Roger Federer: The Enigma who transcends all hearts

Roger Federer celebrates his win over Andy Murray in the semifinal

“Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure. This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again, and fillest it ever with fresh life” – Rabindranath Tagore (Gitanjali)

Crowd were awestruck by Federer’s game

These are the words with which Tagore begins his book, Gitanjali. These lines have been interpreted in much more philosophical manners and have provoked quite a lot of profound thoughts among intellectuals. On my part, I found these lines more apt in describing Federer’s artistry yesterday evening when he blew away Andy Murray, in straight sets to enter the Wimbledon Final.

Such was the mesmerizing play and the aggression shown by Federer, that Murray didn’t stand a chance. At no point in the match, did Murray waiver in his efforts, but it was Federer of a different vintage yesterday night. Relentless aggression, always on the front foot, the desire to win burning so bright, that it scorched the Great British hope. To be fair, Murray didn’t do much wrong, just that some of the mistakes were ruthlessly exploited by the Swiss maestro.

As Vijay Amritraj, put it so eloquently, in his post match review, “Federer came into the match, knowing that he was up against the crowd favourite, but such was the beauty of Federer’s game, that by the end even the pro – Murray crowd, had to grudgingly accept the brilliance of Federer”.

As Federer, himself declared, “definitely one of the best matches I’ve played in my career”, it was heartening not to feel for Murray, who had to be incur the wrath of Federer, on this glorious English summer.

Murray gave his all

Andy Murray was outplayed by Federer in crucial moments of the match

Murray’s battle with the inevitable was best captured in the 10th game of the second set, where Murray saved five set points to overcome Federer. But for those 17 minutes, Murray’s battle against the rising tide was a sight to behold. Drawing from his entire repertoire of shots, he fired each and every arrow hoping to vanquish his conqueror. While, the battle was won by Murray with a roar of approval from his box, Federer calmly went back to take his place on the line as he swiftly took the second set.

Federer’s game play was so attacking that the Briton didn’t have any answers. Be it the kicker second serve, into Murray’s body or the 20 aces or the decisive serve and volley play. It was executed with such assiduousness that Murray wilted like a flower in a scorching sun. At times, Murray did show his class bringing to fore his retrieval skills and the exquisite lobs over the head of Federer as he looked to approach the net.

Momentum a term Sir Alex Ferguson, understands very well drilling it into his Manchester United players during his coaching days, constantly making them understand the importance of it. He was present there yesterday, and the sight of Murray battling to win that 10th game made for captivating viewing. But, momentum with belief and obviously the execution is what separates Champions from the rest.

Federer, on Centre Court was the one with all these factors yesterday. Murray thought he had stopped the FedEx, when he took “that” game, but it only turned out to be a false glimmer of hope.

Mixing precision with beauty

Federer in this day and age continues to awes us in the same manner that he used to do a decade back. His constant preparedness, warding off the host of competitors from Agassi to Djokovic, is a sign of his evolution and adaptability that continues to astound us. There is still the constant humility and that twinkling smile, which makes our heart go out to him. I really envy those, who have seen him play and especially those who have seen him at Wimbledon. What a sight he must be no?

Being present in Wimbledon, is an honour for all players, the prestige associated with it is immense. Irrespective of the rants of some eccentric players, it still holds a special place for all of them. It is “The Grand Slam” to win. Federer recognizes that and respects that with all his unassuming nature. Be it the scrupulous preparations, to the hang of his blazer, to the bandana, the esteem he has for all the traditions of Wimbledon, is what makes him the darling of Centre Court.

As wise men often say, Respect ought to be earned, not given. Federer is the epitome of showing respect. But then it is just not Wimbledon, the entire tennis fraternity recognizes that. Be it in Miami or in Basel, there is certain largess in the way he approaches this sport.

In this era, competitive sport has transformed everything about the win. Roger Federer, is an antioxidant in the sense that he combines winning with beauty. How else do you explain the 17 Grand Slams, which adorn his trophy case? Zealously winning match after match but executed with a perfect forehand.

Delivering precision with beauty, creating angles which are unmatched, he is really poetry in motion. His modesty can be best summed up by yesterday’s statement, “I think the fans know why I’m playing. At the end of the day, I enjoy it. The game is bigger than any athletes we’ve ever had. It really is. I feel very much liked by many people around the world. It’s been amazing to have that support. It helps when you’ve been around the block for a long time. People sort of get to know you.”

Federer makes it look easy

The challengers to Federer have made up for beauty by unmatched running and retrievals, which makes one sit up and say, “How the bloody hell did he manage that”.

Look no further than Djokovic, Nadal and Murray who have harrowed Federer in the past few years on a constant basis. Combining beauty with winning is in itself a rarity, Federer mastered it displayed it and continues to enthrall us. Rarely does a men’s game be described as beautiful, but such is the grace with which Federer plays that using any other word to describe his game would be shameful for me. Maybe, that is the reason; millions of fans around the world just cannot get enough of him.

In my opinion, I would like to conclude by saying that Federer is Art, who should be treated as a masterpiece. For every kid, wanting to learn a sport, he is the ideal role model. Forget your tablets and phones, I implore all to watch this persona, whose every shot in itself is a brushstroke. We may not have the patience and the option to watch an artist create a masterpiece, but in Federer we can see him paint this canvas. At Wimbledon which is his favourite canvas, he doesn’t just play the game, he paints.