Federer is the 2007 Wimbledon Men's champion. So, what else is new?
He comes to Wimbledon, wins the Championship title, collects the cup, and goes home. This time, on the way, he also equalled Bjorn Borg's record of six consecutive titles. Was that feat being accomplished ever doubted? This is where I profess my total adoration for Mr. Roger Federer. I'm a huge fan, period!
The Swiss have a way of getting things done - with a quiet demeanour and clockwork efficiency. Roger Federer is Swiss, and so is his tennis. While the other stars grunt and neigh their way through serves and volleys and smashes and forehands and backhands, the Swiss lets out a little more than a silent breath. The tennis ball from his racquet does all the screaming as it scorches across the grass searching for and homing in on those boundary lines.
People say the best competitors never let an emotion show on their faces. While the other stars shout and fight and argue and throw punches in the air, the lensmen would be lucky to get such frames of Federer. Only at the most crucial of situations, when he digs into that confounding bag of shots he carries around, takes out one that rewrites the laws of physics, yet again, perhaps surprising even himself, does he display a rare clenching of fists or an even rarer shout. Mind you, the spectators and you and me and everyone else watching the match, aren't surprised anymore. We are left gaping in disbelief from game one, set one. The ball could stop midway, do an Irish hop-skip-and-dance, and continue on its way, and we'd still be expecting that from Federer's racquet.
What the normal players, on their best day of tennis, play as winners, Federer plays on his bad days. The commentators covering a Federer match usually run out of superlatives by the end of the first set, then step up a notch their expectations, run out of superlatives again, step up another notch and finally decide to let the Swiss' tennis do the talking. Anyway, who listens to the commentary when Federer's playing tennis.
Ofcourse, I was totally heartened to see the quality of tennis Rafael Nadal produced himself. To take a Federer match to five sets, and to give the Swiss, even playing at his best, more than a few worries, is nothing short of spectacular. But in the end, the Swiss is the better player, atleast on grass (which hurts me to say thus, as I hope he spreads his supremacy over all surfaces very soon).
What impresses me about Federer, again ie (am beginning to sound like a recorder thats got stuck), is that the Swiss does all this in style. His tennis is so artistic and creative; he floats around on court, painting strokes one here and one there - beautiful sight to watch. His very entry into centre court, in that spotless white blazer for every match oozes with class. Notably, for today's presentation ceremony, he also donned on matching trousers to complement his white blazer. Now, one must remember that he brings these things together in his kit to the court prior to a match. One also would never know if he would have donned on those trousers for the presentation had he lost. Therefore, what I'm also impressed with is his confidence and arrogance (which I mean in the most positive of senses) in the knowledge that he is the Champion. But hey, whats wrong with that? The whole world knows it, why wouldn't he !
Thanks Roger Federer, you made my day !
He comes to Wimbledon, wins the Championship title, collects the cup, and goes home. This time, on the way, he also equalled Bjorn Borg's record of six consecutive titles. Was that feat being accomplished ever doubted? This is where I profess my total adoration for Mr. Roger Federer. I'm a huge fan, period!
The Swiss have a way of getting things done - with a quiet demeanour and clockwork efficiency. Roger Federer is Swiss, and so is his tennis. While the other stars grunt and neigh their way through serves and volleys and smashes and forehands and backhands, the Swiss lets out a little more than a silent breath. The tennis ball from his racquet does all the screaming as it scorches across the grass searching for and homing in on those boundary lines.
People say the best competitors never let an emotion show on their faces. While the other stars shout and fight and argue and throw punches in the air, the lensmen would be lucky to get such frames of Federer. Only at the most crucial of situations, when he digs into that confounding bag of shots he carries around, takes out one that rewrites the laws of physics, yet again, perhaps surprising even himself, does he display a rare clenching of fists or an even rarer shout. Mind you, the spectators and you and me and everyone else watching the match, aren't surprised anymore. We are left gaping in disbelief from game one, set one. The ball could stop midway, do an Irish hop-skip-and-dance, and continue on its way, and we'd still be expecting that from Federer's racquet.
What the normal players, on their best day of tennis, play as winners, Federer plays on his bad days. The commentators covering a Federer match usually run out of superlatives by the end of the first set, then step up a notch their expectations, run out of superlatives again, step up another notch and finally decide to let the Swiss' tennis do the talking. Anyway, who listens to the commentary when Federer's playing tennis.
Ofcourse, I was totally heartened to see the quality of tennis Rafael Nadal produced himself. To take a Federer match to five sets, and to give the Swiss, even playing at his best, more than a few worries, is nothing short of spectacular. But in the end, the Swiss is the better player, atleast on grass (which hurts me to say thus, as I hope he spreads his supremacy over all surfaces very soon).
What impresses me about Federer, again ie (am beginning to sound like a recorder thats got stuck), is that the Swiss does all this in style. His tennis is so artistic and creative; he floats around on court, painting strokes one here and one there - beautiful sight to watch. His very entry into centre court, in that spotless white blazer for every match oozes with class. Notably, for today's presentation ceremony, he also donned on matching trousers to complement his white blazer. Now, one must remember that he brings these things together in his kit to the court prior to a match. One also would never know if he would have donned on those trousers for the presentation had he lost. Therefore, what I'm also impressed with is his confidence and arrogance (which I mean in the most positive of senses) in the knowledge that he is the Champion. But hey, whats wrong with that? The whole world knows it, why wouldn't he !
Thanks Roger Federer, you made my day !
PS: Image copyright -Getty / C. Brunskill
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