In numbers now as in truth - Federer the best ever
July 5th 2009 19:05
Great stories are defined by poignant single moments. The greatest of the monuments depend on simple, individual bricks. As simple and universal as these statements may be, nobody resonates with them quite as much as Roddick probably does right now. What decided this Wimbledon contest? A single break of serve. And it was the only break of serve for Roddick in this 4 hours and 15 minute match. That right there was the defining moment.
Unstinting Challenge
Its easy to write about the champion. Its even more easy to spare a word or a thought or two to the challenger who stretched the Swiss genius to 16-14 in the 5th set and then move on. But in a way a contest becomes a spectacle not because of the victor. The quality of the contest, the guts-and-glory aspect of it - that is decided by the challenger. How much does the victor stretch? Just enough to outreach the challenger. So what decides how nice it is to watch such a contest? Obviously the level and intensity of the challenger's game. On that count, Roddick comes through in more than flying colours. He goes back without any need to bow his head. Nobody could have predicted that he could have ran Federer this close for this long. Yours truly had this chalked down to a walk in the park for Federer. How much more wrong could I have been? And how happy I am to be proven wrong ultimately! It is the toughest of the victories that you savour. And Federer will savour this as he has never done any other. And not just because he has finally gone where no man has. The quality and intensity of the contest was such that even if this were not the match which took Federer to 15 Grand Slam victories, it would still have appealed to the competitor in him. In any sportsman or woman.
So, ladies and gentlemen, lets not be shy in putting our hands together for somebody who throughout this tournament has been known as the "other" Andy. For let it be known that he controlled the play. He might be the challenger facing up against a great champion but he was the one who always forged ahead forcing Federer to dig deep to close ranks with this opponent time and again. Ultimately the first time he lost serve resulted in him losing the contest. But let us not forget that he sailed through unbroken right through the 4 hours and 15 minutes barring the 30th game of the 5th set! Andy came in unfancied. The only facet of his game that the press, the experts and the other players seemed to really take a notice of was his serve. With good reason. Right through the contest, Roddick was able to maintain an unbelievable service speed along with stunning accuracy with a mindblowing first serve percentage of 70%! Lets forget for the moment that Roger Federer thoroughly out-aced his American opponent - firing in a round 50 unreturnable thunderbolts to Roddick's 27. But really that was supposed to be Roddick's only real weapon. But here Roddick was - cranking the occasional winners off forehand and backhand and generally being able to hold off Federer from running away even from the back court. In the semifinal and today in the final what was generally seen was a tendency of the opponents (Murray day before yesterday and Federer today) to try and float the ball back across the court and let Roddick try and generate all the pace and thereby make an error. But Roddick has added facets to his game. He defied Murray day before yesterday and today he almost muscled Federer out of his date with destiny. But almost's are a professional sportsman's worst nightmare. An 'almost' tells you that you have had an opportunity and let that go. 'Almosts' are the ones that pose the worst questions in the night - thinking about what if that one point had gone your way or about whether Hawkeye really does have an eye. But with time and with even more unstinting effort 'almosts' can be made the most of - so to speak. In the fullness of time, Roddick surely will hold the golden trophy in the pristine lawns of Wimbledon, if he keeps on playing this way.
Swiss conqueror
For Roger Federer, winning a Grand Slam is nothing new. But today he was not just playing an opponent playing as if possessed. He was playing the occasion. At many points in the match, he was seemingly a bit tight with his play and waiting for the opponent to make the mistake. In that he was not successful and Roddick had two sets to show for it. But champions do not get to be champions for nothing. They get there by doing the hard yards. They get there not just by winning when they are having great days or when they are in that fabled "zone". They get there by winning even when they are not at their best. By lying in wait, by being humble and accepting the loss of a point or two, even a set or two and then make the best of what comes their way. Federer, as the inimitable Pete Sampras echoes, is a credit to the game. No one man can make shots and retrieves look so easy as he when they come off. Precisely this feature in Federer can be very frustrating to understand when he seemingly misses easy shots. But what looks easy is never all that easy. To that his opponents over the years can and will attest. Poise alone does not make a champion. But when genius and poise combine they have the potential to create an epoch-changing personality. One who can tower over the game. And Roger Federer today towers over the game - genially of course. The affable Swiss knows nothing else as evidence points. Always gracious and polite - not to mention his knack of learning various languages!
Today's victory confirmed for statisticians what was common knowledge to many who have closely followed tennis for generations. Federer is the greatest player ever to grace the game. At 2-6 down in the tiebreak not many would have given him a chance to wrest the second set from the rampant Roddick. But wrest he did - by playing havoc with the American's judgment and nerves. An example being the beautifully executed backhand cross court which would have probably sailed over the baseline but one which tempted Roddick to intercept with the racquet and send it wide. From there, Federer had the set covered. That little moment in the 2nd set ensured that Federer got a toe in to stop the fast closing window of this match. And as they say what happened after that is history.
