Novak Djokovic wasn’t always this good. Much has been made about his switch to his gluten-free diet, which in return has seemingly helped all physical parts of his game; endurance, breathing, agility and power. In turn it has boosted his confidence and concentration as well as his self belief, turning him into a super being in 2011 and finding continued success in 2012.

While all of these things are true, they have also helped boost his shot making. His backhand has turned into the best in the game. In turn, this has set up certain patterns of play that Djokovic likes to use to get ahead in points. Here is a short breakdown of a strategy that Djokovic consistently uses against Federer. It was on full display in their match at the London World Tour Finals.

It is no secret that Federer’s backhand side is a vulnerable wing. Djokovic targeted this wing heavily, and has in many other matches in the past. However, simply hitting to Federer’s backhand is not enoug to defeat him, and the following style and pattern of play is how Djokovic often takes advantage of Federer and other opponents’ backhands.

As seen, let’s first assume that Djokovic and Federer are caught in a cross court, backhand to backhand rally. This might not necessarily be from the beginning of the rally (though it often was with Djokovic serving), but at any point. Djokovic’s cross court backhand may be his best shot, he makes few errors off of it and consistently hits it deep, pinning his opponent into the corner of the court.

If Djokovic hits a decently well placed cross court backhand, Federer essentially has one of three options. He can a) run around the forehand and try to hit it down the line b) hit a cross court backhand (or forehand) back to Djokovic,, or c) hit a backhand down the line.

Choice a) is a rarity, as Djokovic tends to do well to pin the ball into the corner, and doesn’t serve the purpose of this exercise, so we’ll forget about that for now. If Fed hits a backhand cross court to Djokovic, presumably the first image will continue on. In this match, and in many matches against Federer, Djokovic is incredibly patient. He simply rips the ball back at Federer’s backhand, hoping it will break down and force an error, or a weak response.

However, at the same time, Djokovic is simply daring Federer to hit his backhand down the line, or into a more central area. Fed’s backhand isn’t quite what it used to be, and he’s not exactly closing the shoulder and ripping Wawrinka or Haasesque backhand winners down the line with tons of pace. Regardless, Federer often realized that he was trapped on the backhand wing in a style of rally seen above, and instead of hitting it to Djokovic’s backhand repeatedly, knew he was going to have to try to hit it down the line and make something happen in the stalemate (as seen below).

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Weapons: Serve is looking strong once again, simply one of the greatest grass players ever
Weaknesses: Backhand beginning to break down

Considering his results from Roland Garros, and how he has been playing of late, Fed would likely be my first seed if Rafa wasn’t hot off another RG win AND the defending Wimby champ. The serve has returned, as has the confidence. He’s doing what he needs to do to conserve energy early in the tournament so he can push it up a notch in the business end. He has a favourable draw too, and should be well on his way to another semifinal appearance, if not another Wimbledon title.

It’s been a long time coming. Hit me.

What It Means For Rafa

Only one man has won more Roland Garros titles than Rafa: Bjorn Borg. Even though Rafa could retire today and be considered the greatest clay player of all time, it’s a record very much worth drawing even with. Not only will it bump him to double digits in the slams category, it will cement the fact that even though he played during the time of the GOAT, he was indestructible at his major in Paris.

What It Means For Fed

Clay has long been Roger’s worst surface, and has only ever managed 2 wins over Rafa on the dirt. He faced him 4 straight years from 2005-08 and managed to take 3 sets total, and only 4 games in the final in 2008.

Outside of the most weeks at number 1, defeating the King of Clay on his clay major has really been the only notable thing Fed hasn’t done. A win would not only give Fed that precious Roland Garros final win over Rafa, it would give him a legitimate shot at number 1 going into the end of the year, and ultimately show that even late in his career, is not a force to be underestimated.

Keys To The Match For Rafa

Rafa’s best opponent this fortnight has not been John Isner, but in fact himself. Mentally he’s looked unstable, the forehand hasn’t always been on, and he’s had some extremely slow starts to matches. That being said, he played the best he has all tournament against Cap’n Crunch in the semifinal, and looked more like the Rafa we know.

