What's Happend to Roger Federer?
Written by Tennis Pro, Monday January 31 2011
What’s Happened to RF?
What HAS happened to Roger Federer? In a previous article I said that it was his belief system that made him so unbeatable, as it is with any competitive athlete be they amature or pro. I would venture a guess that his belief system has been shaken a little bit, starting with the loss to Marcos Baghdatis at Indian Wells, where I personally sat courtside 30 ft. away and saw the whole thing unravel for him.
He had Baghdatis 40 – 15, in what should have been the last game of the 2nd set with Federer winning the first set, meaning 2 (count’em) match points and could not put the man away. He ends up hitting a ball WAY past the baseline, and a host of other chokes that would make Homer Simpson go “Dough”. So “Baggie” ended up coming back to win the 2nd set, and now we’re on to the third set. Federer hits his usual amount of stunning winners and then takes a few chances he shouldn’t have, loses a few points, and in the 7th or 8th game things are fairly even they both get into a forehand duel that was one of the most powerful exchanges of two pros hitting forehands all out I have ever seen.
Now you can’t imagine or get even a small perception of how hard they were hitting unless you were right there close to the court. Seeing it on TV does no justice to the verocity of the event, just the sound of the racquet on the ball was like mini explosions. It was forehand to forehand and it was so evident that they were in a duel of who could hit the ball harder, and then it just became an ego contest of who could out do the other on forehand power. Federer hit one that sat up just a little too high, and Bagdatis just happened to be in the right place with his feet planted in the just the right spot and he tagged one that was about 12% harder than anything Federer had hit. The problem (for the Fed) was that it landed inches from the line and that was the point for Baggie. BUT…it did more that win the point, I believe it shook Roger’s confidence and caused a crack in that belief system that made him think he had to do more than necessary to beat his opponent. From then on you could see a change in Federer’s deminor. He went to the net one time, and dubbed a short half volley into the tape, from then on it was down hill for him. It looked like he was trying to end the match too soon by taking too many chances…like haven’t we all done that!
Since then Federer has not won any of the “Subornate” tourneys he has entered, and sometimes not even got to the semis or quarters.
But, don’t count him out because he is still the worlds best, and he knows it. The French Open will tell the story, but that is not his best surface and he knows that too, so never forget Wimbeldon and here’s wishing him the best of luck…not that he needs it.
Hang in there Roger!
Roger the Tennis Pro
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