IT's between the devil and the deep blue sea...... I'll take the latter, even if i'm not a fed fan... I'm deinitely a 101% Soderling hater!

B*U*T* if Robin wins this year's FO, I can say without a doubt that he is DESTINED to win it. The hurdles that he destroyed were the elites of the game, so HE deserves the crown as well.

I wonder what will happen here in TENNISTALK if Federer loses (again) in the finals? This will become TENNISWAR, considering the "arguments" these past days between FED/RAFA fans!

This finals turned out to be more exciting(IMO) than last year's.

.... if Fed loses, I will not watch tennis on TV anymore until he wins another GS.. The tension is just too much....

Federer for the win, he has the fans all around the world to pull him through. I think Soderling really should have made some friend in the locker room, that would have helped him here. France loves Federer, and Federer loves France. Soderling...is, I'm not sure, he sounds so soft sometimes, but what he says to the other players, about the other players sometimes is just...Even if I didn't already like Federer and I was a rapid Nadal fan I would still vote Fed, I'm fairly sure.
I would not be surprised if this battle was epic though, they bother taste the trophy, Federer is a better closer but Soderling doesn't seem to know how to lose this week. (Not that Fed hasn't felt the same.)

Roger is going to take this title. It's time!!! He has proven to us all that WINNING is in his bones! LOL He has more weapons than any other tennis player on EARTH. He is going to use whatever it takes to FINALLY take the GRAND SLAM that has eluded him all these years! He is going to take the Roland Garros trophy "FINALLY" home!!! Go Roger go... Your the "MAN" Roger. Your the "MAN"! Believe FEDfans! BELIEVE!!!

Good write up Ricky! It's the FED "ALL THE WAY" this time!!!

zoeeeyyyyy! G-R-E-A-T to hear from you..have waited up to say hi and am probably gonna try get an early night now.....gonna be an emotional day tomorrow...the match starts here at 1.30...so i have the morning to try and do as much stuff as i can in 'the' most normal way possible....before i become a rabid fan!
I am going to IGNORE all post from catty rafa fans who have continually let their own man down...rafa would be so disappointed in them.....but hey....what can you do?

You know zoeeeyy, sky...and everyone that we UNITE...we are TOGETHER and we will all be willing our fed on...zoey...remember...no doubting and dont doubt the fed....i know for a fact he will just be thinking about the game tomorrow....he will NOT be thinking of the implications that all the press are talking about...history, 14th, bla bla bull...argh!!! the media sometimes are wayyyy over the top....so am looking at the more reasoned articles on the net and trying not to get too far ahead of myself...

I TOTALLY believe in the Fed Zoey...despite what he has put us through..remember his game is full of twists and turns and if he can get the match in straight sets tomorrow...then all hail the fed.....if not...then we support him all the way...remember he the best man out there.....

nite guys....all the best to you.

C'MON! (don't you just love it when fed says that?)!
malteser1

Hi zoey, malteser1, fedexfan, and the other FEDfans. Just a note to let you know I will be working during the game tomorrow, but my heart and soul will be cheering the FED as you know!!! and I will be with you "ALL" in spirit! (I will watch what I can from work) FED will WIN!!!! TRY TO KNOW THE FED WILL WILL!!! FEEL IT! DON'T JUST BELIEVE TAKE IT ONE STEP HIGHER! OWN IT IN YOUR HEART AND MIND! HE IS ROGER FEDERER!!!! THE FED IS THE GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME!!! We all know this to be true no matter what happens tomorrow we have lots to celebrate! In the spirit of that celebration wishing you "all" tons of laughter, and fun tomorrow. I will be back for a little while later, but some of you will be sleeping... LOL goodnight malteser1!!! Get a good rest GIRL!!! You have been working overtime around here!!! Special thanks for all the great posts!!!! I feel your love for the FED we all do!!!! Thanks again for being such a GREAT fan! :)

Steady as she goes, sky. Let's see what happens. Agony or Ecstasy, whichever. It's a bit terrifying, to be honest.

Hello everybody, I have no idea where you all live, I just wanted to leave this message for Fedfans community. Our admired hero has a 13-5 record on grand slam finals. Againts nadal 2-5, againts others ....10-0. Federer has shown, not only during this tournamente, but specially during this touranment, why he is so great, why he is The Great Roger Federer. He was abble, to defeat not only his opponents, hungry and thirsty, young and old, not only the curse that sacrificed royal blood during every stage of the tournament, not only the media that demise him as being over, like he was already old and decrepit, but also the demons that hunted him on his dreams, the ghosts that tormented him to have a not realizable dream, his mental obstacules that got between him and his ideals.... He showed us, and him, and even more than ever, more than when he won his first wimbledon, that he is truly a champion, despite difficulties, and in spite of difficulties, thanks to difficulties, is that a true champion goes trhu the process that consolidates him as one. His opponents saw weakness in his recent history, tryed to tak advantage of the mental wounds that defeats left him, but with every fall there was a come back.
At the end it doesnt matter if he won in straight sets, if he managed to win, when everybody thougth he was about to loose, the he showed that he is the champion
I dont like predictions. off course Soderling is a very tough opponent, he bet all those guys, and he wants this tilte really badly
But there is no way to compare beating Nadal to beating Federer. Even thou Nadal has a winning record against

That was very definitely a close game with DePo. Again he did not disappoint as soon as he got onto that court......Fed was just amazing I come to realise. The man needs to eat more and gain heaps and heaps of weight. Also that his chance is of course now to grab the time and lift off that title........

But there is no way to compare beating Nadal to beating Federer. Even thou Nadal has a winning record against him... beating Roger is another story. Guys that bet Nadal, dindt beat Roger ( Murray US O, Del potro, Tsonga). Roger is Lethal
I know that he will lift that trophy... but if he doesnt he is going to be already on history books.. and he is just in the middle of his career
Good Luck!
Please, those of you that have the possibility.. WHATCH THE GAME

I'm PREDICTING FEDERER IN THREE!!!! But I really don't care if OUR FED takes it in 5. A WIN is a WIN!!! LOL What a joy it is to be alive right now, and to have the opportunity to see THE Mighty FED WIN again tomorrow. He is the MOST AMAZING tennis player. So CALM! So DETERMINED! SO SMART! I really feel our family has come together it ways that were not possible before. A DREAM on the horizon for our FED! A DREAM fulfilled by our FED! A DREAM... :)

Fed fans I think you all need to take deep breaths and maybe start preparing yourself for a loss as I would be doing if I new Rafa was going to be playing Sod in the final, having watched him dismantle everyone else, especially if he had taken Federer out along the way. What the Sod has been doing is of no coincidence if you have a look at the rubble he has left in his wake!
Just bringing some reality into the situation, as Fed is HUMAN...not a magacian.
Going into the match Fed has ALL to lose, the SOD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! They cant take valium to calm there nerves.
Soderling will go out swinging with no pressure and this is mind, he may be a touch nervous but nothing like Federer who is poised to equal Sampras's record and win his first RG when all his possible challengers prior to RG have fallen to the side. This is his best chance and he knows it. If he doesnt do it this year he never will!!
But from his form in the tournament struggling against Haas, Del Porto and the rest, I have my doubts especially if the SOD plays how he has playe dthis tournament with total disregard for the situation and for the player he is playing!
The SOD ousted massive players, Fed has had mediocre ones and struggled due to nerves and bad form but managed to pull through twice.
Will he be able to do that again or will third time prove too much.

The result of this match is dependant on SOD, if he crumbles Fed will win but if Sod plays how he has played this week he will win in 3-4 sets, irrespective of what Fed does.

We all need to chill and Fed fans need to take pressure of your boy!

I think it does matter what Fed does, true that it depends on Soderling in a lot of respects but I think if roger starts off on full gear, instead of rusty like most of his starts, Mr.Soderling will have, his heart in his mouth.

Some fans may find this intereting...

How Nadal Is Both Hurting and Helping Federer's Career by Jerry Mullis (Member)
June 06, 2009

Rating the First Rounds from 1997-2006 From watching the past few years of tennis, one might conclude that Rafael Nadal is the kryptonite to the "Superman" that is Roger Federer. He has gone stroke-for-stroke with the Swiss champion, and more times than not, come out on top. There are thoughts that one day Nadal will surpass Fed-Ex in tournament wins and Grand Slam titles.

With all of this talk of Nadal and his greatness, many seem to believe that he is stealing Fed's thunder and time in the spotlight. That may be true for the moment, but I'm here to contend that what Nadal is actually doing is helping Federer's legacy.

It's quite simple, you see: Nadal makes Roger's career more legitimate and substantial. Before Rafa came onto the scene, when all the talk was Federer and how long it would take him to pass Sampras in the career Grand Slam total, many still believed that no matter how many Slams Roger won, Pete (or one of many others) would still be considered greater players than he.

It comes down to the level of competition. Before Nadal, there were no great players to help beef up Roger's résumé of wins. There was the old (yet still somewhat competitive) duo of Sampras and Agassi that were basically on their way out for retirement, a self-destructing time bomb Marat Safin, a struggling Lleyton Hewitt, a very inconsistent Andy Roddick, and a few others.

During the times of truly great champions in tennis, every player has had someone that was their great rival, someone to help push them and make their careers more relevant. For Sampras, it was Agassi and Courier; for John McEnroe, it was Bjorg and Connors; and for Laver, it was Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson, and Arthur Ashe.

Nadal has become that "great rival" for Federer; without him Fed's career would be greatly decreased in importance. Together, they have produced some of the greatest sporting contests our generation has seen. Just take a look at tomorrow's French Open final, for example, if you need proof. Without Nadal, it would go down as just another Grand Slam for Fed, a "yawner." He is highly favored to win against an inferior opponent.

No one will look back at this French Open and talk about how great Federer played. Instead, they'll speak of how fortunate he was to not have to play Nadal, the player who has most helped Roger's legacy and career.

isabeau77 Soderling is only human too! Granted Soderling has played well, but tomorrow he will meet the greatest player of all time, and he will lose to that player, and that player is Roger Federer. It's as simple as that. He may look good while he is losing, but the end is inevitable! You can doubt because you are not a FEDERER fan. It matters not, what you think or what I think for that matter. What matters is Roger Federer (the greatest tennis player of all time) will go out on that court tomorrow and WIN! It's that simple. He is the MAN here. Soderling at best can only try. Maybe look good while doing it, but in the end Roger FEDERER (the greatest player of all time) just the same will WIN.

isabeau77 , i agree with what you said ...that soderling has every chance of winning this match ! i accept that ...anyone that made it to the final of a GS can win the finals simply because it takes 6 wins just to get there . I will be routing for fed today and i hope he prevails at the end ...i believe he will prevail ....

