Federer's 5 years at #1 are officially numbered now.

[patdog]

Everyone's known since Wimbledon that Nadal is the best tennis player in the world, but it's about to be official. If Nadal wins today's semifinal match and tomorrow's final match at Cincinnati, he'll be #1 on Monday. But even if he loses today, by winning in Toronto last week and reaching the semis this week, combined with Federer's early losses in both tournaments, he'll become #1 on Aug. 18 when Federer loses some of his ranking points.

In a complete flip-flop from a post I made 2-3 months ago, I think Nadal is going to put a stranglehold on the #1 ranking. The improvements he's made in his game in the past couple of years are impressive. He used to have a weak serve, now he has a strong serve. He used to have a weak backhand, now his backhand is pretty good. He used to be just a baseliner, now he's also one of the best net players in the game. His body used to wear down after the clay and grass seasons, so far he's dominating the summer hard court season.

As for the women's side, it's pathetic. Nobody wants to be #1 so they should just vacate the #1 ranking and start with #2. Seriously, since Ana Ivanovic took over the #1 ranking, she's won only 3 out of 5 matches, losing in the 3rd round of Wimbledon and the 2nd round in Montreal this week. But #2 Jelena Jankovic is even worse. She's only won 1 tournament in the past year and has never even been to the finals of a major. And yet she's had several chances to take the #1 spot in the past 2 months.

 

[lawdawg02]

i am afraid you're right. nadal's game has come so far in the last couple of years. it was scary to watch him at wimbledon, and he's going to be PUMPED in new york.

i will say this - federer's loss this week wasn't as big of an upset as it seems to most people. ivo karlovic is 6'10". facing him on a hard court (or on any court) is something no one want's to do. i remember roddick a few years ago said "he looks like he's serving out of a tree". if his serve is on, he's tough to beat. that said, federer has handled him before and just couldn't do it at cincinatti.

i think federer will come to play in new york. but when nadal takes over the #1 spot, federer won't take it back. nadal plays more tournaments, and wins more. and of course, he may start beating federer on any surface. if djokovic can't bounce back from whatever's wrong with him this year, nadal will be all alone at the top. for a while.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Federer will now find out how hard it is to beat Sampras' record, but I do think he will get there, just not as quick as he thought.

 

[lawdawg02]

djokovic just mopped the floor with him. us open may be wide open. gonna be good.

 

[patdog]

has been playing very well lately. So it's not like Federer has been losing to nobodies. But it's obvious he isn't nearly the player this year he has been.</p>

 

[whatever.sixpack]

Nadal won't win the US Open, the summer hardcourt season seems to wear his body down. It's the same song the last 3 yrs, he dominates the clay season, reaches the final of Wimbledon, and then wears down and falls out of the picture until the clay season the next year.
His shots don't seem to jump off the court as much or have as much depth on hard courts.
Hopefully Federer will be rejuevenated by the time the US Open rolls around. If not, I say Djokovic takes his second major.

 

[patdog]

I have always said that Nadal has to prove himself in the summer hardcourt season. But so far this year, he has. He won the Candian Open last week and is tied for the lead the U.S. Open Series with 145 points. He hasn't quite erased all of my doubts, but so far he's done a better job in the summer than ever before.