I am 6' 1"... perhaps there is hope yet.
Do wish you would stop jinxing though Steve.

@naughty T....

No need to be concerned of jinxing, it WILL be a Federer-Nadal final and I don't know that i've ever been more excited for a Grand slam final. As Steve wrote, Fed and Nadal haven't looked better. The match will be EXPLOSIVE. I can't friggin wait. I'll take Nadal in 5 but hey, with how Fed's been playing thus far ANYTHING could happen.

Hey Djoko is 6-foot-2... so I guess is not all that apart from that ideal height, no?

probably the only good thing Shriver did say. In the match before she pontificated for 30 min about how her hair style in her playing days was better suited for the wind. Then she also made a lot of grunts about the wind. Hey Pam you know whats worse than seeing play stopped every 5 seconds b/c of blowing napkins??? Having to hear your whining all match!! Also she was talking about an old WTA player that had a awful looking FH, umm...excuse me Pam go back and look at your FH, that thing looks like a shovel

And also somehow she got the mic to interview Fed after the match, after all the great things we saw from Fed that match she asks "hey I got twins too, whats some parental advice" - Please get rid of this woman

Thanks Steve. Great article. Of course I love Rafa and Roger and part of the reason is there size. I've never been able to warm to the giants who play now. Isner, Delpo, Querry, Ivo - all look slightly out of place on court. Their movement isn't as fluid as the guys around 6 feet. Obviously I think Fed and Rafa are the perfect players. And if all goes to plan and they meet on Sunday it's going to be un.be.liev.able.

love you articel again steve-- not undermining anyone

I also dont want to see farther ahead- but it seems that statiscaly this myt be the open that both "would have" to meet.. hahahaha considering they have played against each other on a grand slam since 2005 and on a grand slam final since 2006.. If history repeats itseld US 2010 is the only Open left this year and they have yet to play!!

VAMOS RAFA!!

Agreed about Pam Shriver -- although she's not that much worse than any of the other commentators for the final interviews. They all ask the most idiotic questions, and you gotta give the players credit for putting up with it in good humor.

I'm really hoping for a Federer-Nadal final.

Steve, thanks for your pieces. They're like little treasures here at TW, and illuminate aspects of what we've seen during the day at the Open.

Naughty T, hee, are you hulking 188 too? Go for it!

great giant match: fedal or rofa !

Go Rafa Go !!

I'm 5'4... what is the future of the women's game, do you reckon?

I would love to see Pam Shriver beating Rafa in 5 sets on Sunday...

Excellent piece, Steve, thanks. I hope this marks the death of Lurch tennis. I don't enjoy watching the tall guys play. Though surprisingly nimble given their size, they still appear to be lumbering around like oxen, particularly between points. Sampras also appeared to be plodding although that could have been because his tongue was always hanging out between points. Given the choice between watching a Montana or a Roethlisberger I think the choice is clear.

Good article, Steve.
I want to thank you for officially jinxing Federer.

Now, I think I will definitely start liking Djoko's chances. You put him in the group with Verdasco, Youzhny and Wawrinka (0 first tier titles among them, 1 masters final)?!

As far as for Nadal, he can be happy with final appearance which is still an improvement for him, a step further than he has gone before. To me, it looks like his serve is largely overlooked in this tournament. Yes, he added around 10-15mph on the serve (with his arm strength this comes at no surprise) but also made it flat. On such fast court as USO, I think neither Federer or Djokovic will have problem handling it as they both love flat and low hitting.

I'm pretty much confident that the winner of Djoko - Federer SF will lift the trophy. Still, I guess there is always a chance Federer will choke against Nadal (a la AO 09). And for Djoko, I am sure he will bring his A+ game vs. Nadal. Since they have never played a best of 5 on a HC, it would make it a very interesting match up. Novak is a sure death for Nadal on hard courts, however the big question is, can he stand the tension and the pressure in best of 5? I think he can.

That being said, I definitely believe Nadal has better chances of winning if he plays Fed.
Federer must overcome his demons if plays the final. On the other side, Novak must overcome his old demon in the semi.

I'm down with the questions about the twins... what insight could Fed possibly provide about beating Sods again, or the 94th upcoming match with Novak? Gotta go for the crowd-pleasing answer-- can't get more crowd pleasing than asking a man about his new children.

