What’s Wrong With Federer? Not Much
Thursday, May 1st, 2008The most-asked question of 2008, especially from “casual” tennis fans: What’s wrong with Roger Federer?
Watching the Monte Carlo final leaves only one answer: not much.
Yes, Fed lost 7-5, 7-5, more painful after losing a 4-0 lead in the second set. He still can’t beat Rafael Nadal on most clay surfaces (the very damp slow dirt of Hamburg the notable exception.)
Sign up for my RSS FeedBut in this match, Fed moved. He wasn’t a half step from balls he normally reaches with ease, as was the case in Miami. He handled the high backhand Nadal repeatedly forces Roger to play, although if there was a problem, it was the 44 Federer unforced errors proving that he didn’t have the needed consistency, especially on his backhand.
There seemed to be no joy for Roger as he watched his second set lead disappear. Despite having his backhand relentlessly attacked, Federer was let down by his forehand. Roger tried aggression, playing many points from the baseline in while Nadal occupied familiar territory 8-10 feet behind the baseline.
It didn’t matter because Nadal is as supremely confident on clay as Federer is on grass.
Nadal is a spring star; he loves the clay and seems to expend so much energy in establishing his excellence on it that he arrives to the hard courts low on fuel.
But for the next 5 weeks, we watch a clay court master. And Roger, who appeared more vigorous than he did in March on the US hard courts, still confronts the reality that his best Roland Garros hope is someone else derailing Rafa.
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* One sidelight from Monte Carlo is another small sign of the brewing battle between Federer and Novak Djokovic. During the first set of their semi, Federer, the most silent great player since Bjorn Borg, turned and told the Djokovic camp to “be quiet.” The words from Federer were stunning and another example what is perceived by Federer as a lack of respect from the world #3.
*Great interview with Federer in Inside Tennis by editor Bill Simons. Federer talks candidly about his admiration for Nadal’s game, glosses over Djokovic and admits his reliance on Mirka Vavrinec for her support. By the way, Inside Tennis is a must-read for the serious pro tennis fan. Long published in the Bay Area, IT has just started editions in New York and Atlanta.
*Guillermo Coria lost in the first round of Barcelona. His appearance is a positive as Coria has been relegated to Challengers in the last year. But a protected ranking placed him in the Barca field though Coria still is hampered by the “yips” on his serve. Just four years ago, he held 2 match points at Roland Garros. Now, ranked 808, Coria simply tries to win a match. 
