A few twists of the knife to start: Two sets to one. A 6-0 winning record against his opponent. 11 aces to 13 double faults. Only 5 of 22 break points converted. A 2,200 day winning streak, snapped. A chance to tie Big Bill Tilden’s record, wasted. The opportunity to pad the resume with #16, gone. . at least for now. Oh, the agony!
Still breathing? Good! We can now begin the healing process. (If you aren’t a hard core Fedophile, you might want to stop reading now. It’s going to get weird.)
Say it with me, Fed fans: Roger Federer lost the US Open. In five sets. To Juan Martin del Potro.
Now that we’re past the DENIAL stage, let’s move on to the next four stages of Fed Fan grief.
ANGER. How can you really be angry at Roger Federer? For shame! Instead, let’s smile at Roger’s pissed off outburst against the chair umpire today. “Don’t tell me to be quiet!” That was awesome.
BARGAINING. This one is easy. Roger Federer took the French this year after coming back from two sets to one down against del Potro in the semis. Juan Martin got the “W” in NYC in similar fashion. The career grand slam or tying Big Bill Tilden? I know which one I’d take.
DEPRESSION. There’s always alcohol and ice cream. Or save the calories and watch this:
And this:
And more recently:
And of course, there’s this:
There’s more gushiness to be had here.
ACCEPTANCE: The final stage is always the toughest, but let’s give it a shot!
I accept that Roger Federer holds the all-time record of 15 Major titles. I accept that Roger Federer is the Greatest Tennis Player of All Time. I accept that he’s had an unprecedented 2009 – reaching the finals of all 4 majors, completing the career slam at Roland Garros, regaining his beloved Wimbledon title and retaking the No. 1 ranking. Oh, and he got married and fathered twin girls, to boot. I accept that Federer’s beaten his main rivals – Murray, Djokovic and Nadal – more recently than they’ve beaten him. I accept that Roger’s hair will always reign supreme. I accept that his practice t-shirts will always make me smile. I accept that he’s richer, more talented and better dressed than I am. I accept that he can’t win every match, even though I really, really want him to. I accept that he lost the US Open to a nice young Fed fan named Juan Martin del Potro (and not one of the infidels – you know who I’m talking about!) I accept that even Roger Federer can’t have it all.
Feeling better yet? Either way, I still recommend a hot fudge sundae and a frosty glass of Chimay. Yay!
Time for some self-diagnosis:
Loading ...Tags: 2009, del potro, Federer, Fedophile, loss, US Open
For the last hour, Fed's defeat really just set in. But this entry does help, made me smile, and made me feel thankful I have bloggers like you that I can always count on
Thanks for this FreakyFrites,
Roger has had a great Grand Slam season this year!
It's nice to know someone else understands how I feel! Hard to get over the sadness!! If you find any videos of a post match interview, I would love to see it. I'm just glad he didn't cry this time – that would be too hard to see. He seemed to handle the loss pretty well. I'm sure he's probably quite tired (I have twins too – I know how it is), and he needs a good rest!
Thanks for all your great posts!
Thanks adivivelerock! Glad I can count on you to read my posts! Appreciate it.
What an awesome post. Love it!!
you're awesome! i am sharing this with my federer obsessed mother.
love your posting
)
even though roger lost
i don’t feel that sad
he’s try everything he could do
sometimes because he wins a lot
we forget that he is human that can be lost too
fortunately i found rf.com and your post
to through these times
LOVE FED
as fed would say- fantastic! ff, you are brilliant and made me smile. so many good points and things to be thankful for. I always really really want him to win, but it’s ok when he doesn’t, esp vs the gentle del po. rog seemed ok with it to and said jm was the better player today. fed still had and played a great tournament, having lots of fun along the way. I’ll be sad thinking of him leaving my hometown, but will smile and remember the trick shot tweener and that he still has the most beautiful game!
kudos to DelPotro, he played really well, and he deserved a Slam, more than you know who!!! (Andy Murray)! Anywho, I really, really wanted Roger to win but, oh well, maybe next year. If Nadal doesn’t get better you think DelPo will be his next great rival on the Slams?? I was sad, but I’m over it. Maybe now they will stop hyping Mr. Murray at the Slams! I like DelPo, but I’m a little bit pissed at him right now, lol!!
p.s. his hair always looks good. how is it that during trophy ceremonies he looks like he didn’t just play 3 or 5 sets of intense tennis and never has sweat/head band hair? I keep thinking of him in Madrid where he won and looked so adorable, the hair was awesome. together with rafa on the stage, way too much cuteness in that moment. what a great year already!
