I never tire of that H2H. Haha, yeah, I know it means nothing cos it's entirely clay centric *rollseyes* - even though Feds now has had 16 chances to beat Rafa off clay as opposed to 15 times on it. And I know that if Rafa had been good enough to turn up to finals on courts such as Cincy in his early days, then it would be entirely different - although it could also have been entirely different if Feds had have been good enough to turn up to all those hardcourt finals in 2010 and 2011. But hey, I digress from what was a really good match.
Apart from Feds having to battle to hold his opening service game, I felt the set was pretty much even, and Rafa got mugged to lose it on his service game. But Feds played better in the second set - even though Rafa never faced a break point - and in fact, it was he who mugged Feds to win it.
But from the start of the third, Rafa was fabulous. With an early break and at 4-1 and my best hope of points for 5-1, I suppose you have to credit the old guy for keeping it to only one service break and making Rafa fight for it at the end. But Rafa deserved that win. And whilst it was probably the best tennis that Feds played all year, I kind of think that Rafa still has more to give.
And with the Prince of Darkness and Murray both being knocked out yesterday - hurrah!! - you kind of can't dare but hope to believe. However, Berdych and Delpo still have great hardcourt games and whatever the outcome ... Rafa, you have once again done fantastically well to get this far.
VAMOSSSSS !!!
It was a fabulous match, wasn't it, I actually enjoyed Fed playing as well as he did to make it so competitive unlike their last two encounters, but despite his best efforts he came up short once again versus our boy, you know, that 'clay-courter' one, *yawn*. I really don't get why Fed doesn't retire, what is he playing for? Rafa, on the other hand, still has a good few years left in him *fingers crossed*, and to think that this time last year they were starting to write him off. Ha!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah! Rafa is on a roll. Just watched him beat Isner without a break point....just too mentally tough in the tiebreaker. Check Wooffie every day. Please keep it up!
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