In other words, Rafa doesn’t need to “try” to do much of anything spectacular. He knows how to play Fed, and he sure knows how to play Fed on clay. Exploiting the backhand in forehand-backhand rallies, going down the line with the forehand, serving out wide to the Fed backhand, the list goes on. Mentally, however, he’s going to be as solid as he’s ever been. Fed is going to come at him with everything he’s got, and he needs to be prepared for a grind. Which I fully expect him to be.

Otherwise, he needs his backhand to be solid. It doesn’t need to be amazing, but good enough. It’s been a weak point at times this week, either slow, or on the back foot, and it’s ended points too early for him.

Keys To The Match For Fed

Simply put, Fed is going to have to do everything he did against Nole and then some. Not difficult, right? Fed’s backhand, both this tournament and this year, has been pretty average. Against Nole, it looked a lot more like a typical Fed shot. However, Nole really tried to exploit it, but his backhand wasn’t up to snuff. This meant that Fed actually got the advantage in backhand to backhand rallies because the ball wasn’t coming in too deep, or too quickly.

Now that backhand has to hold up to Rafa’s forehand. Fed needs to continue his great footwork, try to run around to the forehand, and stay aggressive. Along with the backhand, his serve was fantastic against Nole, and he’s going to need that for some free(r) points on serve.

Mentally, he looks ready and aggressive. The Fed we’re used to seeing. He’s going to need every ounce of that, and worry about things on his side of the net for the first set, and not let Rafa get in his head. He also needs to convert break points, and hold in games after wasted ones. But you don’t need me to tell you that.

If Rafa shows up, I really think he should be ok, but I think we’re in for a much closer ride than the last time these two met in this tournament.

For the third year straight, Rafa and Fed will tee off in Madrid. The difference this year is that it will be in the semis, not the final.

It’s been a long, tough path for Fed who barely survived Feli and had his hands much more full with Sod than the scoreline would suggest. To be honest, I’m having a tricky time figuring out if Fed’s level of play is down, or more that it’s clay, and he’s running into good opponents. I think it’s definitely true that Fed isn’t trying to be super creative out there and is sticking too his strengths (particularly the forehand and even the serve) and I think that’s the right move.

Rafa is obviously the favourite tomorrow, but I’d hesitate to count Fed out so quickly. The courts are playing incredibly quickly, and Fed has found ways to end points quickly as well as stick in longer rallies. I’m also not entirely convinced by Rafa just yet. He had the odd bump in Monte Carlo and has had a rather straight forward draw this week.

The real question, however, will be whether or not Rafa or Fed can challenge Nole in the final, assuming Novak wins. I’ll preview the final tomorrow night, which should be fantastic. Happy semis watching!

While Rafa spent the final 3/4 of 2010 conquering slams and taking on new followers, Fed was silently planning his coup back to power.

No, he didn’t beat Rafa (this year). But Fed is confident and more importantly, playing insanely well. Maybe it’s the hunger, maybe it’s the looming title defense (and 2000 points), and more than likely it’s the coach. Regardless, Fed is back with solid, attacking tennis and is feeling good. He’s got his mojo back.

Rafa will be getting a ton of attention in a week’s time, and I get the sense that that’s ok by Fed’s term. Saddle up people.

“This is one of the best weeks of my life”. I bet it is, Muzz.

As you all know it hasn’t been the easiest season for Andy. After the AO final he seemed to have lost his confidence and results didn’t come as expected. He had an awful clay season and once again failed to reach the final in Wimbledon. So, it’s actually nice to have him back. And smiling.

I wasn’t expecting much from him considering the draw (Rafa’s half, Sod’s quarter and Nalby somewhere in the middle of that mess), but I’m glad to have been proven wrong. He played some amazing tennis during this week.

Muzz won his first ATP title of the year and is the first player to win back-to-back Canadian titles since Agassi in 1994-95.

It wasn’t an amazing and exciting final. Weather didn’t help and the match was suspended due to rain a couple of times. There were five service breaks and a lot of unforced errors in the 1st set, but Muzz eventually prevailed. He blew another break lead in the 2nd set but broke Federer at 5-all closing out the match on his first chance.

