"It's entirely possible that one day we'll all look back on this match - Federer against Nadal, fighting it out in the dirt inside the Magic Box, 2009 - as a career-defining moment. Itcould go on to be the most critical victory of Federer's career. For Federer has introduced a big question mark in the Roland Garros narrative, and revived the idea that he may yet win the clay-court major.
... Strategically, Federer is in better shape going into Roland Garros than he has been since the year he took out Nadal in Hamburg. And while the clay in Paris isn't apt to be as slow as ever (slower than Rome or Madrid), Federer will be playing on it with greater confidence - especially if the weather is hot and dry, as is sometimes the case."
"Given the inconsistency, impatience, and lack of confidence that Federer has shown so often this year (he didn’t win his first title until last week in Madrid; at this time in 2007, he had three, two of them at Masters Series events), whether or not he can reach the final is a more compelling question than whether or not he can find a way to beat Nadal once he arrives there.
So that’s my first – and sure to be most controversial – prediction. I just don’t see Federer making another final at Roland Garros; the use-by date on his chances has expired."
Now look, it's not that I don't realize that calling the Madrid final a potential seminal moment in TMF's career is not the same thing as predicting him to make or win the RG final. I personally have never believed that the Madrid final has anything to do with what might go down in Paris. But would it, oh, would it be at all possible for there to be some kind of display of consistency from the "media"? In three days you go from implying that it might have been the Win of All Wins to deciding that Roger may as well not even show up? I am so fucking tired of journalists fabricating storylines (like that Madrid Win = RG Drama) just to have something to write about, only to completely contradict themselves just outside of 72 hours later. If that.
Ugh. It's gonna be a
long two weeks.
