by ponchi101 Roger has announced that his last matches will be played next week at the Laver Cup.
It was on twitter (or some other SM platform) but you know I don't have accounts on any of those. The video is easily found, if somebody can and then can post a link (Help me, Ti!!!! :cry: )
An era comes to an end. This topic, of course, is for all the memories and stories, and well wishes for him. Also, for those that were not his fans, your opinions are still welcomed.

I will miss him, a lot.

by meganfernandez
ponchi101 wrote: Thu Sep 15, 2022 2:01 pm Roger has announced that his last matches will be played next week at the Laver Cup.
It was on twitter (or some other SM platform) but you know I don't have accounts on any of those. The video is easily found, if somebody can and then can post a link (Help me, Ti!!!! :cry: )
An era comes to an end. This topic, of course, is for all the memories and stories, and well wishes for him. Also, for those that were not his fans, your opinions are still welcomed.

I will miss him, a lot.
He took one look at Alcaraz and was like, Nope.

Really surprised he isn't hanging it up in Basel. Are we even recovered enough from Serena to do this all over again? Couldn't they have coordinated a little better.

by ponchi101 I don't know about the Alcaraz thing ;)
I agree that Basel would have had a bit more sentimental value. But he was not going to win Basel, not with the likes of Ruud or Alcaraz playing there. At the Laver Cup, he is almost guaranteed to go out with a win, and he has to cement the event a little bit more. This ensures that this year it will be a sold out. Who knows what happens next year, after he is no longer there.

by texasniteowl End of an era.

Sad.

But not a surprise. How many knee surgeries?

by New England Nitemare Yes, very sad. I was hoping that he could play the 2023 season and retire at the US Open, but it was not meant to be. Roger has had a very tough time coming back from knee surgery. He will be missed.

by ti-amie


by ti-amie

Click in the photo to better see the announcement.

by ti-amie

by ponchi101 I remember the one point that told me: "This guy is something else".
He was playing Agassi at one of those WTF in Houston. They engaged in a rally and soon enough, Agassi fired a vicious cross court FH, from his FH corner. Roger got to it and went down the line, but missed the shot because it landed too much inside. Agassi was going to get to it with ease, so Roger started to recover.
Agassi did, and fired a second crosscourt shot, with his BH. Roger was going full speed, but this time, Agassi missed the shot; it was not angled enough. So, Roger, who was ready for a BH, was going to overrun the shot. Anybody else would have stopped on his tracks and would have been jammed, but Roger simply made an insane pirouette, flipped and ran backwards, and hit an inside-in FH into Agassi's FH, which Agassi could only watch. The gracefulness and speed of the footwork was beyond description. I really thought: "This guy is special".
I went training today, My trainer said it best; we don't know if he is the best, if he is the greatest. But he is certainly the most complete player. I would put him in a category of two: him and Martina. The two players that could beat you from the back, at the net, from anywhere.

by ashkor87 agree Federer may not be the best but he is the BEST!
his head to head against Nadal and Djokovic is a losing one but he plays tennis the way we love to see it played, so...

by ashkor87
ponchi101 wrote: Thu Sep 15, 2022 7:36 pm I remember the one point that told me: "This guy is something else".
He was playing Agassi at one of those WTF in Houston. They engaged in a rally and soon enough, Agassi fired a vicious cross court FH, from his FH corner. Roger got to it and went down the line, but missed the shot because it landed too much inside. Agassi was going to get to it with ease, so Roger started to recover.
Agassi did, and fired a second crosscourt shot, with his BH. Roger was going full speed, but this time, Agassi missed the shot; it was not angled enough. So, Roger, who was ready for a BH, was going to overrun the shot. Anybody else would have stopped on his tracks and would have been jammed, but Roger simply made an insane pirouette, flipped and ran backwards, and hit an inside-in FH into Agassi's FH, which Agassi could only watch. The gracefulness and speed of the footwork was beyond description. I really thought: "This guy is special".
I went training today, My trainer said it best; we don't know if he is the best, if he is the greatest. But he is certainly the most complete player. I would put him in a category of two: him and Martina. The two players that could beat you from the back, at the net, from anywhere.
I remember a similar point at the USO, also against Agassi...

