The "incomparable Roger Federer," as he was so aptly called in the trophy ceremony in Dubai, came back to win in three sets over Tomas Berdych in the final to capture his 78th career title, his first since June 2013. After a truly remarkable win in the semifinal over Novak Djokovic, also in three sets, for a while it looked like that may have taken all of Federer's mental edge and top level play that had been so captivating just the day before.
Although he took advantage in the first set of a poor service game by Berdych to go up a break, that was not to last even one game, as Berdych immediately broke back and reeled off the next five games, eventually taking the first set 6-3. Roger's first serve percentage was poor and he was throwing in shanks and puzzling mishits that had been missing for the most part during the majority of 2014. The second set didn't start much better as he went down a break and it looked for all the world like it was going to be a quick win for Tomas. From somewhere deep within, though, he summoned the energy and desire to keep fighting and managed to break back. He took the second set by breaking serve at 5-4. But it was anyone's guess as to what the next set would bring.
Federer managed to get an early break in the third set, but it was far from an easy road to victory. There were some very tense service games complete with break point opportunities that Berdych was unable to capitalize on. When Roger was unable to take advantage of a couple championship points on Berdych''s 2-5 service game I was a bit concerned if he would be able to serve it out being that it had been a long title drought for him. He eventually got it done, though, arms raised in victory for him and millions around the world, along with a few tears on my part.
This title was a big deal for Roger's progress on the comeback trail. It can play with a person's mind to be on the brink but not able to take the last step, so the combination of beating Djokovic this week and then coming back in the final in spite of the mental drain the semi had taken, and frankly not playing his best tennis in the final match, to get the win anyway will be a great confidence builder for him. So far this year he has had as many top 10 wins already as he had in the whole of 2013. Just this stat in itself proves to the many who have said he is in decline, and even that he should retire, that it was injury not decline that lead to his lack of results last year. He still has much left in him that he wants to show the world. I think he has many titles left to claim, hopefully one or two of them being majors still.
I will be heading to Indian Wells on Thursday for the fourth time but this time it will be for the duration of the tournament rather than just through the third round. Oh how I would love to see Roger holding that trophy! I will try to do as many updates as I can.
Roger Federer was surprisingly tested by 35-year-old Radek Stepanek in his 2nd round win in Dubai, being taken to a 3rd set after a loss of the 2nd set tiebreak. But as the picture suggests, he finally put his head down and eventually claimed victory. It really was kind of a strange match. On the one hand there was some brilliance really from both players, but there was also some ugliness mixed in with many breaks of serve, double faults, and just unforced errors that left us shaking our heads. To his credit Stepanek played a strong match, showing how badly he wanted it with some diving shots around the court. It's easy sometimes to look at a player like Stepanek and think it will be an easy win for Roger with their head-to-head and the fact he hasn't even won a set off of Federer since 2008. We forget, though, that he is a seasoned player who knows what he's doing on the court, has had some great success in Davis Cup to give him confidence, and he can trouble the top players even if he doesn't necessarily pull off the win.
In an interview following the match Roger revealed that he usually struggles in early rounds in Dubai due to the quick courts and getting used to the conditions. This made me feel a bit better, since I really was a bit puzzled by some of what was going on. He also said the following after the match:
“I started to understand what I was doing wrong,” said Federer.
“Which made me maybe play a little bit tentatively from the baseline,
what made me not make enough shots [and] why I wasn't playing as
aggressively as I wanted to. I couldn't find the right balance between
offense and defense.
“It was almost a bit too late for everything, but I kind of hung
around and I took the positives out of the match. Radek did a good job
of putting the pressure on me and mixing it up. From that standpoint, it
was a really difficult match. I'm very pleased to come through.”
Maybe having to struggle in this win will be what he needs to fully adjust to the conditions and be ready for bigger matches ahead. His next opponent is Lukas Rosol, who he has never played before. Rosol has the potential to take out the big guys, such as with his shock win against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon a couple years ago, but overall he has struggled since then, so if Roger stays committed to playing his game he should come out of that match to likely face Novak Djokovic, who is looking like a force to be reckoned with so far this tournament. But one match at a time. For now we will be happy with the victory that looked a little questionable for a while.
It was a day Federer fans had been anxiously awaiting for several weeks - Roger back in action in Dubai. And it was definitely worth the wait. Roger has once again been working hard during his off weeks, eager to get fully back to the form he knows he is still capable of after his difficult year in 2013 filled with injury, lack of sufficient practice and adjustment to new equipment. He already proved in Australia that he is back close to his best again, and today's match against Benjamin Becker was no different. The first set took only 22 minutes and he was in complete control. The second was a little more challenging, but he showed the world what he is still capable of at the ripe old age of 32.
