2 Responses to tokyo06federer_henman

1. Voo de Mar says:

   May 11, 2023 at 6:44 pm

   Points won by each set: | 31-19, 35-28 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   39 % Federer – 19 of 48
   29 % Henman – 19 of 65

   The last final in Henman’s career. He was 32-year-old at the time, twelve years after he experienced his breakthrough event in Tokyo when advanced to the third rounds a qualifier and met Sampras, who was the best in the world. Henman was initially one of Federer’s toughest opponents, but as the Swiss became the best player in the world, all their meetings were one-sided. Federer improved their H2H from 1:6 to 7-6 winning 15 consecutive sets not being threatened in any of them. # During that streak, they played two finals, both concluded with the same scoreline & the same time with points big disrepancy.

   Federer’s route to his 42nd title:
   2 Viktor Troicki 7-6(2), 7-6(3)
   3 Wesley Moodie 6-2, 6-1
   Q Takao Suzuki 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3)
   S Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-4
   W Tim Henman 6-3, 6-3

   Serve & volley: Federer 0/2, Henman 4/8

   # Comparison of their finals with the same scoreline:
   I. Wells ’04: Federer d. Henman 6-3, 6-3… 1 hour 7 minutes… Total points: 58-39… Breaks: 3-0
   Tokyo ’06: Federer d. Henman 6-3, 6-3… 1 hour 7 minutes… Total points: 66-47… Breaks: 3-0
   

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   May 11, 2023 at 7:13 pm

   30-year-old Suzuki [1078] received a ‘wild card’ and attacking the net a lot as a server & receiver, played the event of his life: he won three matches and during night session he was two games away in successive sets to make one of the biggest upsets in history of tennis. Despite the tight scoreline, Federer was controlling the match after losing the opener, he wasn’t forced to save a break point and raced to a *6:1 lead in the tie-break. “I could see the headlines,” a relieved Federer told reporters. “Federer loses to a guy outside the top 1,000. I’m glad I won – it saved my image. He played too good, too quick to get on top of me in the beginning — simple as that. His serve is really incredible for such a little guy. I had to dig deep and come up with a good breaker in the end.”

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