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Roger Federer is why tennis fans make the Wimbledon pilgrimage year after year

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S Kannan
S KannanJul 16, 2017 | 13:08

Roger Federer is why tennis fans make the Wimbledon pilgrimage year after year

It has been a pilgrimage of sorts for those who come to Wimbledon regularly. Over the decades, there has been one constant in this posh suburb located south west of London. The place where people come to worship grass-court tennis hasn’t changed in the geographical sense.

Changes have come more in the physical sense now, with the nature of surface and texture of grass different. You no longer have chair umpires and line umpires fearing they can get killed by the fuzzy green tennis ball flying at dangerous speeds and unpredictable trajectories. That, actually had become a source of concern in 1992 at Wimbledon even as experts pondered how it could be made safer.

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For millions of tennis fans who have been coming here, there has been no fear. Waiting in lines for hours and then getting a darshan of the place has been special. Even more special in the Open era has been the opportunity to see the greats compete and walk away with the men’s and ladies singles titles.

Bjorn Borg, playboy of yesteryears, used the wooden tennis racquet like a magic wand. By the age of 26, he had got bored and retired. More champions came - from John McEnroe to Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg to Pete Sampras.

Tennis at Wimbledon changed in many ways from 2001, the year when Roger Federer beat Pete Sampras. It was seen as some kind of an aberration in a year where Goran Ivanisevic won the title as a wild card. In 2002, the men’s draw had been bombed and unknown Lleyton Hewitt emerged champion.

The year 2003 marked the arrival of Roger Federer. The pony-tailed young man from Switzerland won the title with great enthusiasm at the age of 22. At that time, few had imagined this man would go on to become a true legend. In sport, talk of a player being the greatest is very subjective. Yet, in the Open era, if one man has dominated the All England Club with supreme confidence and yet not minded losses, it has to be Federer.

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Winner of the title here seven times, on Sunday, Federer squares up against Croatian powerhouse Marin Cilic. Federer said at the press conference on Friday, July 14, he expected a tough match. Heck, for a man who has not dropped a set this fortnight at the All England Club, nothing can be tough. But Federer knows he cannot take things for granted.

At his peak, he was unstoppable. Then came Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to change the script at Wimbledon for a few years. Last year, when Federer lost in the semi-final at Wimbledon, many felt it was the end of the road. The ponytailed young man had grown older. Today, he is a few weeks short of his 36th birthday. If anyone says Federer is old, he probably needs to see an eye specialist.

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Federer squares up against Croatian powerhouse Marin Cilic in the Wimbledon final on July 16.

In a sport where changes in playing surface and heavier tennis ball has made it much more difficult for players in the physical sense, Federer has preserved himself well. Perhaps, the Swiss master’s longevity and divine presence is why old-time fans come back for the pilgrimage at Wimbledon.

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It’s not easy coming to Wimbledon year after year for tennis lovers. Still, people try and fit it in their schedules as Federer is so important. The Federer of 2017 is very different from the Federer of 2003. He looks different. There are changes in his appearance and there are changes in his game as well. What has remained a constant is how he has managed to retain that aura and keep working on getting better.

People talk of his big serve, the improved forehand and how he uses the single grip backhand like a surgeon using the scalpel. Federer can make opponents bleed on court without the ugliness of a heavyweight boxer landing blows inside the ring.

Federer’s supreme fitness and staying injury free in the last seven months has been a big plus. Unlike 2003, he is not a bachelor who had few worries in life. When he is on the road today, his family goes with him. In fact, it’s the entire entourage which keeps him in a good frame of mind to be ready for the rigours of modern day tennis.

When Federer won the Australian Open this year in January, Nadal was almost in tears. He had even mentioned the retirement word. Federer had no such issues to deal with. He had made his programme for 2017 and peaking at Wimbledon was a priority. Look at the way he has done it, cruising smoothly and yet changing gears when needed. Deep down, he is craving to win his 19th Grand Slam title in front of legends like Rod Laver.

Federer admires the past greats, with Pete Sampras on top of the list. Perhaps, Federer doesn’t know people look at him as a living and competing legend. Boris Becker calls him GOAT (greatest of all time) and says he has ten gears in his game.

What gear Federer will use to cruise against Cilic on Sunday is not clear. He just needs to know, apart from those who come to Church Road, Wimbledon, for Sunday service, there are many more waiting to see Federer. It’s an annual pilgrimage here after all for fans who deify Federer.

(Courtesy: Mail Today.)

Last updated: July 16, 2017 | 13:08
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