Roger Federer has just won his 15 grand slam title, breaking Sampras's record of 14. He has also become number 1 again, overtaking Nadal. This has never been done before. He has won all 4 grand slams but not in the same calender year. But Nadal'sabsence through injury from Wimbledon and his injury at Paris would surely have helped Federer's chances. Federer's win over Roddick at Wimbledon was a bit of luck, given the 5th set went to 16/14. He never broke Roddick's serve until that last game.
Sampras agrees he's the best player ever, but don't we have to take the different equipment and times into account. I'm thinking of Rod Laver here. He was off the amateur tour until all tennis became professional, so his wins in professional tennis at that time were not recorded. Laver and the other Australians of the time has 6 week boat trips to England to get there to Wimbledon.
So I think there are still questions about Federer's greatness. He has to win when Nadal is in the tournament and he has to win a few more grand slams to equal out the disadvantages of those who played in the past had.
As usual there isn't much I can say about the French Open because I don't get it on free TV. On the female side, with Justine Henin retiring, it was all open and Ana Ivanovich won.
She became a favourite for Wimbledon but clearly the pressure was too much for her.
I saw an amazing final between the William's sisters and there is no way that they could ever be accused of colluding in who won matches. It must be difficult for Serena at the moment though, with Venus winning Wimbledon, because who does she get her support from? It was a fantastic match with psychology playing a part. Venus drew a line in the sand and would not stand behind the back line for Serena's serve. It was also a match where both of them had to play their best and great it was too.
The much anticipated final between Nadal and Federer was one of the greatest Wimbledon finals ever witnessed. Nadal had smashed Federer in the French final as he was expected to, but Federer was expected to win on grass. Not this time. I couldn't see the whole match as in Australia it went until something like 5am. After the second rain delay I went to bed.
I wasn't surprised to see that Nadal had won in the morning though. His play was almost faultless while Federer was clearly nervous and tense with all that historical weight on his shoulders. I wanted him to beat records, but that's what makes tennis so exciting. You can never be sure who will win. There are so many factors to consider. According to all reports the 5 set match went down to last point in practical darkness too.
I'm pleased for Spain having won the world football and then to win Wimbledon after many many years. I was impressed that Nadal had continued to learn on grass and not given the idea away. His shots were sometimes the most impossibly angled I'd ever seen. I only wished I could have seen the whole match. I might one day get a DVD of it out.
Despite not writing here as much, I try to keep up my winners and statistics still. The reason for not writing is that I cannot see many of the Grand Slams now, let alone the men's Masters or the Women's events.
I can't believe it. Federer lost to Djokovich in 3 sets. This ends the run of Federer in finals. He has been in the finals of grand slams for the last 10 times. Federer didn't look like the usual brilliant tennis player tonight. He looked nervous which meant he wasn't moving to the ball in the same way. He used too many slices to Djokovich and that doesn't work with this opponent.
And Nadal lost to Tsonga in 3 sets. So for the first time in a long time the seeded number 1 and 2 are not in the final. It will be Djokovich (aged 20) vs Jo Tsonga (aged 22 with 2 years out of the game with injury) from France. I can't wait to see this final. Is there a turnover coming with the younger ones taking over the old aged 28s?
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2013 Andy Murray (First British male to win in 77 years)
My favourite male player is Roger Federer who I first saw when he used to come to play in the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia as a run up event before the Australian Open. He is from Switzerland. Federer is expected by many (including Rod Laver, John McEnroe and Boris Becker) to go on and become one of the game's greatest male players ever. He has only lost 3 matches this year (September 2005). He has won 9 titles in all and has just won a back to back US Open title. He also won the Australian Open 2006. (See below for further years).
He has a brilliant and graceful game, able to send offhand backhands and running forehands down the line, almost at will. He can also create angles extremely well. His serve is deceptive. His ball toss doesn't allow the receiver to see where he is going to hit the ball and his second serve is very deep. He plays one-handed on both sides and is coached by one the best Australian players of the past : Tony Roche. What Tony Roche has taught him is to concentrate better, come forward to the net more and volley better. There is not much that Federer cannot do.
