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.
Given to Fly
January 28, 2007
Given to Fly: It’s clear that Roger Federer is a genius
- Given to Fly
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GIVEN TO FLY: Come to expect new standards of excellence
Records are definitely meant to be broken; athletes today are faster and stronger than those in the past in many endeavors in athletics.
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GIVEN TO FLY: ISU women have solid recruiting class
The caliber of athletes that the Indiana State women’s basketball coaching staff is bringing in is on an upswing.
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GIVEN TO FLY: Major leaguers John, Dorsett meet up at tonight’s game
Terre Haute’s only two big leaguers of the last 50 years — Tommy John and Brian Dorsett — will catch up with one another today.
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FOOT NOTES: Valley natives perform well on national stage
Several Wabash Valley natives continue to shine on the national track and field scene.
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'Til It's Over: Sycamores ‘in a good place,’ but searching for more in MVC
Can Teri Moren lift Indiana State, last year’s seventh-place team in the Missouri Valley Conference, to one of the league’s contenders in her first year on campus?
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'Til It's Over: Two sets of identical twins should keep North Central baseball a contender
The last high school baseball team standing in the Wabash Valley was the North Central, the Thunderbirds falling short 4-3 in the Class A Semistate on Saturday just one game shy of Victory Field.
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'Til It's Over: Jarvis, Anderson confident Olney, hard work leads to Division I dream
Olney, Ill., population 8,000-plus and known for its population of white squirrels, might not be the dream destination for high school basketball players in Indiana.
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'Til It's Over: Robinson 7-footer more focused in postseason; 6-foot Jones keeps producing
Robinson 7-footer Meyers Leonard is not going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA some day, but his odds of reaching the league are pretty solid if his game continues to evolve as it has during high school.
- 'Til It's Over: ‘Stepping stone’ game points Sycamores in right direction Whether the win comes against a top-25 team or a conference pushover, ending a four-game losing streak is always a relief.
- 'Til It's Over: Indianapolis ISU recruit rolling along in senior season As Indiana State recruit Anna Munn approached Christmas with the Decatur Central basketball team, the senior guard didn’t seem to need much of a wishlist.
- 'Til It's Over: Magic’s still there for '79 Sycamores For the former Indiana State players who visited the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in late November, the weekend was a chance to relive memories with teammates and see Larry Bird’s career with the Sycamores celebrated again.
- CRAIG PEARSON: North has strong history in cross country state finals Vigo County is home to just four IHSAA state championships in team sports. Most recently, Terre Haute South won girls titles in basketball (2002) and tennis (2001).
- 'Till It's Over: It’s been rough year but no need to break up Cubs' core Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is only in the first year of a three-year contract, and aren’t back-to-back division championships enough to keep him around despite this year’s season filled with bad luck?
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- 'Til It's Over: Bertoli, Moore put on show in abundance of events “Anthony and Erica” may not have the marketing capability of “Dan and Dave,” but neither of Indiana State’s outstanding multi-event participants had let-down performances this weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
- ‘Walking wounded’: ISU seniors return to provide spark All three ISU seniors will graduate in May, and all three will be in uniform today as Indiana State battles Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals.
- Given to Fly: Northview standout runner Thacker coming to ISU Doc Brown told an old-timer in a saloon in “Back to the Future III” that despite having automobiles in the future people run for recreation.
- Given to Fly: Schilli’s Rodman-like performance aids ISU With Indiana State’s women’s basketball team ranking eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in field-goal percentage (36.5), the Sycamores need as many shot attempts as possible to maintain their standing on top of the league.
- Given to Fly: A classic in every sense of the word What tournament director and co-founder Gary Fears had in mind when creating the tournament came to fruition Tuesday. Marshall, with an enrollment of 438 students, became the smallest school to win the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic in the ninth season of the tourney.
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Given to Fly: ISU women should build confidence off strong outing
Indiana State did not pull off the monumental upset Saturday against No. 23 Kansas State, but the Wildcats are —aside from Connecticut in 2005 — the best team the Sycamores have played in the Jim Wiedie era.
- Given to Fly: ISU women's hoops team slides onto commercial radio Coach Jim Wiedie expects the Indiana State women’s basketball team to have a bit of a retro feel this season, meaning the Sycamores have the potential to get back to creating havoc with their full-court press.
- Given to Fly: ISU vets hope to prove pundits wrong Indiana State’s only two seniors were surprised to see they were picked ahead of just three Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball teams Tuesday morning.
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Footnotes: In first marathon, former Sycamore comes out a winner
Indiana State graduate Dani Prince made her debut in the event with a victory in the Columbus Marathon on Sunday.
Prince’s goal was a time under 2 hours and 50 minutes, and she ran a 2:48.56. -
Given To Fly: ISU volleyball turning things around
It was an extremely busy weekend for Indiana State athletics this weekend.
- Footnotes: Here’s hoping perfect weather is still around for Nationals in November The weather made for a perfect fall afternoon Saturday at LaVern Gibson Championship Course. For what it’s worth, the Farmer’s Almanac calls for more sunny conditions from Nov. 20-24, with the NCAA Championships falling on the 24th this year.
- Terre Haute natives cherish memories of ‘House that Ruth Built’ Yankee Stadium was packed as usual on Easter Sunday in 1979. George Steinbrenner’s Yankees were one loss away from being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to start the season. That was no way for the two-time defending World Series champions to perform, so the boss had a conversation with his new veteran left-handed starting pitcher prior to the game.
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Footnotes: Oregon men and women have strangehold on preseason NCAA cross countryrankings
The Oregon men and women were almost both unanimous picks as the No. 1 teams in the nation in the preseason cross country national rankings released recently.
- Given to Fly: Bronze medalist has strong ISU ties One of the remarkable American medalists of this 2008 Olympics thus far also provided one of the most sparkling stories in the brief history of the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course here in Terre Haute.
- Former ISU QB gets back to Amarillo This week, Indiana State signed its most highly-touted football prospect in years, and former quarterback Julian Reese is ripping it up for the Amarillo Dusters of Arena2.
- Indiana State track sending strong group to NCAA regional Three sophomore women and three senior men lead a large Indiana State contingent of track and field athletes into the NCAA Mideast Regional this weekend at Fayetteville, Ark.
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