[zzzyyy]

With Nadal now confirmed to Hamburg next week, there remains the distinct possibility that he could play Fognini again :devil:

I was thinking back to similar cases where a top player loss consecutively to a much lower ranked player twice. Federer vs Canas of course. Which was worse?

 

[TheBigFourFTW]

Federer-Canas.

Federer was at his ABSOLUTE PEAK back then.

 

[NadalPhan]

Federer. He was at his absolute peak.

 

[zzzyyy]

Federer-Canas.

Federer was at his ABSOLUTE PEAK back then.

Federer. He was at his absolute peak.

I concur. :worship::worship::worship:

 

[Kyrgyros]

Fed had some streak there I think, 30+won matches in a row? Before that he had won AO, which has been his most dominant slam ever, and then came Canas. Not once, but twice.

Fog is amazing too, but has been mediocre the whole year. If it had been 2010 Nadal, then it would've been the same as with Fed.

 

[MWW]

Has to be Federer-Canas. Twice in the space of a fortnight when Federer was undisputedly the no.1 player in the world
Nadal was in decline losing to the likes of Berrer, Berdych etc. starting from end of 2014.

But it must be said Canas played extremely well on offense and defense. Federer even had chances for a double break lead in the final set.

Favourite point is 3:25. Federer is made to look like Djokovic on the overheads with Canas' superb retrieval skills. Federer still won the pt but was made to work extra hard for it.

 

[Secondeuce]

None are embarrassing, such losses happen and upsets bring excitement to the game. Canas exposed what Nadal already knew: that Fed is susceptible to great defense and gets impatient. Fognini has a strong left side and great movement which is a requirement to beat even older and declined Nadal on clay.

 

[M. Mecir]

Fog beat the King of Clay twice in consecutive matches on the red dirt within a few months. At the time of the second defeat Nadal had a record on clay of something like 333-26.

Fog is mediocre in my opinion so I would say this was the most embarrassing, also because the defeats effectively dethroned the King of Clay on his beloved clay.

After those two defeats all clay court specialists boosted renewed confidence they can beat the former King - also made worse by Nadal stupidly publicly admitting lack of confidence problems so all competitors would know to explore that.

 

[MWW]

None are embarrassing, such losses happen and upsets bring excitement to the game. Canas exposed what Nadal already knew: that Fed is susceptible to great defense and gets impatient. Fognini has a strong left side and great movement which is a requirement to beat even older and declined Nadal on clay.

Interestingly Ferrer has never beaten Federer even once with his grinding game. Any explanations? Maybe a bit too predictable?

 

[Secondeuce]

Interestingly Ferrer has never beaten Federer even once with his grinding game. Any explanations? Maybe a bit too predictable?

I think it may have to do with Ferrer's usual inability to do something useful with Fed's serve.

Ferrer is a great returner, but for some reason he runs into trouble here. That frees Fed to do more on the ROS when he isn't pressured much on his own serve. Fed against Ferrer is usually able to go on the offensive rather quickly and not get drawn into a grinding contest. It's probably also caused by Ferrer's game of dictating with his FH, often from the BH side, his BH is weaker and he runs around it quite often. That won't work against Fed though, because he is stronger at that game.

You need a strong left side to beat Fed and move him around.

But I'll be interested to see how that match-up holds up now, because the contests have become closer recently.

It's also interesting to note that Canas got absolutely destroyed 0-6, 3-6 in the 3rd meeting that year on a fast indoor HC (Madrid MS1000).

 

[Roo]

Anyone saying Federer-Canas obviously wasn't following tennis closely at the time. Canas was just coming back and a dangerous early round opponent, and was in some vintage Canas form at the time.

 

[duong]

The first post I had read from you had given me a good impression, I can see that you troll like so many ones.

It's completely different, the level of the Fed-Canas was much superior to the level of the Nadal-Fognini's matches.

If you want to go there, the much more embarrassing match was Federer-Volandri a few weeks later : Federer was absolutely awful in this match.

Interestingly Ferrer has never beaten Federer even once with his grinding game. Any explanations? Maybe a bit too predictable?

the answer is very easy : he just faced Federer only twice on clay in the period when he improved and Fed declined, and both times in Madrid, quickest MS1000 claycourt tournament, once on blue clay.

MTF's "statistical" definite conclusions very often rely on one or two matches

It's not interesting at all actually.

 

[Tennis Passion]

Has to be Federer-Canas. Twice in the space of a fortnight when Federer was undisputedly the no.1 player in the world
Nadal was in decline losing to the likes of Berrer, Berdych etc. starting from end of 2014.

But it must be said Canas played extremely well on offense and defense. Federer even had chances for a double break lead in the final set.

Favourite point is 3:25. Federer is made to look like Djokovic on the overheads with Canas' superb retrieval skills. Federer still won the pt but was made to work extra hard for it.

My favorite is at 9:55

Aroganterer handshake at the net back than was even more butt-hurt than nowadays ....
Before the handshake is finished, he turns his head away and walks towards the umpire as Guillermo unsuccessfully tries to exchange few words with him ... :facepalm:

Here is your 10 time Sportsmanship Award winner ladies and gentleman on the display
He should get "The sorriest of the most sorry losers" award instead

Sportsman my a$$

 

[TigerTim]

Federer mugged around a bit in 07, that Rome loss was inexplicable

 

[MWW]

My favorite is at 9:55

Aroganterer handshake at the net back than was even more butt-hurt than nowadays ....
Before the handshake is finished, he turns his head away and walks towards the umpire as Guillermo unsuccessfully tries to exchange few words with him ... :facepalm:

Here is your 10 time Sportsmanship Award winner ladies and gentleman on the display
He should get "The sorriest of the most sorry losers" award instead

Sportsman my a$$

It was a quick handshake but I find nothing suspect about it.

 

[Sri]

Later Canas proved to be a drug cheat. So not embarrasing at all IMHO.

 

[Secondeuce]

Later Canas proved to be a drug cheat. So not embarrasing at all IMHO.

Didn't he also come back at the time from a ban? However, I very much doubt, he is the only one, but one of the few who got caught.

 

[nadalfan2007]

Prime Federer has lost to claycourter at 2 hardcourt Masters in a row.
Declined Nadal has lost to claycourter at 2 claycourt ATP-500.

Feel the difference.

 

[zzzyyy]

Prime Federer has lost to claycourter at 2 hardcourt Masters in a row.
Declined Nadal has lost to claycourter at 2 claycourt ATP-500.

Feel the difference.

:worship::worship:

 

[duong]

Later Canas proved to be a drug cheat. So not embarrasing at all IMHO.

no he was coming back from a ban, he didn't have a ban later as far as I know.

But later he was Odesnik's coach when Odesnik was first caught, maybe that's why you say that.