Keeping Things Happy – ROGER FEDERER
IT: Roger, 15 slams is such an incredible accomplishment over a long period of time. What qualities are you most proud of that you brought to this achievement?
ROGER FEDERER: To the sport?
IT: No, that you brought to achieving the record of 15 slams.
ROGER FEDERER: Just the fight because I’m famous for being casual and relaxed out there, not showing much. But, we all know how different it was.
So for me to come get [to be] the player I am today, I mean, I’m surprised. Just because I didn’t expect it first of all. I never thought I could be this consistent, that great of a player with so many qualities, you know. Because I know I have qualities everywhere in the game. I know I have also some deficits, which is normal, too.
Unfortunately, you can’t practice everything in tennis. We play too many tournaments. So we don’t have the chance, to work on our games enough. That would be interesting to see if we had six months off, how would you evolve as a player.
But there is a certain calendar, and we got to work with it, you know, trying to play well for the short period of time we can, and then also try to work on the game but also have enough breaks.
So it’s quite interesting how a career goes. But I’ve handled many things the right way, including the media, my personal life. I’m happy where my life has sort of improved, I would say, because it’s so much fun on the tour right now. I love traveling. I always kept things happy. I think that’s key to a long career.
Take It to the Next Level – JOHN McENROE
IT: What makes Roger such an incredible winner.
JOHN McENROE: We only have an hour. I don’t know what it is, its just everything. The guys amazing because Roddick just played amazing tennis. He outplayed him in some ways, yet Roger still found a way. Its great to be part of history, but more than that, I feel bad for Andy, but hopefully he will take something positive out of this.
IT: Does Roger’s mindset remind you at all of Michael Jordan.
JOHN McENROE: Absolutely. Jordan, Tiger Woods – that’s where they’re where they are. Pete’s the same way.
IT: With all his losses in his career, Andy could have said, ‘hey, I’m just going to play out the string, but …’
JOHN McENROE: But he’s a class act. I’ve always liked Andy. He’s gotten into a great place. I just hope he can take to the next level. It will be hard if he never wins this.
He Was Crying
FRANCESSCO RICCI BITTI: Federer is a champion for the whole world. He just won a match where the opponent played better than him. Our sport is cruel, more cruel than boxing. I told Andy ‘you are great.’ He was crying, because he feels that he has lost a chance that he believes is not coming any more.
More for Himself with this Loss Than All of His Other Wins Combined – PAT McENROE
PAT McENROE: Oh man, oh God. Andy’s done more for himself with this loss, more than all of the other wins he’s had in his life put together. He did everything right, it all came together, with the exception of one volley that he thought about a little bit too much. I just feel for him. Still he came back.
All the improvement he’s done came to the surface. He showed tremendous heart, play, character, toughness, endurance and strategy – everything.
In the fifth he stayed in there and continued to go for his shots and kept Federer off balance. I feel for him because it has got to be heart wrenching. He has to have a tremendous amount of pride. In a lot of ways he outplayed Roger and had him questioning himself what he should do. Should he come over or chip the return? Andy was decisive in the way he played. A couple of unlucky breaks and he had to save his serve ten times to stay in the match. Roger wasn’t able to impose himself.
His Day Will Come -LARRY STEFANKI
LARRY STEFANKI (Roddick’s Coach): A tough one. It’s a character builder, but he has nothing to hang his head about. He played a great match and it could have gone either way. Roger had easier service games, he was more on Andy’s serve in the fifth except for that one 15-40 game and if he wins one of those next two points it is virtually over. Roger’s serve was in a slot and Andy’s wasn’t as pure as it has been.
IT: You said it would take six months for things with Andy to click in.
LARRY STEFANKI : Yeah, he’s a much better tennis player. He’s a lot more solid, his returns are way better and it showed today. He lost serve one time at 15-16 in the fifth.
IT: And Federer?
LARRY STEFANKI : His record stands for itself. He just beat Sampras’ record. He’s the best player that ever played.
IT: What can you build on this? What can you tell your man?
LARRY STEFANKI : He can take this and run to the next Slam, the Open and use this as a positive. He should be proud of himself.
IT: And coming back after he couldn’t convert those four set points in a row?
LARRY STEFANKI : He showed a lot of resiliency and mental toughness. He was very calm out there. He handled it great and played like a true professional. It’s a shame someone has to lose. You lose your serve one time in five sets and go 17-15 in the fifth, it is going to be tough to suck that up. But his day will come. Nothing but good things will come out of this tournament. He’ll get a Slam under his belt. I said that from the very beginning, seven months ago.
A Lucky Man
IT: What one quality has been there in your son to make him such a wonderful champion?
ROBERT FEDERER (Roger’s Dad): We are just a lucky family and we have a very nice daughter too. She’s not around very much. I expected a hell of a tough match. It’s just that a lucky man won today.
Content, Mature and Very Much in the Conversation – JUSTIN GIMELSTOB
JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: If this doesn’t show there are flaws in the Davis Cup system, I’m not sure what does? How is it healthy for him or the sport to have to go to Davis Cup next week in Croatia?
IT: How much better a player is Andy than a year ago.
JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: His improvement is astounding. He is now in the conversation as to who is at the top of the game now. It’s something he’s worked for. His backhand is better – he’s using his left hand more and his backhand down the line is so much better and now he’s mixing up his serve more and he’s flattened out his forehand so it’s not so loopy and he’s not as exposed as before. He’s not giving his opponent as much time. He’s driving through his forehand. The way he’s moving off the approach and at the net. His backhand is a very good shot now. It went from a terrible shot to a very good shot. And his attitude and the way he deals with adversity, the way he stays positive. He has such a powerful presence. He’s so strong, so fit, so happy personally. He’s got the most, supportive, wonderful wife. He’s so content. It all plays in.
Our sport could not be any healthier. We had last year’s Wimbledon, than the Australian, the French and than this Wimbledon with all their great stories. Murray emerging in a huge market. He’s going to be a champion. You have Roddick re-emerging as an American. You have Roger re-establishing his dominance. And you are going to have Nadal coming back. Don’t think for one second he won’t be coming back with a vengeance.
This will hurt Andy for a while. But he will be busting his butt and be wanting this feeling again and he will push it to the wall. He is in the conversation at the top. This is huge for America, plus I saw a bunch of good juniors this week – Jordan Cox, Devon Britton.
Andy’s matured and it showed in how he handled himself in an adverse and tense situation. The guy held serve 37 times against the best returner in the history of the game in terms of creating breaks in the history of the game. Andy Roddick played like a champion and Federer is just a different breed of talent. Guys like that are once in a century type guys. Roger Federer is the perfect combination of tennis skills, athleticism and the mental ability to handle it all. And he does it with such class. Do you know how much pressure he much he was under every time he serves. The guy just finds a way and talk about how happy he is personally. There’s no stopping him. He’s got 15 and he’s getting better.
Heart of a Champion
TONY GODSICK (Federer’s Manager): “Roger showed us today the heart of a champion. He hung in there against the biggest server and sure he got a little lucky in the end. But with all the pressure on him, he showed what a fighter he is. It was such a fitting way to break Pete’s record. What a match.”
Everything
TIM HENMAN: Roger’s single best quality is everything: the whole package – mind, strokes, everything: head to toe.