The one thing i wanted to correct was your statement ....". If he doesnt do it this year he never will!!" ....Are you seriously going to use that statement ? It was used so many times over the past year and in AO09 .....and yet ....Fed pretty much made it all the way to the final .....so i think you need to re-adjustment your views on this and face some facts when it comes to Fed and his achievement especially in making it to a GS final . Never count him out ...

FedExpresss ...lets go .....all fans on board !!!

C'MON !!! ( and yes malteser , I LOVE it when he says this ! )

GOOD LUCK ROGER........

vamos!!!!

Sod struggled against Gonzo which is definitely not at Fed's level so I guess it's hard to measure. Fed had a tougher opponenet in Del Potro so Fed's level is higher than Sod at the moment. Hopefully his head is clear and he doesnt choke.

I dont think Fed cant win FO if he fails this time. Nadal's loss will give the belief to players that he can beaten on clay so next year is gonna be an Open French open in my opinion.

this is a very big day for all the Fed fans!! my heart has already started beating fast... I have never wanted him to win THIS MUCH!! but it won't be the end of the world even if he does not win,the media is putting too much pressure on him,he was not expected to win this tournament...it's not that much of a big deal if he does not win...he is still GREAT...but if he does,I think it will give us all some rest for a while,takes the pressure off from himself and his fans.
Ricky's prediction gives hope...I hope he's right...just do it Roger!!

fedexfan: I totallt respect what you are saying but I will still stand by my opinion that if Fed doesnt win RG this year he never will, because never again will he be so lucky not to have to face either 2 of the three, Nadal, Djokovic or Murray in the semi and final, because if all had going to plan this would have been the case. Not to mention that people keep on forgetting that he has a baby on the way and once this little angel arrives it will CHANGE HIS LIFE! Federers priorities will change!

This is Fed's year. The stars have aligned to make this so, as who wou;d have guessed that he main threats including the 4 time champ would all be out before the semis!

One man stands in his way and that is SOderling. If Fed wins it would have been a case of destiny, if he loses boy oh boy wont we hear the heavens thunder!

isabeau77 , I understand your point...but you're making the situation even more stressful...please!!
life should not be that cruel...Fed should win this
,but I'll try to be reasonable if he does not....and hope that this was not his last chance,he still has chances on his better surfaces...please do it Roger!!

isabeau.....i enjoy reading your posts...

but i also feel that you like to believe in the negative.....you talk about if federer had met nadal, murray or djoker? reality is honey....all three of them were NOT good enough to get through this competition and we are talking about the title holder four times, we are talking about the 'man of the moment', murray (who has NEVER won a slam....), we are talking about novak....who choked against rafa in the match of the year in rome...novak has been described as the 'second best clay courter this year'.....

roger was demoted.....to 3rd....yet what you fail to appreciate is that despite roger's difficulties...he came through, he dug deep and he won.....his game of present shows flashes of brilliance, excellent first serves, inconsistencies, mishits,drop shots, squash shots, kick serves, american twisters...you name it....roger has it in his tool bag.....now.....
provided roger gets on that court, plays aggressive, believes in himself, and serves well....he will do brilliantly......and actually niloofar is right....if it was rafa in the final...isabeau...YOU would be beside yourself right now...so try not to spoil it for the fedfans...cos we are standing by our man....cos he is the best....

Federer has the ability to turn everything around....it seems that he has taken a while to get into the tournament...but i have watched all of his matches over the last 12 months in particular and he ALWAYS starts a tournament like this...in fact the ONE tournament where he played his ABSOLUTE BEST was at the USO 2008...pure aggression on the court and he beat murray in straight sets. PURE.

Fed plays unbelievable rallies....there are NO easy grand slam finals....he is not underestimating soderling.....there is no reason why federer cannot win this...SIMPLE. It may take a while before he works out soderlings game....but that is the nature of the fed......I believe he can win....and if you don't then really....keep your thoughts to yourself cos right now...fedfans are united....
thanks for your comments tho'.

hehe ....isabeau77.. i think you could sense our desperation ...this should have happened 5 months ago ...but now its set to happen on a bigger stage and to equate pete and get the career slam all in one day is just HUGE !! we , fed fans are desperate for this and we believe that this dream will come true today ....hehe...

Get geared up federites ...we will stand tall today .

C'MON !!

If Robin can play 80% of what he played against Rafa, i think he can beat Roger.

thanks for your thoughts samy....but we are dealing with federer here....and fedfans are united that roger is going to play a brilliant game and outwit his opponent....in fact....a recent article from a knowledgeable tennis fan...says the following...all fedfans...don't panic! samy is here to play with the mind!!!!!

Roger needs to serve well, serve extremely well. Soderling plays an awkward game, and he does not allow you as an opponent to settle into any form of rhythm, his movement around the clay is also very good. Hence Federer needs to serve well, take control of the points and finish them when the opportunity arises. Pick and choose to come in, when required. Above all, don?t panic, he will win if he does not panic whether he finds himself a set, or even two sets down. He has to go in believing that there is no way he is never going to lose this match ? and he will eventually come out victorious. The Parisian crowd is absolutely on Rodge?s side. The SOD will also feel the pressure of his first slam final, hence it is absolutely crucial for Federer to start well by taking advantage of the initial nervousness from his opponent.

