Sublime Federer, Resilient Nadal and Impressive Djokovic- Second Round Analysis.

Federer - Nadal - Djokovic- The top 3 contenders for Wimbledon 2011: Second Round Analysis.

Federer-Sublime, Nadal-Resilient, Djokovic-Impressive.That's how they were in second round matches against opponents  who were clearly bedazzled by the vintage tennis shown by these players.

All 3 had a slight hiccup during the match: Federer saved 3 break points at 5-3 before going on to win the second set 6-3; Nadal dropped a serve in the fourth game of the third set before winning it 6-4; Djokovic too was broken once and missed a chance to break in second set before winning it 6-4.

Final Results:

Roger Federer: 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.

Rafael Nadal: 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

Novak Djokovic: 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

 Here are some facts:

Statistics	Federer	Nadal	Djokovic
First Serve point won (%)	85	78	75
Aces	11	9	7
Winners	38	38	35
Unforced Error	10	7	14
Break Point Conversion (%)	50	36	56
Average First Serve Speed	119	114	114

 If one looks at these facts, one would realize the neck to neck competition between these 3 players. Looking at their current form, it is hard to judge who will be the favorite. The race for number 1 spot has never been so tough and close:

Federer: If he wins the title: will take number 2 spot.

Nadal: If he loses the title: will be ousted from number 1 spot

Djokovic: If he reaches the final: will be new number 1.

Individual Matches and Performance Analysis:

Roger Federer:  

My Opinion: No wonder he got a standing ovation from the crowd, the slam dunk shot with which he finished the match was reminiscent of his role model and the person whose record he is trying to equal this year: Pete Sampras. The shot which was a trademark of Sampras, etched in the memory of every single tennis fan, it is fitting that it was repeated by the greatest player of all: Federer.

His opponent was able to win first point on Fed's serve after 23 points (score 6-2,2-0,40-0).To see Federer play on the grass court is a breathtaking experience. His game can be defined by: Elegance in its purest form.

He is really moving very well and seeing him play like this- no one can imagine that he is approaching 30. He is arguably the best grass player with a perfect all round game.

Weapons: Service, Volleys and Winners.

Presently, amongst all 3, he is the best volleyer of all and grass court suits his style of play the best.If he continues to play like this, he is the strongest contender to win this tournament.

Roger Federer: “I think all four guys at the top right now feel very comfortable on grass.”

Rafael Nadal:

My Opinion: In my previous post, I had written how sometimes Nadal's  tendency to downplay reality can become irritating. But this was not the case this time as one reporter out of the blue asked him whether he feels he is on a decline:

Rafael Nadal: “Me? In decline? I won Roland Garros two weeks ago, so I don’t forget that. It’s a bit fast, a bit dangerous to be saying that, eh? It’s my seventh year without being outside the top two. Is a lot of years.”

Strong statement but true. He is probably one of the greatest player in the history of tennis who has won 4 out of the past 5 grand slams (10 in all).To ask such a dumb question finally evoked true feeling out of Nadal. Well done!

He played well and the victory was quite comfortable. He has the power, the desire to make every shot count and unimaginable agility to make any player bow before him.

Weapons: Winners and his resilient attitude to make unbelievable shots again and again and to force out an error from the opponent.

The only way to defeat Nadal would be to hit out winners consistently without errors, a feat next to impossible (which only Djokovic has been able to do consistently this year)

Novak Djokovic: 

My Opinion: His impressive run continues this year. He is now 43-1 and day by day he is getting more and more confident of winning. The more you see of him, the more you start admiring him. He has become more composed and focused than ever before. His gluten free diet has certainly helped him to concentrate on his game. He has made subtle improvements -His late racquet swing is gone in his serve and forehand has become more penetrating. To think of it, you can’t find a weakness currently in his game. And with his new found inspiration and best friend in London (the squirrel), he seems to be a pretty happy confident guy.

Weapons: Serve and Ability to return.

To win from him, would require the level of play shown by Federer in French open. And to think how many have been able to show that high class of play. None except Federer. You think I am wrong: The stats prove it: 43-1 this year.

Novak Djokovic: Mentally, I do have a different approach to Wimbledon than I had years before. It's obvious because of the winning streak that I had, the confidence that is very high."

Players to watch out for: Andy Murray (My Opinion: He will cruise to semifinal but the big question is can he face Nadal and beat him?) and Juan Del Potro.

What say All?

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(Disclaimer- These are my personal opinions and are not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. If you disagree, you are most welcome to discuss.)
Link to my previous post (Federer - Nadal - Djokovic- Variety on the Platter-Wimbledon First Round Analysis)