Posts tagged RogerFederer at FanHouse

No matter the decision, Tiger Woods was going to land criticism, so he just decided to avoid the Ryder Cup altogether, making it official today on his website.

Some thought it might be good for Woods to show up for the American team while others thought it might be a distraction. Tiger said he will be watching the matches but isn't going to make the trip to Kentucky.

"I plan to watch the Ryder Cup this week, but I will not attend. U.S. captain Paul Azinger has my cell phone number, and he or any U.S. player can call me any time." he said. "If I can offer any assistance, I'm happy to help.

"I doubt I can do much, since I can't play practice rounds and am not privy to their team chemistry. I also don't know who is playing well, who is injured, and have no feel for how the course is playing. But I'll be happy to offer my opinion. I wish the American team well and hope they can bring back the Cup."

This is the right decision. There is no reason for Tiger to show up and put any more pressure on this poor American team. We spend enough time talking about Woods when he isn't even part of the story because he's still the headliner in golf, but this is one event we don't need him around in. This is about new players having a chance to do something for their country and while we'd all love to have Tiger playing for the U.S. squad, it isn't going to happen.

Just a few months ago, golf was at its pinnacle. A rather unknown, Trevor Immelman, had battled the great Tiger Woods on his favorite course and beat him at his own game. Sergio Garcia had decided to toss that monkey to the curb, winning what some consider the "fifth major" at the Players and giving people hope in the Spaniard. Then came the incredible U.S. Open, that had the definitive athletic being, Woods, battling a guy that some thought should be cleaning his swimming pool, Rocco Mediate. Tiger needed every ounce of fight to beat Rocco, and as enjoyable as it was, we all knew even if Tiger won, we lost.

We had to watch Woods limp around the course, knowing something was wrong even when the news was uncertain. Golfers could sense with every wince and ache that this was the last time we'd probably see Woods in '08 after he had famously announced the Grand Slam was "easily within reach."

When Tiger announced he was done for '08, we all attempted to pump ourselves up for the rest of the season. "Oh, it won't be so bad, it will give someone else a chance to win." It was a weak attempt to lie to everyone that could hear it and after a wet British Open that had us rooting for Greg freaking Norman to win (would you ever imagine a more random situation at this day and age?) golf hit the skids.

if the second set was fairly climatic, the third was a downright beat down as Roger Federer reclaimed the title as top tennis player by beating Andy Murray in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.

Federer's fifth straight U.S. Open victory was his 13th Grand Slam title, putting him alone in second place all-time behind Pete Sampras with 14. A fairly disappointing year by the Swiss star's standards, Federer's lone Grand Slam victory of 2008 came just as his grip on the tennis world was slipping to Rafeal Nadal.

An absolutely amazing last point to the championship was a perfect example of how competitive a match can be in straight sets. Federer pounding away at hard forehands as Murray kept running them down until finally the Scot hit the tape and Federer hit his knees in celebration.

Federer had 36 winners to Murray's 16 and really seemed to dominate the Scot after he appeared to have some knee trouble in the second set.

Roger Federer proclaimed today that the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. The Swiss star is king once more.

Two sets are complete in the men's U.S. Open final and Roger Federer has taken both from Andy Murray in New York.

No. 2 Federer dominated the first set 6-2, with Murray showing his inexperience and a little frustration. Murray appeared to be outplaying Federer in the second set but the Great Swish Hero hung around and broke Andy in the last game to win the second 7-5. The 21-year-old Murray kept grabbing at his knee in the second set, and that wasn't the only negative variable.

The bad break for Murray came at 2-2 with Federer serving at 15-40. Roger hit a cut that appeared to be long, but with the no call Murray continued to play the point. The review process forces you to stop the point if you believe it to be out and after he lost the point, the review showed it was indeed out. Federer ended up winning the game in deuce to much chagrin from the outspoken Scot.

If Federer can hang on it will be his 13th grand slam title, just one back of the great Pete Sampras for most all-time. If Murray can somehow pull this out he will be the first tennis player from the UK to win a grand slam since Fred Perry in 1936.

If you are stuck at work, you can catch the solid live action here at USOpen.org. Also, just like the U.S. Open in golf, anytime a sports final wants to end on a Monday, I'm all for it.

No matter what you think about Andy Roddick, the one thing everyone can agree on is his amazing ability to deliver a soundbite.

After his complete dominance of Fernando Gonzalez yesterday to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, Roddick was asked about his next opponent, Novak Djokovic. The third-ranked player in the world, Djokovic, is suffering from ankle and hip problems, and has sighed and winced his way through the first four rounds of this championship. Roddick, in a way only Andy can do it, cut the reporter off as the question was being pitched to him.