He defends his title and ranking by beating Federer and Nadal along the way (first time he did it) without dropping a set! Many of you might say Roger is not at his best or Rafa’s not as good on hard courts, but you have to give him credit. Did I mention he also beat Nalby? Yep, dude just got back from an injury but was also playing some high quality tennis. This is huge and I’m sure Andy is facing Cincinnati and most importantly US Open with renewed confidence. Even though you might not be a fan, this is great for the sport.

Cincinnati has already started and as the 4^th seed he gets a 1^st round bye. I’m really curious to see how he’ll handle things after winning Rogers Cup. The ranking is at stake with Soderling really close to the #4 spot and depending on results from both, USO seeding might change.

I’m not a Fed fan, and I’m not a Berd KAD. But let’s write a post from the view points of both, shall we?

It’s been a tough year to be a FedKAD. His Majesty Of The Golden Stroke won the Australian Open, but has struggled since then. He lost to Bags in Indian Wells and Berd in Miami… after having match points in both. At the French, he lost to Sod, who he beat in the final the previous year (he also lost his slam semi streak) and then fell again to big hitter Berd in the quarters of Wimbledon. Devastating.

The match tonight?

One of huge importance. He’d tee off against Thunderdome, a guy who had beaten him three times before, and in the two previous meetings. Under the lights in Toronto with a packed house? A pretty big deal.

That’s why such a huge mental victory over such a tough opponent is a huge deal heading into the US Open. Fed has his break chance in the second set to close out the match easily, and couldn’t. He shanked on set point and was forced into a third. And even against the wall at 3-5, he managed to break, stay alive, and eventually win the match in a tiebreak with the weight of an enthusiastic, pro-Federer crowd. One he will likely receive in Flushing Meadows. Will this match finally give him the confidence to beat tall, big hitters like Del Potro and Berdych? Only time will tell.

…Right. Berd?

It’s been a pretty kickass year for Tomas Berdych. Beating Federer in Miami, making the semis of the French, and then beating Federer again in the quarters of Wimbledon and making the final? I like.

Berdych hit the court tonight against Federer tonight, and while he eventually lost in Toronto, there are a lot of positives to take out of this match.

Firstly, his mental strength. A huge improvement this year, it’s been fantastic all week. Down 0-30, Berd hit back to back huge serves, both followed by a relaxing, self-massage shrug. He’s clearly comfortable and encouraged by his coach, and confident in his game and plan.

Secondly, his forehand. T-Berd possesses wicked racquet head speed, and with his “whip” approach to the ball, he kept Fed guessing, whether it was on out wide forehands or low slices, he was off balance. Even better, it was working. Berd was nailing winners he should have hit, and creating angles and other winners many players would never bother with.

Thirdly, he’s beaten Fed before and can play with the big boys. Slams are five sets, y’all. If Toronto was a slam, they would still be on court, and there would be a lot more to be said. Berd knows how to throw down.

So while a blown chance at another victory over Fed may come as a stinging blow to camp Berdych, not all is so evil in the long run. Watch out for Thunderbird in the USO, there’s a lot to still be done.

Um… so there you go. Debate in the comments? I dunno. Big win for Fed, a lot of positives for Berd. Gonna be a crazy USO. Can these guys be in the same half in New York?

Q. John and Mahut are in an incredible marathon. You had your marathon last year. What happens when you get deep into a fifth set and it just goes on and on? Do you go to a different place? Is it harder to focus?

ANDY RODDICK: I played a couple. Obviously last year, Davis Cup with Tursunov, the El Aynaoui match way back when.
It’s so important to stay there mentally, especially on grass. You know, you got to harp on those first points of every service game, try to get that. Love‑15, 15‑30, that starts becoming dicey. So they’re doing a pretty good job of putting themselves in good position as far as serving with a lead.
Beyond that, you know, you always kind of try to convince yourself it’s only going to be another 10 or 15 minutes, even if you might not believe it at the time.

