For Federer, It's Now or Never
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AS MUCH AS I hate to admit it, part of me smiled when Rafael Nadal lost at the French Open on Sunday.
This wasn't a typical root-for-the-underdog type of reaction, though. Nadal is, by far, the greatest clay court player of this generation. His 31-match winning streak and four-straight Open championships are awe-inspiring.
Better yet, Nadal has such a flair that his dominance never became boring. The thing is, he has stood in the way of Roger Federer's quest for a career Grand Slam.
Federer was boring, back when he was practically untouchable. Nadal changed that, not only at the French but also at Wimbledon — the site of two consecutive epic finals. Titles don't come easily to Federer anymore. To his credit, his work ethic has never wavered.
Many great players — notably Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl — could never conquer Roland Garros. Federer improved dramatically on clay, only to run into Nadal.
The door almost shut as quickly as it opened on Monday for Federer, who came from two sets down to win in five sets over Tommy Haas. It underscored how hard this tournament is for the former greatest player in the world. Yet now stands just three wins away from the elusive French Open title.
There's some real drama in Paris. Can Federer win it? It's now or never.
Photo by Getty Images
Addison Road
Doesn't it seem so long ago that everyone fated Federer to beat Sampras' record and then suddenly Nadal comes along and everyone feels sorry for Federer while he's still #2 in the world. I like Federer, but I liked Sampras better so Nadal keeping Federer away from the records I find to be a good thing. Perhaps we wouldn't feel so *sorry for Federer if his wins were spread out more. They just came so quickly and then Nadal put it to a sputtering stop. We'll give Federer this final one then no more. ;)
By Jason Yang , Posted June 4, 2009 11:17 PMOk now no more so there will always be the comparisons. :)
By Jason Yang , Posted June 8, 2009 1:49 PM