by ponchi101
ashkor87 wrote: Fri Sep 16, 2022 1:39 am agree Federer may not be the best but he is the BEST!
his head to head against Nadal and Djokovic is a losing one but he plays tennis the way we love to see it played, so...
Sure. There is a subjectivity there, and that I understand. For example, given a time machine and a match between Roger and Pete, I am rooting for Pete.
But Roger's game was something to behold. The FH was a one in a lifetime stroke. The footwork was surreal.
Or rather, still are. It is obviously age that is making him retire; I don't think it is the strokes.

by ptmcmahon Never has a player so consistently beaten my favorites which tried to make me hate him... but couldn't ever truly do it :)

by meganfernandez
ti-amie wrote: Thu Sep 15, 2022 7:31 pm


by meganfernandez
ponchi101 wrote: Thu Sep 15, 2022 2:37 pm I don't know about the Alcaraz thing ;)
I agree that Basel would have had a bit more sentimental value. But he was not going to win Basel, not with the likes of Ruud or Alcaraz playing there. At the Laver Cup, he is almost guaranteed to go out with a win, and he has to cement the event a little bit more. This ensures that this year it will be a sold out. Who knows what happens next year, after he is no longer there.
He'll be able to swat a few balls in Laver Cup, and someone might let him win. You're right about that. In Basel, they can just do a ceremony. Maybe he'll present the trophy. Think the tournament director is worried about his job? :)

by ponchi101 The tournament director will be fine. The tournament OWNER may be doing a value assessment, for when the offer comes in.
Prices for the Laver Cup seat are already at 54,000 POUNDS, for the premier seats. Basically the same effect that Serena had at the open.

by the Moz Roger is masterclass. Always. End of.

by MJ2004 I've been sitting on this post for few days while I process my thoughts and emotions.

I'm sad he's not getting his goodbye while playing at a grand slam. Between his knee and COVID, it's been a cluster couple of years. After being off the radar for so long, the announcement, which should not have come as a surprise to anybody who remotely follows tennis, was rather anticlimactic. He deserved a better way to go out. He might visit Wimbledon next year and getting a standing o (I hope he does), but it won't quite be the same.

After losing interest in following tennis once Agassi left the sport, Roger got me back into watching tennis as an adult (there's a reason my username is 2004), and what an amazing ride it was. His tennis was superlatively spectacular to watch, and he was such a great ambassador to the sport. So many accolades have been written about him, that it seems superfluous to write more, but every one of them is well deserved.

Above all, he's a genuinely nice person and good human being, something that comes across as unquestioningly real. I'll leave you with this quote, which exemplifies why he is so loved and respected.

"Mike Nakajima, who was a director of tennis at Nike, remembered Federer coming one year to the company’s headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., for shoe testing at Nike’s research lab. They walked out of the building and were headed for their next meeting when Federer stopped in his tracks and said, “I’ve got to go back.” Nakajima asked him if he had forgotten something, and Federer said he had forgotten to thank the people who helped him with the shoes. “So we ran back into the building, downstairs, through security so he could say thanks,” Nakajima said. “Now what athlete does that?”"
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/maga ... egacy.html (the entire article is fascinating for those interested in the business of Federer)

So thank you Roger. You are missed. You will continue to be missed. We wish you only the best in whatever you might do moving forward. (Any thoughts to that commissioner of tennis position?)

by ponchi101 From the point of view of stature and respectability, sure, Roger Federer, tennis Commissioner (covering the ATP, WTA and ITF), sound just about right.
But you said it above: he is too nice. I don't know if Roger would come down hard on, for example, a Benoit Paire the next time he tanks a match. A Dayana Yastremska next time she quits when trailing 0-5 in the third. I am not sure if he would come up with some plan for the next time Stefanos goes to the hairdresser between sets, of the next time Nick goes cuckoo because he thinks somebody in the upper levels of Ashe gave him the eye.
You would need a bit of a hard-ass attitude for that job.

by MJ2004
ponchi101 wrote:the next time Stefanos goes to the hairdresser between sets.
Image


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

by MJ2004 Stefanos at Wimbledon:
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxvf8eqwqB8q ... GZE8FqAkjC

(Sorry, off track, but this scene jumped into my head and I couldn't resist).

by Deuce Some comments from Federer's peers, assembled together...

