Roger Federer was about to lose at Wimbledon 2010
Sixteen grand slam titles, two hundred and eighty five weeks at the world number one spot, Laureaus sportsman of the year for four consecutive years, six Wimbledon titles and seven consecutive years the number one seed at Wimbledon. That sums up the greatness of Roger Federer. However, the question is, how long will this dominance continue? Was his first round encounter against an unknown Columbian Alejandro Falla a portent for things to come?
From 2003 to 2008, Federer remained unbeaten on grass for a record sixty-five matches. At Wimbledon, his performance has been unparalleled, breezing through the opening rounds with dropping a set en-route just twice.
June 21, 2010, the scene was set. Federer walked out on the lush green lawns of centre court at the All England Club to defend his title. His challenger was an anonymous face from Columbia, Alejandro Falla. Pundits had predicted that Federer - the master of grass - would eliminate the twenty-six-year-old with ease. What unfolded next befuddled the critics, spectators and the tennis world alike.
Going into the match, Federer lead against Falla by four games to nil in head-to-head competitions. The last time these two met was at Halle when Federer defeated Falla with ease, dropping just three games. Falla met the same fate during their rendezvous at the French Open, where the champion proved his merit by punishing him 7-6, 6-2, 6-4. Thus Federer went into the match confident that he will supersede the world number sixty. The first round encounter between these two players may have achieved the same result as the first round French Open meeting, the route, however, was very different.
The first two sets of the opening match were quite contrary to Federer’s expectations, as Falla swept them 7-5, 6-4 from right under the champion’s feet. The crowd was shell shocked, thinking they were watching a major upset in the making. There was a point where Falla could have shown the defending champion the door in three straight sets, but a groin injury prompted him to call a trainer on the court. Falla, playing the match of a lifetime, moved Federer around all over the court and even had answers to the champion’s unnerving serve and volleys. The crucial point of the third set was at 4 games apiece and Federer 0-40 down. What looked like a deep abyss for Federer became his beacon of hope. He fought his way to save the fundamental break points, which could have cost him the match. With the new surge of confidence Federer took the third set 6-4.
Pressure peaked during the fourth set, with each player keeping their nerve to stay in the match. Falla continued his strong form and broke Federer in the first game of the fourth set, courtesy three double faults from the champion. The level of play from Federer did not match up to his best, the form which made him 51-5 at Wimbledon. It was a tough road ahead for the Swiss, who was 4-5 down, with the Columbian serving for the match. It all boiled down to a battle of experience and mental strength and in that Roger Federer prevailed. Falla looked like a bag of nerves when he was serving for the match and Federer capitalized on the relative inexperience of his opponent. Federer raced to 15-40 on the Falla serve and reclaimed his break on the second chance.
At that point, it was game set match for Falla, who could not recover from the fourth set loss. Federer then pounced on his challenger and whizzed past the final set in just twenty seven minutes taking all six games. He heaved a sigh of relief clawing back from the jaws of defeat; he was just three points away from exiting the lawns of SW19.
After the match Federer expressed his frustration, admitting to the fact that he was not used to being two sets down, that too at Wimbledon. Only five times in his career has Federer regained ground after being two sets down to lay claim to a match.
This was the toughest test Federer has undergone in years at Wimbledon. Is this match a sign that he champion is slowing down, or could it just be attributed to a bad day? The next few rounds at Wimbledon will answer just that.
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