He was down love to three in the third set. He sat down pondering and the watching world wondered whether this would be the first time in 766 career matches that he would retire from a match. His back seemed to be killing him. But he decided, he would play on. He would give it his all to win this one no matter what.
He fought, he fought and he fought. He refused to let his fans down, let the sport down, let himself down. He saved one match point after the other, but alas, eight was all he could manage.
He almost pulled off the miracle he wanted to, but the bottom line—he had lost. To the subdued applause of the crowd, his opponent got his first wish - Send Roger Federer packing from the tournament. And the Swiss left the court after playing his final match of the year, a year in which the great man had to sit through much nonsense, to the loud and clear standing ovation of the Chinese.
So much about "A True Champion" who had lost.
But now onto the new 'Master of Masters.'
He was the clear No. 1 player in the world for the first quarter of the year. And soon, he became the forgotten of the Top Four as the season approached its end. Another was already being touted The No. 3 man.
While a certain Spanish sensation hogged all the limelight, while the focus turned to a Swiss Star's 'fall' and a Serbian Gun started to flounder, a new face appeared—Andy Murray.
The Scot had an impressive second half to the season which saw his rise to the fourth spot in the rankings. With the culmination of the 'slams fever', the talk was about Federer's return, Murray's rise and Nadal's conquests. Novak Djokovic seemed the lost of the 'Big four'.
And the young Serb had a point to prove. And That he did - the reigning King of Melbourne stunned a lot of people by becoming only the second man in the current Top 10 to claim the prestigious YEC.
The Year end Rankings do not lie.
Rafael Nadal has been the undoubted Tennis Star of the year. With the beginning of the 'Nadal' season (read 'Clay'), The Majorcan started murdering opponents left and right, and this time around, not just on his favourite surface. Winning a whooping eight titles this year, including Two Grand Slams and an Olympic Gold, the Spaniard sits pretty on top of the mountain as the World's best Tennis player.
On his way to glory, Nadal dethroned a certain Swiss gentleman who had so far seemed naturally affixed to the Title of Numero Uno.
And so we had it, after nearly four years and a half, Roger Federer was to play the unfamiliar role - one he clearly does not like -of the World No. 2. But for how long?
32 comments Last one added 5 months ago — Leave a Comment
Rohini Iyer 7 months ago
oh my god....you really brought it on....what do you think??? will rodge do it?? just today i was talking about this to my father he says its impossible for him...i argued till i was sore....but i am still scared for rodge....
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Long John Silver 7 months ago
you think 10 points is hard to close to ? which world may you be living
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Gil 7 months ago
Just like how Federer could never remain Number 1 - yeah ok, I am not talking about "OUR number 1" thing...:)- Djokovic isnot going to remain Number 3 forever and not make inroads to the the ranks above his...
It will happen...When and for How Long remains to be seen...
and this is just one of the numerous reasons to look forward to a Great year of Tennis in 2009
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hobbs hobbs 7 months ago
Let's hope federer will work on some aspects of his game during the short december break. He should know what is best for himself. We should give him a break and let him do it his on way, he doesn't need people like us to constantly remind him to get a coach and approach the net more often..bla bla bla. So what if his ranking slips further in 2009, even the best player cannot remain at the top forever. He is still the best in his best years and is still among the best and definitely the best we have ever seen. It will almost be impossible for anyone to come close, not even nadal and of course not djokovic or murray etc.
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Gil 7 months ago
what he needs...?
(I am not giving u an advice Roger...)
But I feel he really needs a COACH now..Someone to instigate Your motivation..yeah he needs a Coach Now...
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TennisMasta1 7 months ago
The battle for #2 will be between Nadal, Djokovic and Murray.
We quickly forget that Nadal played at the same level for several years now but still ended up far behind Roger. And we all know how unwell Roger was this year - and he's still #2. Even without taking away anything from Rafa, one could easily argue that Roger gave away the #1 more than anything.
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Gil 7 months ago
you are doing Mr Federer grave injustice by saying "Roger gave away the #1"...
The Guy lost Wimbledon the way he did (Bcoz I feel wIMBLEDON victory was the turning point for Rafa's rise to Number 1 this year) deserves better!
