He beat Jimmy Connors’ record for the most consecutive weeks as World Number One.
He became the first man in the Open era to win 10 or more titles in three consecutive years (2004 – 11, 2005 – 11, 2006 – 12).
He became the first player since Ivan Lendl in 1982 to win more than 90 matches in a season (92).
He became the first man in professional era to reach six consecutive Grand Slam finals.
He is the first man to win the Wimbledon – US Open double three years in a row.
The list of his achievements and his records can go on for a long time.
I am referring to Roger Federer, the man who rides way ahead of his compatriots in contemporary tennis. So much so, that people are already talking of him as a ‘best ever’ in tennis history, and he has several years of tennis still left in him.
As he kept winning easily, as he walked over his opponents with apparently little effort he was getting to a near invincible status as a tennis player. Everyone else seemed to be resigned to just compete for the number 2 position!
Just when we started thinking of him as God on the tennis court, Federer has gone ahead and lost a couple of times recently, and proven that he is human after all!
Thank God for that!
Federer is truly amazing, a giant among tennis players. A fantastic game, amazing mental strength that goes with it, fabulous confidence. He plays some shots that defy gravity and other laws of physics. He has had an unbelievable run over the last 2-3 years. I am confident that by the time, he hangs his boots and retires in a few more years, he would have gone past Samparas and others, in various record books.
We have to consider ourselves lucky to be alive at a time when this genius is at his peak. Its a treat for all tennis fans to watch his game.
In spite of these recent losses, I am sure that Wimbledon and US Open will be his, unless there are injury issues. Its the French Open which he so dearly wants to win, and which will be his biggest challenge for the year.
Cheers to Federer..!
Random Musings 