But almost instantaneously, Juan Martin del Potro, the 20-year old Argentinean, scored two quick points to close out the set and win his first major championship. It was Federer’s first loss in a major final to anyone with a first name other than “Rafa” and a last name other than “Nadal”.

Finishing second in a major is generally nothing to be ashamed of; take a look at the accolades Andy Roddick received for his performance against Federer in this year’s Wimbledon.

But what makes Roger Federer, Roger Federer, is that second place is not good enough. We expect the most from our great athletes.

And this is why, on Saturday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. must knock out Juan Manuel Marquez.

Make no mistake: Marquez is an excellent fighter.

In two fights with Manny Pacquiao, the world’s current number one ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Marquez and Pacquiao were separated by just a single point on the six scorecards (679-678 Pacquiao). Many fans believe Marquez won at least one, if not both fights with Pacquiao.

Marquez is a true embodiment of a Mexican warrior. For Mayweather, knocking out the number two ranked fighter in the world, a man who has never been knocked out, will not be an easy task.

But being great is not supposed to be an easy task. If Mayweather wants to be revered in the same class as Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and others, it is imperative that he goes above and beyond all expectations tomorrow night.

He is entering the ring as the bigger, stronger, faster, and younger boxer. Every tactical advantage is in his favour. We expect him to win; we must also expect him to exceed our expectations. In his last two fights, Pacquiao has done so; Mayweather must follow suit.

And this is the aspect of greatness that Mayweather struggles with. Mayweather feels that his fans should be satisfied with whatever they are given. It bothers him that we expect more out of him.

He wants to be the Michael Jordan of boxing but he doesn’t want to engage in the six and seven game battles against the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks. Juelz Santana once rapped about “living the life of a rock star without the guitar”.

Rightly or wrongly, Mayweather has built a similar perception. Despite how naturally gifted he is, Mayweather expects all of the accolades yet he doesn’t want to be forced to earn them.

Nobody disputes Roger Federer’s greatness because he has unequivocally earned it. He has beaten each of the top players from his era. We don’t celebrate his second place finishes because we expect the most from him. It’s time for Pretty Boy Floyd to follow Federer’s footsteps. He can start with a knockout victory over Marquez.

And after that? Well, in boxing there’s always somebody. The winner of Pacquiao-Cotto, Shane Mosley, Joshua Clottey, Andre Berto, Cory Spinks, Paul Williams, etc.

In other words, Floyd. You have got some serious work to do.

Prediction:

Maybe I’m naïve, but I believe Mayweather will indeed close the show with a knockout.

In the past, Mayweather has been content with letting the judges award him an uninspiring decision victory (see wins against Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir, and Oscar De La Hoya). He needs a decisive, crowd-pleasing victory over Marquez to help change the negative feelings about him. There are a number of reasons why.

First, there is the overwhelming perception that Mayweather is a boring boxer. His defensive-oriented boxing style isn’t embraced by casual fans, so if Mayweather wishes to remain the sport’s number one mainstream pay per view draw, he must try to be more exciting.

Fighting a naturally smaller, slower, older fighter who cuts easily, is an excellent opportunity for Mayweather to put the pedal to the floor and look for a stoppage victory.

Secondly, he needs to regain some mental edge over Manny Pacquiao by beating Marquez decisively, something Pacquiao could not do. Pacquiao annihilated Hatton and De La Hoya in a far more dominant fashion than Mayweather did.

Mayweather has an opportunity to return the favour and one-up on Pacquiao, as both fighters look towards a 2010 mega-fight. He must take advantage of it.

Verdict: Floyd Mayweather Jr. via Technical Knock Out in Round Eight.