Roger....game by game...go for the match....and we are here to support you! FEDFANS UNITE!

C'MON!
Allez Roger!!!

if robin plays 80% that he played with rafa in a GS final against fed he wont stand a chance .....hahahha.....
Robins needs to be at 100% for this not to be a straight sets victory for fed ....the reason why defeating nadal acctually looked so easy was because soderling was not attacked ...he was attacking ...whole other story if u play fed.
soderling is dangerous if he manages to get his high risk shots inside the court consistently ....he does not set up winners ...he just risks it all ...goes for broke. ...

Im sure fed is going to neutralize that ....and then slowly set up his winner ...

C'MON !!

Fed fans, all I am saying is lower your expectations! Fed is human! I expected Rafa to at least make the semis and look what happen. Rafa fans were in shock for days. It does not feel good. Go in being optimistic but prepare for a loss.
Fed should of won the Aus Open on his favourite surface but didnt against a man who in his right mind should not have been standing. But Fed felt the pressure and crumbled in the fifth set.
All you can do is pray that he has mastered his demons and that he wont be too nervous throughout the match.
There is no question who is the better all round tennis player, but the match today rests on how SOD plays and whether Fed handles his nerves and let the man who handles himself best win!

malteser,fedexfan: I hope u two are right...the match just means so much to Fed,I know it means a lot to Sod as well...but Fed's story is just different...I think if he plays the way he played Monfils he'll get it,but I agree with one thing isabeau77 said and that's we should as well be prepared for a loss,if he loses I'll say life's really cruel,but I should not be disappointed as well,it is NOT the last chance for Fed,so I should not make it sound bigger than it is..I know I already have!!:)
Malteser: YES!! fed fans are united...just can't wait for the match...Roger is the man in big moments ...just DO IT ROGER!!!

niloofar...just chill honey.....

isabeau...i don't need you to tell me to prepare for a loss....what sort of negative claptrap is that? Listen...we fed fans have experienced losses with roger over the last 12 months (some wins too...lest not forget)...but I don't even want to think about any kind of loss right now......i want to be in the PRESENT....I want to ENJOY the match....This is going to be THE 2009 FO final and I want Fed to have FUN....yes...believe it or not....all this awful doom and gloom from mystic isabeau does NOT help.....what happens AFTER the match is a different matter.....and i would much rather listen to my positive spirit right now than you...you are putting a dampner on it all....that is your right...but i am NOT getting out of my zone...not for you...not for anyone......

niloofar...to help ease you pain a little bit....read the following...it's all opinion of course...but it is positive and i really believe that this is what you need to be concentrating on...don't listen to the negative vibes out there from people who don't believe...they are demons trying to bring you down......okay? just keep believing and let fed do the rest....

(sorry that's it's so long...but it's worth it guys).....from PAT CASH....

LOOK at the way Robin Soderling has blazed his way to the French Open final and I defy you not to be in a quandary. He merits respect for being one win away from becoming a Grand Slam champion, having already beaten Rafael Nadal, the player many, myself included, revere as the greatest ever on a clay court. Despite that, Soderling epitomises many of the things I dislike about modern tennis.

He is Swedish but is no Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander or Stefan Edberg. There is no grace to his game, no guile, not a glimmer of personality. All he does is hit the ball hard. There is no plan B and he frequently blazes the ball so wide of the court that spectators are in danger. Yet all of that becomes irrelevant because he has reached the final of the most exacting tournament in the game when it comes to skill and patience. In doing so, he has ended one of the most historic winning sequences we have seen.

Nobody else has beaten Nadal at Roland Garros and Soderling will always be remembered as the man who stopped the Spaniard at the French Open. Some will ask whether Nadal was fully fit, given that he subsequently withdrew from this week?s Aegon Championship at Queen?s, but the Spaniard is vastly experienced and felt fit enough to play in Paris. Soderling?s unattractive, bludgeoning game sent the champion home to Majorca to lick his wounds, but will the Swede do something similar to deny Roger Federer the title he craves more than anything? Frankly, I think his chances are negligible.

Soderling beat Nadal in the same way that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did at the Australian Open last year; he hit the ball very flat against him, attacked, took risks, used power and drove forward. It is the only way to beat the the world No 1 but Federer is a different proposition.


Federer enjoys playing big hitters, as his record against Andy Roddick proves. The Swiss has all the answers and I think his slice will be too debilitating for Soderling. The cooler weather predicted for today will also favour Federer. Soderling is totally reliant on pace and the damper it is, the slower the ball will travel.

Federer will be nervous because he is on the brink of finally completing the set of majors, and he knows that winning today would define his career. There is, however, no substitute for experience in Grand Slams and Federer has played in many finals, and his body knows what to expect. Soderling has never played seven best-of-five-set matches in a fortnight before.

I saw ominous signs towards the end of the Swede?s semi-final victory against Fernando Gonzalez. His back was stiffening, he was struggling to move his legs and his movement was compromised. He is hurting because this is uncharted territory for his body. Many surprise packages have reached a Grand Slam final, but few of them have picked up the main prize.

Remember the big Dutch player Martin Verkerk here just a few years ago. He couldn?t win a set against Juan Carlos Ferrero in a one-sided final and not too much was ever heard of him again. Marcos Baghdatis did well to reach the final of the Australian Open in 2006 but after a good start was ultimately powerless against Federer. It was the same story for the German Rainer Schuettler against Andre Agassi three years earlier.

