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Bionic Poster
http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/17149666/tennis-why-there-no-doom-gloom-roger-federer
Excerpts from article :
If you are a genuine fan of Roger Federer, you should vigorously applaud his decision to bail on the rest of the 2016 tennis season.
No, you won't see Federer in a few weeks' time, feet falling along the baseline as softly as a cat's, stalking the elusive singles gold medal in a farewell Olympic performance in Rio. Or later in August, flicking sweet forehands at the National Tennis Center in Flushing in the quest for his sixth US Open title.
In his present, somewhat-less-than-his-best condition, you wouldn't have seen ultimate success anyway.
But -- assuming a few months of rest and rehabilitation can bring his dodgy left knee back to a sound level -- the inconvenience of missing out on those late-summer visuals has a massive upside for the athlete who turns 35 in 13 days:
It likely means a few more years of the less-than-vintage-but-still-stylish Federer we have come to know in recent years -- which isn't half-bad. In fact, it's still better than good.
Indeed, the mood at the Team8 offices in Pepper Pike, Ohio on Tuesday was upbeat.
"There is no gloom and doom in our camp," insisted Tony Godsick, Federer's longtime agent. "The decision was unfortunate, on the face, a bummer, but it was encouraging, too. It shows he still wants to get out there and give it a few more years."
.....
"Actually," Godsick said, "he did quite well being where he would not like to be.
"In the end, I think he realized the competition, as tough as it is, you don't help yourself by playing less than your best. Now he can manage his schedule and take the steps necessary to get bigger, faster and stronger."
Godsick would not offer details, but said that by creating a window of four months without competitive tennis -- instead of the usual one -- Federer was giving himself more than enough cushion to come back completely healthy to start 2017.
"So if the doctor says he needs a certain number of weeks, now he can afford to give it even more time," Godsick said. "Everyone on this team is an optimist, and he's the chief optimist."
.....
Not just tennis, attacking tennis. Federer is currently ranked No. 3 in the world behind Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Will the tennis world change appreciably when younger players like Raonic, Thiem, Zverev and Nick Kyrgiosmove past him? In a word, no.
"If the goal is to go and play as long as you can," Godsick said, "it's the right decision."
Let the Federer flowing, fluid victory lap continue.
Excerpts from article :
If you are a genuine fan of Roger Federer, you should vigorously applaud his decision to bail on the rest of the 2016 tennis season.
No, you won't see Federer in a few weeks' time, feet falling along the baseline as softly as a cat's, stalking the elusive singles gold medal in a farewell Olympic performance in Rio. Or later in August, flicking sweet forehands at the National Tennis Center in Flushing in the quest for his sixth US Open title.
In his present, somewhat-less-than-his-best condition, you wouldn't have seen ultimate success anyway.
But -- assuming a few months of rest and rehabilitation can bring his dodgy left knee back to a sound level -- the inconvenience of missing out on those late-summer visuals has a massive upside for the athlete who turns 35 in 13 days:
It likely means a few more years of the less-than-vintage-but-still-stylish Federer we have come to know in recent years -- which isn't half-bad. In fact, it's still better than good.
Indeed, the mood at the Team8 offices in Pepper Pike, Ohio on Tuesday was upbeat.
"There is no gloom and doom in our camp," insisted Tony Godsick, Federer's longtime agent. "The decision was unfortunate, on the face, a bummer, but it was encouraging, too. It shows he still wants to get out there and give it a few more years."
.....
"Actually," Godsick said, "he did quite well being where he would not like to be.
"In the end, I think he realized the competition, as tough as it is, you don't help yourself by playing less than your best. Now he can manage his schedule and take the steps necessary to get bigger, faster and stronger."
Godsick would not offer details, but said that by creating a window of four months without competitive tennis -- instead of the usual one -- Federer was giving himself more than enough cushion to come back completely healthy to start 2017.
"So if the doctor says he needs a certain number of weeks, now he can afford to give it even more time," Godsick said. "Everyone on this team is an optimist, and he's the chief optimist."
.....
Not just tennis, attacking tennis. Federer is currently ranked No. 3 in the world behind Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Will the tennis world change appreciably when younger players like Raonic, Thiem, Zverev and Nick Kyrgiosmove past him? In a word, no.
"If the goal is to go and play as long as you can," Godsick said, "it's the right decision."
Let the Federer flowing, fluid victory lap continue.
