Yesterday's match was brutally a proof of the fact that Roger Federer, arguably the most popular and successful tennis player that has ever walked the earth, might be nearing the end of his professional career. Ranked consistently as the world no. 1 for a long time, his exit from the Wimbledon quarter finals this year to a relatively low ranked player was unexpected. To be honest, I doubt if Birdych fans had expected such a result.
Some say this augurs well for tennis as it opens the door for new talents, the younger generation of ultra fit sportsmen. Roger Federer was never really in the group of power servers or power players. His amazing agility on court, his breathtaking strokeplay coupled with his graceful movement and humility won him fans all over the world. I bet the English spectators in the court were as big a fan of his as any Swiss, and were as devastated by his loss.
Most people have started asking 'the' question now. Is it the end of the Federer era? Are we ever going to see a display of top class tennis from the man?
It would be unfair if not wrong to strike off Federer from the current best players list. Even though he's all set to be ranked no. 3 in the world now, a new low for him, its still a very very good rank. Fans and non-fans alike always expect him to reach such a high standard of gameplay that it becomes noted as a failure if he does not manage to qualify for the semi finals. However none can deny that Federer's current form is definitely not his best. We all know how he can come back after losing a set or two. I'm pretty confident that this great player will pave his back to the top, where he belongs.
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