That said, Its a fact indeed that Federer wasnt in full physical state but we have gotta live with that...
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Rob York 7 months ago
"The battle for #2 will be between Nadal, Djokovic and Murray."
At least for the first half of the year, that should be the case. The AO will be between those three. Rafa is not likely to recover in time to be a factor there. Something in my gut tells my Murray is peaking in time for the AO and it's his time to break through, but I could be wrong.
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fm k 7 months ago
When Fed is on his game, no one can hit through him. He'll take care of the Djoker on all surfaces & he'll handle Rafa on all surfaces save clay. & though defensive geniuses like Murray & Simon can trouble Fed, outdoors the conditions don't suit them because their first serve percentage drops & they're too vulnerable on their second delivery. So look for Fed to win it all down under. Djoker will fail to defend all his points from winning the AO last year & his ranking will dip. Rafa has so many points to defend next year it's ridiculous. He'll fall back to # 2 by midsummer if not sooner. & Murray can't continue to physically & mentally grind out these gruelling matches for an entire season. Point is that Fed will be back to #1 in around 6 months. & Sampras' slam record will fall in 2009.
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Gil 7 months ago
"defensive geniuses like Murray & Simon "..
U missed out the most ridiculously defensive player..Rafael Nadal.
Nadal is the most defensive player I have seen in this generation, at least among the Top.
also, dont u thing u are making too many predictions? Well brave of you, Bcoz if it were me, I wud remain quiet,. I hate if my predictions flop...
But nonetheless, Keep up the Spirit...Our Rodge remain the King, at least fo us and yeah he will surely be back...
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ivy 7 months ago
"Even without taking away anything from Rafa, one could easily argue that Roger gave away the #1 more than anything."
One takes everything away from Rafael Nadal by suggesting that "Roger gave away the #1 more than anything." The qualification is sort of meaningless if you think about it.
I think this article was very well written and thought-provoking. Thanks for it.
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Gil 7 months ago
hi, thanks for the appreciation...
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TennisMasta1 7 months ago
As I said, I didn't mean any disrespect to Rafa, who deserves all the respect. He's a fantastic human being just like Roger is. And very wise beyond his age.
The only point is that Rafa had to play so incredibly well and almost win everything and Roger had to uncharacteristically falter so many times for Rafa to finally clinch the #1. It did not come in a year where both Roger and Rafa played very well, such as in the past three years.
But as Rafa said that with the points he had in the last 2-3 years he'd have been #1 in any other era.
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Gil 7 months ago
"But as Rafa said that with the points he had in the last 2-3 years he'd have been #1 in any other era."...
Now that is a valid Point, But at the same time, as every coin has two sides, One wonders that if it weren't for Federer alleged 'invincibility', Nadal may not have evolved in his game and achieved so much at such a young age..
To a Large Extend..in a way, Federer has the the REASON for Nadal's growth
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ivy 7 months ago
thanks for explaining. I very much admire Roger Federer, and of course he set incredibly high standards during his dominating years. This past year he won more, or got to more finals (or close) than many, many players ever do - and in a number of those finals, he lost to Rafael Nadal.
But the point is, he got to the finals, which quite indicates that he wasn't "faltering" all that much. He played brilliantly at Wimbledon, but Nadal played more brilliantly. His loss at Roland Garros is nothing new, but he's been getting to that final consistently. Nadal has been triumphing there consistently. Federer had never won an Olympics gold, so losing there was not uncharacteristic. Nadal had to beat some fine players to win his first gold.
Yes, Rafa did have "to play so incredibly well and almost win everything" to capture the #1 ranking. But he had been improving consistently over the years, hadn't he? When was he ever far away from the Wimbledon victory? Of course Roger had a sub-par year, but it didn't have all that much to do with Nadal's brilliant one.
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fm k 7 months ago
Thanks for the response. Ill just suck it up if my predictions flop. Rafa is the greatest defensive player probably in the history of the game. But it's his extreme spin that beats Fed more than his speed & retrieval skills. It has an offensive effect on Fed. It kicks up on him & pushes him back & creates severe angles & Fed struggles to hit it cleanly or to come up & volley it @ net. On high bouncing surfaces this results in Rafa actually pushing Fed around. U never see that with the other defensive mnded players.
