Roger Federer- An enlightening experience

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘football- the beautiful game’ but then again, we’ve all also heard ‘ignorance is bliss’. In this particular context, I think the two go hand in hand. Football is no doubt a beautiful game but, just like every champion has his nemesis, football too has its nemesis and ‘It’ presents itself in flesh and bone, and not an entire sport – Roger Federer. Ironically enough, this comes from a fanatical football enthusiast. It all happened this one fine summer night. I just happened to be going through one of my nocturnal phases and I witnessed (what I now term as a colossal mistake) The U.S. Open finals – Federer vs. Hewitt. Leyton Hewitt’s ‘never say die’ attitude in the matches was quite admiration worthy. For an avid football watcher, Hewitt represented the tennis counterpart to the Man United of that time. He was as hard working and you could never truly count him out. Federer though, is in another league altogether. He literally has every shot in the book (ask Djokovic), and the grace with which he hits them almost instantly makes you wonder whether it’s a television commercial or is it still live television. Hewitt was given a hiding. And till today, if you ask the ‘come on king’ he would insist on the fact that it wasn’t him who was having a particularly bad match because, he really wasn’t. At times, it seemed as though Hewitt was a mere spectator. Roger had won his third Grand Slam of the year, the first time a feat like it had been accomplished in a decade and a half. The result- a rude awakening for a stuck up like myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m anything but repentant of the fact that I was up that night, but it makes me feel a little bit , almost like a traitor. It kind of left me in an odd state of bewilderment.

The response that it had invoked was shocking, I found myself flipping channels to keep up with tennis even if there was a football match on at the same time (very big deal in my world). At this point in time, his career had only begun the flourish we all witnessed. But he already had experts predicting his immortality in tennis’s history. In 2005, ‘fed ex’ won 2 out of the four Grand Slams, this included a third consecutive Wimbledon and a second consecutive U.S. Open. The U.S. Open final of course was the epic match against Andre Agassi, where he was tested on all grounds in a particularly hostile environment. He also made it to the finals of the year end championships in Shanghai, but lost in a nerve wracking 5 set thriller against David Nalbandian. This season however, was labeled by most as a disappointment. Such are the expectations of him that, after winning two Grand Slams and reaching the semi finals of the other two, it is yet considered to be an underachievement.

Roland Garros v/s Roger Federer

2006 arrived, and Federer began his quest to capture The French Open. The only Grand Slam that had dodged its way around the ‘The Champion’. He was back to his fluid best, which led to him winning three out the four Grand Slams. He was however, denied The French Open yet again. The French Open has eluded many of the greats of the game, Sampras-Becker-Mcenroe, all live to tell what a regret it was. Surely though, Roger wouldn’t suffer from the same fate. Or would he?

One could barely blink an eye and The Australian Open of 2007 was upon us. Federer was in sublime form. He cruised through the tournament without breaking sweat, he was on top of his game. It was a performance which led to him winning the event, without dropping a single set. Roger had become the first man in 30 years to have done that. Next up, the orange clays of Roland Garros. Something that had given him the blues in the past. Millions around the world though, speculated on whether this would be the year of ‘The Champion’. All evidence leading up to it seemed to be pointing in the direction. The only thing that stood in the way was this 20 year old Spaniard. Rafael Nadal, ranked no. 2 in the world was the only man who ever had any chance of overthrowing the Might of Federer. Especially on clay, he had already beaten Roger two times in the last two years in the same event. But Roger’s form this year suggested otherwise. Nadal and Federer expectedly had made it to the Final. Roger lost the first set 3-6, but quickly regained his usual poise to win the second 6-4. This was the first set that Nadal had dropped the entire tournament. Federer though was nonchalant, he played with his usual finesse. It seemed as though, it was time for the man to meet his destiny. But, alas for it was not to be. Roger lost composure and Rafa capitalised to win the next set. The orange demons had emerged again. Federer lost yet another Final to Nadal. What followed it was a fifth straight Wimbledon title which included a fiercely fought five setted final against Nadal, where Roger had to dig really deep in order to overcome a rampaging Nadal. But somehow, throughout the tournament Roger had looked preoccupied. Later on in the same year he went on to win The U.S. Open, as well as The Year-End Championships, but one could see that the Swiss Maestro had his heart elsewhere.