Federer was born in 1981 and grew up near Basel, Switzerland. He speaks three languages (German, French and English) fluently and conducts press conferences in all of them.
He currently lives in Oberwil, Switzerland. His wife is the former Swiss WTA player Miroslava Vavrinec (Mirka). She retired from the game in 2002 after a foot injury. They met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Tony Roche was not Federer's first professional coach. That honour goes to another Australian : Peter Carter. Roger says Peter was the person who made a lasting impression on him and had a huge impact on his tennis and life. Peter died in a car crash in 2002 after which Federer played badly at the US Open. Roger also says of Peter, "I think he's had the most influence on my game as a coach........We had great times together. And he actually, I think, taught me the beautiful technique I play" (from a 60 Minutes interview)
Peter coached Federer from an early age to aged 18 or 19 in Switzerland. Federer used to throw racquets and get in bad moods on court. Peter helped him with his temperament. When Peter met Roger at the age of 12 Peter said, " I've got someone here that's special but he's a pretty wild boy". Roger was already hitting the ball hard and with great technique at this age.
Roger Federer's career Roger joined the ATP tour early in July 1998
In 1999, he played for the Swiss Davis Cup team. He finished the year inside the ATP's top 100 ranked players, the youngest ever to do so.
Federer won his first ATP tournament in Milan in February, 2001.
In 2002, in February, he won both his Davis Cup singles against former world number ones, Russians Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov. In May, he won the Masters Series tournament in Hamburg, defeating Marat Safin.
In July, 2003, he became the first Swiss man to win the Wimbledon championship, defeating Australia's Mark Philippoussis in the final. He also won four Davis Cup matches during the year to lead Switzerland to the semi-finals. He finished 2003 by winning the Tennis Masters Cup at Houston and he then was No 2 in the rankings.
In 2004, Federer had a great year winning three of the four Grand Slam titles. He won the Australian Open for the first time, defeating Marat Safin. In May, he won the Hamburg Masters on clay by beating Guillermo Coria. He then defended his Wimbledon crown, beating Andy Roddick. In September, he defeated Lleyton Hewitt at the US Open final for the year's third Grand Slam. He finished the year by taking the Tennis Masters Cup at Houston for the second time in a row.
In 2005 Federer won the Wimbledon Championship for the third successive year by defeating Andy Roddick of the United States. At that Wimbledon final, Federer struck 49 winners and only 12 unforced errors. He won the US Open 2005, making him the first man in the Open era to win back to back US Open AND Wimbledon grand slams in consecutive years. He has also been the first man to win the US Open back to back since Patrick Rafter in 1998.
Becomes the first man in the professional era to win three consecutive majors twice in his career - Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open. Becomes the first man to retain the Australian Open title since Andre Agassi in 2001 and the first man since Bjorn Borg to win a grand slam without losing a set.
Roger Federer's stats November 2010 Year Turned Pro: 1998 Current 2 year rank for singles: 1 Current ATP Champions Race Position: 1 Current Doubles Rank: 129 High Rank for singles: 1 High Rank date for singles: 2 February 2004 High ATP Champions Race Position: 1 High ATP Champions Race Position: 1 (end 2009) Grand slam wins : 16 High rank for doubles: 24 High rank date for doubles: 9 June 2003 Career titles for singles: 60 + Career titles for doubles: 7 Career matches won: 387 Career matches lost: 119 Career prize money: $31,237,103 USD plus prize money for Wimbledon 2007
Federer loses to Nalbandian in the final of the Masters Cup 2005. He thus fails to continue his winning streak which stands at equal to the best by Muster. His consecutive 24 finals wins (in the finals he has been in) also ceases. But he was spent after 4 sets. He came in to the tourrnament with an ankle injury meaning he was not fit enough to match Nalbandian. But Nalbandian also played extremely well, perhaps the match of his career.
Federer wins Australian Open 2006 and Wimbledon 2006. Federer wins the US Open 2006 and the Australian Open 2007. Wins Wimbledon 2007 and the US Open 2007. Wins French Open 2009 and Wimbledon back to back. Becomes no 1 again (never been done before) and breaks record for grand slam wins
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