Nadal Leads Tributes to a Sporting Great...

.

by meganfernandez
ponchi101 wrote: Fri Sep 16, 2022 5:37 pm The tournament director will be fine. The tournament OWNER may be doing a value assessment, for when the offer comes in.
Prices for the Laver Cup seat are already at 54,000 POUNDS, for the premier seats. Basically the same effect that Serena had at the open.
That's obscene. I know that's probably resale, but this is what I mean about selling out and retiring at Laver Cup rather than Basel. His retirement has the stench of commercialism and vanity to me. Not love. Basel would have been about love, where it all started.

You can't say a critical word about Roger. It's not allowed. I was always a Roger fan, but the sainthood toward the end bugged me. I know some people called him arrogant and such, so there was a teeny bit of criticism. But he became untouchable, and he actually isn't perfect. I also don't think that reputation really reflects who he is. I think he truly is a normal guy in many ways, and normal guys have flaws. We couldn't even suggest they exist, much less get to know what they are.

by ponchi101 I actually dropped my fanhood when he simply was too good, on court. When he would go three, four MONTHS without playing a match that was anywhere competitive, when you knew he had won the match on the locker room. There were times in which his victories were too easy.
But then I came back, simply because he behaved well. I understand what you mean, but when you get to the point he reached, he could have become the ultimate jerk. He could have become the most arrogant athlete in history. And he did not.
So I admire the man.
Basel. He should, at a minimum, play an exo set, and indeed hand out the trophy. Those were his roots.

by Woody For all his achievements, I think the most astounding thing about Roger's career is that he surpassed his predecessors to such a degree that it felt like it would be generations before a similar talent might come along. Kind of like Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, or Tiger Woods. But by his retirement, there are good arguments that he's already back in third place! Insane.

by ponchi101 When he reached 15, I said that was unbelievable. Then he made it to 16. I thought that was the record, forever.
He still added 4 more. And of course, Rafa and Novak...

by Deuce I'm hearing that it is far from guaranteed that he'll be able to actually be part of the playing line-up for the Laver Cup...

by MJ2004
Deuce wrote:I'm hearing that it is far from guaranteed that he'll be able to actually be part of the playing line-up for the Laver Cup...
He said he was planning to play doubles only, and even that was questionable.

Mods: I accidentally hit “report” instead of “quote”. If you got that, please ignore. Not deliberate.

by ponchi101 You can report and then UN report.
It seems he will play doubles with Nadal, which will be a "cute" send off. However, he did not say that early in the week, which could have made a difference for the people paying 59,000 pounds for tickets.

by Owendonovan
meganfernandez wrote: Sat Sep 17, 2022 11:32 am
ponchi101 wrote: Fri Sep 16, 2022 5:37 pm The tournament director will be fine. The tournament OWNER may be doing a value assessment, for when the offer comes in.
Prices for the Laver Cup seat are already at 54,000 POUNDS, for the premier seats. Basically the same effect that Serena had at the open.
That's obscene. I know that's probably resale, but this is what I mean about selling out and retiring at Laver Cup rather than Basel. His retirement has the stench of commercialism and vanity to me. Not love. Basel would have been about love, where it all started.

