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I'm not a great fan of games, but I switched the news on last night and saw the last 20 mins of the epic battle between Federer and Roddick (the real news didn't exist!). It was a real nail-biter between exhausted opponents trying to summon the last milligram of energy out of their bodies. Roddick still managed serves at close on 220 km/h while Federer, making several unforced errors, did manage to hold his own with some clever play.
My view is that Roddick, in the last set, was trying power play on his serves but netted them twice. On the second ball, he had to play more cautiously and Federer was able to return them easily. That gave Federer the match but at the cost of 16-14 games in the last (fifth) set.
Even I, as a layman, could see that this was Tennis with a capital T. I admit that Federer, now no. 1 again, appeals to me more than most other players: as well as being a champion, he has a dose of both humanity and humility. I also liked the way Pete Sampras congratulated Federer for having taken away his "best ever player" ranking of most Grand Slam victories. Maybe Flushing Meadows will add to the list; hopefully Nadal will be there for a match between Titans!
My view is that Roddick, in the last set, was trying power play on his serves but netted them twice. On the second ball, he had to play more cautiously and Federer was able to return them easily. That gave Federer the match but at the cost of 16-14 games in the last (fifth) set.
Even I, as a layman, could see that this was Tennis with a capital T. I admit that Federer, now no. 1 again, appeals to me more than most other players: as well as being a champion, he has a dose of both humanity and humility. I also liked the way Pete Sampras congratulated Federer for having taken away his "best ever player" ranking of most Grand Slam victories. Maybe Flushing Meadows will add to the list; hopefully Nadal will be there for a match between Titans!
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