Sublime: Roger Federer’s Master Class

Going into the second week, the hallowed courts of Wimbledon has only to feel the pressure pounding on its pristine, well-manicured lawns to marvel at the strength and grace of one of the best — if not the only best — to play in its esteemed history.

Swiss maestro Roger Federer, the 5-time winner of the All England Club, should claim his sixth title this year at any cost. With Tennis No. 1 Rafael Nadal’s convenient withdrawal, he ought to forget last year’s heartbreaking loss in the finals to the Spanish conquistador and focus on his A-game, aided with the installment of a retractable roof. With a manageable draw and the first-round dispatching of the mercurial Marat Safin on the sidebar, the man who tried to challenge him in the 2008 semifinal, he has to keep his opponents guessing his next move and let them eventually bite into the dust. Andy Murray may be the hometown favorite, but he still has a lot to learn from himself and from the top seeds to be able to catch his first Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic isn’t consistent, with an unexpected early exit last Roland Garros, but remains a challenge this side of London. Andy Roddick seems to be a perennial disposable contender. The promising Juan Martin Del Potro has exited in the most surprising fashion. The rest of the Top 10 can only pipe-dream.

Federer is clearly enjoying an advantage as to the statistics of the tournament. Following a fortnight into his most cherished win at the French Open — his 14th Grand Slam title — his ability has never wavered since. He may have lost a set or two but the physicality was there, the passion constant. His lackluster performance in the early 2009 months all have been recouped, starting with the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open win against Nadal. Could the reversal of drought have been auspiced by his April marriage to long-time girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec, and the good fortune of a baby on the way? Whether these events have been a harbinger of luck or a newfound renaissance of spirit, the tennis gods certainly seem to be siding with him now.

Roger has had the toughest couple of years, being the No. 1 for a record 237 weeks one day and then getting vanquished left and right to wrestle the top rank away from him, along with his composed system of play. It wasn’t until consecutive victories at the Beijing Olympics and his 5th US Open did he reveal a glimmer of hope; but since then his invincibility has been questioned time and again. The man, who for some years has steadily gained the status of immortality, all of a sudden became vulnerable in the early months’ crushing defeats to his nemeses and ‘lesser deities’ . All these qualms were pushed far from the mind these few weeks as he came back to form and evinced more confidence and vigor than ever. The 2009 Roland Garros final was lopsided, yes — but when you think about how badly Federer wanted to win this crown for the past four meetings, you cannot help but feel relief that he finally quashed his “demons”. He admitted to a lapse in mediocrity following the ATP ranking demotion; run-ins with the players who had the guts to outrun him sapped his belief system — but there it was in the French sun, a breakthrough. Upon capping off that match with Soderling, a gracious player even in defeat, Federer had a memorable, genuine rejoice at having conquered it, finally.

He doesn’t like the word “redemption”. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But upon seeing him break into his knees and release a cry, it makes his victory sweeter because of what he had gone through to achieve it. Maybe a better phrase would be “grace under fire”. With this, being World Number Two is not a state of chagrin — it only anticipates your way to the top. It doesn’t help to play without the grueling stress expected of The Best either.

There is a noticeable array of emotions in Federer’s game — the mini fistpumps he did at every break, a hop, a shout of joy at winning yet another match. He smiles, he pouts, but he never exhales an audible grunt. He expresses disappointment with the umpire at close calls. And just recently he smashed his racquet in frustration. But when he hits the shot he exudes that amazing certitude, body language screaming to the crowd “Nobody does this better than I.” He is no longer a stoic, reserved player in the field as he used to be. It seems like he has gone to playing one fluid, perfect game at a time and is enjoying every bit of it.

On an interview in 2005: “A lot of people have been comparing me to the all-time greats. I love that. It’s proof that I’ve made it. But after a while I don’t necessarily like being compared to somebody else. I don’t want them saying, ‘He’s the next Rod Laver’ or ‘He’s the next Pete Sampras.’ I just want them saying, ‘Ah, he’s Federer!’ I am the first Federer. I want to be remembered only as Federer. I want to get to the place where I won’t be compared with anybody anymore.”

And with that, he continues to learn and pursue excellence in his craft. 28 is but an assertion that he is still the best player around, and yet a promising path of tournaments and slams to chase and convince the world that never for a minute will he be resting on his laurels.

So, could he be the greatest to ever play the sport?

He is all but anointed, but he doesn’t need to be — Roger Federer’s in a class all his own.