( )

Well, i'm not looking forward to it, not even sure i'm going to watch it, because the course is predictable;
Shaky start from both men, after that the usual part with Fed overwhelming Rafa yet not enough to take the 1st set, then Rafa slowly drags Fed into the game he doesn't want to play, Fed gets agitated as the scenario he knows too well becomes inevitable.
7-5 Rafa. Second set; Fed; despondent look, Mirka; worried look, Roche; cynical look. Rafa fighting for every point like a madman, probably finish it off in 6-2 and using all his tricks to demoralize Fed for the remaining clay season.

It's no secret i'm a Federer fan but to me there are no signs of Fed having better chances to beat Nadal this year on clay . I actually think he won't be as equal to Rafa (on clay) like he was last year... :(
But it's ok, i had my "ooh" and "aah" moments in the match against Ferrero ;)

Federer in straights.

:yahoo:

:pray:

:wacko:

:ok: :ok:

Agree but no more than... :yikes: 5% :yikes: ... :unsure:

Anyway: it is really good he is there in the final..Already a great point :yahoo: :clap: :clap:

Agreed - but then that is somewhat 'been there, done that' for him. *Winning* it must be what he really wants. Go Roger!

Btw, did you see the picture of Yves as Roger (with jacket and stamp)? Quite funny. :)

:pray: :pray: :pray:

Agree once again..Do not worry I am :pray: :pray: in front of my television in order to see FEd with a victory...But...rafa is really too strong on the dirty :( ..I do not know...

The picture is this one:



roflmao Funny indeed poor Allegro: looks like he is lost roflmao

The chest hair!!! :yikes:

roflmao

Funny how both Fed and Rafa are so dinstinctive in their appearance. Only one player wears a white jacket at Wimbledon (I don't care what anyone else thinks about that, I think that he looks great in it.. :bow:) and only one player wears shorts that aren't, erm, "short" :lol:

Re: today's match, won't be able to follow it.. How will it go? Depends on how the maestro plays I think, as Rafa is mr consistency, the battler. Fed definitely has the weaponry to take the game to Rafa and win. All boils down to how well he can execute his gameplan.

It could all unravel in the way that Greasepan has outlined it. But both players have improved in the last year, and I just hope that they both show how much they've come on in the year. Fed has already stated that Rafa has made him a better player in the last year, and Rafa has definitely had Fed as a spur to develop his own game.

I just hope that it goes to 3 sets (obviously with Fed as a winner :pray: ) but if they play each other in the final of all of the clay tournaments that they play this year (just as they did last year) then that will fine by me :ok:

Joins in with :pray: for Fed....

Joins in with the :pray: but only for a good match with both players at their best. If I am going to choose who I would want to win I will say Fed just edges it.

Is it best of 5 today?

Yeah I wondered that too. Anyone know?

I am hoping for an interesting match, perhaps a nice prelude to the French Open final (I am praying they both make it to the final there)....

It's a best of 3 - one of the repercussions of Monte Carlo being downgraded.

Until yesterday I wasn't sure about this match, but after seeing how Nadal coped with the psychological element against Berdych, it's clear that he won't be affected by his last 2 defeats to Federer; rather he'll be gunning for revenge.

6-1, 6-3 to Nadal.

I do hope that scorelines not right Wise... unless its to Fed :D

I can't see that being the scoreline to Fed *or* Nadal. There's too much fight in both of them I'd say --- if one has a slow start, then maybe the first set will have a one-sided scoreline, but not the second (or potential third).

Now see them prove me wrong ...

Can't see either of them winning as few as 4 games in the match..

Based on flawless factual evidence of course :whistle:

Wrong on several counts Wise (I hope).

All MS series finals are now best of 3, it is not just an MC thing, it was the same for IW and Miami. I think it's an effort to get the best players to play more (Fed and Nadal dropped out of Hamburg on the pre-text of an exhausting final in Rome last year, but I think they'll probably do the same this year unless one of them has a really poor run in Rome).

