Roger Federer's QF match against Robin Soderling in the US Open 2010 - A Report

Roger Federer’s Quarter Final Match against Robin Soderling in the US Open 2010 – A Report




I quote from my preceding article:

“Federer, the King of Tennis, was at his majestic best in the Australian Open…..It shows that his senses now are as sharp as they were in Australian Open…...I do not think Soderling is ready for a repeat of his French Open feat tomorrow. Though I am not fully satisfied with Federer’s performance in the preceding rounds, I still believe that Federer is playing better than Soderling; at least for now. So, this is my prediction: Federer will win tomorrow.”

True to my prediction, Federer won the match in straight sets. The scores: 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. The following is a report on the match. The match-statistics are given in the table below:

                                                  Robin Soderling                        Roger Federer




Ranking                                                 5                                            2

Aces                                                     2                                           18

1st Serve %                                         56                                           62

Double Faults                                        4                                              2

Win % on 1st Serve                             67                                            86

Win % on 2nd Serve                            47                                            43

Winners including service                      16                                            36

Unforced errors                                    32                                            33

Receiving Points Won                           30%                                        42%

Break PL Conversion                           33%                                         83%

Total Points won                                  82                                           102

 

As I had mentioned in my preceding articles, anyone aspiring to overwhelm Federer has to have an abundant stock of three things: (1) A booming serve, (2) A blistering forehand and (3) A strong will to fight till the very end. I quote from my preceding article:

“Till the last week, Soderling has served a mammoth 498 aces while Federer has served 104 less. Soderling is ranked 5th in a list of 100, while Federer is ranked 11th.”

Despite his higher ranking on this vital front, Soderling could do precious little in today’s match. A mere two aces emanated from his racquet while Federer, sent down 18. He won the last two points with consecutive aces. Federer had a greater % of 1st serve. Not only that, his winning % on 1st serve was far above Soderling’s.

Soderling’s fiery forehand was one of the key factors which had helped him upset Federer in the French Open. It had troubled Federer greatly then. The same forehand betrayed Soderling today. The sting which it used to possess was totally missing. I do not remember any occasion of Federer’s having been left gasping by Soderling’s forehand today. On the contrary, Federer frequently demonstrated how to execute classic forehand shots which many a time caught Soderling on the wrong foot.

The third requisite – grit – was also in much short supply today for Soderling. He had got two golden opportunities to break Federer’s serve even as early as in the second game of the very first set. He had finally managed to break Federer’s serve in the 4th game of the second set, and again in the 8th game of the third set. At one stage Soderling was leading in the third set with the score at 5-3. Despite all this, he failed to cash in on these opportunities. Such opportunities are very, very rare in a match against Federer, and when they present themselves, they need to be pounced upon. Soderling failed to do so, most of the time. One reason was the lack of extra power in his shots while the other was the lack of determination to fight and succeed.

The last four games of the last set strengthened the feeling that Soderling had already resigned himself to his fate, even well before the match was over; all of them went into Federer’s kitty without much of a resistance from Soderling. The last four games needed only six serves each, to be over, the lone difference being that the last game was determined with the least possible number of serves: four. In those last four games, instead of fighting for his life by hanging in there, Soderling chose to almost meekly surrender, without even a semblance of fight. Soderling needs a large dose of grit and determination for going places.

Coming to how well Federer played today, I will rank his today’s performance as his best after the Australian Open. The display took me back to the Australian Open where he literally toyed with the likes of Andy Murray, Tsonga, etc. Like he did then, Federer was in full control today. It was not a clash of the titans, it was the clash between the titan and Soderling. There was only one titan today, Federer. He had the bridle firmly in his hand and directed the play at will.

The happiest part was the 18 aces he served. I remember more of his aces than his misses today. In almost every game, he served two aces. Some of them must have exceeded 200 kmph. The two aces with which he clinched the match should have made Djokovic sit up and take note, as he will have to face them himself when he, Djokovic, meets Federer in the Semi Final. Andy Roddick serves (or he used to serve, at least) much faster than Federer. Still, Roddick cannot have returned as many of Federer’s serves as Federer has returned Roddick’s. The reason is simple: Federer’s serves are more lethal as they combine both speed and direction, as was proved for the umpteenth time today.

