Federer On the Way Down
Roger Federer has said that injuries are the reason that he was not able to stay in Wimbledon and carry out a mission to win his seventh SW19 crown.
Federer was beaten in straight sets by Czech, Tomas Berdych, who had the edge over the Swiss in every single department during the game. Although Federer attributes the loss to injuries, many are predicting that he could be on the way down from the peak in his career.
Federer is and always will be one of the greatest players of all time but there comes a point in the career of every player where they start to find it difficult playing at the same level they have maintained for so long.
This was demonstrated during Federer's first round match at Wimbledon where he was match point down but managed to come back and battle his way through that game and the other early round matches that he played. It's important to consider both sides of this argument before you confidently view the potential for the rest of his career.
On the Way Down
Federer is clearly not the dynamic and attacking player that he was when he won his first two or three Wimbledon titles. During those tournaments not a single player could get close to him and it was evident that he commanded respect when he walked out onto any court.
However, now he looks a little slower to the ball and his serve looks to have lost its punch. These may be minor aspects of his game but when you consider how good he has been for so long it becomes noticeable when parts of his game start to change.
Many have commented on Federer's actual fitness at this Wimbledon - not the fact he seems to be playing with one or two niggling injuries, but his actual physical fitness around the court. He still looks in pretty good shape but it's clear that he is getting tired very quickly during games.
Not on the Way Down
Many will quickly forget that Federer won the Australian Open at the start of the year, which was only a few months ago. Therefore, he still has what it takes to win a Grand Slam event and on that occasion he beat Andy Murray, who looks like one of the most complete players at SW19 this year.
He still has all of the experience that he needs in the bank and he was able to draw on these during the early stages of Wimbledon. If he really was losing it, then it would have meant that he let his head drop and his game crumble when he was losing sets during his first couple of matches.
He still has the desire, which he has talked about himself. The things going on in his private life seem to act as inspiration to keep playing well and getting better, as he will soon need to start thinking about retirement and a possible commentary position. However, these parts of his life can wait for now.
Betting Advice
He is still a player who should never been under-estimated because he can still pull his best game out of the bag. The point is that he can't do it on as regular a basis as he once could and this has been demonstrated in the French Open and now Wimbledon.
The best option for future Grand Slams is to wait until you can see how he starts playing, which will let you make a better judgement on his fitness, mentality and form.
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