So, another tournament, another early exit for Federer. Although I was glad to see an American (James Blake) win, it is always difficult to watch the slow decline of a great champion. They say the fall from the top is always the hardest. Some have speculated that Rodger’s timing has eroded with age and that some of his errant shots could be alleviated by switching to a mid-plus racquet. There may be some truth to that assertion, but it’s hard to see Rodger switching from the K 6.1 any time soon.
Anyway, I suspect that some of the physical issues stem from not completely recovering from mono earlier in the year. The biggest problems for him appear to be mental. He no longer projects an image of invincibility on the court. Even the slightest hint of vulnerability in a highly competitive field can be a huge liability. Then, there is basic concentration. Jimmy Connors once said that he was unable to break into the top ten in the world regardless of his physical level of play until he made a dramatic reduction in the number of mental errors and concentration lapses per match.
I hope Rodger turns it around, especially at the US Open. I believe he has a lot of great tennis left in him and I would also like to see the Federer-Nadal rivalry continue and at a high level of play.
The Algorithmist 
I’m hurting here. I hate seeing Roger lose. I want to see him dominate like used to. I want to see him thrash Nadal. He needs to take a few weeks or a couple of months off. Maybe skip the Open…and get his game back on track. He needs to go back to having a coach.
Hi.
Interesting article.
Thank you
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hey, IgoruS – here is his feed link,
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Just wonder who will be the champion ?
I still think Federer is a great player, he came close in Wimbledon and he has been unlucky with other problems along the way. Heopfully he will get back to form as he is a great player to watch.
Agreed – fast forward to the US Open and he’s made it to what – 18 straight semis and now in the finals! Let’s hope this one ends well for him. Needs to work on asserting himself more on points and get rid of those unforced errors – concentration, footwork, timing.