How does he manage his hair and his sweat? That's one of the ab awesome things about Roger.
FreakyFrites: I have been lurking here since RG, becoming more enamored with this site by the day. A hard core Fedophile like me can have no better place to sooth Fed-related agonies – or rejoice over his triumphs.
This was a masterpiece. I promised myself before the final that I wouldn't be too devastated if Rog loses, but I found it hard. I wanted it to be sweet sixteen…And I do want him to win, if not every single match, then at least every final.
But you are so right. We can't complain. The 'bargaining' idea did cross my mind, BTW. Yeah, wouldn't have it turn out differently. Thanks! !
*starting to build a shrine to FreakyFrites – a red and white affair, decorated with miniature golden trophies and pink baby shoes*
p.s.s. I was missing chair ump Mohammed layahni (sp?) today. he would have handled line calls, late challenges more professionally. then again, I would have missed one of my fav fed is human moments- I don’t give a s–t what he said… ha! rog had a valid point and should not have been told to be quiet. you know you’ve mastered the English language when…
Mo isn't an ITF chair ump apparently, so he only does the Masters and the small events, not the Slams or Davis Cup
I thought he did Wimbledon? In fact I think I saw him there??
Wearing a black armband today!! Problem with being in the UK is that I woke up to the news not having the stamina to stay up and listen to it (radio only!!)
great post ff. this was the happiest loss i've ever seen roger have. rog was even smiling. he knows what a great yr. he's had. i'm also really happy that if he had to lose it was to del po and not any of the other "infidels". yes, i do know who u mean. : )
I’m still having my ice cream and beer, but…reading this made me feel a lot better, thanks. Life is still surprisingly okay.
Delpo did well today, and I think Fed didn’t play his best. He started the match with all guns firing, but something about the whole atmosphere, with the opponent about to throw in the towel, that slowed him down. IMHO. But anyway, congrats to Delpotro.
And congrats to you for coming up with this blog. The acceptance part is absolutely fantastic, and it just brightened my day a whole lot!
Roger has a way of settling scores, and a new name has just been added to his hit list.
*feebly crawls out from my hell hole*
Funnily enough, a friend just mentioned the 5 stages of grief to me.
The problem is that once I got to depression I revert back to denial.
Hehehe, no im okay actually. Over it. Pfffft! Great post, put things into perspective. Roger’s had a great year.
… could’ve been better.
Oh no! *runs away*
Thank you for this. Roger has had an incredible year, I couldn’t ask for more. And yes, it’s easier that if he was bound to lose today it wasn’t to “one of the infidels”!!! Cheers to Delboy, what a dream to defeat your idol in a GS final. Roger will have plenty more… He got his fifteen and the Roger Slam, no one can take that away from him. ROGER THAT!!!
I'm so,so proud of this post , Freaky. U reign supreme.
Acceptance: when the going got tuff, I stared housekeeping. When Roger was behind I'd Hoover a bedroom or do some dusting. It was my deal with the Allmighty, and it worked for awhile.
Until, after I'd weeded a bit of the patio, I came back to see Delpo ahead three love in the fifth. That's when I turned off the TV and fed the cats. Sometimes bargaining doesn't work.
Good for Juan Martin. Thassall.
Frankly, the most desappointing about this defeat is the extreme lack of tactical sense from Federer. Exactly like during the final of the Australian Open, Federer kept playing on his opponent's best shot : the forehand. It's pretty much as if you played only on Sampras' forehand or try drawing Edberg to the net…
Sure it is important to play your own game, your own strenght… but when you reach the 5th set, surely he should have realized that something was going wrong and should have adapted his strategy.
Fantastic year anyway, especially when you recall that 13 months ago, journalists all over the world werer claiming Fed was finished and should retire… 2009 was a fearly good year for an old bedridden invalid =)
Thanks for this wonderful post freaky.Am sad and disappointed but not a whole lot devastated because he lost to a good young man who looks up to him(roger) adoringly and because Roger accepted his defeat graciously.The should haves would haves and could haves were obliterated because i quite agree with you that he can't have it al…..l for now….Next year is an entirely different matter 'cause am looking forward for a grandslam sweep.=)
Loved this post freaky..the first thing that has made me smile this grey and wet morning…suitable UK weather for the moment i think!
