Russeljones
Talk Tennis Guru
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...y-of-the-tour-at-33-paces-himself-for-us-open
The author seems to have overlooked R. Federer contesting the Wimbledon 2014 final.
Roger Federer, the daddy of the tour at 33, paces himself for US Open
Victory over David Ferrer in Cincinnati Open puts Swiss family Federer in prime order for Flushing Meadows
The door opened on the second floor elevator of the main stadium at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, and a white-haired woman pushed a double baby buggy inside, a snapshot of mid-west America on the face of it.
The buggy and its occupants, however, belonged to Roger and Mirka Federer, their second set of twins and quickly being accommodated alongside their older siblings as the welcome baggage of the player’s unconventional life on the road.
Of the many things that are remarkable about Federer the fact that he can operate at world-class level at 33 in an age of strength-sapping physicality while simultaneously leading what approximates to a normal family life surely is at the top of the list.
Other players complain about hotels, lack of practice courts, late shuttle buses (sharing a shuttle bus to the airport with a coughing journalist) and the general grind of the Tour. They agonise over the schedule, their back-up teams, their form and fitness. Federer hardly complains about anything, from questionable line calls to the obvious logistical challenge of moving around the world with a wife and four children – although he does have in place what is cynically referred to as “his staff”, especially by lampooning Tweeter, @Pseudofed (who is followed by most of the leading players, including Andy Murray; and nobody is divulging the rascal’s identity).
Federer is aware of the locker-room laughter behind his back. That does not seem to bother him, either. He is so in love with tennis and his family that outside considerations rarely disturb his Zen-like demeanour.
“I finally got a big trophy for the kids,” he said on Sunday, after flirting with defeat before seeing off the hangdog David Ferrer 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to win the Western & Southern Open, placing him in the best possible place before next week’s US Open.
The three-month-old kids, Leo and Lenny, might be less aware of their father’s deeds than Myla and Charlene (born July 23, 2009) but there is no doubt the close family unit is an important component in Federer’s enduring success. He is the daddy of the Tour.
“I’ve been bringing home some smaller ones,” he adds. “I keep telling them they are still trophies but this one should satisfy them.”
However, dad needs his rest. Ten days ago he turned 33 and, although probably in better shape than nearly everyone that age in the world, tennis is a weekly assault course on the body, hurting more as the years pass.
“I was considering not playing for just a day or so on Monday,” he revealed later. “So just to not go crazy here; we don’t need to take chances here. I need to be smart about how much I play, when I play and how I feel. So I waited for Monday, Tuesday to see how I played. In practice I felt like I was recovering quickly and gave it a go.
“I could have just not played here and gone into the Open feeling good about my chances; now I feel even better. On the flip coin, what was the other plan: practise, take a few days off? But then I have to grind it out in the practice. I still believe matches are the best practice right now. I’m not going to fly back to Switzerland.
“Now I come in [to Flushing Meadows] with great confidence. I can really rest now, rather than having to work on stuff. I can just enjoy New York for what it is and go out to the practice courts and do the opposite of what I had to do last year. Last year I went out there and did three-hour practice sessions and went for extra practice sessions after matches sometimes. That I don’t have to do. I know my game is where I want it to be. It’s about just keeping that level up right now.”
As for his Cincinnati experience, in which he saw off Andy Murray and Milos Raonic before getting his hands on the trophy in a high-quality final – the first in a Masters 1000 between two thirtysomethings – against Ferrer: “I’m very happy about the week. Just overall it went from good to great.”
It surely did. This was his sixth Cincinnati Open title (as it is more widely known), the 80th overall in his career, the 22nd in a Masters 1000.
His trophy cabinet is heaving again after taking a worryingly long sabbatical – although Federer has not contested a major final since he beat Murray at Wimbledon two years ago. That, most definitely, is unfinished business.
To extend his career he changed his racket, his training regime and his coach. Mr Nice Guy can also be Mr Pragmatic. On life with his latest coach, Stefan Edberg, he said: “I don’t know if you spent time with your idol but for me it was quite different in the beginning getting used to that. It was not something I ever thought was going to happen.
“So I’m happy that the transition is in the past now. We sort of like each other’s company. We don’t get bored with each other. We enjoy talking about tennis but then we don’t talk tennis all the time.”
And then there was the weirdest conclusion to the questions by a man who, in nearly every way, shouts “normal”. Reminded that he and Serena Williams now stand at 17 majors apiece, he said: “I didn’t know that, no. So, no, totally separate to me. I don’t know if it is to you but to me it is. But it’s great what she’s doing, no doubt. It’s great that she’s still playing and winning.”
And that, take it or leave it, is why Federer is a phenomenon. He is so able to compartmentalise his world he admits to being unaware that one of the greatest players in the history of women’s tennis shares a number with him.
He is no ordinary Joe.
Roger Federer by numbers
Federer is the second 33-year-old to claim the Cincinnati title, joining Bill Tilden who did so in 1926. Only Ken Rosewall (35 in 1970) and Andre Agassi (34 in 2004) were older when winning the title.
Federer has equalled Edberg for most Cincinnati singles finals appearances in the Open era with six.
Cincinnati is the seventh tournament where Federer has reached the finals at least six times: Basel – 10 finals (5-5); Halle – 9 finals (7-2); Wimbledon – 9 finals (7-2); Barclays ATP World Tour Finals – 8 finals (6-2); Dubai – 8 finals (6-2); Cincinnati – 6 finals (6-0); US Open – 6 finals (5-1)
Federer has won 22 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles and has appeared in 38 finals. His win Sunday snapped a four-match losing streak in Masters 1000 finals.
The title is the 80th overall in Federer’s career. He is third in the Open Era, trailing only Jimmy Connors (109) and Ivan Lendl (94).
The author seems to have overlooked R. Federer contesting the Wimbledon 2014 final.