Federer is not as good on clay now as he was a few years ago. He misses more. He goes through periods where he really struggles. He often starts nervously. However, everything has conspired for him to win the one prize that has eluded him.

Legends don?t waste such opportunities.


so....niloofar...you take what you want from what Pat Cash has said...but whatever...you at the very LEAST give Federer a fighting chance here and just believe in him.....nothing else matters...you need to build your mental boundary for the posters that are gonna stoke it up...so just stay strong...and ENJOY the match...I'll be with you as well as all the other TRUE fans......okay buddy?

Stay calm!
GO FED!
Allez Federer!

there may be a few rain breaks today on court.....in paris....

Sunday
Chance of Rain. Overcast. High: 18 °C . Wind NW 21 km/h . Chance of precipitation 30% (water equivalent of 0.88 mm).

Gonna be a GREAT day for tennis!
C'MON!
Allez Federer!

malt ....you always have a way of calming my nerves....that article made sense but i think it downplayed soderling's ability ...

Fed need to win this .....it wont be handed to him ....and i think he will expect nothin less ..

C'MON !!!

But malteser you are not in the present. Being the present means knowing that the match could go either way and accepting that possibility with calm as Rafa says, because in the present that is all that is the truth.

isabeau77 How can you be so blind. I believe it is quite obvious the FED has mastered his demons! How else would the FED be able to withstand coming from behind with Haas and Monfils! He did it because there are no demons left. There is only Roger FEDERER now. He is Standing tall and STRONG, DETERMINED, and he knows EXACTLY what he has to do. The plan is ingrained in his mind, with all the tricks humanly available to accompany him. Roger Federer WINNER!

Roger is the best player ever. No doubt............ But Robin is very dangerous player. If any player can beat Rafa in 5 set match then it's time to take him seriously.
I hope Roger is not taking his match against Robin as a walk in the park.

isabeau...please do NOT tell me I am not in the present....i practice a lot of 'the power of positive thinking' and being in the present...that's me....you are clearly here to cause a lot of negative thinking on this thread and honey...right now..in the present....i WANT and WILL be....i am NOT interested in the future...the future is after the match...i can deal with any aftermath...trust me....rather than YOU worrying about whether or not fed is gonna lose and helping us all fedfans to deal with his 'loss'...how about YOU getting your head around the fact that he just might win! have you considered that isabeau? because if you have...it certainly doesn't come across honey....

Being in the Present...means getting your mindset into full gear...getting your mindset around the match...getting your mindset into game by game...match preparation for a potential win...that is what fed is doing..he is NOT going on to court saying to himself 'I am going to lose'..what the hell would be the point in playing the match? my god...if he listened to you..he might as well give up and slit his wrists as i bet you were one of the ones who wrote him off 12 months ago? He has done brilliantly this year....but again...i digress....i am talking past...i should not...i am not gonna talk future..i am talking HERE and NOW....fed is FULLY PUMPED, FULLY STOKED, FULLY RAPPED, FULLY RIPPED to play a very deserving opponent...the soderling...who will try to beat roger today....

the best man on the day will win...and I believe that will be roger...whatever you say to me now makes no difference....you don't believe...i do...and honey...don't worry about me preparing for 'my loss'...worry about yourself and how are you going to deal with a federer 'win'.....

C'MON Roger!
Allez Fed!

samy , i agree with everything you say ...and fed did say that he is not taking soderling lightly in his post match interview. ...

isabeau...i UNDERSTAND where u are coming from ....but we fedfans have never been overconfident especially considering we were feeling (for the past year or so) exaclty what nadal fans ( i think u are one) are feeling now . Been there , done that ...your advice is welcomed but not necessary.

We are hopeful ..thats all ...and we will support our champ with all the might that we have ...

C'MON !!!!

samy.....have taken an excerpt from roger's interview when asked the question about robin soderling....i think you can safely say that he is NOT underestimating robin...so i hope you feel better now.....

Um, look, there's no easy Grand Slamfinals. It's very simple, because theone who is on the other side of the net has also won six matches and isdefinitely in the shape of his life.

I cannot obviouslyunderestimate Robin, even though I've beaten him I think in the five matcheswe've played against each other. Butobviously it's nice to see someone else for a change in the French Openfinals. I've been there before. I don't know if it's an advantage or not,because I've never been able to win.

I'm sure, you know, pressure is big for bothplayers, you know. Not only for me, butalso for him. It's his first big step ina Grand Slam. I'm sure we're going toplay some good tennis, because I thought he played we will really well todayagainst González.

Q. Howdangerous is Soderling? In what way ishe dangerous for you?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, he was pretty famous for beingdangerous on indoor court, you know, just because he had a big serve. He has big shots off both sides, forehand andbackhand. I always knew also he hadcapabilities on clay, you know.

But maybe because hewas so dangerous on indoors you never really give him maybe the respect on aslower courts. But he's beaten suchquality players here during his last couple of weeks that you've got to givehim credit for coming through those. They were not easy matches, especially mentally for him, and alsophysically.

The way he came through today was impressiveafter being down a set and being able to just to turn around like this. He is definitely ?? he's playing the tennisof his life. I'm sure it's going to be ahard final, but I'm ready for the challenge.


Allez Roger!
C'MON!