Federer’s forehand and backhand too worked well today. He drove a large number of balls to different corners so that Soderling had to scramble to get to them. Federer served to one corner pulling Soderling away, and, then, drove the weak return, to the other. There were times Soderling was made to run from corner to corner. It is some time since Federer has been seen doing it so well; not after the Australian Open, for sure. He was good at the net too. While he scored many winners through attacking play at the net, he himself managed to keep volleys beyond a diving Soderling’s reach when he, Soderling, was at the net. The match also saw a few well-calculated drops and down-the-lines which either beat or troubled Soderling.

This is not to say that Federer did not have misses; he did have them, a lot of them actually. Balls sailed skyward when the frame hooked the balls. But his misses were well compensated with his hits. More importantly, he found enough time to anticipate Soderling’s next move and get into the right position well in time. The sting in his shots proved this anticipation. The match also saw some great retrievals by Federer. The one he did in the first game of the third set, when Soderling was at 40-15, was unbelievable. I noticed him repeating it successfully. Forehand placing shots and backhand placing shots, both, were plenty today.

It gives me great satisfaction to see a free-hitting Federer. Perhaps what distinguishes Federer from the rest is his fearlessness about the likely outcome of the match. Whether he is winning or losing, you will find him hitting shots with the same aggression. He never seeks or switches to safe play, no matter what. True, when the power is too much, balls tend to sail out and away, and he loses. The bull in him is always on the loose. Reining in the aggression is unfamiliar to him. Which is why, there is no better sight in tennis than a Federer in full flow. Reminds me of the majestic lion.

Roger Federer Beats Robin Soderling in the Quarter Finals of US Open 2010

Roger Federer beats Robin Soderling in straight sets. The scores: 6-4, 6-4 & 7-5.

Roger Federer against Robin Soderling in the Quarter Final of US Open 2010 – A Prediction

Roger Federer and Robin Soderling will clash with each other at New York time 7 PM on Wednesday, September 8th. This corresponds to the Indian Standard Time of 4:30 AM on Thursday, September 9th. This write up is an attempt to assess the chances of Roger Federer viewed against the past history, statistics and present form. Although I’m an ardent fan of Roger Federer, I will try to view the whole thing as impartially as I can.




Federer, aged 29, and Soderling, aged 26, have played each other 13 times. Federer has won 12 times and Soderling just once. Their last meeting was in French Open, less than three months ago; Soderling was the winner then. If this lone victory is considered as a trend-reversal, Soderling could be the winner this time too. Whether one victory is enough to reverse the trend set by 12 consecutive defeats is a moot point.



Federer is ranked 2nd while Soderling is 5th. Needless to say, Federer has been the World Number One for years. It was only recently, he slipped to 3 and, soon thereafter, climbed to 2. Soderling has been at around his present level for some time now. When their rankings are considered, Soderling stands no chance.



As I have mentioned repeatedly in my preceding articles, anyone who aspires to beat Federer should have three things in plenty: a booming serve, a blistering forehand and an unshakeable grit. Brian Dabul, whom Federer faced in the first round, and Andreas Beck, in the second round, did not have any worth mentioning quantity of these qualities. Paul-Henri Mathieu, the third round opponent, did have some of them, but not enough. Jurgen Melzer, of the fourth round, too did have some of those qualities, but his stock of them was not that big. The case of Soderling is different. Let us see how.



Till the last week, Soderling has served a mammoth 498 aces while Federer has served 104 less. Soderling is ranked 5th in a list of 100, while Federer is ranked 11th. In their respective fourth round matches in the current US Open, Soderling’s fastest serve was at 134 miles per hour, while Federer’s was at Rs.132 MPH. The average serve speed of Soderling was 119 MPH against 116 MPH of Federer. Definitely, Soderling has the edge in this vital department of the game. However, it is worth remembering that John Isner, the player who has served the highest number of aces (799), has already been eliminated. So have Roddick (ranked 2nd) Querry (3rd), Karlovic (6th), Berdych (7th), Almagro (8th) and Lopez (9th), despite their being toppers in serving aces. It needs to be remembered that Rafael Nadal has served only 191 aces and is ranked way below at 45 while Djokovic is ranked 44: both are still going strong in the current tournament.



