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January 18, 2010
Roger Federer has a swag of records but history shows few fathers win majors
By Courtney Walsh, The Australian
TO witness Roger Federer at his peak is to view tennis near perfection.
The extent of his mastery of the sport needs no recounting, for if there is a record, Federer has broken it. Only the Grand Slam in a calendar year has eluded him. The Swiss champion fell agonisingly short in the Australian Open final loss to Rafael Nadal, which reduced him to tears, and he was overrun late by Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open final. The last time he fell short of qualifying for a grand slam quarter-final was in Paris in 2004. His astonishing consistency is something no other player -- not even his great rival Nadal -- can boast. And, perhaps frustratingly for anyone who has picked up a racquet, Federer makes the game look simple and some outstanding opponents look ordinary. Ask Andy Roddick and del Potro how they felt after being crunched by the world No 1 in recent Australian Opens.
The ease, though, betrays the time Federer devotes to perfecting his game. Australia's great female champion Margaret Court told The Australian recently that her coach would insist she hit 100 perfect shots in a row to complete a drill. Shank the 92nd and the drill would begin again at zero. Federer takes a similar approach according to Roger Rasheed, the Australian coach of talented Frenchman Gael Monfils. Rasheed watched in growing astonishment last week as his charge worked with Federer, who practised every shot in his vast array until he perfected it. Rasheed, who also coached one of Federer's early rivals, Lleyton Hewitt, likened the right-hander's meticulous practice regime to the methods adopted by professional golfers on the driving range. "You look at golfers and they go through all their clubs when practising and then go to the green for a few putts," Rasheed said. "Roger Federer is a similar case. He goes through every shot he has in his bag for 20 to 30 minutes. "I'm talking about all the shots. The slice, the forehand, the drop shots, the trajectories of every shot and the different parts of the court where he wants to land the ball. "He just keeps going and you can see him working the entire court over till he perfects it. Not too many players would go to that extent and practise like that." That, Rasheed says, helped explain Federer's greatness but also revealed the 28-year-old's desire had not waned. It is something the reigning French and Wimbledon champion expanded on during a weekend interview. "Most importantly, obviously, I'm focused on my game," he said. "I think I put in a lot of work, you know, last year trying to get back to No 1. Also in the off-season I try to work extremely hard. Because the year before, you know, I think I lacked that a bit through illness and everything. So I think I'm back where I want to be. "I maybe wasn't as successful as I wanted to be, you know, in the last few tournaments, but I was able to reach No 1 in the world. But obviously the back-to-back with the French and Wimbledon titles was an amazing accomplishment for me." It was in those "last few tournaments" -- he lost consecutive matches to Russian Nikolay Davydenko, a rival who had never before proven a problem -- that again raised questions as to Federer's appetite for success. Despite his incredible record, Federer has from time to time been written off. Some reckoned his French Open loss to Nadal in 2008 would forever haunt him. Or that the tears at losing last year's Australian Open final, on the back of ceding his Wimbledon title to Nadal, were that of a broken man whose dominance was over. This time it is John McEnroe raising the questions. The American legend is not questioning Federer's status -- he believes the Swiss star is the greatest to have graced a court -- but believes that fatherhood will begin to take a toll. McEnroe is speaking from experience. Following the birth of the first of his five children, the American never again held a grand slam trophy aloft. "He is amazing, Federer. The guy to me is the greatest player that has ever lived," McEnroe said. "But he has not got anywhere to go but down. I mean, he has already broken every record and at some stage you have to level off. "I was so amazed that last year, after losing here in the final, he was able to rebound and win the French for the first time and then break that record at Wimbledon and still get . . . within two points of winning the US Open. "I see him winning a few more majors. I just think it is going to be more difficult and I don't think he will dominate in the way he did." Federer is aware that history has recorded few fathers as grand slam champions but does not believe the birth of twins following his Wimbledon victory will diminish his chances. And he said the hunger is still there. "I'm excited now travelling the world, you know, as a family. It's really inspiring," he said. ""I'm working as hard as I have been. I haven't been just baby sitting. I feel my game's really where it's supposed to be."
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