In his quest for seven Wimbledon titles, Federer is only 3 steps away. Will he or Will he not achieve his dream remains to be seen. But after watching Federer’s match today, 5 reasons why Federer fans needs to be worried are:
1) Unforced Errors: 25 Unforced Errors today - highest from anyone in the top 4 with Djokovic at 6, Murray at10 and Nadal at 16. It can prove to be a big concern at pressure moments for Roger Federer. Against players such as Djokovic or Nadal, you don’t give too many opportunities.
2) First Serve: Service was not at its best with only 62% of first service in this match. If this rate continues, it can be a tough battle ahead with Djokovic / Nadal who are amongst the best returners of the game. With a not-so-good serve, the probability of a longer rally increases thereby increasing Fed’s chances of making unforced errors. To win the title, he will have to fire with his service which has been his strong point till now.
3) Lapse in Concentration: Twice in the match today, we saw lapses in concentration from Federer:
a) At 4-2 up in the Tie Break in the first set, he lost his way to give away the set at 7-5.
b) At 5-0 up in the third set, he allowed the opponent to come back to 5-3.
Concern here is against players like Djokovic/Nadal, he will have to be focused all the time and make sure that he does not lose his concentration again. We all know what happened in the past: French open 2011- he lost the first set after being up by 5-2 and the rest is history. Similar was the case with Del Potro in US Open 2009 final.
4) Hesitation to come to net and drop shots: It appeared at times that until second set today, he was a bit hesitant in his approach to the net. He won the set but there were points where he could have easily come and finished them by coming to net. In a match where it will come down to winning crucial points, this is a weapon which can come handy for Federer as he is amongst the best net players currently. His drop shot was not seen in the first set either. These are the shots which suit the grass court and can prove to be a decider against Djokovic / Nadal.
5) Fitness and Agility: One of the things which has changed in Fed’s game is the ability to sustain in long rallies. His fitness and agility will be tested at the age of 29 against players like Djokovic / Nadal who are known for playing long rallies. Will he be able to sustain another 5 setter match with the same intensity as he did in previous years? Will the greatest player in tennis become the greatest player on grass too? Only future can tell us the answer.
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(Link to the latest post:Rafael Nadal's Injury Timeouts-Strategy or Real?)
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(Link to the latest post:Rafael Nadal's Injury Timeouts-Strategy or Real?)