Its easy to write about a champion's game. For there is a lot to write about. An impeccable forehand, a truly orgasmic single handed backhand, a pulsating, rhythmic machine of a serve and court covering skills to rival the best. All this without ever looking flustered. One wonders whether he would have a hair out of place playing as he does - even without the headband holding it in place. But its not volume that matters. The little things do. Against one of the greatest servers in the modern game, Federer easily came out on top in the battle of the aces. A staggering 50 aces to Roddick's 27. It is perhaps no coincidence that the greatest of the players have always been players who have a way to win the tie-breakers. And if you want to win tie-breakers then the service is your friend. But the greatest of them had variety at their command. Federer epitomizes those qualities - which is what helped him triumph today.
No Red Indian or a nonchalant cowboy has ever swung a lassoo with quite the grace of Federer whipping a forehand past his opponent - for one fleeting moment fooling him as if it was going out, but curving back at the last moment to kiss the line. Many have been the voices of experts and onlookers alike against the single handed backhand of the champion. It was touted to be the "weak link" in his game. And this not even considering the fact that Federer's nemesis Nadal was a left hander and this probably was why the battle appeared a little unequal. A left hander's forehand against a right hander's backhand. Today it was all out there in evidence. Backhand down the line, stinging cross court, slippery and smooth as silk slice, drop volleys, smashes - you name it.
If at all there could have been a small sour note in all this, it could have been the absence of the tireless Rafael Nadal. But then there was nothing much Federer himself could have done about it. And it would be immensely presumptuous of us not to mention more than a little unfair to think that the other players in the draw would not have challenged Nadal and that Nadal would have made it to the final if he were here - notwithstanding his No. 1 ranking. One other possible complaint from the Federer faithfuls out there would be the sheer abundance of the mishits from the Swiss' racquets and possibly a tendency to start slowly off the blocks nowadays. The champion rarely seems to make his presence felt in the first set nowadays - preferring to prime himself and conserve himself before racing off. Maybe that is why he was able to serve game after game comfortably well past 28 games in the 5th set. Or maybe not. But victory is a hard thing to argue against!
But then do you know what the best moment of the day was? It was, predictably when Federer celebrated victory, trophy held aloft in his hands - all smiles and nary a tear in sight. The champion is but human as has been seen from his copious tears on several occasions. But to be human is to probably defy stereotype and escape easy definition. And Federer proved that yet again - by smiling beatifically with no signs of tears when he ascended the highest of the mounts having completed his journey to reach where no man has ever gone in the tennis realm.
Unstinting Challenge
Its easy to write about the champion. Its even more easy to spare a word or a thought or two to the challenger who stretched the Swiss genius to 16-14 in the 5th set and then move on. But in a way a contest becomes a spectacle not because of the victor. The quality of the contest, the guts-and-glory aspect of it - that is decided by the challenger. How much does the victor stretch? Just enough to outreach the challenger. So what decides how nice it is to watch such a contest? Obviously the level and intensity of the challenger's game. On that count, Roddick comes through in more than flying colours. He goes back without any need to bow his head. Nobody could have predicted that he could have ran Federer this close for this long. Yours truly had this chalked down to a walk in the park for Federer. How much more wrong could I have been? And how happy I am to be proven wrong ultimately! It is the toughest of the victories that you savour. And Federer will savour this as he has never done any other. And not just because he has finally gone where no man has. The quality and intensity of the contest was such that even if this were not the match which took Federer to 15 Grand Slam victories, it would still have appealed to the competitor in him. In any sportsman or woman.
So, ladies and gentlemen, lets not be shy in putting our hands together for somebody who throughout this tournament has been known as the "other" Andy. For let it be known that he controlled the play. He might be the challenger facing up against a great champion but he was the one who always forged ahead forcing Federer to dig deep to close ranks with this opponent time and again. Ultimately the first time he lost serve resulted in him losing the contest. But let us not forget that he sailed through unbroken right through the 4 hours and 15 minutes barring the 30th game of the 5th set! Andy came in unfancied. The only facet of his game that the press, the experts and the other players seemed to really take a notice of was his serve. With good reason. Right through the contest, Roddick was able to maintain an unbelievable service speed along with stunning accuracy with a mindblowing first serve percentage of 70%! Lets forget for the moment that Roger Federer thoroughly out-aced his American opponent - firing in a round 50 unreturnable thunderbolts to Roddick's 27. But really that was supposed to be Roddick's only real weapon. But here Roddick was - cranking the occasional winners off forehand and backhand and generally being able to hold off Federer from running away even from the back court. In the semifinal and today in the final what was generally seen was a tendency of the opponents (Murray day before yesterday and Federer today) to try and float the ball back across the court and let Roddick try and generate all the pace and thereby make an error. But Roddick has added facets to his game. He defied Murray day before yesterday and today he almost muscled Federer out of his date with destiny. But almost's are a professional sportsman's worst nightmare. An 'almost' tells you that you have had an opportunity and let that go. 'Almosts' are the ones that pose the worst questions in the night - thinking about what if that one point had gone your way or about whether Hawkeye really does have an eye. But with time and with even more unstinting effort 'almosts' can be made the most of - so to speak. In the fullness of time, Roddick surely will hold the golden trophy in the pristine lawns of Wimbledon, if he keeps on playing this way.