RATS! I'm an inch too short! & 10 lbs too heavy... & 10 yrs too old... oh, well, guess I'll keep my day job & stick to ALTA on weekends...

Steve, a very good piece. I hope that this match and those that Nadal played at Wimbledon against Soderling and Berdych have put an end to the "big hitters are the future" narrative. One of the proponents of this notion was John McEnroe and listening him last nite you could hear the desperation in his voice for Soderling to prove his theory right but it was to no avail.

6-foot-1, THE LION OF MAJORCA will win this year.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Vamos Rafa!

FEDERER's ATTIRE IS DARK NAVY BLUE!!!!!!! I've read in various articles that both Nadal and Federer are dressed in black. Not true. Sorry, I know it's a rather stupid comment but I'm surprised to see the same error over and over again.

It's not just Shriver.
Is there anyone out there who thinks that L. Jensen as a commentator is probably as bad as it can get, if not worse? I can't stand that idiotic blabber of his. There are so many knowledgeable people who would make wonderful commentators - why on earth do they hire this moron? When I've studied economic theory, I learned how in the realm of free markets supply meets the demand, how only the best can survive in a harsh environment of competition. Jensen has been now commenting for the 2nd (or 3rd...I don't even know) year in a row...and I yet have not seen the forces of free market doing its magic. And please don't tell me that Jensen's commentary meets the general requirements of an average tennis fan - I refuse to believe that a fan of this sport could be so dumb!

As for Steve's article: yeah it really seems that Nadal and Federer are inevitably on a collision course - though Federer will have a much greater hurdle to overcome in the semis with Djokovic who's played, actually, a lot of smart tennis lately at the open. I only hope that on the day of the final, if Roger gets there, he'll play the way he's been playing in the tournament thus far. Rafa will certainly deliver. So if all this comes to materialize, we might be in for another wonderful epic between the two. And it would be great if Roger was able to take it away from Rafa in 5. You know to rekindle the rivalry again - I think that with Roger's win, the whole world of tennis would only profit from it. For we would have a replay of the Wimbledon saga again - Rafa denied his crown, Rafa comes back to claim it - and fantastic tennis happens in the meantime. I really can't understand the Fedal wars - it's so much more fun to have these two battle with each other than when only one dominates.

.....

please don't delete my comment~

I think 6'-1" to 6'-3" is still the ideal height and perhaps always will be.

I agree with the comments about Pam Shriver's commentating. Her fixation on minor topics gets quite annoying. J-Mac, though more tolerable for me, does this to a lesser extent.

I'm realizing how much I miss BG, Cahill, and P-Mac whenever they're not the main commentators. Those guys have such good insight into strategy and always give the viewer new information about the players, their histories, etc even to the avid fan who knows a lot. I love those guys.

Down with Pam Shriver! Down with Pammy! She grates on me.....MJF is a much better female rep! Even Manly Mary is better than her...

I saw her at the open....all I could do was glare...and I think she saw me! (of course then I was embarassed just a little bit, I am Canadian after all)

Rafa...please show what this years improvements were for! We wanna see you whoop-it on Sunday!

Shriver and Johnny Mac are similar, both can't believe the subject under discussion isn't really themselves. Agree that it would be nice not have to listen to her or Jensen, although haven't really watched enough to have seen him this tournament. I tend to leave the room during the commentary without actual tennis play on the screen.

Nice post, Steve.

Anyone know when the top side of the draw will get no day of rest? Tomorrow or Sat?

Surely US open can even up the rest day thing at the start of the 2nd week? Seems absurd if one half's winner might have a 4 or 5 setter and then next day have to get up for semi or final?

The game is evolving. One solution evolves and then a solution for that solution evolves. The increased height of top players (e.g. Berdych, Isner, Querrey, and Soderling) is a reaction to the increased spin that players are putting on the ball. Height has been selected for because it handles those topspin balls well. Those spin strings are here to stay, so the height will be too (until something is selected to beat that).

I never liked those tall guys who simply bludgeon forehands. They are far less skilled than Federer, but create a matchup nightmare for him 'cause of the amount of spin he creates.

Good thing he's skilled enough to still beat them the vast majority of the time.

I'll take Federer in three. If not, then in four. But if it goes five again, it just feels like Rafa.

i can't wait to get on with my life....after this tournament is mercifully over. but the excitement for "you know what"
is definitely building. would like to see rafa win to make the whole GOAT argument even more interesting.

re: pam, she's fun. john mccenroe...not so much. the ego is out of control more than ever. everyone has to kiss his ass. 20 years after he left and nearly 30 since he was relevant he can't let go of the spotlight.

also, why does every after match on cour interview have to talk about how great the crowd is/was? it's not always the case. sometimes its dead. i know, i go to the open. but the players are always egged on by the interviewer to say how great it is here in nyc and how great these nyc fans are. are NY's that insecure? this doesnt happen in paris or london?
what is with that?

It does happen in the FO. One guy asked Nadal if he preferred the French crowd or a Spanish crowd - a pretty cheeky question, considering how much the RG crowd cheers AGAINST Nadal.

Ideal tennis size = not Taylor Dent.

amen.

Posted by Denise 09/09/2010 at 03:53 PM
I'll take Federer in three. If not, then in four. But if it goes five again, it just feels like Rafa.

I will take nadal in 4 sets, if they both meet in the final. I like nadal's chances against federer. If federer is not there, then i will take nadal again in 4 sets over djoko. It's payback time for joko who won the last 3 matches, while nadal was still subpar, after coming back from injury last yr. A fresher and more determine nadal will put an end to djoko, like he did to soderling and murray. Nadal is not the same playa he was when he started it out early in the yr. He is 10 times better since. Remember he payback federer for his lost at last yr madrid, earlier in the yr. I expect nadal to extend his winning streak to 2 over federer if they meet in the final. Vamos Rafa

ATP lists Verdasco at 6'2" 179 but doesn't he seems bigger than Rafa and Federer and definitely bigger than Fishstick who's listed at 6'2" 180? Verdasco is built like a running back.

Lawrence Ian Reed said " The increased height of top players (e.g. Berdych, Isner, Querrey, and Soderling)"

You do realize these "top" players you mention are nothing more than a serve and a forehand right?

I've always found it really odd that they are the same height and weight. Looking at them separately Nadal always seemed shorter than Federer though it might have been the long shorts that made him seem that way! He just always seemed to be shorter and wider than Federer and Federer taller and leaner than Nadal

anyone know what federer said in court-side interview with pam shriver. seemed as though he was censored. camera went to stand where his wife was after his comments.

When Rafa appeared in the ESPN booth - was it just last night? I'm getting blurry - he was in street clothes and didn't look as "wide" as he does in his tennis gear.

I still think Novak has the perfect body for tennis, or anything else.... :)

no one here is rooting for verdasco? feel bad for verdie. I guess everyone here is expecting nadal to get through.

Awesomely brilliant!

Tks Steve, looks like Fed has peaked. 2 games too soon?

Roger you are the one
Go for it !

Come on folks. Is there any question that the world's most tenacious player, by a huge degree, will take this USO? Verdasco is 0-10 and just had a really tough 5-setter. And now that Youzhny/Wawrinka are locked in a 5-set marathon, it's unlikely either of them will be fully recovered for a match with Rafa on Sat. It's set up to be str8 sets against the lot of 'em. Or at least one can hope.

This is good news. I'm not a fan of big-man tennis, generally speaking, and would hate to the see the game tilt too far in that direction.

There is NO WAY Roger ways as much as Nadal. Is this a case of trying to make himself seem bigger/stronger than he actually is? Roger is a fantastic mover, and obviously a great tennis player but he is NOT of the same build as Nadal. His upper body looks like a preteens'. Come on. It's like Serena Williams saying she weighs 135. Impossible.

Well, Roger and Rafa are definitely the same height, at 185cm (why do Americans insist on sticking to this preposterous Imperial measurement system?). But Rafa does seem like he is closer to 90kg than his official weight of 85kg but it may be just a different construction ie his frame is less broad/heavy than Roger's but with more muscle mass.

Nic @04:31 PM

"Ideal tennis size = not Taylor Dent."

LOL. Taylor looks a little strange out there. I was trying to come up with who he looks like. The closest I could come was the character "Blanka" in Street Fighter 2.

Lots of good streams here for those without TV coverage:
http://www.livescorehunter.com/Livescores/Livescore-Tennis.html

be greatful you dont live in australia where we have to hear wayne arthurs pronounce soderling "sURderling"

> I heard him referred to as “Clodderling” a few times earlier in his career

Ha ha... :-). Poor Guy.

