Roger Federer, champion who? (part 1)
As day 11 of the Australian Open dawns over Melbourne Park, only 4 men remain in the singles draw, 2nd seed, Roger Federer, 3rd seed, Novak Djokovic, number 5 seed, Andy Murray and 7th seed David Ferrer.
All of them have played some amazing tennis over the last week and a half. They are all in superb form, as one needs to be to get to the semi-final of a Grand Slam. But the question still remains, who out of these four shall vanquish the rest and be crowned
champion?
In this series of articles, each player shall be carefully evaluated, with stats, match history and playing styles will be analysed. From this data, one might hope to make an informed prediction as to, who, shall be Australian Open Champion in 2011.
To start with, consider the case of Roger Federer. He was the first player to get to the semis this year. A former world no.1, he is arguably one of the greatest players in tennis history. He also holds a record 16 Grand Slam titles.
Until last year, seeing Federer in the semi-finals was almost a certainty. With a record-breaking 23 consecutive semi-final, or, better appearances in Grand Slams, he was a permanent fixture at that level for more than five years consecutively.
Recently though, Federer has not been as perfect as he used to be. He went out in the quarters at the 2010 French Open and at Wimbledon.
A slump in form also led to his elimination from that year’s US Open, at the hands of Novak Djokovic, his next opponent.
At the year-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Federer witnessed a revival in form. Winning the tournament with his patented nonchalance, Federer avenged his previous defeat to Djokovic in straight sets. He also beat world no.1, and his arch-rival, Rafael
Nadal, in the final.
Since then, Federer has not lost a match, with his record in 2011 being 10 wins and 0 losses. He already has a title too, at the Qatar Exxon Open.
Federer is probably the classiest player in modern tennis. Graceful as a swan, he flits lightly around the court, unleashing h**l from his racket. Possessing the best forehand in tennis, he creates impossible angles at impossible speeds.
His backhand is one of the best single handed shots ever played. Once depending heavily on his slice, he has improved his top-spin backhand to almost the same level as his forehand.
His slice is as lethal as a drop shot, and his second-to-none tactical ability allows him to utilize all his weapons in perfect harmony.
Federer’s serve is also extremely accurate and consistent, and his second serve has an immense amount of kick.
For 7 years, Federer was the near-perfect tennis machine.
He still retains all of his skill on court, but over the years his challengers have raised the level of their game to immense heights too.
It is these challengers, who shall decide whether, Federer gets another crown to add to his already huge tally. And it is these challengers, who shall be analyzed, in the following parts of this series.
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