Federer def. Reynolds 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
written: 3:06 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008

I expected him to win the match in straight sets, under two hours, seeing as he played against some World #80-something or whatever. I thought he'd be able to claim victory easily too, judging by the inspired tennis he played in Madrid (barring, at least a little, the semi-final). But noooo. No, he couldn't just let me off the hook and let me go to sleep earlier even though I was completely falling asleep in front of the TV and could hardly muster up any enthusiasm for the match - because it was so boring. SO boring.

In short, Roger played ass tennis today. He was up 0-30 in the second set, and two unforced backhand errors later, he lost the chance to break. Even better: He was up 0-40 in the second set and lost the first break point due to another missed shot. I can't fault him for the next two points 'cause Reynolds served damn well, but that first break point could've been converted, if only. So they were both on serve in the second set, which led to a tie-break, which I thought Roger would win when he had match point on the other guy's serve after winning five points in a row. BUT NO, his return found the net, and then more net when he served the next point, giving Reynolds set point. Reynolds obviously wanted to take the set because he was so aggressive on that point, attacking at the net, leaving Roger to scamper to other side of the baseline and awkwardly try to hit the ball back, only to miss.

I was so pissed. I was really hoping it'd end so that I could sleep, but no, Roger had to go drop the second set. What the fuck? I really hope this shoddy display is just some weird shit that he ate or something that messed with his (very big!) tummy that affected his game - for one day. If he continues playing like this throughout the tournament, I'm pretty sure he's not going to be able to defend his title. And that's gonna make me VERY sad. Basel is "Federer's Home Tournament", which implies that he's the rightful champion.

COME ON ROGER. You can do so much better than this, and you know it better than I do. Don't go losing in the semi-final again, or worse, before the semi.

Honestly, I've made a radical adjustment to my expectations now that I've watched him lose a match. That Murray loss was so painful that I'm duct-taping cardboard boxes around my heart to protect it from falling to the ground along with Roger's inchoate victory. I love Roger all the same, but sorry, I can't take another heartbreak. At this rate, I might even go into the 2009 season expecting him to win absolutely nothing, so that when he does win something (hopefully a few Slams, yeah?), it'd be absolutely fantastic.

Of course, I can expect nothing, but against my will and logic, I will continue hoping anyway. Hope relates to the heart, expectations to the head. The head tells me not to give a shit, but oh, my heart cannot betray my dear Roger. So yeah, even when I'm not expecting him to win anything, I will be hoping irrationally that he wins everything anyway.

Damn you, Federer. Damn you. Like I need another emotional investment. Sure, David Cook paid off, but I swear his album cover is so fucking FUGLY that I don't even have any hopes for the album anymore. I'll still buy it when it comes out but I'm not expecting brilliance anymore. I just hate getting so invested in things that I can't control because the likelihood of disappointment is much higher than what's comfortable for me.

I suppose, yeah, I'm a bit of a control freak. If I could control where Roger's shots land, I swear I will make him win all his matches without losing a single point. That'd be something, wouldn't it?

On the bright side, Roger didn't face a break point at all during this match. But ugh, those unforced errors. I'm actually impressed when I watch people like Murray, Del Potro and Simon play because you get the sense that they're not capable of making errors, especially Del Potro. This, I'm sad to say, is something I haven't really felt when I watch Roger's 2008 matches, from the US Open until now. When I watch his old matches, he's like Del Potro and Murray and Simon, except so much better (Set 1 of 2005 Wimbledon final comes to mind), so much more accurate; now, I expect the errors. When he hits a backhand I'm half-afraid it'll be out, and half the time it is out. When he puts power in a forehand I'm half-afraid it'll be out, and a third of the time it is out. I expect errors more than winners, and I don't know if it's just me being paranoid and a nervous wreck because it's just the way I react to seeing my favourite tennis player play live, or if it's the fact that he isn't playing the way he used to, for whatever reason.

Sigh. I can't bear to think about it. Hopefully he plays better the next match and throughout the rest of the tournament. I don't think he'll be as lucky as he was today to win virtually by the skin of his teeth as his opponents get tougher and tougher. I hope he faces Del Potro again actually; that'd be interesting, and Del Potro would actually force him to hit winners. I got the sense today that he was just standing around, whacking balls when he felt like it, especially in the first set. He only started attacking more when he couldn't break in the second set and after he lost the second set. It's like he doesn't put that much into the first match because he knows he'll win, which is great, but it doesn't inspire confidence in me when he's playing ass tennis. Even if ass tennis gives him a winner, I'd rather he play average-by-Federer standards tennis like he did against Stepanek in Madrid than to play ass tennis. Seriously.

Still, he hit some pretty awesome winners, like that return-of-service backhand winner down the service line - literally. You could hardly tell the ball apart from the line; it was that close. Absolutely breath-taking.

Okay I'm fucking tired. Thanks, Roger, for making me stay up so late. I think I'm just going to record the rest of the matches if they're played at like 12.45 a.m. or some shit. It's too late. I want to sleep.

before sunrise // before sunset

Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010