The Australian Open in 2008 saw an unfit looking Federer who had missed the pre-season, go out in the semifinals. It was the first time in two years that he had failed to make it to the finals of a Grand Slam event. As time flew by, it had become sort of an established fact that something was going amiss this season. Even so, Roger did manage to make the final of Roland Garros. But somehow it just didn’t seem to be his year. The final was a mockery, a mauling. Nadal beat Federer in three unchallenged sets. He conceded a lonely 4 games the entire match. The worst defeat Federer had suffered in a Grand Slam final. It was difficult to believe your eyes as the sheer power of the Spanish armada tore the Swiss apart.

A cloud of uncertainty and fear surrounded The World No.1 as Wimbledon arrived. However, these fears soon dissipated. Federer appeared to be in fine form as he progressed to the final without dropping a set and all order seemed to have restored. For the third time in three years, Federer was poised to fight Nadal for Wimbledon. The memories of Roland Garros the previous month had only just dampened as Roger lost the first two sets in a never-before-seen manner at Wimbledon. An odd sense of shock and confusion surrounded Centre court, as spectators found what they were watching difficult to interpret. Federer did recover this time though, he pulled two sets back wherein he saved two match points. In the fifth however, Nadal’s hunger for a first Wimbledon overcame Roger’s will to retain it. Roger had lost Wimbledon. Nothing seemed sacred anymore. More misery followed- Roger then lost his status as the World’s best player which meant that for the first time in 5 years Roger entered a Grand Slam event not being The Top Seed. Losing Wimbledon and The World No.1 status didn’t shake him up though, as a rejuvenated Federer won yet another U.S. Open. It was his fifth consecutive title.

The long awaited Australian Open of 2009 did not flatter to deceive. Nadal and Federer made their way through to the final and we had the top two players in the world squaring off yet again. True to tradition, it was another exhilarating final. However to the disappointment of many, Roger fell short once again. It was heartbreaking to see him lose yet another final to the Spaniyard. He looked jaded, battered, bruised. Hopes seemed to be fading as Roger appeared to have lost heart. As the clay season started the ‘King of Clay’ looked in sublime touch. Rafa was in the form of his life and Roger looked weak. All roads were leading to another Nadal victory as we reached Paris. Up until the fourth round, Nadal hadn’t dropped a set and betting against him seemed unintelligent. In the fourth round however, he met his match. The mercurial Robin Soderling was having one of his brilliant days. He outplayed Nadal in every department as he undid the Spaniard in 4 sets. It seemed as if the Gods of fortune had conquered the orange demons. Seeing the opening, Federer as opportunistic as the opposition in the parliament, grabbed the chance by its throat cruising into the final. The final was against the man who defied all odds by beating Nadal in the 4^th round. However, it really was now or never for Federer. It was simple; he just had to overcome the ‘brutal’ Swedish ground-stroker. And to the relief of millions around the world and most of all himself, he did it. He beat Soderling in 3 sets to become the second player ever to win a ‘Career Grand Slam’ after Andre Agassi. The only bump on an otherwise smooth road had disappeared.

The Greatest player of all time?

Later on, in the same year Roger went on to win Wimbledon as well, beating a highly motivated Andy Roddick in the longest-ever final at Wimbledon. It was his 6^th Wimbledon, not only that, it also meant that he had eclipsed Sampras’s record for most number of Grand Slam Singles’ titles. Even as a fixated football devotee, watching Roger move on court has always been an absolute joy. Perhaps the greatest thing about Federer is the fact that he can hit the most impossible of shots with the utmost ease. Some people have even gone on to describe his inside out forehand as “The greatest shot in our sport”, while I, on the other hand describe his entire game play as an enlightening experience.