When it comes to the 1st serve percentage, Soderling is ranked 42nd while Federer is higher, at 28. In their respective fourth round matches, Soderling managed to get only 52% of his 1st serves in, while Federer had a greater success at 61%. Soderling served 3 double faults against Federer’s one. Federer’s greater accuracy must have helped him considerably in remaining at the top. Federer often comes up with a big serve when in difficult situations, I have seen him doing it many times. Soderling will have to acquire better accuracy than Federer for tilting the balance to his advantage. As it is, Soderling is found wanting on this count.



Points won returning the 1st serve is another crucial parameter. Federer is ranked 4th while Soderling is 20th, in a list of 75. This shows that Federer is a better returner of serve than Soderling. The serves of both being equally good, the greater returning ability of Federer will weigh more in the present contest between the two much familiar foes.



Let us look at Soderling’s forehand. Albert Montanes, whom Soderling had faced in the fourth round was ranked 21st, while Jurgen Melzer, Federer’s opponent, was ranked much higher, at 13. Thus the opponent Federer had faced was far tougher than Soderling’s opponent. Still, Soderling committed 40 unforced errors while Federer committed 27 only. This shows that Soderling's volleys, most of which must have been forehand, lacked punch. Soderling’s forehand had been fiery when he overwhelmed Federer in the French Open; it did play a great role in the victory. The present statistics could mean that his forehand is, of late, not as effective as it had been in the French Open. On the contrary, Federer’s forehand in the fourth round match was definitely better than in the French Open and Wimbledon.



When it comes to the display of grit, Federer is far above the rest. Two sets down, he has turned around matches. I have seen many players droop their heads and write themselves off in similar situations. But not Federer. He keeps his cool and never gives up till the very end. Mainly because he enjoys playing aggressive tennis. That is one quality which endeared him to millions of fans including me. Soderling is certainly a tough player, but I would not yet rank him on a par with Federer on this count. Soderling had failed to cash in on the advantage he had gained by defeating Federer in the French Open. He has since been defeated by lesser mortals like Almagro (at Bastad, Sweden), Nalbandian (Toronto), and Roddick (Cincinnati). Thus the last three tournaments in which he contested, do not inspire much hope. That more or less explains why he, though past 26 years of age, hasn’t won any Grand Slam yet.



Despite all this, I consider Soderling as one player who possesses the skill and calibre to upset Federer. So many players have beaten Federer: Hewitt, Tsonga, Davydenko, Murray, Monfils, Blake, del Potro, not to mention Nadal. I wouldn’t wonder if Soderling beats him tomorrow. But no one can deny that the opposite of this has been more true: Federer has conquered most of these players many more times than they have him. Soderling himself has lost to Federer 12 times before he managed to beat him. How Federer toyed with the likes of Tsonga, Djokovic and Murray in the Australian Open is still fresh in my memory. Federer, the King of Tennis, was at his majestic best in the Australian Open. The volley he hit between the legs had left Djokovic dazed. The magic shot was repeated in his first round match against Brian Dabul. It shows that his senses now are as sharp as they were in Australian Open.



I do not think Soderling is ready for a repeat of his French Open feat tomorrow. Though I am not fully satisfied with Federer’s performance in the preceding rounds, I still believe that Federer is playing better than Soderling; at least for now.



So, this is my prediction: Federer will win tomorrow.

Roger Federer’s Pre-Quarter Final against Jurgen Melzer in the US Open 2010 – A Report

I quote from my preceding article predicting Federer’s victory: “Melzer has to wait. Right now, it’s Federer all the way.” Today’s match proved just that. Federer won 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3. Out of my own fears, I had thought it better not to mention the number of sets which would be necessitated for Federer’s victory. Once again, Federer has, through the straight set-win, chided me for my lack of faith.

