Roger Federer: Finesse, Magic and Inspiration

Roger Federer – all of us know this guy. At some point; we all have watched him play – even if we are all crazy for cricket or; especially the girls; don’t feel interested in sports at all. It’s a foregone conclusion that he is a great player. Maybe the best ever; but who am I or any of us to conclude? Much more experienced and knowledgeable people have written about him. Hundreds of articles abound the internet; analysing why is he so special, what makes him him. A polite peek at the stats shows that he is one of the most successful athletes of all time. All this is common knowledge. Then; why am I writing this? There is no great secret about him that I can reveal; no mind-boggling new analysis of his nimble footwork or dextrous wrists or stunning single – handed backhand I can offer.

          A confession first: I am a die-hard Federer fan. When I saw him lose to Djokovic last week in the French Open 2012 semi-final; something deep inside me stirred. I walked back to my room; dejected and depressed. That day; I ended up spending an hour and a half watching Federer videos on Youtube (bless the internet). I looked up videos of the time when he was at his vintage best – 2005 to 2007 or 2008. The time he completely dominated the game. Slowly but surely; my sullen mood lifted. I cheered his amazing shots; and clapped like a child with the shots. It got me thinking again; why did these make me feel better?

          As a 14 or 15 year old; I ardently followed Tennis on TV. I myself play table tennis. The more I saw of Federer; the fascinated I became. The on court demeanour; the calmness; the eons of time he seems to have to hit the ball; the reflexes; how quickly he moved around the court; the impossible shots he hit; the way he dismantled his opponents, and a million other tiny things. When I play; I turn into this raging, aggressive, gesticulating, shouting maniac. I have a hard time controlling my emotions. Also; I see the ball coming; but I can’t hit it the way I want to; put it where I want to. Federer did these with effortless ease. A valid point that I can myself make is any professional player has these attributes. But something in Roger Federer was different – he inspired me. Maybe it was because there was more to his game than brute strength. The pleasing-to-the-eye way he carried himself. How he turned the game into a show of elegance. I read more about him – he had anger management issues as a teenager. He was expected to conquer the world of tennis; but his start was slow etc etc. Watching him play inspired me to improve. If you have played any sport; even at school level; you’ll appreciate the fact that you need a constant source of inspiration to push yourself.

          He left a deep ingrained impression on me. Watching him was an exciting breathless experience – you never knew when the next audacious shot came up, the cross – court single handed backhand winner, the sliced backhand passing shot, the amazingly agile serve – it still surprises me how he managed to put the serve in any corner with the same ball-toss. He made me his lifelong fan and source of inspiration. When Marat Safin defeated him in Australian Open (2005) semi final I remember foregoing dinner as I was so upset. That match showed me his mortality. He is also a human- and can make mistakes (he blew away a match point that day). The 2006 Wimbledon final is an epic classic – no one can deny that. Now as I realize that he is past his prime – with changing priorities (he is a family man now) and age catching up – I may not witness the bewitching grace and fluidity of Federer very long now. It saddens me. It’ll be a great loss to tennis when he calls it a day, more so, a lot of youngsters coming up wont be able to learn from him by watching him in action. Tennis will lose a role model.

Now as Wimbledon approaches us; I cant help but hope, c’mon Federer turn back the clock – show us your A game – just once lets us all be mesmerised again!!