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Gil 7 months ago
agreed, In fact Federer had problems against Andreev in the US Open, Andreev who hits the ball almost like Nadal. Kind of a Right Handed Nadal.
But yeah, Federer is the one who has more problems with Nadal than any other maybe...His Simgle Handed backhand refuses to stand the snip Nadal puts on the ball, especially if it is on the bouncy courts..
But if u analyse the styles of Play, Nadal IS a very defensive player. In fact, the reason I enjoy watching Federer vs Djokovic a lot is becoz they are both offensive players, ie: Federer can turn Defense into offence with one shot while Djokovic's forehand is the most offensive shot I have seen in recent times.
One hopes next yr they will play some good matches Frequently...This yr, every match they have played has involved some controversy of the other..From Mono to unpopularity...
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David 7 months ago
Regarding coaches, Higueras is accompanying Federer to Dubai in December and he also has Luthi acting as a coach.
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Gil 7 months ago
I thought Higueras was now associated with USTA?
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Rock 7 months ago
Would love to see Federer playing the role of a floater next year before Australian Open, as Djokovic did this year. 'Federer may throw a spanner in the works for the dream final between Rafa vs Novak' - Sounds even better.
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TennisMasta1 7 months ago
By falterning I meant loosing 15 matches in a year. Not just to Nadal, Djokovic and Murray, but to Fish, Stepanek, Blake, Roddick, Simone, and Karlovic. It took all these losses for Roger to surrender his #1 on top of Rafa winning just about everything he possible could.
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J.A. Allen 7 months ago
Sorry - meant to get over here sooner - but your article is moving well and getting excellent responses so congratulations! One thing more to consider here is the impact of the new point schedule going into effect the 1st of the year. With emphasis on quality over quantity - how will that affect the perceived scramble for the rankings?? Winning the majors becomes a critical factor in 2009 - take a look at the breakdown and see if you don't agree!
Splendid job - love your work...jaa
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Gil 7 months ago
I did take a look at the change which is going to come to effect from the next yr in the points and tournaments structure..And it is very much confusing to say the least...
But as the Points awarded are being doubled, the difference in points too will expectedly be doubled.
But seems that the scheduling of players will be lighter next year, with Monte Carlo, which used to be a Masters event, no longer being mandatory...
I took a look at Federer's 2009 schedule, and he seems to be playing a maximum of 2 tournaments a month, That is good news for players and fans...
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Gil 7 months ago
and Hey, forgot to mentions..Thanks for the response...
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Lynne Danley 7 months ago
Djokovic was very lucky in 2008. He played a Federer with mono at the Australian Open and had an easy draw in the Masters Cup. If Federer and Djokovic had been on the other sides, I think Murray would have crushed Djokovic and that great match between Federer and Murray would have been the final. When Djokovic played a healthy Nadal last year, he lost. When he played a healthy Federer, he lost. He isn't the all-court player either of them are. And he's cocky and whiny, so he doesn't get the support of the fans that they get. If his luck holds out for awhile longer, he may hit #1 periodically for a short while, but it won't last. Federer is still the best all-around player in the game, and Nadal is the best on natural surfaces. If all of them are healthy, I think Federer will end 2009 at #1, Nadal at #2, Murray at #3 and Djokovic at #4 (perhaps, if Simon or Del Potro don't get there). And I hope that's just how it happens!!
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Gil 7 months ago
I beg to differ...Its Nadal whose all court ability can't match Djokovic. With due respect to what the Spaniard has done this year, he is not the all court and versatile player Djokovic is, or rather has the makings of. Perhpas it is only at he net, Djokovic does get a bit tentative, But he is young and he will only get better.
Sampras once said.."Djokovic is the one who can run with Federer and play with Federer"...and that is some compliment....