I'm sure all his fans have already seen this amazing point showing his GOATness, but I still have to post it anyway. I have already watched it quite a few times myself. I will have to just post the link, though, since I can't seem to embed it for the time being.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzU9i9P3WrQ&feature=youtu.be
Right now he seems to be quite relaxed, enjoying his tennis again now that his body is cooperating with him, playing with aggression and confidence, which is so great to see. Of course, the real test will be when he plays opponents the likes of Novak Djokovic, who he would meet in the semis if they both progress. That would be a very good test for him, showing where his level really is at. I desperately want to see him kissing some trophies again in the near future, but if he is feeling good, enjoying himself, and playing the kind of tennis that he showed in that amazing point which had had him tearing around the court like a 20-year-old, then I believe that will come, hopefully sooner rather than later. Good days to come, fellow Fedfans!
As I was thinking about the fact that Roger Federer's Australian Open 2014 is over and processing his semifinal loss to Nadal, I was remembering back to two weeks ago. The draw had come out and Federer fans were reacting with dismay about the "draw from hell." In order to win the title he would have to go through, most likely, four top 10 players. It seemed impossible, especially given that we still weren't quite sure what to expect with his form, and to be honest were still a bit gun shy from the previous 12 months.
Now here we are two weeks later and, sure, we would have loved to see him find a way to get through Nadal for the first time in quite a while and get to an all-Swiss final with his compatriot and friend Stan Wawrinka, who reached his first grand slam final after an intense battle with Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinal. But look at what Roger did accomplish in the last two weeks! He played some absolutely brilliant and beautiful tennis in several of his matches, looking confident once again, being aggressive and coming forward, presumably helped by the influence of new part-time coach Stefan Edberg. He took out Jo Wilfred Tsonga in straight sets, who much of the time just looked rather confused as to what he could possibly do against someone playing so well, and he also got past Wimbledon winner Andy Murray. Though there was a little blip in the confidence and level of play to drop a set in that one, he still closed it out in four.
Of course, the complication came when he had to face his nemesis once again, the kryptonite that he just can't seem to figure out, Rafael Nadal. I thought he might have what it took to find a way to get it done this time, given his recent aggressive play and new found confidence. But Nadal knows the formula he needs to continue to beat him, along with raising his game to an incredible level every time he plays Roger. It definitely is discouraging while watching it, hoping he can turn the tide and then seeing hope slip away. In fact, once the second set was done and I knew it was virtually impossible, I didn't finish watching the match since it was the middle of the night for me But even though it always hurts to see that head-to-head continue to get even more lopsided, the depressing thoughts didn't last for long. Here's why.
As I noted above, two weeks ago it looked impossible. I didn't even know if he would get past the 4th round, and here he was in the semis with the possibility of getting to the final and winning the whole thing. Plus, as mentioned, he beat top 10 players and he made massive improvements in his level of play. Last year I would often watch in fear because so often the ball sailed crazily long, or was shanked, or some other such error that was so uncharacteristic. But in the last two weeks that has been so much improved. Instead his shots were often finding their mark, many times with sounds of awe from the spectators as the magician once again came up with something truly special. He seems to be adjusting well to his new larger racquet, and it will only improve as he continues to get used to it and find out all that it can do. And Roger himself said that he didn't expect to be playing his best until March or April.
While we can greedily wish that he had won the title in Brisbane and that he could have beaten Nadal to have a chance at another AO title, the fact of the matter is that he has started out 2014 very, very well. And it looks to only be improving from here. Though he will drop to #8 in the rankings, he has little points to defend until the end of the year and can thus play without a lot of pressure, just continuing to improve his level of confidence with the racquet and his own form with a (hopefully) healthy back. I think there is much to look forward to in the next months for the fans of Roger Federer.
It does the heart of the hard core Federer fans good, those who have stuck with him through thick and thin, never believing the tiresome reports that he is done and that he should retire, to watch him come up with such a dominant performance against top 10 player Jo Wilfred Tsonga, someone who beat him convincingly in the last major they played in. The Federer we watched send Tsonga packing in straight sets in the 4th round of the Australian Open was one reminiscent of the guy who made 23 straight grand slam semifinals and 18 out of 19 finals.
From the very start of the match he looked in control, confident and dictating points, aggressive and forcing errors, not allowing Jo to play his game. It wasn't that Jo was playing bad, but Roger simply didn't give him the opportunity to play the hard core style that has given Roger problems in the past. Not only was Federer playing aggressive and in control tennis, but the errors that have plagued him over the last year were largely absent.
He has been talking for the last few months about the problems with his back last year and how this didn't allow him to have the large practice blocks he needed to play well, not to mention simply not allowing him to move in the way he needs to move to play the kind of tennis we had come to expect. Many in the tennis world seemed to pretty much ignore this, however, just saying he was in decline and that he couldn't keep up any longer with the younger generation who were overtaking him. Regardless of how the rest of this week goes, though, I think he has proved already that he is still very capable of playing top notch tennis that will challenge anyone he plays.