The second set took twice the time the first had taken. It went into a tie-break and caused some anxiety whether Federer might lose that set. When the tie-break score was at 4-4, Federer’s return of serve dropped after just crossing the net; Melzer was too far away and abandoned the chase midway, letting Federer surge to 5-4. Federer rose further to 6-4 when Melzer hit another ball long. Federer clinched the set through a beautiful placing shot.

Two sets down, Melzer must have been seen the writing on the wall, and did not put up any serious fight in the third set, although he managed to break Federer’s serve in its very first game. Federer was erratic in that game: a wide, a miss and again a wide. Melzer, ranked 15th and seeded 13th, is too talented to be played with and justified his fairly high ranking by breaking Federer’s serve.

Federer returned the compliment by breaking Melzer’s serve in the very next game. The game saw three good placing shots by Federer; the last of them was a classic which left Melzer gasping. Next came the first and only double fault by Federer. It must have rekindled hope in Melzer, but that was all: Melzer hit the next two balls long and sealed his own fate.

Still, credit must be given to Melzer for putting up a somewhat stiff resistance in the four games which preceded the last; all of them went into deuce and the advantage alternated several times between the two players. The 6th game, with Melzer on serve, saw some great play by Federer. The first, when Melzer was on 30-0, was a beautiful drop shot. Another ball later came a blistering down-the-line which Melzer couldn’t even touch. In its aftermath, Melzer netted the next ball. A classic ne- play by Federer followed it. On his next serve, Melzer hit a volley into the net and gave Federer a two game-lead.

The 7th game, with Federer on serve, saw some see-saw swings as both the players were erratic. Federer hit three shots into the net, one went long and another wide. ‘Not to be left behind’, Melzer hit two longs, one wide while three shots didn’t cross the net. In those crucial moments Federer tilted the balance with two big serves. Melzer opened the next game serving the last of his two aces. Soon people applauded a powerful backhand and an overhead smash, both by Federer. It is breathtaking when Federer is in full flow.

Strangely, four errors, all by Federer, followed his magnificent display: long, long, long and then wide. The game went to Melzer, the server. The next game was the last and Federer was on serve. It saw Federer’s ace number 10. He kept the pressure on and wrapped up the game with the least number of serves possible in any game: four. The match was over in 2 hours and 3 minutes.

Now comes the crucial question: did Federer play well ? His victory came in straight sets, the score being 6-3, 7-6 & 6-3. Though there were some anxious moments in the second set, Federer was in good control most of the time. Remember, Melzer is no mean player and had defeated Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros. He is of a serve-and-volley type, a slightly lesser version of Rafael Nadal.

I quote from my preceding article: “I had always felt that for defeating Federer, a player should invariably have an abundant stock of three things in his armoury: a formidable serve, a fiery forehand and an unshakeable determination.” Melzer served only two aces in the whole match. Not even in dreams, can one hope to defeat Federer with just two aces. Federer’s own number – 10 – was quite humble today, but coming up with a big serve to wriggle out of a difficult situation has always been a remarkable feature of Federer. Melzer lacked this quality.

A punishing forehand is the next essential requisite for anyone hoping to send Federer off. Melzer’s forehand was good but not menacing enough. Federer got sufficient time to tackle it most of the time. I shudder to think of the blistering forehands of Juan Martin del Potro when he defeated Federer in the final of US Open 2009, and Robin Soderling (in the quarter final of Roland Garros 2010). Both had booming serves too. Both the last mentioned two matches had seen breathtaking pace from del Potro and Soderling. I did not see any such display by Melzer today. Melzer needs more self-confidence and, more important, the ‘killer’ instinct.

Coming back to the question whether Federer played well today, my answer is a reluctant yes. Federer was not at his best today. I would have had a better opinion, had the second set tie-break been avoided. However I’m happy that there were flashes of his genius though rare. Today too, Federer served an ace on a second serve – a repeat of his feat in the last match. His own serve, forehand and backhand – the main weapons of any good tennis player – are in tact. And, more important, his willingness to chase balls was very much evident. There was no hesitation on his part to attack the ball at the net. Above all, it was clear that he continued to enjoy playing. At the end of the day, that is what counts.

