To Fellow Federer Fans

Friends, Sportskeedas and Federer fans, lend me your ears. I come to speak to you about Federer, not to glorify him but speak nevertheless, as one fan would do to another. I do this not with some ulterior motive but as befits the occassion i.e. the eve of the crown jewel of tennis tournaments, The Wimbledon. I shall not right or wrong anybody, for I am but a novice who loves the game.

The noble men of tennis would have us believe that Federer has fallen. And indeed, this is what is the truth, for they are all honorable men, and should not be wronged. It is here that he made his first conquest, nearly a decade ago, and brought us all cheers. Were we not enraptured by the crowns that ensued, one after another? We incessantly revelled in the laurels he won. He won many a battle, and did we not share his glory and the spoils of war that he brought along? Swearing at the top of our voices that we were his fans. When we saw him wield his racket with such majesty and flay his opponents, did we not secretly worship him? The elegant forehands that left us gasping for breath and the exquisite single-handed backhands that left us tongue tied for want of superlatives. Are these not tucked away in some safely guarded treasure of memories that we have created for ourselves to keep us going? Did we not adore him when we beheld him holding aloft the trophies regally? While he was epitomizing the gentleman. We wept with him, smiled when he did and cheered for him all the time.

Here was Federer where comes such another? We all did love him once, not without cause , what withholds us now from standing up for him. I pause for a while……

But today we have the carcass of that greatness right in front of our eyes, and none so mean to do it reverence and pray for its resurrection. We all called him invincible once and then the great Rafa made a chink in his armor with a powerful blow, and through it cut the deadly Djoker, and then followed a slew of hits by the erstwhile lesser men, and they are all honorable men (no sarcasm intended for they defeated him in a contest and not backstab like Brutus and Cassius with there group did). Today, they say that he is too vulnerable and so they would not give him a chance against the great men. Here comes another Wimbledon and the bookmakers give the great men a head on over him. The deadly Djoker stands atop at 7/4 while Rafa stands at 5/2 and they give him 11/2. And they are all reasonable, honorable men as he didn’t even come close to conquering this arena in his two previous trials. Yes,he has erred like a human, but has also paid very dearly for it. Are we wrong in doubting his mettle? For we have grown into rational beings. And what would pain him more than see his own legion of fans deserting him in these tough times. Alas! reason has trumped love.

Here we are at the gates of Wimbledon, where it all started. The same place that heralded the beginning of an era and gave us a star, whom we lapped up with both hands. We loved and adored him in his prime, when he brought us glory. And does it befit us to now extend to him only conditional love and support? If he were to win and script another piece of history which he has been doing all the while, shall we not pride ourselves and inherit the legacy of greatness?

Friends,Sportskeedas and Federer fans, our task now is well cut out. (Caeser couldn’t rise from the dead and his followers had to avenge his fall, but Federer can very well conquer the lost glory all by himself.) Are we stones that wouldn’t be moved? Shall we not back him to arise and conquer the arena which was his very own? For faith and prayer pay rich dividends

I shall leave you now, for i do not intend to right or wrong anybody, but speak right from the heart like a lover would.