Upstarts getting all upstarty

Posted by BESS: I was too tired to watch much tennis overnight, but I did see the third and final set of Federer's win over Milos Raonic.  A much more straight-forward affair than had been predicted.

Their three previous meetings had all gone five sets.  And after Tomic's strong performance against Fed last week (although he, too, lost in three sets), it seemed like Raonic would have even more hope.

Alas for them (but yay for me), Fed is in fine form again this tournament. And he's a marvel.

He barely seems to break a sweat. He rarely seems out of breath. And against these younger, taller opponents, Federer's medium-sized frame is deceivingly capable.

Post-match, Raonic revealed that he didn't know if he'd even be able to play until shortly before the match, given a metatarsal injury.  So he was likely not in top shape. Which maybe explains his lackluster performance.

Still, I was happy to see Fed teach these youngsters a thing or two about the patience involved in earning your spot in this sport.

I don't get the sense that Raonic is too obnoxiously impatient, but Tomic? Yeesh.  When the draw came out, people immediately started buzzing about the potential third-round meeting of the young Aussie rebel (Tomic) and the beloved GOAT (for the uninitiated, that's Fed.) 

After his first round win, Tomic was asked about this potential clash with Fed in the third round. Tomic said something to the effect of, "Well, he has to get there first."

Meooooooow!

Now, some commentators say that's a good tactic. Try to get in Fed's head. Try to plant some doubt.

But my, oh, my. The hubris.  You could call it refreshingly brash. I call it delusionally rude.

It's one thing to assert that you'll make it that far and could even take Fed. But to insinuate that you'll likely make it to that round and he might not? I'm thinking that's skating a little too close to the thin ice at the edge of the slippery cliff of decorum (to mix all of my metaphors at once.)

Turns out, it's a popular move among the upstarts at this tournament. After her impressive win last night, young American Sloane Stephens, into her first major quarterfinals, was asked about her potential meeting with Serena in the quarters. Her response was something to the effect of, "She has to get there first."

Oh, Sloane. Please take my previous advice to Maria and don't invite the wrath.

All that aside, Federer seems medium-sized and in charge so far. Nice to see and fun to watch. But he's got a tough road to go before he can hoist that trophy overhead at week's end. Potential match-ups include Tsonga, Murray and Djokovic. 

I mean, if they get that far.