Roger Federer's Pre-Quarter Final Match against Jurgen Melzer in the US Open 2010 - A prediction

Roger Federer’s Pre-Quarter Final match against Jurgen Melzer in the US Open 2010 - A Prediction


This article is an attempt to assess the chances of Roger Federer in the impending pre-quarter final match against Jurgen Melzer in the current US Open. A word of caution: since I’m a fan of Federer, my view is likely to be a fan’s. The match is scheduled for 7 PM (New York time) today (September 6, 2010).


The last time both played each other was in Wimbledon 2010, less than three months ago. Federer won the match with the respectable scores of 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Melzer had got just one break point in the whole match, and he converted it while Federer forced 10 breakpoints and converted 6 of them. This factor itself is heavy enough to tilt the balance in favour of Federer. Especially because the match took place so recently as less than three months ago. Neither has Federer gone backward nor has Melzer come conspicuously forward since then.


Both the players are aged 29. Roger Federer was ranked number 2 at Wimbledon 2010 and continues at the same rank. Melzer was ranked 16 then and has improved, though narrowly, to 15 now. However, compared to the players (Brian Dabul, ranked 96, Andreas Beck, ranked 104 and Paul-Henri Mathieu, ranked 109) whom Federer has met so far in the current US Open, Jurgen Melzer’s ranking is far higher and is, in fact, closer to Federer’s. Rank wise, Melzer is at ‘striking distance’.


Melzer has never won any Grand Slam title. Although he started playing at Grand Slams as early as in 2000 and has been a regular presence in them from 2003, he had never gone beyond the third round till 2009. In the current year, however, he made some progress: reached the semi-final at Roland Garros and the 4th round at Wimbledon. Well, still a far cry from the Royal Federer!


The ATP site says that Federer is ranked 11th in a list of 100 players who have served the highest number of aces. Melzer’s rank is 21. In their respective 3rd round matches, Federer’s average serve speed was faster at 114 miles per hour while Melzer’s was lower, at 109. Federer’s fastest serve was at 131 mph while Melzer’s was at 128. Although the gap between these figures is not too wide, they do indicate that Federer has a clear edge. Federer had also served an ace in one of his 2nd serves in his 3rd round match. Federer did not serve any double fault while Melzer had two. All this proves Federer’s greater accuracy, confidence and aggression.


Federer is ranked 28th in the list based on the 1st serve-percentage, with his score being 62%; Melzer is close at rank 33 with 61%. The figures are a little too close. The gap between the two players becomes wider when the 1st serve points won are considered: Federer is ranked 6th while Melzer is 32nd. Further, Federer has won 88% of his service games and is ranked 5th, while Melzer has won 83% only and is ranked much lower, at 18. How capable are they both in returning 1st serves? Federer is ranked 4th while Melzer is way below, at 33. Federer is ranked 12th and Melzer 30th in the list of those with the highest % of return-games won.


Federer’s statistics are formidable. Take any parameter, Federer stands higher than Melzer. There is something about Melzer which, I believe, might prevent him from defeating Federer. Melzer is a regular doubles player and had, together with Philipp Petzschner, won the men’s doubles title at Wimbledon 2010. In the current US Open too, they had contested in the doubles, though they couldn’t go beyond the 1st round. What I observe is that a regular doubles player seldom goes far in singles. The strategies of singles are different from those of doubles. Further, playing both singles and doubles will be too much for the body.

I had
watched the match between Federer and Melzer in Wimbledon 2010. I had always felt that for defeating Federer, a player should invariably have an abundant stock of three things in his armoury: a formidable serve, a fiery forehand and an unshakeable determination.


I do not have the pretensions that Federer would go on winning forever; at some point of time, the inevitable slide-down is bound to start. One day Melzer might be able to defeat Federer. But today is not that day. Melzer has to wait. Right now, it’s Federer all the way.


I predict victory for Federer today.

