and the, Rogg's play is below par...so the quality of match drops...

Un-believable!

Time to break a racquet,Rog!

OMG, the woman they just showed groaning as Roger sent that FH into the net set next to me through the entire USO :)

urk, this looks like an old Federer-Djokovic match from earlier this year (just got to watching)--Fed's forehand awry, Djokovic not playing that well...

if Rog's smells the blood, Djoker is done!

Commentator - "it's contagious";)))

too many unforced of Djoker's in the 1oth game??! not a sign of a true champ.

Novak. WTF??

Poor Nole doesn't miss a point on serve, other than DFs, until he tries to serve out the set. Now he's making errors like crazy. Fed is barely hanging in this game.

And another disastrous FH. Where is his forehand???

the best tactic for Djokovic is to keep long rallies. That wouldn't suite Rog at all.

mhm. apparently, fed's forehand has left the building...

ridiculous performance of Djokovic. Every time (4th time!!) he has to close the set he heavily missies his forehand!? NERVOUS!

This FH mess is at least as bad as the famous Miami match. At least.

Novak is tight. like really tight.

Neither of them is able to close out this game.

Roger can only play well on the BP, Djoko can only play well on the deuce pointts.

NOW, FINALLY fED GET A WINNER IN THIS GAME.

Roger broken?

Come on Roger!

He's pouncing on Roger floating BH.

or - that is SO funny you saw that woman! pity you couldn't be sitting there for this too, no? :)

set point #7!!! squandered!!!

How many deuces now?!

Every time Roger makes him hit a difficult volley, the point goes to Roge.r

Djoko, go home and learn, man!!

where is everyone watching it at?

set point #7!!!

I hate that low angle!

Well, done, Fed. Now one more point, please.

IS USO final 2007 repeating?? here

Oh man. I cant watch this any longer.
*ducks and runs*

oh Nole! Convert. get the set buddy.

Come on Roger!Allez!

7 set points?

This service game is RIDICULOUS. Wow.

james - i'm on espn360... maybe try fromsport?

aaarrrrghhh...this stream is stopping and starting

now, Federer squandered break point?!

Bartoli beat Rezai in Bali. It all rhymes...

How long has this game lasted so far? Neither player seems ready to take it

thank you, roger. much appreciated gift.

Neither man wants to win this game apparently.

OMG Roger..how could you miss that FH? How???

another break point. Djoko is in the psychological pressure.

Well, that serve caught Roger totally off guard.

the difference between Miami and here is that both guys seem kinda amused by how badly they're playing.

gutsy second serve by nole. keep it up. don't cave. if he ends up losing this game he might psychologically take a hit.

Come on,Fed!

Asking you to convert ONE outof six breakpoints,isn't too much is it??

deuce # 12??!! I'll eat my shoes if |Djoker wins this set!

just flicked on.... this game is compltely ridiculous!

Apparently it is.

*sigh*

Nole taking advantage of this floaty BH return.

Roger needs to run around it, maybe.

NOW SET POINT #...101?! LOL

NOW SET POINT #...101?! LOL

Oy, Vey.

If Fed wins this set it'll be even more hilarious after Djoko having 7 set points...

8th set point? take it now nole!!!

Nole is not gonna let this chance slip away....

8 now,and he's taken it!

0-15 Novak DF
0-30 Novak FH wide
15-30 Roger FH passing shot wide as Novak came to net on approach shot - Roger going to be upset if he does not break
30-30 Roger FH long - Roger challenges but to no avail
40-30 Roger nets BH - 20 stroke rally
40-40 Novak FH long
40-A Novak nets volley as Roger gets Novak to come to net on BH slice
40-40 Roger BH wide
40-A Novak DF
40-40 Roger steps inside the court but nets FH
A-40 Roger nets FH passing shot as Novak came to net behind 1st serve
40-40 Novak FH wide
Novak 0 for 3 on set points
A-40 Roger steps inside the court but nets FH
40-40 Novak FH long
A-40 Roger nets FH
5th set point for Novak
40-40 Novak FH hit the tape and bounces long
A-40 Roger nets FH
Set pt 6 for Novak as Roger has had chances in this game
40-40 Novak BH long as Roger hit FH on the ad sideline
A-40 Novak volley winner set up by FH approach
40-40 Novak S&V but net volley as Roger hit CC BH passing shot
7 set pts gone for Novak
40-A Roger BH volley winner set up by FH DTL on deuce side
40-40 Roger CC FH wide
40-A Novak nets BH
40-40 Novak service winner at the T on 2nd serve - 173 kph
40-A Novak BH long
6th break chance for Roger
40-40 Novak FH winner
A-40 Roger FH long
Set point 8 for Novak
Novak takes the set 6-4 as Roger FH passing shot sails wide

WELL, WELLL.....now i have to eat my shoes! :-)

Twelve minute game goes to Novak.

Fed has a lot of work to do now. At least he seems to be more into the match.