Swiss conqueror
For Roger Federer, winning a Grand Slam is nothing new. But today he was not just playing an opponent playing as if possessed. He was playing the occasion. At many points in the match, he was seemingly a bit tight with his play and waiting for the opponent to make the mistake. In that he was not successful and Roddick had two sets to show for it. But champions do not get to be champions for nothing. They get there by doing the hard yards. They get there not just by winning when they are having great days or when they are in that fabled "zone". They get there by winning even when they are not at their best. By lying in wait, by being humble and accepting the loss of a point or two, even a set or two and then make the best of what comes their way. Federer, as the inimitable Pete Sampras echoes, is a credit to the game. No one man can make shots and retrieves look so easy as he when they come off. Precisely this feature in Federer can be very frustrating to understand when he seemingly misses easy shots. But what looks easy is never all that easy. To that his opponents over the years can and will attest. Poise alone does not make a champion. But when genius and poise combine they have the potential to create an epoch-changing personality. One who can tower over the game. And Roger Federer today towers over the game - genially of course. The affable Swiss knows nothing else as evidence points. Always gracious and polite - not to mention his knack of learning various languages!
Today's victory confirmed for statisticians what was common knowledge to many who have closely followed tennis for generations. Federer is the greatest player ever to grace the game. At 2-6 down in the tiebreak not many would have given him a chance to wrest the second set from the rampant Roddick. But wrest he did - by playing havoc with the American's judgment and nerves. An example being the beautifully executed backhand cross court which would have probably sailed over the baseline but one which tempted Roddick to intercept with the racquet and send it wide. From there, Federer had the set covered. That little moment in the 2nd set ensured that Federer got a toe in to stop the fast closing window of this match. And as they say what happened after that is history.
Its easy to write about a champion's game. For there is a lot to write about. An impeccable forehand, a truly orgasmic single handed backhand, a pulsating, rhythmic machine of a serve and court covering skills to rival the best. All this without ever looking flustered. One wonders whether he would have a hair out of place playing as he does - even without the headband holding it in place. But its not volume that matters. The little things do. Against one of the greatest servers in the modern game, Federer easily came out on top in the battle of the aces. A staggering 50 aces to Roddick's 27. It is perhaps no coincidence that the greatest of the players have always been players who have a way to win the tie-breakers. And if you want to win tie-breakers then the service is your friend. But the greatest of them had variety at their command. Federer epitomizes those qualities - which is what helped him triumph today.
No Red Indian or a nonchalant cowboy has ever swung a lassoo with quite the grace of Federer whipping a forehand past his opponent - for one fleeting moment fooling him as if it was going out, but curving back at the last moment to kiss the line. Many have been the voices of experts and onlookers alike against the single handed backhand of the champion. It was touted to be the "weak link" in his game. And this not even considering the fact that Federer's nemesis Nadal was a left hander and this probably was why the battle appeared a little unequal. A left hander's forehand against a right hander's backhand. Today it was all out there in evidence. Backhand down the line, stinging cross court, slippery and smooth as silk slice, drop volleys, smashes - you name it.
If at all there could have been a small sour note in all this, it could have been the absence of the tireless Rafael Nadal. But then there was nothing much Federer himself could have done about it. And it would be immensely presumptuous of us not to mention more than a little unfair to think that the other players in the draw would not have challenged Nadal and that Nadal would have made it to the final if he were here - notwithstanding his No. 1 ranking. One other possible complaint from the Federer faithfuls out there would be the sheer abundance of the mishits from the Swiss' racquets and possibly a tendency to start slowly off the blocks nowadays. The champion rarely seems to make his presence felt in the first set nowadays - preferring to prime himself and conserve himself before racing off. Maybe that is why he was able to serve game after game comfortably well past 28 games in the 5th set. Or maybe not. But victory is a hard thing to argue against!
But then do you know what the best moment of the day was? It was, predictably when Federer celebrated victory, trophy held aloft in his hands - all smiles and nary a tear in sight. The champion is but human as has been seen from his copious tears on several occasions. But to be human is to probably defy stereotype and escape easy definition. And Federer proved that yet again - by smiling beatifically with no signs of tears when he ascended the highest of the mounts having completed his journey to reach where no man has ever gone in the tennis realm.
| 50 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog