Ever since childhood I have had this penchant for beauty. Beauty in its various forms have always attracted and fascinated me.So when I first beheld roger federer wield his racquet (it seemed more like a magic wand),I was just dazed. He had such a beautiful game.it is a visual treat to anybody who watches him play,especially when in full flow.Tennis has always caught my fancy. It was always my favourite sport. Federer only made it more special.
He is an artist in motion. He is such a pleasure to watch .its just impossible to describe in words. I have always been perplexed at his mastery over this craft. He is widely touted as the ‘most talented tennis player ever’. how true. This guy has all the shots in the book and also has invented quite a few of them. Watch some of his video compilations .you’ll be blown away ,point blank. This man can hit some crazy, baffling shots. Shots ,which never existed till he hit them. That is why he’s a “connoisseur’s delight”. You just don’t know what he’s going to come up with. He keeps you guessing with his variety. roger has an impressive repertoire of shots which leaves him with a large number of options. He has a whiplash of a forehand which is hit flat and also one other with a good amount of topspin. Then he possesses that ripping crosscourt forehand that just shoots off the court in no time. His stylish single handed backhand is a piece of art. He attacks with his backhand on both wings. His volleys are crisp.Then you always have those “magic shots” which he hits from time to time in order to keep the opponents off-guard.The only chink in his otherwise impregnable fortress is the high backhand which draws a lot of errors from his racquet ( nadal exploits this weakness with great effect). His movement(which has deteriorated off late) is fluid,its almost as if he’s gliding on court. he's all class and composure. Such was his dominance in tennis that he ruled the tennis world for around 5 years. That was something unprecedented in tennis history. No person was this dominant, not even pistol pete. There were times when his opponents didn’t have a clue what was going on. they were merely a witness to federer’s prodigious skill and talent. Most of the times they didnt know what hit them. The 5 years when he ruled, he kept winning. he had a staggering win:loss ratio. this was the time when He was an unstoppable force. Opponents used to cower before him. Most of the times they gave up mentally before the match even started. He only lost on one surface : clay(and that too to one man: his nemesis nadal) . in short he was invincible. Some of his records just defied logic. Example: he won two grand slams 5 times successively.(wimbledon and us open).“he floats like a butterfly stings like bee”. But all of a sudden the federer express came to screeching halt or atleast he slowed down considerably. He started losing a lot more and started commiting many uncharacteristic unforced errors.till 2007 he consistently maintained the mind-boggling record of winning 3 slams out of 4. in 2008 he had to settle for just 1.in his worst year since he became world no.1. he made it to the finals of 2 slams and won a grand slam.That is a great achievement for any other player. but by federer’s elevated standards it was an ordinary year. As he himself accepted federer had created some sort of a monster. People always expect a lot from him. He is expected to win every match , every point. Despite being a die-hard roger federer fan I’m convinced that 2008 is the beginning of the end . A person just cant keep winning. Sooner or later the law of averages is bound to to catch up. Today roger is the palest shadow of his illustrious past . i sometimes even wonder if it was the same man whom i admire. I’m left in no doubt however that he will resurrect himself and fulfill his destiny of overtaking pete sampras’ record of 14 slams(he’s just one short on 13
There have been very few things that have given me as much pleasure as watching the emperor play. i just run out of superlatives while describing him. He has been the guiding light,my inspiration,my role model. In short he has now become an indispensable part of my life….even more than an obsession. whether you win or lose I will always continue to support you Roger. Federer forever......
