4 times champion....

Not quite the nail biter i expected, but Nadal showed grit out there today.

congratulations to both players! :ok: :ok:

I think it's fair to say that Federer is better on grass than Nadal is on clay.

1) Federer dropped one set at Wimby this year
Nadal dropped 3 at the French

2) Nadal won 3 games more than Fed at the French final,Fed won 9 more games than Rafa here at Wimby

3) Fed's been dominant on Grass for 4 years, Nadal for two.

4)Fed-4 Wimbledon Titles
Nadal- 2 Roland Garros titles

Ok, so they're all statistics and dont take Nadal's age into account but really all you have to do is look at the way they play on their respective surfaces.

I think the US hardcourt season will be a great indicator of how close Nadal is to Fed on the faster hard courts....and maybe a chance to even the rivalry H2H.

Roll on the US Open

Well done Federer and Nadal.

WELL DONE ROGER!!! :D :clap:

Today's final made one thing really stand out for me in the clashes between these two - Roger is in control of the destiny of the matches between the two on any surface, but it all depends on his emotional state.

Against the rest of the tour, especially on the grass, Roger plays 100% aggressively all of the time. Every shot has a purpose and a power which makes him unplayable, and he takes full swings at the ball!

He did this in the 6-0 set today, and for most of the 4th set until he got tight. But for the parts of the match which were close it was painfully noticable that Roger was lacking in confidence against Rafa. He was thinking instead of playing on his brilliant instinct. This cost him in Paris, fortunetly the grass ensured that the same didn't happen here, but it is something he must look at.

If Federer just plays with his usual confidence against Rafa as he does against everybody else, he wil roll him over! A lot is made of Rafa's spin causing him trouble, but to be honest Fed at his best just rides that too!

Hopefully Tony Roche will have a good word with Fed about it, tell him to be positive, then we'll probably see that head-to-head reverse dramatically too!


Btw huge credit to Rafa all the same, you have surpried everybody! Just work on your English now ;)! :D

Yes, well done Roger, nothing but respect for him...

Special congrats to Rafa though, hardly anyone predicted that he'd reach the final, he was the only man to take off a set off Fed, not Gasquet, not Henman, not Ancic, NADAL, grasscourt clown, yeah right! roflmao

Anyway, he's always got that final, so well done to him, as I say, well played Fed, I thought the final was a bit flat to be honest, a bit of a procession too, but that's the way it is nowadays :D

Now, onto the hardcourts :yahoo:

Hmm... yes, kudos to Rafa. No-one, not least he expected to reach the final. I think that he only truly believed that he could once he got past Agassi.

Then the plan changed from 'maybe make the final next year' to 'make the final this year and go for the win!'

I actually don't think that they play their best tennis against each other that often. Maybe Rome was an exception, but they seem to have so much respect for each other that they rarely break the shackles and really go for the jugular with each other.

I think that their best tennis is often when they despatch other players.

Also the fact that they only play each other in finals these days when the stakes are highest is surely a factor.

Well, it's good for the rivalry that Fed won. As roddick once said, in order for a rivalry to exist both players should take matches off each other. Nice for Fed to move off that breadstick head to head :)

And I foresee them playing in finals only for a while yet. Possibly, year end Masters excepted??

Oh, and Rafa must have gained stacks of ranking points for reaching the final. The gap between him and Fed and the rest will become one big chasm..

Yes great for Roger, throughly deserved and so glad that THE best player won. He really proved his point to Nadal by beating him on grass, he was reaffirming his authority on grass and saying not in my manor you don't Nadal! Now he can have a fourth racquet on his jacket so they will have to get rid of the old one already roflmao I do hope Roger wins next year, then that is Borg's record equalled on grass. I loved Roger's post match interview, it was funyn and revealign showing how delighted he was to have proved his point against Nadal, and thnkfully he won't retire early like Borg.

Yes, I enjoyed the post-match interview too roflmao

I can't for the life of me think why people think he's arrogant, and I'm not blinded by the fact that I'm a fan of his. I find his interviews to be nothing less than thoughtful, honest and considerate.