As far as the match is concerned, I'd expect Nadal to win (just), but 6-1, 6-3 is not a very realistic prediction (I hope).

This is an interesting portent for the clay season ahead don't you think?

Hi barry, afraid not: Miami was still best of 5. Therefore it's only certain tournaments which have been 'downgraded' to 3 sets, MC being one of them. I'm equally unsure of the reasons though.

You're right that this could be a pivotal match. If Nadal wins, especially in straight sets, I anticipate another season of domination on clay for him. If Federer wins, he'd almost certainly win Rome also, although I'd expect him to choke in the French Open final.

When does it start, out of interest? I've just put a roast in the oven and don't want to be faffing about with the chicken when I should be watching a lion feast on a mouse instead ;)

It starts at 1:30pm.

Wis,

Well b*gg*r me - you are right about Miami, but Indian Wells was best of 3. Maybe Miami is the only one to survive the chop. :shrug:

Chairman is right :o the match starts at 1.30 GB time. I will be out and won't see it or be following it.

I think that you over-use the word choke, but I agree with you that even if Fed manages to clean up in the best of 3 clay matches they may play this season (assuming that they were to meet in Rome) that is not the same thing as beating Nadal on clay over the best of 5. Fed will win (if at all) because he manages to impose his gameplan - over 5 sets Nadal has a much better chance of sucking Fed into his way of playing.

Of all the matches today, given a choice, I'd like to see Chelsea beat NUFC and turn the screw a bit on MUFC.

Enjoy your roast - anyone coming round to enjoy it with you?

Here we go... knocking up now.

Fed 1-0,

Great hitting from both so far, Fed made a few forays into the net, successful on two. Nadal's passing shots on form tho...

I'm pretty sure Rome will also remain best of 5, but I agree that 5 sets probably favours Nadal, even if he has always been the first to reach 2 sets in their matches anyway. From what I've seen of him, he's improved on clay whereas Federer, as of yet, hasn't, but we'll soon find out with this match.

I prefer MU to Chelsea, but would like to see a thrilling finish to the season on all counts, so a win at NU wouldn't be a bad thing at all. As for the roast 'enjoy' isn't the right word - I'm no Gordon Ramsay - but I shall be todo solo :cry: I shall eat it off my lap infront of the TV, hopefully Nadal's cooking skills will be superior to mine :D

Federer held serve. 1-0.

Fierce hitting from both at the mo.. 30-30

Nadal hitting a lot to Feds backhand which doesn't look a good idea.. BP Fed

Great drop shot from Nadal for AD, saved earlier BP

Fed hits long for Nadal to hold 1-1

This is probably the norm for Nadal but compared to Fed he is positioning himself way way behind the baseline whereas Fed is on it.. 30-15

Few errors from both Fed holds 2-1

I have to go but 2-1 for FED in the first is already enough to see that Mr."Wise" is already wrong....A surprise ehhhh...When you will finally pay a little bit more of value in FED's Tennis...??? Anyway...It is a waste of time totalk with you about that :( :(

8 shot rally - defensive shot from Fed floats over Nadals head 0-15
Fierce forehand from Nadal 14 shot rally, 15-15
Forehand error from Fed 30-15 (forehand seems weaker shot so far)
Nadal ventures to the net with a nice drop volley, keeping Fed at the back of the court 40-15
Forehand error from Nadal 40-30
Great forehand winner from Nadal downline after a deep crosscourt backhand from Fed
2-2

Serve and volley from Fed 15-0
Nadal forces a long forehand from Fed 15-15
Another forehand error from Fed, unforced 15-30
Nadal is still hitting more to Fed backhand, hits forehand long 30-30
Forehand error from Nadal, let Fed off the hook as Fed hit short
40-30
Nadal hits the net -game Fed
3-2

Fed is effortlessly holding serve, scary!!!!

Anyone else following this?
Sounds like a great match so far.