Right when Federer’s fans thought that the fed express is back on track, it derailed in the final of Halle against the Australian Lleyton Hewitt. Roger Federer's dismal form continued even on his favourite surface. Although he won the comparatively easier matches before the final, victory eluded him again once the real competition arrived.
Federer now has been unable to win a tournament since the Australian open back in January. This would be the first time after 2003 that the maestro would enter Wimbledon with only one title to his name. Not just did he lose the final of Halle for the first time in his career he also ended his streak of 16 consecutive victories against the Australian number 1. Federer has been Hewitt’s nemesis ever since he came off age in 2003.
All these facts show that Roger is probably going through the worst phase of his tennis career and the more frustrating thing is that he doesn’t seem to realize it. After every defeat Roger comes out and claims that he is playing good tennis. It is high time now that he gets to know that good is not enough for him. The high standards he has set for him self are too low for his capabilities. His class is better than the recent defeats he has had to face. People who have struggled to win against him since the last six years are starting to triumphant, and it’s not long that even the number two spot might go away from his reach.
One thing has always been common in most of his recent defeats. He always started strong and would seem to run away with things when suddenly a bad game creeps in to give away a crucial break. After that a river of unforced errors would flow from the racquet of Federer and hand over an easy match. The same story repeated it self in the German city of Halle.
The final started in a familiar fashion when Federer broke the serve of his opponent in the sixth game of the match and held his deliveries to secure a routine set. Second set was on Federer’s racquet as well once he went up 0-40 on the Australian’s serve during the ninth game of the set. Many would have seen the set sealed over there, but as we have seen lately with Federer, he simply cannot convert the crucial points. Hewitt prolonged the rallies to save the three break points and took the force of his feat into the second set tiebreaker. The tiebreaker was a perfect example of a shaken Federer who has lost his range of shots. Committing costly errors he gifted the second set to a confident Hewitt.
The momentum was cleverly converted into the break of Federer’s serve right in the beginning of the third set. The unforced errors count kept on rising for Federer and he was not able to convert the single opportunity he got of reclaiming his opponents serve. Thus another disappointing performance came to an end as the King of Grass looked susceptible at his own back yard.
If Federer is unable to realize the grave need of the moment and continue his ‘fairytale’ attitude, it won’t be long that the top players breathing down his neck would take over the champion. Age has not affected the great Swiss and he stands fitter than ever, it is just the unforced errors that are hurting the champion, errors which a person of his caliber and experience simply should not make. All his fans hope that he enters the world cup of tennis (Wimbledon) like the champion he is, and they surely hope he leaves like one as well.
Tags: