Tennis Prose




Mar/15

22

Federer vs. Djokovic, the best rivarly in sport today

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Djokart

This Indian Wells final is sport at it’s best. Two of the greatest champions in sports history, fighting for every ball like it’s match point. Neither gives an inch, neither flinches, neither gets rattled, they just keep on fighting each other with their best tennis. Point after point after point.

Like a fight to the death, inspiring the best out of each other. When they miss, it’s usually by an inch or less. For over two hours now these two tennis titans are locked in combat, testing each other’s extraordinary mettles, to the maximum limit…and then beyond, and beyond and beyond…

There is no other rivalry in sports today that matches this athletic majesty we are seeing in Indian Wells right now.

I’ve been watching tennis since the 70’s and this is the best I’ve ever seen.

What these two magicians are doing is hard to believe. It’s like watching two unicyclists racing against each other in a three mile sprint while juggling. Every movement is a skill, pin point accurate at high speed. Perfect timing, coordination, structure, flow. Down to the wire and one wins by a few inches. That’s how little separates these two wizards. Over two hours and there has not been one single silly error or stupid point played. EVERY SINGLE POINT HAS BEEN HIGH ART, ULTIMATE FIGHTING, GENIUS TIMES TWO, wrapped up in one.

This is better than Ali Frazier, better than Yankees Red Sox. This is the rivalry of the ages, of sport history.

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15 comments

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 22, 2015 at 7:21 pm

    Artwork by Andres Bella (Djokovic) and Barbara Jendrysik (Federer).

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 22, 2015 at 7:24 pm

    Patrick McEnroe and Chris Fowler are calling the match just as great too. They are on top of their commentating games. The best being analyzed by the best.

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 22, 2015 at 7:25 pm

    This match, if Djokovic can win it, will take him over the top, he will gain the confidence to win the Grand Slam. Mark my words. Federer is making this guy Djokovic even greater by challenging him like this.

  • Bryan · March 22, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    Well said Scoop. Federer and Djokovic were made to play each other. Every match is a tight rope act. Feels like Djoker should win this one but everytime Federer’s been in trouble he changes up his game, and gets results.

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 22, 2015 at 7:37 pm

    Every single time Bryan, Fed fights back and makes Djokovic earn it or he steals it. It’s never easy for Djokovic, though it appears that it can be. Fed is a magician. Houdini. Arturo Gatti. Muhammad Ali. Ben Kenobi. Luke Skywalker. Superman all wrapped in one 🙂

  • Andrew Miller · March 22, 2015 at 8:53 pm

    Yeah, Djokovic is the odds-on favorite for the sweep. 1/1 so far and 1/1 in Masters – he could grab the double double in Miami.

    My guess is Nadal wants to win that one, once and for all. But you know Nadal – he prioritizes the clay season so if he exits Miami early it’s not a huge deal for him.

  • Andrew Miller · March 22, 2015 at 9:04 pm

    I said “Top 4 No More” after the US Open – but it isn’t true – the facts are “Top 4” is still more than intact, with a few other players making inroads. Basically the top 4 will keep winning slams, and we’ll see much as last year that other players will win slams too – by beating top 4 players in semifinals, etc.

    Federer is hitting the ball pretty darn well, his training is superb. Djokovic is hitting even better. I can’t imagine Nadal down for long and Murray is feeling the ball well. Raonic is moving better than I thought he could, Nishikori is outstanding – beyond them Berdych is hitting well and you can’t keep Dimitrov on the verge forever.

    Tennis remains exciting.

  • Gaurang · March 22, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    Amazing match. Amazing points. It was awesome to watch — there were momentum shifts every couple of games after the middle of second set.

    After the match was over, I felt that Novak played the match very well, apart from nerves and physical exhaustion during certain points of the match — where as Roger played sometimes great, sublime tennis, but at other times, just had too many unforced errors. If he would have reined in the unforced errors a little bit, the match would have been even more close till the end.

    In the 3rd set though, Novak started being more aggressive in his baseline play — he was too defensive earlier on. If he would have played that way from the beginning, he could gotten this match 6-2 6-2.

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 23, 2015 at 6:50 am

    Gaurang, it’s hard for Djokovic to play his game when Fed is playing perfect tennis, which is what he was doing for long durations of the match. Fed and Djokovic on the court bring out the best in each other, they both want it so very much. This final yesterday was played with the intensity and high level of a major final. I can only remember about two games which were holds at love or fifteen. Seemed every game was a titanic struggle to hold – or break.

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 23, 2015 at 6:55 am

    No matter how well Djokovic is playing, with the lead of a set and break, Federer always manages to come back and torture Djokovic. Always makes him suffer and earn the win. I noticed Nadal could do this to Djokovic too, during the Djokovic 7 in a row win streak vs. Rafa in finals. Djokovic would get the early lead, a set and break, and it would loo like yesterday, Djokovic could cruise to a win. But he always hits that bump, whether it’s him getting nervous, or Fed/Nadal raise their level out of pride and or fear of being stepped on. Djokovic has the capacity to start dominating Fed and Rafa, if he can just avoid those lapses. The pattern of the match yesterday was a repeat of so many Djokovic vs. Fed and Rafa matches of the past.

  • Dan Markowitz · March 23, 2015 at 8:38 am

    Still say Kyrgios and not Fed, not Djoker, is the most entertaining and exciting player in the game now. Too bad he didn’t get chance with good ankle to finish off Dimitrov and see how far he could go in IW. This kid is the next star of the game.

    Real good Challenger in Calabassas this week with Tiafoe, Kozlov, Fritz and others playing. Donaldson must be playing Miami qualis.

    Scoop, are you going to break the scoop as to who Gulbis’s new coach is?

  • jg · March 23, 2015 at 8:43 am

    Tiafoe won the Bakersfield futures yesterday

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 23, 2015 at 9:38 am

    Did not see Donaldson in Miami qualies draw. Good win for Tiafoe, he took months off to revise his serve. Must’ve worked. We all love Kyrgios, hope he stays on the dedicated path to greatness, he can be a great one. But he’s young still and a lot of mistakes can be made and he can go off track – like Tomic and Philippoussis unfortunately did.

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 23, 2015 at 9:41 am

    Dan, Kyrgios is an exciting player but we have not seen him play such a high level, blood and guts match like the Indian Wells final yesterday. Kyrgios puts on a show like Monfils, but we need to see Kyrgios show tennis magic in the finals of a big tournament. The potential is there for that day to come soon, we saw the flash of it in Australia this year and vs. Nadal last year at Wimbledon. Let’s hope Nick stays on the right path and doesn’t lose his way. Let’s hope his team and support group can help maximize Nick’s potential.

  • Andrew Miller · March 23, 2015 at 1:06 pm

    Kyrgios coming along well. My guess is when he commits fully he will claim #1 from any top 4 or Raonic , Nishikori etc. Seems to have a love / hate relationship with the sport and the pressure . At same time he has pressure from tomic, kokkinakis in Australia. All the ingredients are there . Australia could have three top ten players in these three guys with a multiple slam winner in Kyrgios and a single slam winner from the other two – like Federer Wawrinka . … in theory.

    Rubber always meets the road. Still a long way to go…Kyrgios would need to begin routining opponents in the early rounds and get some tournament trophies to show he is for real week in and out. Only Tomic is doing this now with he weekly performance this year…qf or better almost every round.

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