Roddick: Isn't it both of them? And a back and a hip?

Reporter: And when he said there are too many to count ...

Roddick: And a cramp.

Reporter: Do you get a sense right now that he is ...

Roddick: Bird flu.

Reporter: A lot of things. Beijing hangover. He's got a pretty long list of illness.

Roddick: Anthrax. SARS. Common cough and cold.

This is the kind of trash-talking we need more in sports. A tennis player known for his antics is doing the same song and dance and someone finally calls him on it. I have actually tried to play tennis before with the Bird Flu and serving the ball is somewhat managable, but boy does it get to you around the net.

Tiger Woods is alive and well, even though he's not scheduled to make his triumphant return to the PGA Tour until sometime next spring. Meanwhile, during an interview on CNBC's Power Lunch this afternoon, Eldrick touched on the typical fare: he's recovering well, loves spending time with his family, can't wait to play tournament golf, blah blah blah.

He also managed to get in a plug for EA Sports AND Gillette, and name-drop both Derek Jeter and Roger Federer. After dispensing with the pleasantries, however, host Bill Griffeth got all journalistic, asking Tiger his thoughts on the whole sordid LPGA mess. Awkwardness ensued:

Griffeth: Let me ask you something before you go, here ... Golfweek broke it on Monday, the New York Times put it on the front page today -- you probably saw that -- the LPGA is now going to require all of their golfers to be conversant in English next year, or face suspension. Good idea, bad idea?

Tiger: I don't know, that's the first time I heard about it. I was just in Dubai and I just got back, so ... um, that's the first time I actually heard about that, so...

Ah, yes, the ol' "I was out of the country" excuse. That used to work really well before the advent of the telegraph, and later, the phone and a little something Al Gore likes to call the internet.

It gets better:

I noted earlier this week that after Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in an epic match at Wimbledon, Los Angeles Times columnist Kurt Streeter wrote a column in which he mentioned Nadal as an athlete who will have to face scrutiny in this era of constant skepticism about performance-enhancing drugs.

The basic thrust of Streeter's column -- that we live in an era in which doubt about performance-enhancing drugs pervades sport -- is correct. But the way Streeter brought Nadal's name into the story was unfair.

On Sunday, Rafael Nadal gave us one of the greatest performances in tennis history in defeating Roger Federer in a five-set marathon at Wimbledon.

In the three days since then, that match has been hailed as the greatest in the history of the sport, and Nadal has been crowned the new king of tennis. But since this is sports in the year 2008, that great performance is now followed by questions of whether Nadal is using performance-enhancing drugs.

USA Today is out with a list of the Top 5 sports losses of 2008, and at the top of the list is Roger Federer's loss on Sunday to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon on Sunday:

Federer had to be crushed not to get his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title. Still, he and Nadal have created a rivalry that will lift them both. If the loss stirs Federer to come back stronger his legacy will be huge. As it was, his comeback from two sets down in the four hours, 48 minute classic will be talked about for a long time.

I have no real argument with that, but there's a loss that happened less than 24 hours earlier that deserves to at least be in the Top 5.

I'm talking, of course, about Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's loss to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86. That fight, in which Griffin took Jackson's light heavyweight title by a close unanimous decision, was probably my single favorite sporting event so far in 2008, and I haven't seen anyone in any sport fight harder in defeat than Rampage did Saturday night.

The Golf Blog asks the big question today that I'm a little embarrassed not to have posited first: was Rafael Nadal - Roger Federer at Wimbledon better than Tiger Woods - Rocco Mediate at the U.S. Open?

Although, in fairness, I probably didn't think about asking it because to me (in a totally personal manner) the enjoyment of watching decent golf outweighs the enjoyment of watching good --> pretty good tennis. But it's still a very viable question, particularly when you shape it in a historical manner.

How will history rank Nadal-Federer Wimbledon 2008 against Tiger Woods-Rocco Mediate at the U.S. Open 2008? Which "major" victory will be considered as the greater victory in their respective sports? It's true Tiger was playing with a torn ACL, but it's hard to overlook the fact that Nadal v. Federer involved No.2 versus No.1 in the finals, plus the already storied rivalry Nadal and Federer have built up.

In that context, the answer is simple: Nadal's win was better. He toppled the world's number one ranked player and he finally overcame the non-clay Federer demons that have plagued him for his career. (All while wearing a nifty Euro-lady-whipper!)