Wimbledon - Federer: I'm better than ever
Eurosport - Wed, 17 Jun 12:18:00 2009
Winning the French Open was not just a personal milestone for Roger Federer, it was the making of him.
Armed with the belief that he can win titles even when he is not on top of his game, the Swiss master is determined to snatch back the Wimbledon crown from his nemesis Rafael Nadal when the grass-court Grand Slam begins next Monday.
"I feel like I've definitely become more a man now than in the last few years since I'm not scared of five setters anymore. I can handle the pressure," said Federer, who became only the sixth man to achieve a career Grand Slam with his triumph at Roland Garros 10 days ago.
"I had to show my fighting spirit more than ever and it's nice to have had a chance to show those qualities because before everybody was just used to my dominance. It's good to know for myself that I can also do it differently," added Federer, who for the first time had to play two five-set matches during a successful run to a major.
"Now going into the grass season, and Wimbledon, and being on top of the world it's a fantastic feeling."
In his previous 13 assaults to Grand Slam titles, it seemed as if Federer's aura was enough to beat most opponents before the warm-up had even finished.
If that was not enough, the Swiss quickly outwitted his opponents with his silky shots and killer instinct.
But none of that was on display in Paris and if anything, Federer's cloak of invincibility looked tattered and torn when he was just five points from defeat in the fourth round against Germany's Tommy Haas.
That win from two sets down against Haas not only set Federer on his way to a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam title, it also boosted his chances of regaining the number one ranking Nadal took from him last August.
"For me it's about the majors because right now Wimbledon is around the corner," said 27-year-old Federer.
"From Paris until Wimbledon, this is when you want to play your best tennis. So the ranking will always follow when you do play well.
"I know it will take a special effort to get back to number one because Rafa has set the bar high. It's going to be hard to take it away from him because he has so many great tournament victories in his 365-day rankings. But I feel I'm a step closer now by winning in Paris and winning my 14th."
That triumph led to a chorus of players declaring Federer was the greatest of all time and Martina Navratilova even suggested the Swiss could "just go on and sip Margaritas for the rest of his life".
However, Federer does not have it in him to simply put his feet up and soak up the sun.
For him it is all about timing and with a baby on the way, he feels there is no better way to prepare for the new arrival in his family by breaking the record of 14 Grand Slam titles he shares with Pete Sampras at Wimbledon.
"I do think I'm the favourite actually, with the success I've had. I came close again last year," said Federer, whose run of five consecutive Wimbledon titles ended with a heart-stopping five-set loss to Nadal in last year's final.
"Once you arrive in London, you start getting into the frame of mind and it's like 'let's go again', I know what it takes. It only takes a couple of hours to feel at home.
"With no disrespect to the other players ... I feel like I've got the game, I've got the mental approach and I've got the experience to win at Wimbledon many more times."
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Comment 72 - 91 of 151
I meant who...
post 88 has the hots for the swiss miss.(very weird)
So Nabucodonosor, how do you reackon is GOAT then?
Eurosports: Please direct commenter(s) 1 - 67 to the boxing Comment section. Federer or "Fraud-erer" better known to Nebu...commenter as "the poser" has won 14 Slams, is one of only six male tennis champions to accomplish a Grand Slam (meaning he can tackle as an all-court champion, like Agassi. Laver, et al) and was ATP leader for a coon's age. What more do the savages wants? Oh...oh, yeah. They want the world to accept immediately their defamatory-so-called-praise of Nadal's character, their blood-thirsty hero worship of a magnificent clay court player (one on his way to being one of the great all-court players) to be crowned king of tennis for eternity right now! And further, they want the "cry-baby," "fraud," "poser" Federer to be exposed as the "fraud" that he is right now! And kick him out of tennis! Have I said it rightly? Or, have I missed their magnificent, silver-tongued philosophical points in their profound diatribes?