You can't say a critical word about Roger. It's not allowed. I was always a Roger fan, but the sainthood toward the end bugged me. I know some people called him arrogant and such, so there was a teeny bit of criticism. But he became untouchable, and he actually isn't perfect. I also don't think that reputation really reflects who he is. I think he truly is a normal guy in many ways, and normal guys have flaws. We couldn't even suggest they exist, much less get to know what they are.
Yes, those prices are obscene, for anything, let alone a tennis match. Can't it be fitting he bows out at his tournament? Does it have to be country centric?

by meganfernandez
Owendonovan wrote: Thu Sep 22, 2022 12:09 am
meganfernandez wrote: Sat Sep 17, 2022 11:32 am
ponchi101 wrote: Fri Sep 16, 2022 5:37 pm The tournament director will be fine. The tournament OWNER may be doing a value assessment, for when the offer comes in.
Prices for the Laver Cup seat are already at 54,000 POUNDS, for the premier seats. Basically the same effect that Serena had at the open.
That's obscene. I know that's probably resale, but this is what I mean about selling out and retiring at Laver Cup rather than Basel. His retirement has the stench of commercialism and vanity to me. Not love. Basel would have been about love, where it all started.

You can't say a critical word about Roger. It's not allowed. I was always a Roger fan, but the sainthood toward the end bugged me. I know some people called him arrogant and such, so there was a teeny bit of criticism. But he became untouchable, and he actually isn't perfect. I also don't think that reputation really reflects who he is. I think he truly is a normal guy in many ways, and normal guys have flaws. We couldn't even suggest they exist, much less get to know what they are.
Yes, those prices are obscene, for anything, let alone a tennis match. Can't it be fitting he bows out at his tournament? Does it have to be country centric?
I think of it as less country-centric as place-centric. Nothing replaces home. Basel is home. But Laver Cup make a lot more sense logistically (lot more media there, surrounded by his peers and best tennis friends), and obviously Roger preferred it. It's a long, fun goodbye party, and he can play doubles and be plenty visible on the sidelines. They will do a ceremony for him in Basel. Maybe he'll even play an exo some night there. With Mirka!

by ashkor87 Interesting comment by Federer in his pre-match interview..he said maybe people don't volley because it is too taxing to serve, take a few steps to the net and then have to go back because it was a fault..I have never heard that before!

by Deuce
ashkor87 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 2:02 am Interesting comment by Federer in his pre-match interview..he said maybe people don't volley because it is too taxing to serve, take a few steps to the net and then have to go back because it was a fault..I have never heard that before!
In the late 1990s, I had the privilege of watching Pat Rafter play a match from a perfect vantage point (behind the court, off to the ad side, and a few rows up from court level). I still vividly remember my predominant thought throughout that match being that it was absolutely incredible how much energy Rafter needed to use to play his serve & volley style of tennis.
It's no wonder that he was always sweating buckets!

You serve and move in... ok so far... But then the return gets to you significantly faster than if you're merely hanging out 3 feet behind the baseline after your serve. So you've got to not only be ready to hit the return in mid air, but you also must adjust your feet and body to be able to hit a decent and effective volley - that means small adjustment steps as you're moving in and possibly moving to one side or another at the same time.
And you do this over and over. Even on faults, your instinct is to do it (unless the fault is a very obvious one). Over and over during each match, no matter how hot and/or humid it is... And over and over during practice, too. Day after day...
The word 'taxing' doesn't begin to describe it to me. 'Extremely exhausting' is closer... 'Potentially fatal' would be best.

by ashkor87
Deuce wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 3:00 am
ashkor87 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 2:02 am Interesting comment by Federer in his pre-match interview..he said maybe people don't volley because it is too taxing to serve, take a few steps to the net and then have to go back because it was a fault..I have never heard that before!
In the late 1990s, I had the privilege of watching Pat Rafter play a match from a perfect vantage point (behind the court, off to the ad side, and a few rows up from court level). I still vividly remember my predominant thought throughout that match being that it was absolutely incredible how much energy Rafter needed to use to play his serve & volley style of tennis.
It's no wonder that he was always sweating buckets!