To be fair to him, he played exceptional at Australia and it isnt sporting to say "he got lucky" there...yeah Federer was no where near his best But Novak stil had to beat the defending champion, still had to get the better of him in 3 sets, Not easy to do that to Federer, at his best or not. Djokovic played some spectacularly solid tennis at Melbourne and there wasnt a more deserving Champion.
at Rome and Shanghai..Got lucky or not, he did win it. And it goes into the records.
The only thing he lacks is mental stregth, he isnot mentally solid like Federer or Nadal, Now that can prove costly unless he can fend off the distractions which seem to be dogging him everywhere...
But I should still say he has a fair chance of getting to the top next year...of course depeds on how he plays and how the other guys fare as well...
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David 7 months ago
Yes, Higueras is working for the USTA now, but he is still going to Dubai to help Federer prepare for 2009. Luthi will be the regular coach by Federer's side for the time being. Let's not forget Luthi is an actual coach and the Davis Cup captain. Coaches do not have to be famous to know what they are doing and contribute.
Regarding next season, if Federer is healthy throughout, I think he will end the year as No.1. Djokovic is a good player, but not as good as Federer when you look at their games. I would expect Federer to average better results than him over the course of a season. Nadal is more of a threat because of his strength on clay, though I still consider Federer better than him also on all other surfaces. Murray may nick the No.3 spot at the start of the year, but by the end of 2009 I expect him to be back at No.4 behind Djokovic.
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Chris F 7 months ago
I'm a die-hard Fed fan, but he really hasn't given me any reason to have any confidence in him for the 2009 season. The way he finished out this season is starting to make me worry that the US Open may have been more fluke than anything. I'm tired of the excuses, "Oh, he's not at 100%, he has mono/bad back/stuffy nose." I want to see him play the way he used to: scary domination. No more mental errors or early exits to low-ranked opponents. Gilles Simon should not be a rival to Federer!
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Gil 7 months ago
and no simon will be able to hurt Federer come Slams...Its the Slams which matter for Federer ow and I shud think, for most of his fans...
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David 7 months ago
You're making the mistake of looking at a few recent results and not the respective games of the players. Federer still has the best game. This is what will determine who averages better results next season.
In the past few years Federer had higher winning percentages than he has this year, but he was not bagelling the opposition with those wins. Many were close matches which could just as easily have been losses. People have short memories. This year was still good. Comparing it to the ridiculous years he had over the past 5 years is not realistic. The past does not guarantee what you will do in the future. Each year you have to start afresh all over again, so circumstances and experiences will inevitably be different, especially at this level where everyone is so good. Federer is still looking good to me, but this year was tougher with the mono and its knock on effect. A healthy Federer should fair much better in 2009.
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Casper 5 months ago
I do think the wins over Federer in 2008 ring pretty hollow, beating someone while ill, to me is not a real win. If they can do it while he is fit, then thats different.
Nole has not changed his game in a while, while others have improved 10 fold. Nadal has not won on a hard court, infact is struggling to win anything since he got number 1 rank. So he must feel he has a lot to prove.
Murray wanting his first grand slam in the year of Fred Perry's 100th Birthday would be a great thing for him.
Roger wants it to tie with Pete and hopefull then go all out for Wimbly to then beat the record. That is what I see will motivate him. But he has a few demons to let go off first.
Plus all the young lions nipping at their heels, all makes for good tennis.
Plus Nole has all ready been put out by Gulbis, who has been put out himself. So its giving Roger breathing space to concentrate on other things.
Roll on 2009
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clarabella bevis 5 months ago
I agree with just about everything you say. I don't think Djokovic would have won the Australian last year if Roger had been fully healthy and practised. Nor do I think he would have the won the Masters if he had met either Federer or Murray before they met each other - or Fed got sick. He played well, but not brilliantly.
I also agree that Murray has so much to aim for this year, and he looks to have the mindset to achieve it. (Though not a Scot like you, I still support the British in him, whether he wants it or not!)
Nadal, though, is still working on improving his serve and volley - playing doubles, I notice, in Doha. So he could still make some progress if his knees stay sound. He is clearly still passionate and hungry and, apart from the knees, very healthy.
As you say, roll on 2009 - but above all I still want Fed to get the GS record.
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