Q. What’s given you that better attitude on grass than you had earlier?
KIM CLIJSTERS: I don’t know. I think probably the biggest difference that I can think of is in the past, uhm, obviously I was probably playing the French Open, you know, about two weeks before or a week before I was starting on grass. And I think the adjustment was something that took me a little bit longer. By the time that I felt that I was, you know, feeling comfortable on clay, you know, we were moving on to different surface, grass. I think maybe it took me a little bit longer.
I think now, not being in Paris, was frustrating, but I think maybe it’s helped me to adjust a little bit faster on grass.

Q. Having that in mind, do you think it does make some sense to have a fifth set tiebreak like the US Open?
ROGER FEDERER: I think it’s perfect the way it is. It’s unfortunate these guys are going to be a little bit tired tomorrow and the next day and the next week and the next month. I’ve been following this as closely as I could. I walked on court at about 11 All in the fifth. They’re still going. This is absolutely amazing, yeah.
I mean, in a way, I wish I was them, in some ways I wish I wasn’t them. So this is a very special match. I hope somehow this is going to end. I don’t know. They’ll be fresh again tomorrow, I guess. If they have to come back, it’s unbelievable. I don’t know what to say.

Q. Kim says she likes being at Wimbledon because you can set up a family home and go around.
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah. Yeah, I love. But I see this differently than in the past. I don’t know. It’s like I really open my eyes now. In the past, after the French, usually I’ve played well at the French, and emotionally I was coming here with a lot of pressure. I was No. 1 also at that time.
Now I see really things differently. I mean, I’ve played on Court No. 2. I thought it’s beautiful court and a lot of things have changed. But the atmosphere is just fantastic. You really feel the passion of the game.
It’s true, being at home, that gives something different. At the middle of the season, that’s what you need because it’s already a few tournaments behind you. It’s good that you feel, yeah, with my family also. My sister arrived today, so it’s a nice feeling.

Q. What carries over for you moving forward? That fifth set or the struggles earlier?
ROGER FEDERER: I think you got to be ‑ how do you say ‑ realistic saying like there was a big threat today. I did get lucky today. It’s important to take ‑ how do you say ‑ the right things out of this match. There was positives and negatives, obviously. But then again every player, thank God, in some ways plays different.
The next guy is a righty, big‑serving guy, nothing to do with the guy I played today. Because you struggle today doesn’t mean you’re going to struggle in the next match, too. Same thing if you win in straights; it doesn’t mean you’re going to win the next match in straights. That’s just the way tennis is.

Q. A big court. It was an important opponent. But you seemed to play with no fear out there.
LAURA ROBSON: Uhm, I was a lot more nervous this morning when I woke up, uhm, in a good way. And then when I got onto the court, I was just trying to focus on not losing 6‑Love, 6‑Love. So I think I did pretty well.
Q. Did Jelena offer any words of encouragement after the game, compliment you on your efforts at all?
LAURA ROBSON: Like when do you mean?
Q. After the match, did she compliment you at all.
LAURA ROBSON: I haven’t seen her since the handshake, so no.
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“You guyyyyys. Don’t worry. I’m just doing this to trick you. I’ve got this. Fo’ serious.”

Of course you do Fed. I’m pretty damn glad I missed this match, because I so super excited for Igor when he almost beat Fed at AO… and it ended in crushed dreams and tears. Boo. I still have a hard time believing this happened. The old man never takes this long to get out of first gear. I’m curious if he paid him off.

“OK, here’s how it will go. You take the first two sets, I’ll look screwed. Then in the fourth set, you’ll serve for the match, but I’ll break back. I’ll even give you a break point in my next service game, but don’t take it! Then we’ll go to a tiebreak, it will be epic, people will have their fill, and I’ll bagel you and we’ll get the hell out of there. Sound good?”

That’s probably as good an explanation as you’re going to hear.

In slightly less depressing, far less sarcastic news, how about Nikolay Davydenko?! Hell, the guy is fist pumping and making an epic face. This match must mean something to him. Likewise, he crawled out of a 0-2 hole to take the match in five. After the match, he was all awesomeness.

“For me today, winning Court 1—first match, I never played before, I appreciate it from tournament director.”

You never know what you’ve got till it’s gone. We missed you, Koala Bear.