The Swiss Houdini

It was in the year 2006 when I first started following Tennis seriously while at Kota, Rajasthan. One Monday, I picked up a Sportstar from the newspaper stands bearing the picture of a handsome looking tennis player wielding his racket. I had few things to do that particular evening and I got that edition of the magazine along with the newspaper. The cover story was quite an interesting one and I immediately developed a liking for the ‘Flawless Federer’ as the author hailed him. Previously I had heard about Pete Samprass and Andre Agassi, but never liked them to the extent which would compel me to follow the game of tennis. Reading about Roger Federer however urged me to know more about the world of tennis.

The first chance I got to watch the master at work was next year during the French Open. It was the final, and Federer lost to Rafael Nadal. I distinctly remember the bitter feeling it left just because Nadal had beaten Federer. Since then I have been an ardent supporter of the Swiss and hated Nadal every time he denied him the French Open.

A lot has been said about the greatness of Federer. He has now own a record 15 Grand Slams in the Open era, been at the top of the ATP Rankings for a record 237 weeks and probably many more. Oh! But he is peculiar from his contemporary players. He does not scream every time he serves, does not break a racquet every time he loses a point and most importantly enjoys the game of tennis in a calm n tranquil manner possible only for a player of his calibre. Interestingly, while watching theWimbledon final today, I came to know the quote written at the top of the entrance which leads to the Centre court. It is a few lines from the poem ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling:

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same..

Probably this is where his greatness lies. Win or lose Federer’s modesty shows through. His magnanimity in defeat makes it impossible for anyone to cheer against him. Records are meant to be broken and someone will probably surpass Federer in years to come, but the grace and elegance with which he weaves his magic will always be fondly remembered.