Talking about 6'1" id fine and all, but when was the last time a shorter player won a GS? Hewitt, circa paleolythic era? Seriously, the game is getting taller, statistically speaking. Frankly, both of these guys are 6'2" and the guy's that trouble them are taller players.

Even more tellingly, look at the former junior champs. Which of those is making inroads in the ATP? Berankis (5'8" I think), no chance? Monfils - doing well enough QF is nothing to scoff at. Gasquet.. every now and then. De Bakker... look out, Berdych 2.0 in the making.

all I want is for Rafa and Roger to make it to the final (although my poor heart probably won't be able to take it) and for Roger to win. Seriously, he's overdue. The last time these two met in a GS final was AO 2009 and I don't to remember Roger crying in defeat as the last time these two met in a GS. I just want Roger to get over his demons in facing Rafa over the net.

I'm tired of hearing people question Federer's GOAT status. I will entertain the fact that I believe Rafa to be one of the greats because he has excelled on all surfaces and cannot be considered just a talented dirtballer. But Rafa has only been number one for a fraction of the time that Roger has been and he's halfway to the Grand Slam titles Roger has.

Let's not forgot that the H2H between Roger & Rafa is skewed and is heavy on clay court victories over Roger. And lets not also forget the fact that Rafa is probably the greatest clay court player EVER and Roger was right there toe to toe w/him making it to Monte Carlo finals, FO finals, Madrid, Rome, etc only to be defeated by Nadal. If I was playing a player on his best surface, what do u expect the results to be?

Roger, Rafa beat u at the French Open, Wimbledon and tbe Australia Open but if both of you make it to the US Open final, I want you to draw a line in the sand, hokay?

Allez, Roger!!!

Steve is stupid,period!

I agree that a Federer-Nadal final is inevitable, and so I pose this question for all the fans out there - IF Nadal defeats Federer in the final, is it possible (or even fair) that he can now be considered to be a greater player then Federer? If Nadal were to win the US Open this year, he would have more than half of Federer's Grand Slam count, achieved the career grand slam sooner, has an Olympic Gold Medal in Singles, won Davis Cup, and already has more Masters titles (at only 24 years of age!). Perhaps people will then challenge Federer's GOAT status? Would Nadal be a better candidate?

I think that Rafa will show up to the finals for sure! As far as Fed, he has a tough match with Djok playing his best tennis. All three players are looking amazing. If Djok makes it to the final Rafa will win. Their last 3 matches Djok has won and I don't think Rafa will let that happen again. I do think, however, that Fed will beat Djok in 4. It will be a really tough match for him, but after seeing how well he handles the toughness, we will then know if he will be mentally prepared to show up for Rafa. If he runs over Djok and breaks his serve easily, I think we will see Roger win the final. If he has a tough 5 set match with Djok and cannot break Djok's serve, then I do not see him being mentally prepared to step into the court for the finals. We know Rafa is so consistent and that he will play his best tennis for the finals. I think it just depends on which Roger shows up (the GOAT or just great).

As far as a new age, I agree with the commmentators. All of you guys are commenting on the greatest players now, but how many 6.5 footers did you see being competitive 10 years ago? Even 5 years ago? All that McEnroe was saying is that there are way more big players that are good now. And it is true, these giants are the ones that are giving the best players of the world problems. Maybe this is because there is no way to practice hitting against such power. Therefore, it is something that Fed and Nadal haven't seen that much of. I think the more big men they play the less they will have problems with them. But it is a fact, there are more big men in the top of the league.

I'm pulling for Fed all the way!!! I want him to be the GOAT! What a better person to represent the sport of tennis. With style, class, elegance, intelligence, perserverence, and adaptability! He can beat Roddick in one of the best serving matches ever, make it to the finals of clay courts with a threat, play amazing offense, and be able to play such amazing and effortless defense. Rafa is good and deserves the attention he has, but he will not be on top for that long. He is a bull and is too hard on his body to be on top as long as Fed. He will soon be replaced by younger players when he is older, just as he is doing to Fed now.

She's probably the most accomplished player of all time, but as an announcer Martina Navratilova needs work. She also refers back to her time, but always: "I'd never have...."; "I would have....."; When I....".

Enough