Malteser, your the one that is not in the present. My statement had nothing to do with Fed it had to do with his fans.
And speaking of Fed, the reason why he gets so nervous and reason why he fails more than he wins against Rafa and the reason why Fed has had a confidence crisis in the last year is because he doesnt stay in the present!

There is no arguing with you...but I would suggest you reading 'The Power of Now" to see that I am actually making sense.

Fed should have lost against Haas and Del Porto but didnt because these guys also failed to stay in the present and crumbled and were unable to close the match out and it wasnt because Fed started playing better its because these guys allowed him too. What Fed did was hang in there and handle the situation better.

isabeau77 pooh YOU! What FED did was WIN! Something Rafa and the others did not.

isabeau...im not sure what answer ur looking from malt ...but i think my answer above should have sufficed ...not that malt cant respond to you herself ( im sure she'll write u to the ground) ...but give the woman a break shall we ...:) these are stressful hopeful times for us !! We are on the brink of history in the making ...

C'MON !

fedexfan isabeau77 is the voice of EVIL he or she is not enjoying our FUN. My take would be to ignore this person FEDfans. Just have FUN!!! Go FED go!!! Long live Roger Federer!!! Roger! Roger! Roger!! :)

malteser1
Robin hits the ball hardest among current players & also hits the ball deep in the court.
Is that is not dangerous to you?????

My advice to Fed fans it not to engage conversation with isabeau. Just trying to put a damper on the day and bring a negative vibe to a big occasion.

Sky, fedexfan, torres, zoey, malty, tnj, everybody - Fed WILL come through. Believe it. Fed does!

Sending GOOD vibes.......to Fed.....to Fed fans......sending.....there you go!

isabeau...this IS the last time i will respond to you for today.....
Thank you for suggesting that i read the 'Power of Now'.....i have read it..thankyou....author....Eckhart Tolle....a wonderful book....i think however you miss the point.....

Can I suggest you read a book called 'face the fear and do it anyway'..by Susan Jeffries?
Can I also suggest you read the book called 'the Power of Positive Thinking' by Norman Vincent Peale.....(my favourite!).

Trust me honey..I AM IN THE HERE AND NOW....unlike you...i cannot speak for federer and how he was feeling...but i guess you have all the answers when it comes to him?

Samy...thanks for that...but looking at the statistics about soderling and del potro....del potro currently is the guy who has hit the ball the hardest during the tourny...according to the statistics...if you have others... please post them and then we can debate......but statistics from Jason Goodall show that del potro has been hardest hitter, then andy roddick.....NOT soderling.....

I have not said that he isn't dangerous.....i put an excerpt from the fed interview where he says he is dangerous! (just for you!)....

I am under no illusions samy about the match for today...what I don't understand is why you and isabeau want to try and teach us fedfans what we don't know already!
Okay...here's a question for you.....if it were rafa in the final today....how would you like it if we fedfans kept saying to you....'prepare yourselves for rafa to lose'...'don't underestimate the opponent...'bla bla....do you see what i mean?

I'm not going there samy...and neither are the other fedfans...we believe that roger can win this and we are sending our positive vibes through the wonderful internet(!) to him and millions of others around the world are as well.....you and isabeau need to go and lie down and put yourself into THE ZONE baby....it's the only place to be.....
peace, love and blessings to you...xx
C'MON!
Allez Federer!

Rock ON Roger!!!! Rock ON!!! Your the MAN!!! See you FEDfans! I'm off to work! Tennis history is about to happen with Roger Federer WINNING his very first Roland Garros... WOW!!! FEDfans!!! WoW!!! Wishing you all Love and Peace! Laughter and FUN! :) Have a "GOOD" one!

Let's see...Rafa, Delpo, Gael, Fed Fans, now Agassi...pulling for Fed:

http://kingfederer.multiply.com/journal/item/111/Federer_deser ves_slam_more_Agassi
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04ur5Yb5Is6E E/1000x.jpg

(my mantra!):
GO FED!! You're still THE ONE!

Here are some stats involving soderling.

Roland Garros 2009
1st round
soderling vs kevin kim 7-6,7-6,6-2
2nd round
soderling vs denis istomen 6-4,7-6,6-4
3rd round
soderling vs ferrer 6-7,7-5,6-2,7-6
4th round
soderling vs nadal 6-2,6-7,6-4,7-6
quarter
soderling vs davydenko 6-1,6-3,6-1
semi
soderling vs gonzalez 6-3,7-5,5-7,4-6,6-4

historical h2h against prior to RG 09
ferrer 4-2
nadal 0-3
davydenko 3-2
gonzalez 3-4
federer 0-9

soderling's games are characterised by high no of winner and high no of unforced errors. Due to the high no of winners he managed to do better against defensive players. His records against some attacking players were not that convincing.

Federer fans be calm, be confident. Ignore the doubters, the knockers, the winding you uppers. Remember your man is a terrific clay court player. Wish him good serving, wish his wondeful forehand working well, wish his devastating back hand down the line, wish his volleys to be sharp as knives. Send him good karma. Believe.
Best.

Well said, deuce. THANK YOU! Court Karma!

In case any of you Fed fans aren't on Facebook (1.6 million fans and counting...):
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/Federer?ref=ts

thank you deuce...it means a lot to us fedfans right now....we believe honey.....we believe!
C'MON!
Allez Federer!

Is the match yet to start? I am not going to watch it. Wish Soderling continue his great run and wins musketer's cup.

Ignoring haters!

