The Blowfish Diet Theory
First off, I have to say that Bodo is a horrible writer. He tries to be clever in his use of language to convey his point(s), his 'expertise', his wit, but it comes off sounding rather pedestrian to me. David Foster Wallace he is not.
Now, onto the speculation that Fed 'tanked' these matches. I've heard this before and it keeps coming up time and again (like every time he loses). I don't buy it....entirely that is. We can all agree that Federer no longer has anything to prove. Sure he would like to break the record for weeks at #1, beat Nadal at RG, etc., etc. etc., but the truth is none of this really matters at the end of his professional tennis career. His achievements speak for themselves and he and everyone else knows this.
So what is it with Federer and these matches? My sense is they are a form of practice for him, and to some extent he probably does look at them this way. Anyone who has seen Federer play or has watched him over the years knows he is capable of shifting into a higher gear when he feels the need to. When he was younger, it seemed he was playing in a higher gear most of the time, routinely dismissing opponents. These days, once gets the impression he is playing many of these matches in a lower gear, almost as if he is entertaining himself by allowing his opponents to stay close....almost as if he is soliciting a situation where he is facing down a match point just to test his resolve. These are the moments Federer is looking for. Winning by a large margin does nothing for him anymore. He has a need to feel like he is on the edge, not unlike the extreme sportsman taking it to the precipice.
My sense is he isn't explicitly tanking any matches. I believe he is playing these matches in this occasionally lackluster manner to solicit the pressure moments. Prevailing in these situations is what separates the true champions from the wannabes. Why not solicit them? He's got nothing to lose by doing so.
Blowfish anyone?