Roger Federer's 3rd Round Match at US Open 2010 - A report

Roger Federer’s 3rd Round Match in US Open 2010 – A report


I stand punished for having been a doubting Thomas: I had predicted that Roger Federer would win, all right, but in four sets. Federer literally demolished Paul-Henri Mathieu in straight sets in less than 100 minutes. I have no hesitation to say that this has been the most authentic display of his prowess after he toyed with Andy Murray in the Australian Open final.

Federer accomplished today’s task far more easily than what the score line 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 suggests. The most striking feature was the power with which he executed most of his shots. Not only the forehand volleys but even the backhand shots were lethal. The blistering backhand that raced down-the-line, well beyond Mathieu’s reach, in the last game was the best example.

The same game was an example of Federer’s capability to turn around difficult situations. Federer was 0-40 at one stage in that game, but Mathieu failed to cash in on any of the three breakpoints. Federer went ahead and won that game, set and the match. In all, Mathieu had got four chances to break Federer, but Federer is ranked 8th in saving breakpoints (with Mathieu not even figuring in the list of the top 75) and must have bettered his ranking again today. While Mathieu fumbled with breakpoints, Federer mercilessly pounced upon them and converted four of a total of six.

Federer’s 13 aces (against Mathieu’s 3) was another great factor that contributed to his victory. His winning % on 1st serve today was a whopping 85. Rarely have I come across a 2nd serve which was an ace: Federer did just that in the 4th game of the second set.

I was also happy to see that Federer had again become agile and was readily chasing balls even when he could have afforded not to.

With so much to praise Federer for his display of authentic tennis and the crushing defeat he inflicted upon Mathieu, it would seem silly to give any credit at all to Mathieu; but the fact is, Mathieu had given a very good account of himself today. His most remarkable feature today was fearlessness. Till the very end, he kept up his aggression. Not even once did he show any signs of dejection over the way this match too, like their four previous meetings, was slipping out of his hands.

Mathieu does have a rich repertoire of shots which can trouble any one. Lleyton Hewitt had found this out the hard way in his first round defeat at the hands of Mathieu. His misfortune today was that it was Federer, on the other side of the net.

The only fault in today’s match between Federer and Mathieu lay with the channel that had beamed it to my place; at times, it switched to some other match (Arnaud Clement Vs. Mardy Fish) leaving Federer’s. I wonder why would any channel turn to mortals when god himself was in classic action!

Roger Feder's 3rd Round Match in the US Open 2010

Roger Federer’s 3rd Round Match against Paul-Henri Mathieu – A prediction


This will be the third match in the Arthur Ashe Stadium today. Let me try to analyse the facts and arrive at a reasonable prediction of the likely outcome of the match.

Roger Federer is the World Number 2 while Paul-Henri Mathieu is ranked way below 109. The aces a player serves is crucial in deciding the outcome of every match. Roger Federer holds the 11th position in the highest number of aces served; Mathieu is, much below, at 71. Federer has won 77% of his 1st serve points and is ranked 6th in a list of 75 players. He has the same rank in winning 2nd serve points too. He is also a great returner of 1st serves and is ranked 4th. Further, he has won a whopping 88% of his service games and is ranked 5th. At the same time, he is almost equally good at saving break points, and is ranked 8th. Mathieu does not even figure in these lists of 75 players. All these statistics weigh heavily in favour of Roger Federer. If we compare Federer to Goliath and Mathieu to David, the comparison cannot be far from real; Federer is in such a lofty position.

The lone fact that the fans of Roger Federer (including me) would do well to remember is Paul-Henri Mathieu’s victory over Lleyton Hewitt in the 1st round of the current US Open just days ago. Though Lleyton Hewitt was ranked 32 and is a former World Number One, Mathieu got the better of him in a grueling, near three-hour five-setter. And, remember, the very same Lleyton Hewitt had, a mere two months ago, defeated Roger Federer in an ATP World Tour final in Germany. Thus Hewitt has defeated Federer and Mathieu has defeated Hewitt. Mathematically, Mathieu can defeat Federer.

Now comes the crucial question: is Roger Federer still playing at his best? Despite being an ardent fan of his, my sad observation is that he is not. But will that lone factor be enough to tilt the balance towards Mathieu against all odds? I do not think so.

My prediction: Federer will win in four sets.