Federer is unbeatable when it comes to playing style, he is perhaps the best naturally gifted player of all times. But most of his grand slam dominating years were with literally very little competition. At that time his toughest competitor was Roddick who do not possess a game to be a grand slam winner.
If he wins FO during the time tennis has some wonderful players like Rafa,Novak,Tsonga,Del Potro,Monfils,Robin ??............
I think then he can deservingly be called as the greatest player of all times.

Soderling had a winning h2h against ferrer and davydenko and losing 3-4 against gonzalez, so no surprise he beat them here. Against nadal he came close to beating him in the round of 16 wimbledon 07 with a score over 5 sets of 4-6,4-6,7-6,7-6,5-7. However against federer it was a resounding 9-0 in fed favour with a meagre 1 set won by solderling

I don't like Soderling but based on his performance of recent, gee you must agree that he hits very clean winners on both wings quite often so let's see if he can do it against Roger.

MALTESER!!
how nice of u to try this much to calm the others down!! thank u honey!! I do believe in Fed...I hope cash is right,he has the experience ,he should know...I just don't like the pressure media is putting on Roger...
once again,thanks honey.!!!..u know like the previous ones I won't be visiting here during the match, but there is no way that I don't remember u during and surely after the match...the next time I visit I hope there are congrats!!:) go on malt!!
do it Roger!!
GO CHAMP!!!!!!!

Hey fedfans, I am sure most of you are already suffering stomach upset, palpitation, diarrhea and metally drained even the match is yet started haha.

Get ready and hope no one of you get hurt.

just remember fedfans...lalalalalalalala when the haters come aboard.....don't listen...hands over ears and them all say what they want to say because their rafa is out....sour grapes again...but positive thoughts only now.....

Allez Federer!
C'MON!

Federer fans be calm, be confident. Ignore the doubters, the knockers, the winding you uppers. Remember your man is a terrific clay court player. Wish him good serving, wish his wondeful forehand working well, wish his devastating back hand down the line, wish his volleys to be sharp as knives. Send him good karma. Believe.
Best.

Deuce......

I don't know how the fedfans will accept the inevitable defeat of Roger at the hand of Soderling.

tic tac, tic tac, tic tac, hell on earth ... time seems frozen extending further the suffering of the great believers :-]]

what does it feel like raindrops to be such a sportswoman? does it feel great that you wish such bad things on fedfans.....we're not listening to you.....la la la la la la la....whatever happens...we are in the present and we believe...who cares what happens in the future...the future doesn't exist.....i will remember all your comments tho' and post them back to you at some stage...next time rafa plays.......
If Agassi can do it...so can federer......C'MON!

From Deuce.....
Federer fans be calm, be confident. Ignore the doubters, the knockers, the winding you uppers. Remember your man is a terrific clay court player. Wish him good serving, wish his wondeful forehand working well, wish his devastating back hand down the line, wish his volleys to be sharp as knives. Send him good karma. Believe.
Best.

DEUCE.....

Allez Federer!
C'MON!

zoey...babe...where are you? come out of that chair that you are strapped to!!!!! honey....we are TOGETHER....fedfans UNITE!

Watching you come back here, raindrops, stronger than before after Nadal's defeat shows we can survive Fed's defeat too.

haha, try to show strong face, but clearly you are wobbling inside. I didn't wish bad to any fedfans. I said, hope no one get hurt.

raindrops...duplicitous as always..showing TWO faces... appearing true yet sooo false.....

torres....on the fedexpress honey? Get ready for the ride! No more replies to raindrops who is obviously bored this sunday afternoon....you cannot educate those who dont want to be educated...so leave her alone...she fine in her own little nightmare world....

Allez Federer!
C'MON!
Zoey! Come out to play!

Here goess!!!! Oh my god!.......

Gooo Rogerrr!!!!

Soderling is the final now. If Nadal didn't handle well Soderling on clay, how much more Roger?

I am rooting for Soderling obviously because I've seen him playing excellently.

30 minutes to match time. I have to keep with my routine. Signing off, but wishing all Fed fans and Fed himself the very best of luck, skill, wits, grit, determination, and everything it takes to win RG.

GO FED!! You're still THE ONE!!

It's ok malty, Rafa's defeat have dealt a bigger blow to Nadal's fans and they survived it. FED IS THE BEST!!!

May the beautiful game- tennis wins.
Hope Roger & Robin can provide us great match.

Raindrops ...gota says that i like the fact you say soderling played excellently ...basically accepting that Rafa got beat ! ....you root for soderling ....by all means ...i'll root for fed ......see you on the other side mate ...i reckon im the one thats gona be smiling ...im so confident that fed is gona pull through !

C'MON !!!!

fedexfan...love you buddy.....as you said to me...let's just ignore raindrops.....we ALL need to get into our zone.....stay positive...even if twists and turns....agassi won it and fed can win it too.....

Allez federer!
C'MON!

deal fedexfan, stay tuned to tennistalk and let's enjoy this match.

malteser1 you know what, you are not a sport minded person, you can not accept opinions that are not in agreement with yours. Get lost sick woman.

G'morning Malteser. Read thru this thread and YOU ROCK girlfriend!!

So do ALL FEDFANS here on this thread! Mwah, kisses, hugs and

yes FEDEXFAN .....all aboard.....let's go!!