Still, if it had to be anyone I was OK with Del boy! Always liked him since he had ' a go' at Murray in Rome last year.
Roger Federer the best this sport has ever seen…. you truly fought like a warrior through tough moments…US Open Final was a great match.. next year we will all be watching as you take on new challenges and set off on a new adventure to conquer the tennis world like a true Maistro….Enjoy your time off we will see you in January……
Thank You Roger…………
Thank you for this hilarious blog – helped me with all those 5 stages! Watching Roger lose is horrible, like watching a great ship sink beneath the waves. It's just so WRONG. Can well understand what Chris Everty said about crying every time. Oh god, here I go again…!
Passing the Kleenex to you Clare!
I have to agree with Shandalar above i.e. the lack of strategy / adjustment as the match went along is truly frustrating. It’s like the old stubborn Roger “I play my game and I still win”.
Where is the drop shot? (he’s used it only a few times whereas in Paris he used it to great effect against DP) Why didn’t he slice more to DP’s backhand? Why did he let DP play so many forehands? and oh, what about some first serves? (OK, can’t blame him too much on that … I attribute this to a day form issue…)
I’d really like to think that it doesn’t matter as FF said we got a ‘bargain’ this year that Roger won Paris and Wimby back to back and got back his no.1, but somehow I am disappointed by the seemingly lack of direction out there on court last night – he just didn’t seem to have a plan , which is outrageous because Roger has so many options, surely he has more variety than anyone to make adjustments in a match…
but ANYWAY… rant over. Just need to get it out of the system! and glad to find so many people think the same about “So glad it is Del Boy who won it, not YOU-KNOW-WHO!!!” You-know-who can win all the masters he wants – slams are for big boys.
And THANK YOU to Freakyfrites for such an AWESOME POST!!!!
Thank you, just thank you! Your post was like a slap in the face and a security blanket all rolled into one. And I needed both!
Cheers!
Kent, you nailed it about this post: a slap in the face and security blanket all rolled into one. Well said. and a great post.
well, at least Roger completed his collection of GS trophies. Sigh, the stuff we think up to console ourselves…
The sight of that (very) overgrown boy with tears in his eyes was so adorable that I found it impossible to watch Delpo get the throphy without a smile on my face. The kid is just super-sweet! Or maybe I get too South American sometimes and it's hard for me to root against Delpo or Gonzalez. Funny, because in soccer, like every normal Brazilian, I always want to see the Argentines lose. But in tennis, since Gabi Sabatini, there's some affection between us.
I must confess that Patrick Swayze passing away makes me far sadder than Roger's loss. Actually, I bet this makes Roger pretty sad, too: isn't he a fan od Dirty Dancing?
PS: I know Gonzalez is Chilean, and I kind of hated Marcelo Rios, but Gonzalez is too cool, how can anyone not like him?
Thanks for the South American perspective C.F.!
I had the same thought about Dirty Dancing last night. We really are weird, aren't we?
Thank you, freaky frites! I needed to be with other Fed fans this morning. I love Roger for more than just his victories, and your post reminded me of all the wonderful things about him.
I'm glad too that it was Delpo. He has moved up in my "fav" ranking. What a cutie pie!
Thanks, frites, this is perfect. Brought a tear to me eye, for all the right reasons.
Delpo deserves his trophy. Any guy who fights like he did, wins the match, then goes to his presser and talks mistily about accomplishing his dream while also calling Roger the GOAT is ok in my book.
I'm trying to see the upside of this loss: had Roger won I would have spent the next week watching all the highlights, the interviews, the new crop of tribute videos, but now I can just get on with my life. After commiserating with a few other grieving Fed fans, of course.
Yep! We can now focus on our non-tennis lives for a little bit. Wait, do I have one of those?
I'm sure I used to, but I seem to have misplaced it somewhere around mid-August.
Except I just spent the entire morning looking at all the new delpo materials! Delpo oh delpo, why do you have to be such a sweetie….
As a Fed fan, it's always depressing when he loses — especially in a slam. But, I guess even the Fed can't win 'em all. He's still #1 and still the best, so there is that. Congratulations Roger on a great tournament !! We'll be watching and waiting to see you again — hope it's soon.
PS: Thanks also to ESPN, Tennis Channel and CBS — pretty good coverage for a change !
Hi Denise!
I agree the coverage, though a little confusing with all the different networks, was complete. Doubles, all the big matches (though I think there was an issue the first week with Roddick/Isner) and mostly good commentating. Not perfect, but so much better than NBC!!!!
