Roger Federer issues warning to Rafeal Nadal
Making the perfect start in defence of his sole French Open title was not just a morale boost but also a tough warning signal to four-time champion and clay court specialist Rafael Nadal. The fedexpress cruised to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 win over Australian Peter Luczak on the Phillipe Chartrier court on the opening day. This was just one obstacle overcome in a long road ahead, but Federer knows what lies ahead; it’s the face off against the rejuvenated Nadal. Nadal has been on a winning spree ever since his comeback from a knee injury, which cost him last year’s fifth successive French Open title. This season, he is a different player altogether, changing his tactics and easing the pressure on his knees, but that has not stopped him from winning fifteen matches on the trot and picking up three titles on his way to Roland Garros.
This however was not enough to scare Federer, who it seemed was just concentrating on defending his title when he came out on the court against World Number 70 Peter Luczak. His firepower was something Luczak just could not withstand, and his accurate serving and volleying proved to be just too good for the Australian, who crumbled in three straight sets. Federer cruised through the match with the only discomfort coming to him from the sweltering Paris heat that prompted him to change gear several times.
Federer was ecstatic on getting off on a good start, which according to him is the most important factor in the defence of a major title. Just as he is a natural on grass, he felt that he was getting more comfortable on clay as the years went by. He hoped that he would play in the finals against Nadal, which he felt would be a perfect end to the championship. This comfortable win was a sure sign to the red dirt champion that Federer meant business.
Federer relaxed into the match against Luczak after winning the first set in forty-three minutes. After that it was a series of volleys and drop shots that won him the second set in twenty-nine minutes and then the final nail in the coffin came thirty-six minutes into the third set. Federer sent the Australian packing in all of one hour and forty-eight minutes.
Watching the match, the separation of excellence and class was visibly obvious and not just that Federer’s supreme experience also played a major role. This French Open is the Fedexpress’s forty second straight grand slam appearance on the go and if he can maintain his Number one ranking till the seventh of June then he will equal Pete Sampras’s record of being on the top for two hundred and eighty six consecutive weeks. That is not all he has to play for but if he does manage to get his hands on the winners trophy this year, he would become the first player to successfully defend a grand slam title after his very own 2008 US Open win. Thus there is a lot at stake, and during his first match he showed no signs of nerves or slowing down.
His effortless performance shone through many of the points in the match, one such was when he nearly reached the change over chairs and still managed to hit the drop shot at an angle that left the Australian dumbfounded. Such was the greatness of the legendary player that he also managed to hit a drop shot from six feet behind the base line, sending red alert signals to his foe Nadal. Federer now faces Columbian Alejandro Falla in round two and yet another scintillating performance is expected from the defending champion to make it to his dream final.
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