The GOAT talk is silly. For a player to TRULY be GOAT, he would have to be consistently better than all of his rivals on every single surface. I've never seen a player dominate to that extent. Frauderer is 7-13 against Nadal, including 2-6 in Grand Slams. Objectively speaking (even though I hate his character and all this personality cult developed around him by the media) he's a great player, one of the best, but not GOAT. I never agreed Sampras was GOAT either. They won this much mainly bc of consistency, luck (especially regarding their lack of serious injuries) and having a big serve (unlike Agassi or Nadal, for example) in an era where the high speed of the courts favors these sorts of players.
ALL YOU FEDERER HATERS GET A F*****G LIFE!!! HE IS THE KING AND CAN SAY AND DO WHATEVER THE F**K HE LIKES!!!. WHAT A BUNCH OF LOSERS AIN'T GOT NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH THEIR PATHETIC LIVES!!!.
nice one stuart lawrence very good analysis of the history of tennis and one of the reasons its actually stupid to call a player the best of all time, rather the most dominant in his era, the collecter of most slams, the most all round player etc but not the greatest of all time till that player collects all the pre mentioned as well as never having a losing record against any of his contempories in his period of dominance and for me that will still stay laver unless nadal makes a remarkable recovery and his knees hold up for the next 3 to 4 years which i doubt.
Let's have john Loyd and all the other xenophobic BBc comentators make fools of themselfs next week again.
Oldrich
herve please show me a decisive losing record that nadal has against anybody, and please dont say a 2:1 losing record against nadal is as u say "had a bad record because they played them maybe only one or twice and lost but these winners never had a the chance the play these great against" because that is certainly not the case and correct me if i am wrong but neither soderling/tsonga or bagdatis have a winning record against rafa so that should answer your other statement.
Hi to Tennis fans!
for someone who was bashed by everybody, was offer Tennis lessons and kept the head up, fought hard and regain confidence, we should be chilling and applauding! Confidence is what comes when the results are backing the efforts.
I bet if he says he not the favorite to win Wimbledon after 6 Finals in the row, people will still find the way to say that he mocking other players!
As of being GOAT, I can only be back by results! and It is not judge on head to head but on achievement! There are certainly guy against whom Nadal, Sampras, Pat, Agassi etc.... had a bad record because they played them maybe only one or twice and lost but these winners never had a the chance the play these great against... is Bagdatis or Tsonga or Soderling better than Nadal ???? (Imagine how many guys have better record against a Sampras on Clay... ;)) There are some guys whose game style are particularly effective against other particular players... and let see if Nadal wins more GS, stays longer than Fed as N1.
The fact is simply that being gracious and appreciate someones efforts, praise his results, sportsmanship is much harder as being bitter and looking for what is negative about the guy...
Thank God sportsmanship awards exist (from the press, and pair competitors...) we know how often Fed won such awards...
Give it up for him and hopefully when Nadal's time come if at all (all up there) or someone's else, we will be cheering...
Lets hope for a great Wimbledon tournament and lovely Tennis.
Frauderer: I'm more arrogant and vain than ever.
Somebody has to step up and put this poser in his place at Wimbledon. Vamos!
Federer may feel comfortable now after he has taken french Open, that is for sure. If that victory boosted his ego and confidence we only can see better Federer playing realxed game of mastertricks rather then hastily trying to win. On the other hand his biggest oponents are still there, ready to fight with growing eagerness. In my personal view Nadal will face the same misfortune as in Paris crashing rather early. Federer if he won't be stunned by some one will have to deal with Djokovic and Murray this time.
Go Roger and kick their @#$% :) Love you for who you are!!!
Crackhead dumb Ceslawak or whatever you call urself, u sit in a very dark room and all you see is 6 Dark GS titles, nothing compared to 14 + 1 more GS coming in 2 weeks for the King Fed. Wise up sucker or you might just be sucked up Nadal's @#$%.
aus11123 what side are you ? dumb side?
aus11123 what side are you dumb side ?
I know tyrone, they just want this fight here on this forum, they just hate fedddd
Typical pathetic journalism Eurosport
the headline,
Federer: I'm better than ever
Have a read of the article. Did he actually say that??
Amateurs thats the standard of journalism here.
LOL kick his @#$%???? whahaha hes nothing more than a ugly playstyle player screaming like a girl who got @#$% lmao.
LOL ceslawak you dumb nerdy for whoes side are you? the loser side?
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