Freakyfrites, you are my idol. i think you are an entire tennis community's therapist
awesome text!!! nice writing. Pedofiles rules!!!!! keep it going
ff, love the new header with del po. perfectly captures what happened. fed probably went back to the hotel, saw his baby girls and all was right again.
here's to finishing the end of the year as #1 again!
I agree! Finishing #1 is the biggest thing.
This loss isn't hurting me as much as it should. Just a short moment of disappointment and then, nada. The afterglow of the Channel slam has anesthesized me to a very great extent so I skipped the stages of grief and went right to acceptance. The fact that Del Po's a good guy made it easier, too. After the trials of the past year and a half, I've gained a great deal of perspective in terms of navigating and coasting through the ups and downs.
Very true! Just thinking of the post Australia/pre French Open run, where everyone was predicting Roger's downfall and RETIREMENT, makes me shake my head and laugh. Now he's the most dominant player of the year (even scooped up a couple Masters titles, which always makes me happy.)
I try not to underestimate this amazing list of achievements: finals of all 4 majors, won two, completed career slam. The Slam finals he lost went five sets. To complain about Roger's year is a little crazy, I think!
Great post!
Fed has won plenty and will win plenty more.
I thank the Gods Murray did not win any Slams this year!
Why is everyone else getting over it and I'm still not? Kept thinking about it when I would wake up in the night. I think it would have been easier if it felt like he was fighting for it, but it's like he just lost the drive. And what was the deal with the double faults? That was so weird. If he would have just been getting his serve it probably would have been a whole different story. I think it's still going to take me a few days to get over it….
I agree. When I first turned on the match I thought the six double faults by Fed was a typo. He goes through whole tournaments with that let alone one game.
I get worried when I see the short toss. He had to be tired.
That's okay, majorfedfan. . .healing takes time!
But really, just think of what was being said about Roger in that stretch between the Australian and the French Open. And now think of what he's accomplished this year! It really is amazing.
Also, the fact that Roger lost the match because his serve went all to hell is oddly comforting to me. That is the shot that's most under his control (unlike the backhand, which is effected by how his opponent hits the ball) He's one of the greatest servers of all time. There's no doubt that the serving issues were a fluke. I don't really see it happening again. And if his serve was on, he probably would have won this match!
Hahaha, great title post: "now get over it." Really good post, though it made me want to cry for some reason (didn't actually cry :p).
Honestly, after Roger lost, I was horribly, HORRIBLY disappointed for like five minutes (I was preparing myself after the fifth set went 5-2, though.) Then I saw Delpo, and I felt a little better. I was okay with it. Delpo is just such a sweet little (big) boy, and he played great and was mentally very strong. He deserved it. (Plus, he got his slam before Murray! HA!) And I did think about RG – fair trade, indeed.
But today, I started thinking about it some more, and while I still think Delpo deserved the win, I'm actually pretty mad at Roger. I get that he can't win everything, of course, he's still just human. But he had fantastic chances and let them slip so easily! He was up 6-3, 5-4, serving for the second set, then, from what I can remember, hawkeye interferes, he gets angry, and somehow everything goes down from there.
Like some others have said already, where was the backhand slice that worked so well for him in the first set? The drop shots? The variety? THE FIRST SERVE? Actually, not just the first serve. His second serve was pretty crap, too, for his standards. (Eleven double faults!)
I'm just disappointed he couldn't make this record of six USO titles his own (that six in a row thing is much harder than five, apparently), or do what no one's done since Rod Laver – win three GS titles in a row in the same year. Sigh. It's been a great year, regardless. Go and enjoy your time with Mirka and the twins, Roger. You deserve it. ♥
Oh, wait, the hawkeye temper tantrum was in the third set. Never mind.
I know it was a frustrating loss. Today I'm a little bothered by it too! But still, one hundred million times less bothered than I was after the Australian! So that's okay.
I felt Federer deserved the win, but hey, i felt Roddick was kinda cheated at wimbledon where he only got broke once all match and yet still lost to Roger.. I'll just have to believe in the majors to come and another tantalizing matchup to look forward to.
