Just read this on MTF that Federer in fact was more ill than he let on. He had diareohea for 6 days staying in bed before the AO and infact lost 7 pounds of weight.

This isn't to take anything away from Djokovic's win in the semi and his first slam win he was playing champion level.

Source: http://www.blick.ch/sport/tennis/vergiftun...er-spital-81713 in Swiss

By the way Federer has not used this as an excuse his trainer made the quotes and stuff.

It's interesting because i thought Fed never looked as if he was enjoying himself throughout the tournament, but i thought it might be the pressure he might be feeling.
It's difficult to put my finger on, but something about his body language throughout-i kept thinking he's not liking this.
It couldn't have been the sickness or not, either way he didn't have the look of someone enjoying what they're doing.

He looked like he knew he was the underdog -something you usually only see from him in the French final against Nadal.
The thing that struck me was, the guys human .Even a genius like him cant produce it all the time .

He certainly didn't have that aura of invincibility in his semi-final match against Novak. I thought his body language looked very negative.

:ok: yep, definitely!

I think he lost that last year to be honest, I think Fed is wonderful but there were the two back to defeats by Canas, back to back defeats by Fat Dave and Djokovic beat him last year also... :ok:

He is undoubtedly number one but the guy can be beaten... :)

agree,
we don't know to what extent he was i''ll, and i don't want to make excuses if there weren't any.
I've also thought for some time that Fed has create a kind of monster (he used the word himself in an interview)-when he loses in a slam, it's become such a big deal-that's bound to grind you down, no male player in my memory has had to put up with that.

Cant help but mention Borg here , he was really feeling the pressure his own success brought and once he lost the air of invincibility he just quit the game .

Yeah, players who have been at the top cope with their slightly diminished status in different ways, Borg was super competitive and i think for him winning was everything-i think he said something like 'If i played my own mother i'ld play to win'.
He just couldn't take being top dog.
Sampras seemed ok in relative terms, he went down the ranking, but it didn't seem to bother him much-he just kept his sights on the slams.
what we may have in the next year or so is Fed maybe Djoko, or someone else sharing no1 status and the slams.

That can't be bad for the game. Wonderful a player though Fed is, having one person winning everything is not good for the broad appeal of tennis.

It happened when the WTA tour was being dominated by the Williams, again wonderful players though they are it's much better now when different players seem to be winning every week with the Slams being shared around... B)

:ok:

btw, dunno if it's just me, but you don't appear to have an avatar at the moment choka?

Yep I'm going for a whole new signature and profile revamp.
Can I put more than one picture in my avatar so it shuffles between more than one? :unsure:

I'm going to disband I' beat the Cheat club', I was going to wait until Roland Garros. Let's just say Maria has got time off for good behaviour... roflmao

The only way that can be done is if you make a GIF file of the images. :ok:
Have a look here, this looks like a good site to create the gif

http://www.gifworks.com/image_editor.html

Thanks Trisco... :)
Will try that!

This is what happened in Serbia after Roland Garros when they had a finalist and two semi finalists! :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scjputBe-jc

Can you imagine what's gonna happen now when they arrive back with a winner, a finalist and a semi finalist! :wacko:

Hope Fed is ok. :(

:blink: letting Shara off?

*runs off to get thermometer for Choka*

:giggle:

I agree its great to see new players coming out to challenge Fed :)

mind you, I did also read that he had really suffered with this bad stomach thing and whilst I would take nothing away from Djokos game - he certainly played a blinder - I would like to see a fully fit Fed take him on again. I would never say that its a cert for Fed to win - I reckon Djoko has proved he has the weapons to take Fed on and win - but maybe not in straight sets this time.

Either way - good matches ahead I reckon :D

:D
I thought you'd be pleased Pebs... :P