Okay, sports fans, here's one for ya. What's more likely to make you feel like you're about to hurl: having to play against Roger Federer, or finding yourself in a position to win a set against The Mighty Fed?
Andreas Seppi's answer today was option two, which makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Taking a whipping by Federer is business as usual for most players—the familiar. But having a realistic chance to push him to a third set is unfamiliar territory, and apt to make them a little nervous. This was especially true in Seppi's case, for his career record against Federer was 0-6. In fact, Seppi had never taken a set off Federer. Perfect game.
So it's understandable that after Seppi built a 3-1 lead in the second set, he called for the trainer on the changeover, presumably to address some sort of gastro-intestinal ailment and the accompanying nausea. When play resumed, Federer improved his dismal second-set first-serve percentage (it was hovering around 45 percent), and recouped the break when he began to find the mark more often with his lashing forehand and rolled backhand. (Still, Federer would make 20 unforced errors in the match, and his forehand winner-to-error ratio was an unimpressive +1.) Seppi, looking peaked, was unable to stand is ground.
Federer broke again to take a critical 5-4 lead. Two shots in that game stood out. One was a forehand that Federer, taking on a headlong sprint, hooked back the other way in a manner more befitting a squash champ than a tennis pro. So it was an impressive +1. And on break point, Seppi tried a bunny-hop inside-out backhand. I'm not sure why the bunny-hop backhand is all the rage these days; players hurt themselves trying it just as often as they produce a decent shot (never mind actually winning the point).
The weird thing about that shot is that it's impossible to get real power behind it, simply because your body is suspended in the air. It's all arm and shoulder turn. It looks impressive, but only yields a winner if the other guy is hopelessly out of position.
The way Andreas Seppi was, leading 3-1 in the second set.
Federer took it, 6-3, 6-4, but he can't be too pleased with that low break-point conversion percentage (3 of 9). That's unlikely to get it done against his looming rivals.
—Pete Bodo