SPORTS> Tennis
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SPORTS> Tennis
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Buoyant Federer ready to reclaim Wimbledon crown
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-19 12:58 LONDON: Will Roger Federer reclaim his Wimbledon throne? Will Rafael Nadal's knees permit him to defend his title? Can Andy Murray finally put the worn-out Fred Perry statistic to bed?
A sun-kissed first week is in store, according to the weather forecasters, but the British climate can be unpredictable, just as the men's game has been in recent weeks. Who would have thought Federer -- who was ashen-faced 12 months ago when his pursuit of a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title was ended by Nadal in a stupendous final and hysterical after another defeat by the Spaniard in Melbourne -- would breeze into London as the French Open champion?
The cards fell favorably for the Swiss master in Paris when first Novak Djokovic, then Nadal and then Murray, were all knocked out allowing him the relatively straightforward task of beating Swede Robin Soderling to equal Pete Sampras's record haul of 14 grand slam titles. After finally claiming the French crown and completing his career grand slam, Federer remarked that he could now play without pressure -- safe in the knowledge that few would deny he is the greatest player ever to swing a racket. "Now, going into the grasscourt season, and Wimbledon, and being on top of the world, it's a fantastic feeling," said newly-married and soon to be father Federer. It was all a bit different last year when Nadal, having humiliated Federer in the final at Roland Garros, promptly won the Queen's Club grasscourt title and then pole-axed the Swiss in the place he calls his own backyard. A month later Nadal took Federer's world number one ranking and although the Swiss hit back to win the US Open it seemed that a seismic shift had occurred in the sport. |