There was a lot of talk during the match about the difference the new racquet is making for him. It seems to be allowing him more power and a bit bigger sweet spot. When he tried it earlier last year he wasn't at a point with his body where he could give it a fair trial. But this is the perfect time for him to catch up with the other players in the equipment department to give him a little more help that he needed. It's so encouraging to see this making a difference for him and that he is adapting so well to it.
Of course, stronger tests are on the horizon for him as he has to take on Murray now, who has a slight edge over him in the head-to-head. Personally I think he is up to the task, especially given that he completed his match in less than 2 hours and should be rested and ready for the challenge at hand. Hopefully in a couple days I will be writing another post talking about how amazing he is playing and contemplating the semifinals. After his last match it seems like a good possibility.
For tennis fans we look forward with much anticipation to the grand slams. We plan our schedules around them, we deprive ourselves of sleep, and our lives become crazy for two weeks at a time - at least that's what happens to me. My TV is on at least 12 hours a day, and I am frantically trying to keep up with all the tweets on the computer. Oh, and you mean I still have to work, cook and grocery shop too, not to mention try to get enough sleep to function? But these are the things we do for tennis because we love it.
For me the Australian Open is my favorite slam - the Happy Slam as Roger calls it. For those not living in the southern hemisphere it comes during dreary January, always a letdown after the busy holidays and still a long ways off till spring and summer. What could be better than watching amazing tennis in brilliant sunshine and hot temperatures?
Ok, let's get to what's really important - Roger Federer! He has now successfully completed two rounds with straight set wins in each (giving him a record 70 wins at the AO). In his first match against Duckworth he played reasonably well but still with a few bugs to work out, I thought. But in his 2nd round match against Blaz Kavcic, wow did he give his fans a treat!. These are the matches that those who love him, those who sacrifice sleep and watch him in the middle of the night, totally live for. The first two sets were vintage Federer at his absolute best. The winners he was hitting out of nowhere were breathtaking. Several times Kavic watched the ball go by with disbelief. How can a mere mortal come up with those shots?
Those who went through the difficult 2013 season with him know that he would sometimes play a great match giving his fans hope and then turn around and play a puzzling and disappointing match in the next round. Given this fact I was very aware while watching the match that we have to completely appreciate these matches where he is playing in god mode. At the same time, though, it felt like this was a very positive and encouraging sign of what's to come this year, as he is now healthy, he has had a lot of time to practice, and he is adjusting to his new bigger racquet.
At this point it's one match at a time, but I plan to appreciate every moment that I get to watch Roger play his beautiful, graceful and jaw-dropping tennis.
As usual after a Federer loss, it takes me a while to process the disappointed emotions. As I watched the final in Brisbane against Lleyton Hewitt I felt everything from confusion, concern, frustration, disappointment, annoyance, a bit of relief at times, and only little bits of happiness. I realize, however, that I set myself up for the negative feelings when my expectations are set so high that only winning the tournament will satisfy me. That realization makes me have to take a more realistic look at what I am expecting from Federer for the year 2014.
First of all, some thoughts on the week in Brisbane and on the final. I think overall we saw some good positive signs. He seemed to be moving well for the most part, his serve seemed to be back on board for much of the week, and it just seemed like he had worked himself back into good form. That's why it was so confusing, especially in the first set of the final, to see a completely different player than what we had seen all week. Since it doesn't sound like the back was an issue (thankfully), I have absolutely no explanation for that set. It was encouraging to see him find his rhythm in the 2nd set. My hope was that he would take that momentum and let it carry him through to the win. My biggest frustration/disappointment was his inability to capitalize on his multitude of break chances once again. He won't win tournaments if this continues. However, the fight, determination, and really quite brilliant play at times from Hewitt gave him an edge that it seemed Roger simply didn't have in this situation. Was there any feeling of him wanting his old friend to have the special victory? I tend to think not, but my husband is convinced it played a factor.
On to expectations. I admit I set myself up because I knew that technically he should win this tournament, and it just seemed that after such a difficult year in 2013 in which he struggled with injury, what better way to start a new season and prove to himself and others that there was a new mindset and determination moving forward now that he is feeling well again. However, at the stage he is at in his career, with all he has going on in his personal life and with all he has accomplished in the past, I simply can't be "expecting" the very highest anymore. Do I still desperately want it? Oh yeah! But is it realistic? No. And do I want to have a depressing tennis year if he doesn't meet up to my "standards?" Absolutely not! So over the next week I need to work on my mindset going into the Australian Open and the rest of this year, setting more realistic goals and enjoying every moment that I get to watch him play, no matter whether he is in Maestro mode or in Federror mode.
As for the positives to take out of Brisbane, he made it to the final, he got good match practice with his new racquet, his friend Rusty got to win a special tournament in his home country (which he really deserved), and he is feeling good with great determination for Melbourne, whatever the outcome ends up being. Ok, I feel much better already.