Hey! my homegirl is here! zoey.....oh my god....am sooo excited about this match....just about to strap myself in.....remember visualise the fed....DONT get knocked off that course...there are gonna be a lot of fed haters on this thread very shortly....sky described them as 'devils'...Ha! I'm a believer lovely....a HUGE BELIEVER....am in my ZONE now.....zoning....zoning....zoning....

Love zoey!
C'MON Federer!
Allez federer!

The hounds from hell Malt, barking, howling, ridiculous....

MDMCH...thanks for taking time again. Love YOUR POSTS

It's on, it's about to start and I get to WATCH, malt......going into the zzzzzzzzzzoooooooooonnnnnnnnneeee, zzzzzzoee, zzzzzzoone

RRG discussed the crowd loving Fed and how they think Robin could give a flying flock.......Robin does not shrink from a good tussle with everybody! Not saying anything bad about him, it's actually a quality in this case.

GO FEDERERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!! ALLEZ!

zoey...STAY STRONG...what will be will be....Fed is ready and raring to go....just get that first serve in rog baby!!! get those drop shots working! those forehands on fire! those backhands blissful! my hands are shaking as i am typing this but zoey...i feel good...feel calm....feel cool.....roger is the GREATEST tennis player EVER....he has proved everyone that he is ready...he in the final! He is here!

C'MON Roger! Don't listen to commentators negatives about his game zoey....just be aware of being in the zone and staying positive! ok girlfriend?!
C'MON!
Allez Federer!

C'MON THE FED!
Allez roger!

It's alllll good Malt

This is a Match without excessive grunting and heaving. thank you

awww too painful, Soderling was broken in the opening game? Jesus!

Double break now. Toad is VERY tight but now that he is in such difficult shape shoulders will loosen up probably.

mdmuch...i know you in the jungle honey....to let you know....fed has broken it's 3:0 in the first set...early days...but we all visualising and believing and sending positive thoughts from around the world......

C'MON the fed!
Allez Roger!

haha, damn i was toasted here arrrrrgggghhhh ! Go Go Soderling ... you ...*&$^%#

mdmuch...early days....score is 4:1 to federer right now....he is about to serve now....take care honey....

stay visualised and focused federer.....first serve keep it working and keep playing to a brilliant standard! We love you fed!
C'MON!
Allez Federer!

Wrapped up the first set. I need to go to the airport in an hour, so fed needs to take the match by then lol

that fast? ohhh I am rooting to a wrong guy...haha. I didn't see his brilliant shotmaking so far. too nervous! Wake up.

mdmuch.....fed just won the first set 6:1...stay cool and look out for the insects!

Stay visualised and focused zoey and the rest of the fedfans...we all doing really well right now!

C'MON!
Allez...federer! keep those serves focused, concentrated..and playing with confidence!
Go Federer!

First set to Roger impressive...And the Swiss is serving to near perfection thus far MDMCH

Cmon Roger! show them how to play attacking tennis! Go roger Go!

Beautiful drop shots by Federer

the wind is up and rain is coming?? from Matt Cronin, RRG

zoey...i wish we were watching this match together honey....!

mdmuch....2:1 to roger in the second set....early days...keep focused....so far so good..he serving well......
C'MON Roger!
Allez Federer!
Sky....where are you honey? can you get to a laptop at work?
still visualising and believing!

Me too Malt

OHH!! wack-oooooo on court trying to do what?

That was NOT a Federer fan.

zoey...honey it was a rafafan....just been confirmed....zoey...can you believe that prat that ran on to court! what an idiot!

This has to NOT put him off his game!
C'MON Federer....Get Angry and get aggressive...you CAN do this!
Allez Federer!
Go Roger Go!

zoey...fed is doing amazingly well...that pratt that ran on to the court....sent shivers down my spine...he could have had a knife...like what happened to seles? oh my Go! Really, really bad security from the point of the roland garros guards!

Keep strong federer.....keep aggressive and stay angry........get those serves in and stay focused.
C'MON!
Allez federer....in the zone!

Wow roger!! What a serving!! Too much for Soderling to handle!!

Federer is up 2 sets and a break. Looks like we can stick a fork in it. Congratulations Federer on winning the 14th and equaling Sampras' record. The match itself is a letdown in terms of quality. But you can't blame federer. He is playing very well. Soderling came unprepared.

Anyway, way to go Fed. You have achieved a very good result. Goodluck with the marriage and the baby.

oh oh oh so sweet... tears of victory this time!!
roger you so so deserve this... cause you're a great player, a great fighter & a great guy all round.
this is your day, thank GOD!
& i think robin's a great guy as well... not such a jerk as so many ppl said.

fedfans....thank you all...for your support...your energy....your positivity....it's been a brilliant journey with you......
I am just utterly rapped right now! I am sooooo happy! I can actually breathe normally again and eat properly! A wonderful feeling.

Federer is such a cool dude...he soooo Brilliant!

Zoey...you still around honey?
Allez Federer!

Malty. I L_U_R_V_E you, chik.....it's 10:00 here and have a brunch

but I'll be back.......I must watch this again, over and over and everytime I do I think of you. xx oo And the FEDFANS right here on TT no exclamations in memory of stu

zoey...am just about to watch the match again....second time round...it's sooo good to watch this time!

Raindrops....come and join the party.....we need your sarcasm and words of wisdom!
Allez Roger!

Federer will be always remembered, even if he retires or anything, he will always be the best for us!

That drop shot of his is in my mind, i must practice it! x_x

Come on! Fed-Express!