Roger Federer and Andy Roddick Battle for History

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: February 28, 2010

commentComment        

I’ll go back in history to paint a background that puts today’s Wimbledon final in perspective. I could pick any point and there are 14 of them on one side or I could pick the one that’s determined to add another one. The problem is that in the context of this match neither of those points are the most significant.

A significant point in a tennis match is a break point. And a significant one in a player’s journey is also a point when he is broken, pulverised to dust, robbed of dignity and left with the challenge of picking the pieces in order to become whole again.

On June 8, 2008, Rafael Nadal thrashed Roger Federer 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 to win his fourth successive French Open title. Federer had 12 Grand Slam singles titles before that day, and in the next four Grand Slams he’s added two more to the tally but the two that got away have their own meaning.

On July 4, 2008 when Federer and Nadal met next after Roland Garros, in last year’s Wimbledon final, Andy Roddick had just landed in Texas with wife Brooklyn and the television in the airport lounge caught his eye.

The epic struggle in which Federer made a stirring riposte after being two sets down was somehow breaking Roddick. He could not watch. He was quoted as saying he didn’t want to watch. He could not take his eyes away from the match either. He didn’t leave the airport till the match got finished and Nadal prevailed in the titanic struggle. Roddick felt he was in an abyss. He missed being there.

Just eight days earlier he was in Centre Court as the number 6 seed and had been sent packing in the second round by unseeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic. Watching the match at the airport was a moment of truth for Roddick, and it led to his questioning his game and laying bare his doubts with Brooklyn.

In came coach Larry Stefanki and Roddick went back to the drawing board. Stefanki has the reputation ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!