Sunday, June 5, 2011

It's Clear Now - Federer Will Never Again Win the French Open

Roger Federer, the greatest tennis player of all time, has just lost at Roland-Garros to Rafael Nadal in 4 sets.
Nadal started tentatively, but won the first set after being down 4-1. He never looked back. Federer played very well, made excellent saves, but depended more and more on drop shots and net play to win his points. Nadal's fierce attack on clay was simply too much for the elegant Swiss.
At 29, this was probably Federer's last real chance at winning a second title on the surface that requires more brawn than his preferred grass court game. He managed to beat Novak Djorkovic in the semi-final, but it was a tough match that must have drained both men. It showed in Federer's play today, as he lost point after crucial point to Nadal.
So, much like the second greatest player ever, Pete Sampras, whose records Roger overtook, Federer will go down in tennis history as the player who could win everything and take all the records down, but who only won the French Open, the hallowed ground of clay, one time.
Maybe that's fitting. After all, tennis, like all individual sports, is demanding and unyielding. Every great talent has his or her weak spot, and no amount of effort or determination can overcome it. For Federer, it's clay. He struggles but usually wins. Only Nadal stands in his way, and probably always will.
So, if you're looking for the "complete" player who won them all often and crushed the records, it's still that fine "old" lady, Martina Navratilova who shines alone in the tennis hall of greats.

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