Roger Federer Takes Home 71st Title in Rotterdam

Roger's solid performance in Rotterdam sure gave him and his fans something to cheer about. It was not only his first title of 2012, but his 71st title to date, taking down an always-tough opponent in Juan Martin Del Potro (Delpo).

Ever since Delpo's surgery, I believe that he has yet to gain the confidence that he had when he took down Roger in the finals of the 2009 US Open. It's difficult to go through any surgery and then come back on tour, especially since he was high on his pedestal of playing ability prior to his injury. It must be said though, that this was one of those matches that was not reflected in the score (6-1, 6-4).

Roger's defense was up a level against the Argentinean, but he did have difficulty getting a rhythm developed on his first serve—going three out of twelve just during the long first game. Roger happened to luck out as Delpo was not offensive enough on the return of serve and wasn't taking enough chances.

Roger showed his variety of shots as he stayed steady from the baseline, yet was ready to move forward and attack at any moment. Delpo did play good tennis, but he plays his best from further back behind the baseline due to his large windup. If he is given a few more seconds for a larger back swing, he can create huge shots off of either wing. When Delpo did have the opportunity to do so in the match, Roger seemed to read his mind and was already in position to make the return.

In the end, it was a great match played by both players, but Roger Federer is still the Magic Man. He has the fluid strokes and was just doing everything right. He just outplayed Delpo.

Delpo said after the match:

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"He played much better than me today. I didn't take the break points when I had them. It's really difficult to beat Federer if you have the chances and don't take them. He was more confident and concentrated than me in the important moments and I think that was the key."

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Roger's attitude is still something to be reckoned with. During the Rotterdam tournament, he continued to use the phrase "it was a fun match" in the press conferences after his matches. During an interview, Roger was asked about retirement. Roger's reply?

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"I'll play as long as I can."

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Here are more quotes from Mr. Federer during the Rotterdam tournament:

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"For me it all began in 1999 when I reached the quarterfinals here. Even now, the expectations were high throughout the tournament. I am happy I was able to fulfill the expectations.”

“I have managed to restore my rhythm. The match against Davydenko was a good warm-up for the match against Del Potro.”

"Even if I had a good indoor season last year, this is a great start. It was tough to come back and play Davis Cup and here, but I did it. I also managed to stay positive after the Davis Cup loss, which was important for me. This court feels like home to me,"

"The first set I really was rock solid, while in the second it was more tight and he had his chances."

"I just tried to stay in the point and not make mistakes. I kept this mindset throughout the match and it really helped. I may have won the first set easy, but of course I knew that the second would not be as easy. I had to fight but I fought well. I tried to move forward against him and change the angle, the rhythm and the speed of the shot."

"I felt a bit tired early in the week, it's been a busy few weeks for me. I pushed myself to get better as the week went on. At the end I felt I was playing my best."

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Roger's happiness could not be overlooked in this interview.

Congratulations Roger! Continue on your tennis run!