You serve and move in... ok so far... But then the return gets to you significantly faster than if you're merely hanging out 3 feet behind the baseline after your serve. So you've got to not only be ready to hit the return in mid air, but you also must adjust your feet and body to be able to hit a decent and effective volley - that means small adjustment steps as you're moving in and possibly moving to one side or another at the same time.
And you do this over and over. Even on faults, your instinct is to do it (unless the fault is a very obvious one). Over and over during each match, no matter how hot and/or humid it is... And over and over during practice, too. Day after day...
The word 'taxing' doesn't begin to describe it to me. 'Extremely exhausting' is closer... 'Potentially fatal' would be best.
True but..what about hitting the ball 25 times at full strength for every point? That is taxing too...

by Deuce
ashkor87 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 4:54 am
Deuce wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 3:00 am
ashkor87 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 2:02 am Interesting comment by Federer in his pre-match interview..he said maybe people don't volley because it is too taxing to serve, take a few steps to the net and then have to go back because it was a fault..I have never heard that before!
In the late 1990s, I had the privilege of watching Pat Rafter play a match from a perfect vantage point (behind the court, off to the ad side, and a few rows up from court level). I still vividly remember my predominant thought throughout that match being that it was absolutely incredible how much energy Rafter needed to use to play his serve & volley style of tennis.
It's no wonder that he was always sweating buckets!

You serve and move in... ok so far... But then the return gets to you significantly faster than if you're merely hanging out 3 feet behind the baseline after your serve. So you've got to not only be ready to hit the return in mid air, but you also must adjust your feet and body to be able to hit a decent and effective volley - that means small adjustment steps as you're moving in and possibly moving to one side or another at the same time.
And you do this over and over. Even on faults, your instinct is to do it (unless the fault is a very obvious one). Over and over during each match, no matter how hot and/or humid it is... And over and over during practice, too. Day after day...
The word 'taxing' doesn't begin to describe it to me. 'Extremely exhausting' is closer... 'Potentially fatal' would be best.
True but..what about hitting the ball 25 times at full strength for every point? That is taxing too...
Yeah - in a different way.
Serve & volley is like a sprint race (or LOTS of sprints), while baseline is more like a marathon...
With serve & volley, you have to make your decisions much more quickly. It's like rapid-fire - and that is more psychologically exhausting, I believe, than playing baseline, where you have more time, and where the game is more relaxed in comparison.

by ponchi101 Sampras said people no longer did it because it took too much. Martina has also said it is more demanding than playing from the baseline.
It was my style of play. That initial jump from the service line to the center T was the one thing I could do better than the other people at my level. But it was energy consuming. When I had to stop playing that style it was because I simply could not do it anymore. Yet, I am still able to roam the baseline.
But I disagree with that being the reason people stopped playing S&V tennis. It stopped because the new racquets allow the receiver to take all your power and send it back past you.

by meganfernandez
ashkor87 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 2:02 am Interesting comment by Federer in his pre-match interview..he said maybe people don't volley because it is too taxing to serve, take a few steps to the net and then have to go back because it was a fault..I have never heard that before!
Funny, McEnroe just said the same thing in an interview last week. Wastes energy and causes wear and tear. He also noted that back in the day, the surface quality wasn't as good, and there were more events on grass. The bounce wasn't consistently true, so it was smarter to volley. There are several factors at play in the death of S&V.

by Deuce To be fair, though, there is significantly more net play today - from both the men and women - than there was 20, 10, and even 5 years ago. It's not necessarily always serve & volley - but there is definitely more net play today.
It's like the players have discovered that it's legal to approach the net - and that you can even win points up there.

And, of course, Maxime Cressy is on a mission to revive serve & volley tennis - and he's doing a pretty good job of it, rising significantly in the rankings in the past 8 months or so (just outside the top 30 now).

by meganfernandez
Deuce wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:38 pm To be fair, though, there is significantly more net play today - from both the men and women - than there was 20, 10, and even 5 years ago. It's not necessarily always serve & volley - but there is definitely more net play today.
It's like the players have discovered that it's legal to approach the net - and that you can even win points up there.

And, of course, Maxime Cressy is on a mission to revive serve & volley tennis - and he's doing a pretty good job of it, rising significantly in the rankings in the past 8 months or so (just outside the top 30 now).
Yes, lots of all-court play that ends up at the net, and I love it.