No tennis player right now compares to Roger Federer. No athlete in any sport is at the top of his or her game like Federer is now.
He won’t tell you about it like Muhammad Ali, but Federer is 25 years old and he’s The Greatest. Some say a genius.
“I mean, look, I guess I’m the best tennis player in the world,” Federer said after taking down Fernando Gonzalez in straight sets Sunday, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4, becoming the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to run through a Grand Slam without losing a set. “You can call me a genius because I’m outplaying many of my opponents, kind of maybe playing a bit different, you know, winning when I’m not playing my best. All of that maybe means a little bit of that. So it’s nice.”
The best of all time though, while still up for debate, is inevitable. He’s won 10 majors since the middle of 2003. Pete Sampras’ all-time mark of 14 is within easy reach; like most shots opponents try to bring at him, he glides to the ball with ease and finds the perfect shot.
To put his recent wins in majors in perspective, Sampras won his 14 Grand Slam titles in a span of 13 years. If Bjorn Borg didn’t retire at 26, the Swede probably would have extended his 11 Grand Slam titles in an eight-year period. The great Australian Roy Emerson took 12 slam titles in seven years. Federer is likely to surpass 12 within the next year.
Maybe Federer hasn’t had a top rival to contend with as Sampras did with Andre Agassi or Connors with John McEnroe. Critics have said the same of Tiger Woods. Then Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson stepped up their games. Other players will begin to challenge Federer like Gonzalez did Sunday, the 26-year-old Chilean nearly taking the opening set Sunday.
Federer was taken to the limit by Fernando Gonzalez. The Chilean was no doubt playing the best tennis of his career. But as soon as Federer overcame the two set points and eventually won in a tiebreak, the match was over.
Opportunity lost.
Once Federer gets through that opening set, he seems to relax and play even better, using his total court game to frustrate his opponent. His one-handed backhand is a thing of beauty, placing the ball wherever he wants. He’s superior at the net. You can’t lob over him. You can’t break his serve. His game is quiet, his silent, stoic demeanor all the more frustrating.
Gonzalez beat some top players to reach his first Grand Slam final, knocking off No. 19 Lleyton Hewitt, No. 5 James Blake, No. 2 Rafael Nadal and No. 12 Tommy Haas. Gonzalez has beat No. 1 players before, including Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi when they held the top spot.
Federer’s victim in the semifinals is not in the conversation of the best ever, but Andy Roddick is a good player. Federer made him look average. He had Roddick cursing and throwing his racket. Gosh darnit, Andy, he’s just too good.
On winning in straight sets in every match of the 2007 Australian Open, Federer was humble but admitted he’s amazing even to himself.
“I mean, I guess, you know, equaling records, doing something that hasn’t been done for a long time, it’s really nice, there’s no doubt,” Federer
said. “Wasn’t ever a goal for me up to win a Slam without dropping a set. It’s more to me that reminds you all the time, if you would, you know, you would be, so on and so on. All I care in the end is to hopefully hold that trophy, even though it might be 20-18 in the fifth set. I don’t mind, as long as I win. Of course, now that it’s all over, it’s great to think, Wow, you know, not having dropped a set. It’s quite amazing.”
It’s frightening how dominant he is.
“I mean, all these Grand Slams since 2003. That’s what, for me, is really scary, how many I’ve won,” Federer said. “I was thinking about it this morning actually when I woke up. Like if somebody would have told me I’d win 10 Grand Slams from mid ‘03 till today, I never would have thought there was any chance of doing something like that. I would have signed up for just one, you know. So to do that.”
In February, Federer will surpass Jimmy Connors’ record of 160 consecutive weeks as the No. 1 player in the world. The Swissman is right there with Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan. The best of his era, without a doubt, and one of the greatest athletes to ever suit up in any sport.
Craig Pearson can be reached after 4 p.m. at (812) 231-4356 or by email at craig.pearson@tribstar.com.
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