There are not many followers of tennis who won’t admit to questioning whether Roger Federer, the seventeen-time grand slam champion, had left in him enough to compete with and defeat the world’s most elite players after the 32 year old failed to make impacts in any significant event during 2013.
The Swiss, who is ranked by many as the greatest of all-time, had his unmatched run of appearing in 36 consecutive grand slam quarter finals ended when he was defeated in the second round of Wimbledon by a player ranked over 100 places below him. The former world number one followed the shocking defeat up by exiting the US Open in somewhat similar circumstances.
I am included in the many people that didn’t give Federer a chance of 2014 glory since the Swiss’s range of pragmatic 2013 performances that caused him to slip to as low as seven in the ATP world rankings.
However, the seven-time Wimbledon champion looks to be doing in 2014 what all sporting greats have done at points in their careers – proving doubters wrong.
Federer has consistently produced champion-worthy performances thus far this year, one of which was a superb victory against Novak Djokovic on his way to clinching his first ATP title in 2014 – the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Federer, who is now ranked as 5th on the ATP tour, pulled out more fine displays last week during the Indian Wells ATP 1000 event, which he went on to reach the final, where he won a set before eventually being outlasted by world number 2, Novak Djokovic
It is the fact that Swiss has produced high-quality performances in massive matches on numerous occasions this year that makes me believe he could do something very unexpected of him this year.
It has been admitted by Federer that he is even surprising himself, as he continues to produce top-class tennis in competitive situations on a regular basis.
“I’m very happy. I think I’m playing really good tennis. I’m moving well, serving well – consistently well. So many things are working.
“I’m just surprised that I’m able to keep it up week after week now. I expected myself to have a breakthrough tournament but then maybe a couple of early exits.
“But overall I’m just happy, I’m playing consistent tennis and I’m going deep in tournaments and I’m giving myself chances to win.
“Clearly it would have been amazing to win here and win back-to-back tournaments with Dubai.
“But I got very, very close, so it’s encouraging for Miami and for the rest of the season, no doubt.”
So how has the Swiss superstar managed to turn last year’s fortunes on their head this year? What is the reason behind this rejuvenation of Roger Federer’s career?
Federer recently appointed former world number one and multiple grand slam champion Stefan Edberg as his coach, who’s innovations have clearly been adopted into the 32-year-old’s game. Some will argue that Edberg is the mastermind behind Federer’s recent form while others, perhaps may put it down to the fact that the former Wimbledon champion is no longer playing with the sort of pressure he was used to dealing with in recent years.
Whatever the fuel behind the Swiss maestro’s engine, Federer fans that have suffered what is now years of painful defeats will be awaiting the events such as the US Open and Wimbledon in eager anticipation, to see if their man can pull off a miracle.
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