I loved his analogy of interviews making him feel like he's put through a washing machine. People ask probing questions, he answers them as thoughtfully as he can whilst being put on the spot and then when he finishes he thinks: 'Did I just say all of that'. After some interviews, Tony Roche would then say: 'You never told me that!' about something from the interviews, to which he replys: 'You never asked me!'. roflmao

Hopefully nike will have to keep making new jackets with bigger breast pockets for a while yet! roflmao I would love it if he were to equal and then surpasss Borg's 5 in a row

He certainly has a keen awareness of the history of the game, and respect for the game, which I think that most champions should have. Glad to hear that he's not retiring like Borg! :)

And finally, I saw Rafa on Today at Wimbledon being interviewed by Mac and co. Rafa came across really well.. Didn't realise that Fed and Rafa would spoke to each othger during the tournament too. Rafa mentioned that they discussed how they got on in their matches.. interesting.. :blush:

He did give a nice interview, yes, and I'm glad he didn't cry either, he needs to save that for his 10th title, I mean, 4 titles? What's the big deal? :lol:

Indeed congrats to Roger, without a doubt he was the best player on the day and certainly the best player on grass. :bow: Was not as close a match as I had hoped for but Rafa conducted himself well (we will just ignore the bagel in the 1st set shall we!!) Im sure Roger is delighted with the win, a title he would be loathed to hand over to Rafa. Big respect to Rafa for getting to the final, a surprise for most people I think, a huge improvement for him on the grass. This all bodes well for a future rivalry with Roger improving too on the clay. Brilliant Wimbledon once again, feeling sad its nearly all over but heres to a fabulous 2 weeks :cheers:

I know how you feel WA. I love Wimbers whether the matches are godo or bad. It's on the TV non stop for two weeks, I replay the matches, I drank Pimms last night loaded with strawberries and blueberries and lemons, ate some nice sarnies whilst watchign Amelie win. In fact I ignore the news whilst it is on and I go into my own world. I always get withdrawl symptoms after it, and get quite depressed by the following week. Still, here's to a great wimbers, :cheers:

Btw gald to hear you enjoyed your day there. :D

Trust you! roflmao

Actually when we were watchign we got the impression that for Roger it was nto such a big deal, the bigger deal woudl have been if he'd lost to the King of Clay. then he would have cried and so woudl I! roflmao

I liek Roger though, I think he is really nice and he is a lot more intellogent than some of th eplayers. Midn you Ljubicic come sover realyl weel, but we dont; see him talk much on Tv do we? He has some degree or other too.

Oh come off it, Dav! You know perfectly well what the big deal is: Fed breaking the jinx named Nadal. He has lost to him on hardcourt and clay this year, at least twice (or was it three times?). The big question has always been, not is his tennis good enough to beat Rafa on grass (it is!), but is his mental state such that he can.

So Dav, it is not like you to be ungracious. Be pleased for us who are pleased that fed has boken the jinx, please?

I think I'm a voice speaking in the wilderness: some football match or other is due to begin.....


Allez, la France (sound of la Marseillaise) :clap: :clap: :clap:

:yahoo:

You tell him Scolios! roflmao

Btw are you drunk yet? I havent had a drop, better start soon then! roflmao

Hey Scolios..!:)

Some of us are enjoying the women's doubles here.. so a few more voices in the wilderness..!! Am about to have a celebratory drink whilst enjoying the deciding set :)

hope you're recoving from your big nicotine fix this afternoon!! I'm glad that we all had faith in Fed in the end! :ok:

Yep, was great that Fed overcame a bit of an emotional barrier against Rafa.. all good :)


(And yes.. backing France to win in world cup! Though this World Cup has largely passed me by.. :blush: ) My backing of France in a final has already had its satisfying, rewarding outcome (ie yesterday!) :ok:

Do you mean to say you can watch MORE tennis? Not fair! All we can get (on about 1,000 chennels) here in denmark is FOOTBALL!

1,000 chennels might be a slight exaggeration (we can only get 45, actually), but I feel inundated.

Have thought of ringing up all my four children (evil laugh) knowing full well they will be watching the match and the telephone is out of range of the TV. But have decided to be nice (I need their help by now more than they need mine!).

Petalp and Superbrat, a great day, and great to read you both on the beeb. You helped to make my day!

CHEERS! :hug: :hug: :hug:

Hey Scolios!!

Yes I'm sure that we're in the minority of people watching the tennis in the UK too.. The women's doubles match has just finished as I type this (a victory for the Chinese duo).. The 2 week binge-viewing of tennis that you know that happpens in the UK is now sadly drawing to an end. I expect withdrawal symptoms.. :cry:

Ooh, they're interviewing Fed now! Resplendent in striped shirt, v necked jumper, and 'the jacket'.. Looking very dapper..

Great to read you on the beeb board too! Was so nice to have you and SB for company whilst the match was progressing! :hug:

And well done, Rafa, as well. I never thought Wimbledon would be another Federer v. Nadal duel. And in those middle couple of sets, he gave Roger a good game. I missed the first set (which obviously didn't last very long), but what I saw was pretty high-quality stuff from both players.

Well, Fed fans, you included scolios, have made the odd dig at Rafa when he's beaten Fed, so sing from your own hymn sheet please ;)

well done Fed!!! I was cheering for you all the way!

