Opinion - Editorials   

King of kings

It was fitting that Roger Federer won a record 15th Grand Slam title on his beloved Centre Court at Wimbledon where he first served notice of his outrageous talent. It was also fitting that Federer’s coronation was watched from the Royal Box by Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, and Pete Sampras — three former monarchs delighting in their successor’s success. In winning his sixth crown at The Championships, the Swiss maestro drew attention to facets of his beautifully creative game that are rarely appreciated: the heft, disguise, and precision of his serve, and the indomitable will to win. Federer, in a moment of keen insight, had spoken of how the bout of mononucleosis early last year and the back injury that followed subtly eroded his body mechanics. It affected his serve the most. To recalibrate his body intelligence, he had to push himself to extreme limits. The benefits of the training are growing clear, but it says everything about the man that he played at a high level through last year’s physical distress. Federer’s extraordinary record of 21 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals is a testament to his iron resolve. Those who say he didn’t have to face Rafael Nadal, his greatest rival and conqueror in five major finals, to equal and better Sampras’ mark need look no further than the American’s tribute: Sampras hailed Federer as the best ever.

No praise can be too high for Andy Roddick, who very nearly became only the second man to defeat Federer in a Grand Slam final; he didn’t deserve to lose. Roddick has reinvented himself, strengthening his ground strokes and losing weight to improve his movement. Perhaps the most significant enhancement is in his transitional play — from backcourt to forecourt — to volley. Roddick didn’t embrace serve-and-volley tennis. But he showed that despite the dwindling relevance of the volleyer at Wimbledon — thanks to the slowing of the surface and the ball, and the improvement in racquet and string technology, which stacks the odds against the style — grass-court tennis continues to reward players who approach the net. But Roddick’s best efforts couldn’t alter history’s course. With the great champions it is ever thus: they enact a script that is both inexorable and unfathomable. Federer’s apparent fallibility last year has served to highlight his recent accomplishments in contrast; it has also shown that however much one tries to fit genius into understandable patterns, it eludes comprehension. After winning the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam, Federer said he could play the rest of his career with the peace that arises from fulfilment. Having recently liberated himself from the pressure of breaking Sampras’ record, Federer, a month shy of his 28th birthday, is poised to reach greater heights.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

King of kings
Don’t judge budget by market reaction
Higher education & research in India
Obama move on arms reduction treaty: a major policy shift
Noncommunicable disease gap in the development agenda
Corrections and clarifications
Correction
Union budget
Path-breaking
‘Not a single Tamil house was attacked, not a single Tamil humiliated’

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu