Roger and Andy: Blame It On The Rain? How Rain Affected Two Careers

If this image looks familiar to you; it should.  This was the scene following Roger Federer's successful defense of his Wimbledon title in 2004.  This was the second of his 6 titles in 7 years and Roddick's first of third Final losses at SW19.  Why is this so signifcant you ask?  Because if one remembers the events that occurred that day, one will realize how a rain delay tremendously altered not only the rivalry between these two men, but also their careers.

Granted, rain delays at Wimbledon are as traditional and common as are the strawberries and cream.  Ok, I get that.  I couldn't help but find myself watching a replay of the final not so long ago and realize how close this match was and how close Andy was to winning it.

Prior to the 2004 Wimbledon Men's Final, Andy had won the U.S. Open, finished the prior year at number 1, and looked poised to win many more slams, especially on the fast surface on Wimbledon.  Andy was the number 2 player in the world with tremendous skill and potential.  Federer, on the other hand, was on a tremendous run winning the Wimby title in 2003, the Aussie Open in January 2004, and was the best player in the world.  The two had met before in the 2003 Wimbledon Semi-Final where Roger just simply outclassed him.  He would eventually win the title two days later.  A rematch!  1 vs 2!  Wimbledon Final!  Although Roger was the favorite, there was still excitement that this would be a tremendous match.

During the Final, Andy played aggressively: came to the net effectively and he was bombing serves.  He pulled off the first set 6-4.  The second set saw Roger go up by 4-0, but Andy wound up breaking him twice and tied the score.  Roger would ultimately win that set 7-5 when he broke Andy at 6-5.  A few more points in Andy's favor and there would have been a tie-break.  Not saying that Andy would have won the tiebreak, but it would have given the Maestro a few more things to think about especially after blowing a 4-0 lead.

The third set saw Andy get an early break on Roger and lead 3-1 when guess what? It began to rain.  Both players had to hit the locker room and wait it out.  However, at this time, we saw Roger return as the smarter, more aggressive player and Andy a little complacent.  Roger quickly broke Andy and they would settle the set in a tie-breaker.  Third Set. One set all.  Wimbledon title on the line.  Whoever wins this breaker lets out a hugh sigh of relief with the Championship in sight, while the other is left with a mountain to climb. Unfortunately, the tie-break wasn't so dramatic with Roger comfortably winning 7-3.

The fourth, and final, set was competitive with Roger winning 6-4 after he closed it out with an ace and falling over a la Borg in 80. This was his third Slam victory, second Wimbledon, with many more to follow.  16 in total to be exact.  Andy, on the other hand, found himself falling just short and still stuck at one. 

Well-played match with two guys who were for sure going to be dueling each other for slam titles for years to come.  In fact, they would meet the following year at the Wimbledon final.  However, Roger was brilliant on the court and won easily in three sets.  They would also meet in various semi-finals of majors and even in the 2006 U.S. Open Final and the incredible 2009 Wimbledon Final.  However, same men; same result.  Roger came out on top on all occasions at the Slams.  Andy has never beaten Roger at a Slam tournament and is currently 2-19 against the G.O.A.T. in all of their matches.

There's no arguing that Roger is the superior player.  He will go down as, perhaps, the best player to ever pick up a raquet.  Andy will probably relive that second set tie-break collapse in his head at the 2009 Wimbledon Final where, if he would have converted on just one of those 4 set points, he would have been up two sets to love and he most likely would have won and forever  have gotten rid of the "1 Slam Wonder" title.  Think not? Andy held serve 37 times that match and Roger only broke him once, the final game.  37 times!  A Grand Slam record!

However, I just always go back to the 2004 Final and think what might have been?  Let's say if the rain never came and interrupted Andy's spectacular play on Centre Court that day?  Would Andy go on to win more and live up to the unfair expectations of U.S. fans? Would Roger be so invincible on grass? It most certainly would have given Andy more confidence in playing Roger in the future, and maybe even a few more Slams under his belt. The slam count would have been 2-2.  It may have led to a more competitive rivalry and not given Andy the mental roadblock/barrier that is having to face the Maestro.  Who knows?

There are certainly many factors and explanations as to why these two players have had such different luck and success in their careers.  One thing is for sure, Andy is certainly not a fan of the rain.