Nicely done! Ajde! crowd very subdued after that one. Now fed will probably kick it up a notch...

Damn. Just, Damn.

So after saving a million break points and getting a billion set points, Djokovic gets one to take the first set 6-4. 12 minutes!

Azhdaja
would you like those shoes baked or broiled?

Atrocious play by Roger...the last two shots? pffft...

Injury timeout? You've got to be kidding me!

Finally Djoko takes the set!!! I feel tired just watching!
Hoping Roger takes the second. C'mon Rog

? nole medical time out?

MTO? Who? What?

Oh boy, injury timeout. Nole, too many matches. that is all.

time for a massage

master ace - i cannot believe you kept track of all that?!

My allegiance is still with Fed ;) but equally wouldn't mind if Nole gets this title...
Will be interesting to see if Fed can win the next two sets though,I can't think of a single match this year where (in best of 3 format) he's come back to win after losing 1st set
There's quite a few he's lost after WINNING 1st set,but let's not talk about those...

Well, that's the oddest game I've seen all year. 6-4 Djokovic.

Weird, weird stuff. Djokovic's serve suddenly went random. Federer just could not hit an attacking shot to save his life. The FH has become a complete liability, but an attacking BH went wide too. Federer usually goes AWOL at the start of set 2, but this was just bizarre.

Maybe it is Djokovic's length and variation - maybe Miami and Rome weren't aberrations. The first 8 games just went bib, click with serve - then we went to a parallel universe.

A tussle between the Miami ghost vs. RG ghost (when the inside out FH winner of Fed's on the set point of Nole's) and the Miami ghost had its way.

This is not good news now. Fed wore him out I guess.

fangirl moment: fed has a lovely chest..hmmm

commies wondering where fed's A game has gone. wonder if fatherhood is changing him a tad? it would be totally understandable if it did. priorities change overnight with having kids.

After a very long, very weird, and not very good game, Nole holds and takes the first set, 6-4.
Let's see: Nole started bad, and Fed had a look at an easy passing to go up 0-40, but he missed it. From there, the game went into a series of deuces, with Nole playing much worst than he had being doing all set and both guys losing many chances to get the game because of their UFEs, noticing Nole's FH going back to being loopy and short and Fed's FH missing all over the place. In the last 2 BPs he faced, Nole was very gutsy though, with a 2nd serve winner that was almost crazy, and a FH winner like he had done all match. And then, Nole finally was able to win it after Fed sent yet another FH long and then couldnt pass Nole when he charged the net.
Nole being attended by the trainer now, in his back.

That reminded me of the 2007 USO. Nole had so many opportunities but Roger took them. This time he gets the set.

I don't care who wins, they're both going to owe the ballkids pizza at this rate.

Master Ace with nimble fingers

Didn't Roger sleep last night?

He's got to play better than that.

No Miami nor Rome, Andrew. USO 2007, with a different result to the first set.

Fed's FH was so dialed-in the last 4 matches. He was dictating at will. Whappend? Like Rafa, Nole is tinkering with the birdies in Fed's head or what?

MA: all i can say is WOW. how'd you do that and still watch? two computers?

However, Roger needs to get a grip here, and FAST.

two BP for Nole.

oh come on Roger...0-30?

My view on Fed is this: coming after a long hiatus, it would only be logical for him to be rusty. If you look at his opponents this week, they are far from Nole's level, and even if i didnt watch, i think it's safe to say that he didnt to be anywhere near his best level to beat them, and only needed his serve to work well. Now, he's facing a very good opponent, and he hasnt taken the rust of his game in the previous matches (particularly, of the FH). So he's missing much more than usual.

Huge rally. Hold, Roger!

Wonderful camera angle on that last point. you really get to see the pace of the ball and the amazing racket head speed of federer.

Break in the first game in the second!?? My money on Rog goes down the drain???

And the pattern continues - Federer has lost all touch on his attacking FH, and he's having to completely rearrange his game. Djokovic with the break.

What! A quick break for Djoko in the second???

Posted by yello fuzzy ....broiled By Djoker! lol

Oh, man. He's going to be so pisses if he losses this one.

Yep, Fed's game is not exactly there. Nole breaks to start the second set. He started the game with a brilliant FH DTL winner (that's the way to go), and then Fed played a couple of bad volleys (are you ready for the volley debate?) and a FH UFE to the net to get broken.

Shades of Miami, as far as Feddy Boy's FH is concerned.

that's true mr x. sometimes its not good to have an easiesh time to a final. nole's having to scrap a couple times is better prep i think.

and there you go - another forehand into the net. that could be the match. *shakes head at MIA forehand*

Geez...Roger..can you play within the rectangle and avoid the net?

It's official. MA is not human. :)

Shoot, it was all I could do in that marathon game to watch and eat my breakfast. And MA comes out with that?!

Nole is able to consistently attack Roger's BH, many others know that such a game plan exist, but unable to execute it.

Plus, he's a terrific mover and defender, Nole.