hi there

Hi all, I read with interest the Australia Open thread and wrote a little blog with my thoughts. Obviously this is just my opinion so feel free to disagree (in the nicest way possible of course!).


Roger's tears reveal a deeper pain

Like many I sat up watching the truly epic Australian Open Final last night and was amazed by the quality of tennis from both players.

I really felt for Roger at the presentation when he broke down. To put so much effort into your greatest passion only to fail at the last hurdle is utterly heart-breaking.

If you’ve ever put your heart and soul into something only to find your efforts have not been enough, it really can cripple you emotionally.

That’s not to say Roger Federer is a failure. The man has 13 Grand Slam titles and over $44m in prize money. Many even regard him as the best ever.

But behind the tears last night was more than just disappointment at losing an important game — a game that would have seen him equal Pete Sampras’ Grand Slam record. The reality has sunk in for him. He was, definitively, no longer the world’s best player.

Since Nadal utterly annihilated Federer at last year’s French Open, the specualtion started—Nadal was the new number one and Federer had lost his unbeatable aura. Nadal was showing impressive results, but many (including myself) felt his clay court dominance could not be translated onto faster surfaces where Federer excelled.

How wrong I was…

Nadal has come so far since his win at Wimbledon last year. That’s the scary thing about him—the level of improvement he continues to show. Every time I watch him play his game looks better and more refined.

I’m not going to beat around the bush here—Federer was playing with a clear advantage before a ball had even been hit. He had an extra day rest, and Nadal had played a five hour five-setter in his semi under extreme heat. Nadal is a super-fit guy, but even for him it must have had an effect on his final preparation, especially compared to Federer whose game against Roddick looked like nothing more than a training run.

The two are obviously very close in skill, but Nadal seems to trump Federer in some key areas. Firstly, Federer’s backhand needs some serious improvement if he wants to get back to the top. The last set in particular highlighted this problem as Nadal constantly pounded his backhand with his brutal topspin forehands and it cracked under the pressure. If Federer ever had a weakness in his career, it has been his backhand, but nobody I’ve seen has been good enough to exploit it like Nadal has.

Next in line is mental toughness. In years gone past, Federer was cool under pressure no matter the opponent or occasion. Whenever the big points came he was always able to step up and do what had to be done. While he’s still as strong mentally versus any other opponents, against Nadal he looks tense; unsteady. He looks pressured. He looked like someone who doubted himself after losing his last two Grand Slam finals to the same player. When the big points came last night, it was Nadal who stepped up and grabbed them. As much as Roger tried there was just this inevitable feeling Nadal had the edge.

Before the tournament started, Federer was — for the first time since 2004 — the number two seed at a Grand Slam. It irked him too — you could see it on his face and even in his pre-match interviews. He still believed he was number one.

After last night’s game, the reality seemed to set in — he really wasn’t the number one anymore.

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how the rivalry evolves, and how Federer will react at his “demotion” to number two. Some have suggested Federer won’t be able to bounce back after this latest set-back and the downward slide has well and truly begun. I don’t believe this is the case. As the old saying goes, “Form is temporary, but class is permanent.” Roger Federer is too good to just fade into the background. His era of dominance is well and truly over, but he is still a great player capable of winning Grand Slams — just not at the rate of three a year.

If anything Federer has become a victim of his own success. We all became so used to him winning we just expected it. Now as he heads into the final phase of his career and the competition has caught up, people are trying to figure where he belongs in the list of tennis greats.

In wrapping up, I want to acknowledge the efforts of Rafa Nadal. He has truly shown the world he is the best tennis player. Three consecutive Grand Slam victories against your closest rival on three different surfaces is damning proof. There is no more speculation or excuses — Nadal is the best tennis player going around.

Roger Federer is a legend of the game and the next couple of seasons will show the world whether or not he truly deserves to be known as the best ever. He has never faced a greater challenge in his career and his ability to rise above will be one of the most defining chapters in his legacy to the game.

Let’s just hope that includes many more epic five-setters!