Dav (looking for a smiley that registers righteous indignation), when did I ever make a dig at Rafa when he'd just won something? - I probably just preserved a sulky silence...

Actually, I must say I hadn't read your earlier post where you cngratulate Fed - so sorry!

BTW, I'm an agnostic - we don't use hymn sheets :)

Cheers WB :yahoo:

Ive just been reading the thread on hte Beeb, and SB, Petalp, Scolios I echo all your comments. I went through it there as well , Tony wasnt the only one chewing on an elastic band ;) So WELL DONE ROGER !! :cheers:
Im having a few beers to celebrate a great Wimbledon, for once both my players won. And I predicted Rog in 4 today so even more chuffed.:D
Cant wait for the American hard court season ...

Hmm, Dav, not fair.

There are Fed fans on the beeb board who can be quite nasty on the beeb board, but they are few and easy to name (Signorella, Rishi Rich, Jammy_2006, for starters). that's their business and it's annoying.

Also, I would dispute your claim that many of the Centre Court posters that are pro Fed have been nasty about Rafa when he's beaten Fed. I haven't seen any here.. Most of the commenting is quite balanced here, I think.

I know what i've been saying on both boards and i'd be surprised if you pick out any comments that I have said that have been unkind about Rafa, ever! And even if you do, then they will be rare, and not that unkind. Can't say I've seen any by Scolios either.

Oh, and I've NEVER had a dig at Rafa when he's beaten Fed. I back my favourite players even when they're losing, and when they lose, am never slow to congratulate the winner. I certainly don't pretend to go to sleep like you did this afternoon. And yes, fair play you did say respect to Fed in your earlier posting.

And as for even having the odd dig at Rafa, I'd say that you have more than the odd dig at Fed. You're not backwards in coming forwards in that respect, but don't try to justify it by mentioning others' supposed actions. Doesn't make it ok.

I've heard of singing from the same hymn sheet, but not singing from your own hymn sheet. What does that mean.? i've responded to your comments about having a dig at Rafa, but I can't comment on the last bit. Can you please explain?? Not up on my religion, so am maybe missing something here..

Article about the Roger and Rafa show :)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/5162530.stm

Anyone who loves tennis should be fulsome in praise for both imo.

First of all petalp, when did I say that posters were being 'nasty' about Nadal? I believe my wording was they take 'the odd dig' :)

Second, I never mentioned you as I don't believe you have said anything negative about Fed, but on the Beeb board, especially around the time of the Rome final, there were quite a few sarcastic remarks from people about wanting Nadal to go away or not play well or even be injured, and there was more of the same at RG...

Third, I respect Fed, but, yes, I do criticize him occasionally, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with criticizing a player, feel free to criticize Nadal/Fed, but don't attack me for having a go at Fed, when some have taken pops at Rafa ;)

Fourth, the phrase 'sing from your own hymn sheet', means maybe you should take your own advice :)

Ok Dav, fair enough.. :)

I probably brought the 'nasty' aspect in as I think that there is too much nastiness whenever people talk about these guys. Some of the stuff that is written on the beeb board is very mean spirited and spiteful.

Well, the remarks about Rafa in Rome and RG sound pretty unpleasant to me, and yes, totally uncalled for. I would still think that just because, say, a JHH fan had a dig about Mauresmo, I would not feel that it would necessarily legitimise me doing the same in return. But yes, maybe a person criticising another when they've done the same is a little iffy. But also best to bear in mind that people read this stuff who don't have a pop and might feel that your comments are unjustified.

With all of this in mind, I really don't go for the 'eye for an eye' stuff. As an example, I thought that the Andy Murray Eng/ Scot stuff on the beeb board was horrific, and reflected more on the posters themselves (and reflected badly on them), rather than what the guy actually said/ not said/ retracted/ whatever.

And no, Fed is not beyond criticism, and should be taken to account if felt that he's been out of line. Neither should any player be above criticism, for that matter. :) That of course includes Rafa. But when the criticism is borne out of pure personal dislike, then objectivity is lost and what could be an interesting discussion just turns into a pointless bicker, circular conversations without any hope of resolution, and consqeuently a waste of time..

Ok.. thanks for the hymn sheet explanation. Hadn't heard that one before. Now that I know it, i'll probably hear it at least twice tomorrow, such is the way that these things work! :)

Roger didnt seem as emotional as usual at the end. No :cry:
He must have just been very relieved ! If he'd lost that match he might never have recovered . :o

I think to be honest Rafa's emergence on grass these last two weeks made him a little bit flat, Nadal WAS the story of the Men's singles let's face it!

No probs, scolios it's Fed fan solidarity! :hug:

And :hug: from this Fedfan as well

With what has been said between Dav, scolios and petalp - I'm not going to copy all the posts, and I don't really want to cause trouble, but I feel compelled to say that Dav, you are being a bit out of order towards the Fed fans on here. None of us are BBC trolls. We might have criticised Nadal but I don't beleive any of us have been insulting and nasty as trolls are. Signorella is an example of that! I for one have cirticised Nadal on grass, and I have every right to do so. And let's face it, it has been warranted as he is not the greatest grass court player of them all. Not saying he never will be, having now reached Wimby final, but basing it on what I have seen in the past. Also, I've said that I don't like his game style that much compared to other players - personal preference and I'm entitled to say it as are others. And I prefer many other players to him when it comes to grass. On clay though I don't recall slating him, nor rubbishing his win over Fed at the FO. I believe some of us discussed that Fed did not play as well as he could have, and neither did Rafa and wondered that if Fed had not made so many errors and got so tight, could he have won? Fair comment in the circumstances I feel and many others were saying it. It wasnt; based on the fact that I thought he was ugly, or something silly as the trolls base it was it? And so I think it was off to havea jibe at Fed on this thread. That's your choice, but you have to accept the consequences.

I feel sorry for Scolios, as that victory meant an awful lot to her and she was a tad annoyed at your comments. And I think you were wrong to tell her and petalp to sing from their own hymnsheets, they are very poilite posters (saints compared to me :D ) and that is off. C'mon Scolios never gets involved in nasty arguments and she does bite her tongue a lot as she says.

I think you have made to much of this Nadal stuff, I cant; say anything about him anymore without you saying it is a dig and that I hate him! I don't hate him, he just doesnt appeal too much to me, but then neither do several others, but they are not the ones everyone is talking about are they? :D Like if I prefer Baghi to Nadal, I get told I'm wrong cos Nadal has more personality. Well so you think and others, but then me and others think differently. Personal preferences are allowed, it would be boring otherwise eh? Maybe you shoudl look at your own hymn sheet before you tell others about theirs becaus eyou have been digging about Federer fr soem time, even including his "silly jacket"! roflmao

Well I like the jacket, he can certainly carry it off. Anyway on a lighter note, he better get a larger pocket on there if he is going to win 10 titles, as that is 10 racquets to embroider on it! roflmao

And peace! :hug:

:hug: Ah, aren't us Fed fans sweet.

SB, if you're going to get involved in a discussion, I'd expect you familiarise yourself with what's been said :wacko:

If you are going to direct a post like this at me, I'd expect you to bother to read what I have posted, but it appears you didn't, when have I said that Fed fans were nasty and insulting? Get back to me on that one :rolleyes:

Why is it fair for you to criticize Nadal? But yet I can't criticize Fed? Double standards, eh? I for one find his dominance pretty boring, and feel like this Wimbledon was a non-event as a result, I'm entitled to that opinion, I don't use terms like 'braindead ball bashers' like you that's for sure, you are always slagging Nadal off, both his game and his personality, so what? I have no problem with people criticizing anyone, what 'hymn sheet' do you want me to sing from? I don't care if someone criticizes Nadal, I don't care if anyone is criticized, what exactly is your point? :huh:

Again, I don't really think you understand what's been said on this thread, so maybe you could go back and read through and post again :)

No I won't thanks. And don't patronise me, I don't take kindly to it. :angry: I tried to be polite and tactful in my post but obviously that was not reciprocated so I'm not going to pay much attention to it and will onyl say -

I never said what you quote me as saying, and I have never said a nasty thing about Nadal, only criticism and there's a difference. You seem to have a problem with anything I say about Nadal Dav, now THAT is the problem. In fact almost every thread I have mentioned him on you have jumped in and had a dig. Well carry on if you like, but watch you don't hang yourself in the process. Not everyone has to agree with you you know! :)

And I am still none the wiser as to what exactly your initial post was about roflmao It seems like you were picking at me for the sake of it, hmmm :rolleyes:

Listen, don't aim a post like that at me if you don't want a pointed response, I don't pussyfoot around, you know that more than most :rolleyes:

Anyway, you referred to Nadal and Sharapova as 'brainless' on the Beeb, and said it was a great Wimbledon for 'real' tennis, or something like that, as for the Nadal threads, yes I jump in, but it's because it's usually something silly like accusing him of faking an injury at Queen's :rolleyes: And I'm not the only one either :)

OOooh I say! Look I've PM'd you rather than go on on here. Lets' keep it for the Fed fans to enjoy. I've said my bit really, check your PM :)

I've replied b**ch roflmao

calm down calm down! roflmao

Charming! :o

Yes I saw your reply - what a load of crap that was! roflmao

A lovers tiff ? :wub: ;)