Also, i don't believe federer could have got to men's no.1 with a lack of tactical awareness. For the first few sets, with the tactic of attacking del potro's error prone forehand, he actually played well enough to win, which he would have, 7 times out of 10. only in the final set where del potro's forehand was rampant did i question federer's shot selection. the win was simply meant for del potro this year. however, i look forward to federer showing who's boss on their next few meetings.
marvelous post FF and quite true… as a devoted "fedophile"… to love Roger is to take the wins and the losses and to move forward. I was there… and heartbroken though I was not to see him take 16 in front of my (extremely loud) cheering eyes… I will continue to cheer and be grateful for every match we get to see him play. I love this site for always taking the high road and remembering to keep it in perspective while loving Roger all the same!!!
So much WORD. You're the best.
Thanks all for sharing your comments, it is good to read that I share a lot in common with all you Fed fans!
Yes I was shocked, then angry and then slightly depressed that Fed let the 6th US GS slip out of his hands! I remember how he was serving for the second set and thinking it was in the pocket, just one more to go! It all seemed a formality then, and he was broken, and Delpo did his thing. Yes Delpo came in strong after the second set, but the truth sometimes hurt and the truth is that Fed up lost the match more than Delpo won it.
In the end at least it was Delpo who won the USO, in your face Murray!
Yeah, poor Roger looked tired at various moments and didn't have his usually zip and serve. He did lose it, but hey, does anyone really think that a person with 2 month old twins is functioning on all cylinders? The sleepwalking phase of new parenthood is still in effect!
I don`t think it is going to get any easier with the twins so young and all, maybe when they are over 3-4 years old? But darn those are the few golden years that Roger probably has left. I guess you can`t have everything in life. Still hoping that he can deliver one more Wimbledon (or two) to beat Sampras record.
i think i talk about fed way too much to friends and family… today i was asked how i was coping. ha! and i even got an i heart roger shirt as a gift. omg! it’s awesome, but i’m now thinking maybe i talk about rog so much, as if i know him! much of my conversation with family today was about the final, though i did talk a lot about del po too. i think i need to join fedanonymous!
Haha, nice! I surprised myself this time by not actually feeling that down about Roger losing, which is refreshing since my whole family were moping around for days after Wimbledon '08. I just thank god I didn't see the Australian Open final this year, I dread to think of the emotional trauma I would've been put through xD
I do like Juan-Martin a lot though so I was happy for him (though of course I would've preferred it to be the other way around
), he was sweet in his acceptance speech and he's so good for a player so young.
GEEZ I LOVE YOU FOR WRITING THIS
My daughter “FedLove” directed me to your clever, humorous blog. Your latest “ponderings” and the responses from other tennis fans, reflect something I have always felt; the folks that are obsessed about Fedsie are cool, funny, reflective and just damn nice.
Most of us that like Fedsie also find Del Potro exciting to watch and can muster up happiness for his well deserved victory. One of my tennis compatriots who bases her knowledge (in my mind) on superficial nonsense, says “Delpo is grungy, messy and needs to get his act together” She thinks just like the aged woman she is and I can say that because I am an aged woman.
Enjoyed the match immensely.
Freakyfrites, how do you do it?! haha. Thank you so much for making me feel better through these extremely tough times, however, i am still not over it and even though i take my mind off it by doing other things, it always ends up hitting me some time randomly and then i get sad:(
But what i hate most is the sh*t i have to go through, being one fedophile in my whole grade, hearing shit like federer gets lucky, his competition used to suck. Can you just please help me out with one thing? can you just tell me what to say to the federer umpire incident when my friends say that federer is an arrogant peice of sh*t.
Usman.
excellent post! this kind of made my day.
Excellent post FF. I was grumpy, yelled at the TV, and everyone else around me, had a hard time falling asleep, thinking of all the chances he had to win this one – if only he had served better than 50%, if only he had converted more than 20% of his break chances, if only he had won that second set, if only…
In the end though, I would've been beyond miserable if he had lost to Murray, Djoker or even Nadal. Del Potro, I can live with and it looks like Roger can too, especially since he has won everything that he needed to this year. Del Potro seems to be humble – like Rafa – in acknowledging Roger's superior talent, and he appears to have a level head on his young shoulders. I think this kid is going to be great for tennis – look for him to be #1 by the same time next year.
All great things though must come to an end, and now so is Roger's spectacular run at th US Open.
I just checked into this site again and found this wonderful post! Yes, we will survive. Roger just had an off day (he looked very tired, I thought) and Delpo held his nerves together beautifully. It was painful to watch for Fedophiles everywhere, but better a loss to Delpo than to the other top players. Roger has had an amazing up-and-down year with truly stupendous "ups." He has 15 GS titles!! 22 straight semis!!