With Roger Federer in yesterday's final we had witnessed a legend. And what a privelege to see a player we can link with previous generations, all the way back to when the semi-western grip was finding its birth in the mens game as the common way forward. How times have changed.
Now I am not a fan of any one particular player, I'm a lover of tennis, the game, the sport. And I just wanted to applaud Novak on yet another victory. I do not find him the most exciting player to watch, but of course I accept others do. However, if there was ever an army of tennis players to lead a line you want Novak there as the front man. His mentality, his fitness levels, his flexibility and atheliticsm, his dedication are just second to none. His shots are effective and measured. The only weakness he has is time. He will one day get old and lose his ability to react so quickly. But now? No. His technique and shot execution is excellent, but even better than that, he has the best tactical execution in the game. He knows when and how to mix it up, when to hit/slice the ball short, drive his opponents out of position. And most of all - he knows how to fight. How to pounce as soon as his opponent tires or shows a lapse in concentration. For me Novak is a tiger; his level is consistently high (he used to have significant blips before but not so much now) and is all over the opponent before he metaphorically sets his teeth in the weakened neck when its then over and out - game-set-and-match.
There does mark the question if in fact, yesterday we had witnessed not one legend - but two??! Well thats for the people to decide, there is no wrong or right answer. I personally feel that Novak will be remembered for the aforementioned for as long as tennis thrives - if that isn't hallmarks of legend then I don't know what is.
As to likeability? Well my favourite player as a teen was Sampras. I wasn't really a fan of Federer, the unknown player to have all of a sudden take charge at the top with a thrilling assault of aggressive tennis at its best . But then Federer grew on me.
One of the strange features of life in sport I have found is that as players in sport who start of as revered but not so "liked", well the older they get, the more "liked" they become. Whether they win or lose. As to whether this will be the case with Novak who knows, time will tell. But even though he is not my favourite player (FYI Gasquet is) - I like him, I appreciate him, and yesterday for me I saw him as the great player he is - a tiger, and a legend in the making.
Now I am not a fan of any one particular player, I'm a lover of tennis, the game, the sport. And I just wanted to applaud Novak on yet another victory. I do not find him the most exciting player to watch, but of course I accept others do. However, if there was ever an army of tennis players to lead a line you want Novak there as the front man. His mentality, his fitness levels, his flexibility and atheliticsm, his dedication are just second to none. His shots are effective and measured. The only weakness he has is time. He will one day get old and lose his ability to react so quickly. But now? No. His technique and shot execution is excellent, but even better than that, he has the best tactical execution in the game. He knows when and how to mix it up, when to hit/slice the ball short, drive his opponents out of position. And most of all - he knows how to fight. How to pounce as soon as his opponent tires or shows a lapse in concentration. For me Novak is a tiger; his level is consistently high (he used to have significant blips before but not so much now) and is all over the opponent before he metaphorically sets his teeth in the weakened neck when its then over and out - game-set-and-match.
There does mark the question if in fact, yesterday we had witnessed not one legend - but two??! Well thats for the people to decide, there is no wrong or right answer. I personally feel that Novak will be remembered for the aforementioned for as long as tennis thrives - if that isn't hallmarks of legend then I don't know what is.
As to likeability? Well my favourite player as a teen was Sampras. I wasn't really a fan of Federer, the unknown player to have all of a sudden take charge at the top with a thrilling assault of aggressive tennis at its best . But then Federer grew on me.
One of the strange features of life in sport I have found is that as players in sport who start of as revered but not so "liked", well the older they get, the more "liked" they become. Whether they win or lose. As to whether this will be the case with Novak who knows, time will tell. But even though he is not my favourite player (FYI Gasquet is) - I like him, I appreciate him, and yesterday for me I saw him as the great player he is - a tiger, and a legend in the making.