Roger Federer’s Second Round match at the US Open 2010

Roger Federer’s Second Round match at the US Open 2010




Roger Federer will meet Andreas Beck of Germany, in the second round of the US Open 2010. Let us have a look at Beck’s performance in recent times.



His current ATP ranking is 104.



At Wimbledon in June, he reached the second round defeating Jamie Baker, ranked 253, but lost to Julien Benneteau, ranked 40, in five sets; it was a close match and could have gone either way. His average 1st serve speed in the first round match was 187.2 kmph with an accuracy of 57%. In his second round match, the accuracy was 53% only.



At Roland Garros in May, he defeated Paolo Lorenzi, ranked 95, in the first round but lost, in straight sets, to Stanislas Wawrinka, ranked 24, in the next.



At the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (in April), he lost to Michael Llodra, ranked 59, in three sets, in the first round.



At Barcelona, in April, he lost to Victor Hanescu, ranked 39, in straight sets in the first round.



At the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo in April, he lost to David Nalbandian, ranked 151, in straight sets, in the first round.



At the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami, in March, he lost to Stephane Robert, ranked 63, in straight sets, in the first round.



At the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells, in March, he lost to Ramon Delgado, ranked 165, in three sets.



In 2009, he had reached the second round at the US Open.



I did not feel enthusiastic enough to probe into his achievements any further.



His best ever ranking was 33, on 2 November 2009.



I have no hesitation to state that Andreas Beck’s accomplishments in the current year (or the preceding year) do not hint at any hidden capability to defeat Roger Federer in the second round of the current US Open.



My prediction: Roger Federer will win in straight sets.

Roger Federer's First Round Match against Brian Dabul

I had predicted in my earlier blog that Roger Federer would win his opening round match against Brian Dabul in straight sets. Not only me, millions of tennis lovers all over the world, too, must have predicted the same. So I won't seek any special credit for it though Federer proved my prediction true with an easy 6-1, 6-4 and 6-2 score.


The very first game, which was Federer's service game, saw a scary moment when Dabul got the lone break point of the whole match; to the great relief of Federer's fans including me, Dabul failed to cash in on it.

The first set was devoid of any pyrotechnics from Federer, but he warmed up in the second set which had the shot of the day. Dabul was serving in the 9th game of the set, and the score was 4-4 and Advantage Dabul. Dabul lobed the ball deep into the baseline. Federer, near the net, turned back and running unhurriedly to the baseline, hit the ball between his legs. The ball sailed over the net and landed close to the inside edge of Dabul's right sideline. All that Dabul could do was to merely stand staring, with that unbelievable expression on his face.

The whole stadium stood up and applauded while Federer himself raised both his hands, elated.

The last time Federer had done the same magic was against Djokovic, who, shaking his head in sheer disbelief, and slowly breaking into a smile, applauded on his raised racquet-head.

From that point onward it was all Federer while Dabul virtually disintegrated. Dabul hastened his own defeat by two successive double faults and many unforced errors in the 3rd set.

Dabul couldn't serve any ace in the whole match. The average speed of his first serve was a lowly 166.4 kmph. His fastest serve was of a mere 187.2 kmph, a far cry from that of the big servers. I did not see any blistering forehand from Dabul in the whole match. Neither was he a great returner of serve. That explains his dismal performance in Grand Slams.

But here comes the crucial question: was Federer's play against Dabul a champion's?

Federer served 18 aces. But what is an ace? When the opponent does not reach the ball, the serve becomes an ace. Most of the aces Federer served today, would have been returned by his major rivals like Nadal, Murray, Soderling, Djokovic, Berdych, Davydenko and a host of others. The average speed of his first serve was 190.4 kmph. Only 200+ will comfort me. Further, He got only 65% of his first serves in. This percentage is too low and has to improve to 80% for winning big matches. The same goes for his forehands too: none of them, today, was fiery.

The point is, Federer was not at his best in today's match. If he is not at his best, we can't hope him to go farther in this tournament, not to speak of him winning his 17th Grand Slam.

Today's match hasn't allayed any of my fears as one of Roger Federer's ardent fans.