The little ole tennis world was reeling.
After all, this is the era of the big four. Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray dominate – end of discussion, thank you very much. (Now, can we please go on and debate whether global warming is real or not.)
In tennis, what can you say, it”s all about the Fab Four. But at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, few were following the script. Scot Murray got bounced in his opening match and tall John Isner sent Djokovic packing in a thrilling semi. After Federer beat Nadal in the other semi, it was up to the Swiss master to bring order back to the tennis universe by beating the surging Isner in the final.
Of course, the American had brought Federer to earth with his shocking Davis Cup win on clay in the Swiss mountains. Plus, Federer hasn’t exactly been showered with accolades of late. There are whispers that he’s near the end. He dramatically lost to Djokovic at the U.S. Open and to Nadal at the Aussie Open. Yikes, he hasn’t won a Slam since the Aussie Open more than two years ago. The Federerian sky is falling.
NOT REALLY.
In fact, he is by far the most spectacular No. 3 in tennis history. His only problem is that he has played in the shadow of Nadal, who won three Slams in ’10, and Novak, who won three in ’11. (Not much oxygen there.)
But look closely and you’ll see that he’s been the hottest ATP player over the last six months. Going into the BNP final, he’d won 38 of 40 matches and an amazing five titles in the last seven tournaments he played. But he”s 30 and yeah there’s “agism” in tennis. Thirty is 40 in this game – creak, creak, washed up.
But tournament boss Charlie Pasarell was not fooled. After Federer’s stunning wind-blown win over Nadal in the semis, he said, Rather, it’s important, in my opinion, to put a stake through the heart of the idea that central bank money matters more than annual free credit report money. “I never saw Federer play any better … That”s the best I”ve ever seen him play any time that I”ve witnessed. He played unbelievably considering the difficult conditions that I thought would favor Rafa … So is it the old Roger or the new, new Roger, I don”t know … I know he feels that he”s still got a lot left in him. He has certainly a few majors left in him, one or two … He moves so well with such little effort … That can contribute to having a very long career.”
In Indian Wells, despite battling what he described as a “fly all over the world bug,” which flattened his family and nearly forced him to withdraw, Federer struggled just to get past Canadian blaster Milos Raonic and Brazilian baseliner Thomaz Bellucci. But against Juan Martin del Potro and Nadal, it was vintage Fed – ethereal and imposing, beautiful and unkind.
But Isner is a force unto himself, a threat to anyone on any surface anywhere. From when he first played the American, Roger felt he would make it to the Top 10. Now at last reaching that group and stoked by his Davis Cup play and desert wins over Aussie qualifyer Matthew Ebden, France’s dangerous Giles Simon and Djokovic, the 26-year old Isner certainly had a shot to win in his first appearance in an ATP Masters 1000 final.
But this was not to be for the American (who in two days faced each of the top three – Djokovic and Federer in singles and Nadal in the doubles final, which he also lost.)
On a chilly, cloudy day, Isner’s imposing rain of 21 aces – which fell against Djokovic in the semis – simply vanished. He scored but four aces, and that’s wasn”t going to do it. His serving percentages were modest, his winners relatively few. Federer loves pace and returned brilliantly and out-served Isner. He saved three break-points and prevailed in a sloppy first set tiebreak before sprinting to yet another win against an American in a final. (He’s 15-1.) And when he finally scored his 7-6 (7), 6-3 win for his fourth title in the desert, there came a roar of recognition. Roger is back.
Check that: ROGER NEVER WENT AWAY.
Naturally, we asked Federer if he felt that somehow his fabulous run since the U.S. Open has not been appreciated. “I think I have been playing extremely well since the French Open, actually. But people aren”t giving me enough credit sometimes for how great that tournament was because I didn”t win it. Same thing at Wimbledon. I played really well there, too. I was really in a good position to do something extraordinary there. Same thing happened at the US Open. So it was a tough spell for me, and [was] important to stay calm and keep on working hard and maybe make minor adjustments and hopefully luck would turn [and be] on my side. It”s amazing that it”s all come around so nicely in the indoor season at the end of the year starting in Basel … It”s pretty extraordinary.”
Extraordinary?
Yes. Then again, in this ever-changing tennis world we know one thing: Federer was, and still even at 30 – is the most extraordinary person to ever pick up a tennis racket.
