THE WORLD #1 REIGNS

It seems like eternity since I am last able to do my infamous couch act and I have to say, it feels darn good! It is the finals of ATP series Cincinnati - Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick. No prizes for guessing but obviously the egoistic American crowd is behind their man - one of their few hopes since Pete Sampras. The head-to-head record, as it stands, is 9-1 (Federer-Roddick).

To be fair though, I have been impressed by Roddick's game this week at Cincinnati. He is known for his massive serves but zero-ability on returns and rallies. He is a typical American player who plays like speedy gonzales and is impatient to a fault. He has, however, started to change his game plan and coach Goldfine has done quite a good job in changing his mindset. Roddick has tactically changed his game to become a *surprise-surprise* serve-volleyer, which is an advantage for big-servers. In addition, speedy gonzales has become more patient at the baseline of the court AND playing slice backhand.

Live update report :
Federer just broke Roddick's serve! Woohooo to my man! 3-2 Federer-Roddick. Federer to serve now.....

Back to Andy Roddick....

In some ways, I feel sorry for Roddick as I do for Lleyton Hewitt. Federer makes the world #3 and #2 (respectively) look like some incompetent amateur school kid tennis player. I feel their pain.

Imagine this.....

Federer vs Hewitt : 10 - 7 (Hewitt losing the last 8 consecutive matches against Federer; the last time Hewitt ever defeated Federer was in year 2003)

Federer vs Roddick : 9 - 1 (Roddick losing the last 5 consecutive matches; the last time Roddick won Federer was also in year 2003)

I wonder... I really wonder.... every time they lose a match to Federer, is suicide on their minds? 'Scuse me darlings, but to lose that many consecutive matches? It is sad to a point of pathetic. Really really sad.

The famous Roddick quote after losing to Federer at the finals of Wimbledon last year, "I threw the kitchen sink at him and he just threw the bathtub back at me."

Live update report :
Federer just won the first set : 6-3

Sorry America. There goes your only hope. Ha! I officially name Federer the cockteaser of the year. Just like he gave Blake and the American supporters hope that they might have a winner, he efficiently crushes their hope at the end of the second set with his casually vicious style.

Live update report :
Yikes! My darling just lost his serve! 2-3. The narcisstic ego-maniacs are going wild now. Hanging on to ever bit of hope. Is the cockteaser at work again?

15-30 : Fed just did a gorgeous forehand winner.
30-30 : Go go go!
40-30 : Woohoo!!! Brilliant return of serve winner!!

AND FEDERER HAS GOTTEN HIS BREAK BACK!

3-3.

See why I love this guy?? He makes fight backs look soooo easy.

And see why I call him the cockteaser? Ha!

Keep cheering America... Keep cheering.....


It has been a painful week watching Federer . Absolutely nerve-wrecking. He took time off since his hat-trick win at Wimbledon, missed Montreal to nurse a foot injury, so Cincinnati is his first tournament since. Good God. I have no idea how many times I had wringed my duvet watching his painful below-par tennis as he dropped his serves, lost the first sets and a whole lot of yo-yo of emotions between hopeful and "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Stop teasing your opponents balls (pun intended)! Just finish the damn game!"

As expected, the cockteaser never fails to deliver in his understated demeanor. He progressed on from 1st round to the 2nd to Quarters to the semis and now... the finals. Ah yes, that's Federer.

Live Update :
6-5. Unless Federer breaks Roddick's serve here and he will win the tournament. Otherwise, it will be tie-breaker. Argh. Federer has been quite erratic with tie-breakers this year. Breathe. Breathe.

Roddick is calling for trainer now for his foot... hmm......

Trainer treating foot now.

3 minutes injury time.

And time for my own time-out.... wee-wee time.

Play resume.

40-15. Two Championship points for Federer.
40-30 : Roddick aces.
Roddick on 2nd serve....

FEDERER WINS!!

6-3 7-5
1 hour 14 minutes


6TH CONSECUTIVE MATCH AGAINST RODDICK!

AWWWWW... POOR EGOMANIACS.

WILL THERE BE ANOTHER PETE SAMPRAS FOR THE NATION OF NARCISSISTS?

Roddick (at prize presentation) :

"I started feeling the pain in my foot at the 5th set of the 2nd set but Roger was already kicking my butt before that......

Roger being Roger again, yada yada yada....."

If anything, Roddick has a sense of humour as smashing as his serve.