Roger Federer and the Ghost of Wimbledon Past

If you witnessed the shellacking of the Croatian giant Wednesday on Centre Court, you may have noticed his opponent across the net—the one doing untold damage by shunting reflex volleys past the 6'10" Ivo Karlovic pinned in place, unable to respond to the resplendent assault. 

What you may not have detected was that this tennis marvel was the Roger Federer of Wimbledon Past—those most in tune with the Swiss Maestro will acknowledge the man with the golden racket on Wednesday was the Federer of 2006 who reigned supreme over all tennis subjects.

There were ultimate Dickensian aspects in this match—most pointedly, the long-armed specter-like figure of Karlovic sporting dark glasses, trying to exert his exaggerated serving gestures upon the glowing Federer. 

Federer successfully blunted and recoiled enough missiles to hit the ghostly Karlovic where he lived and send him back to the hinterland.

Winning in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, 7-6, in the deadly heat of the afternoon sun was not at all Dickensian. 

The match lasted under two hours and the Croat who had found his way into a grand slam quarterfinal, had not had his serve broken in his previous 79 games and had faced only four break points. In the process, Karlovic had served 137 aces in four matches.

But Federer quickly dispelled this staggering mythology by breaking the Croat in the fourth game of the opening set, challenging the giant’s serve head on—with two powerful service returns. 

Once Karlovic's serve was broken, so was he. His confidence ebbed away like a receding hair line—obvious and irretrievable.

Facing this serving machine is a task no player on tour today relishes. Federer however has beaten Karlovic in eight out of nine meetings. Karlovic finally defeated Federer last summer in Cincinnati, even though Roger’s serve was never broken. He lost two tiebreakers.

Today, the "Roger of yore" skirted the lawns and twirled his racket in anticipation, seeming to know well in advance of striking the ball where the Croat was going to send it. 

He danced forward and hit it on the rise, spiraling the ball past Karlovic whose posture at the net often seemed oddly out of place. It was like he was lost and just wandered there, waiting for someone to find him.

It was Federer's serve that remained superlative today as he gave up a mere 11 points and never faced a break point. He planted the ball firmly at Karlovic's feet and made the tall man regret being so close to the heavens as he tried time after time to scoop it out from under.

To watch Federer play Wednesday was a trip back in time. There was no dread, no fear of collapse, just joy in reveling in the man’s game as he displayed why he is conceivably the best of all time.

Gone are the doubts, the questions. No one is asking about coaches, psychologists, trainers, ditching Mirka and on and on ad nausea. 

On the horizon are endless possibilities. If he wins, capturing his sixth Wimbledon title, he will also capture his fifteenth Grand Slam Championship. 

He will surpass Pete Sampras’ record as the holder of the most grand slams in the history of the men’s game.  He will also fall within one of Pete’s seven Wimbledon championships, the most in the modern era.

He will recapture his No. 1 ranking and replace Rafael Nadal at the top of the men’s game as he heads into New York. There is much at stake in the next few days.

But first, Federer must win two more matches. He will face 31-year-old German Tommy Haas on Friday for a place in the final. Haas has been playing excellent tennis of late, but it is hard to imagine that he can upset Federer in this match (To be discussed in much greater depth soon).

Assuming he gets past Haas, Roger must play another final on Sunday against either Andy Murray or Andy Roddick. 

After last year’s final, this one promises to be equally compelling, especially if Murray makes it to his first final at Wimbledon—Murray who holds British hopes on his shoulders.

In that instance, the pressure would fall firmly on Murray. Federer’s pressure would be great, but not as intense as the pressure on the young man from Scotland.

Whose name, then, will be revealed on the Wimbledon wall of champions at the conclusion of the match on Sunday, and whose name will be printed on the Champion’s Cup?

Let it be written: God bless them—everyone!