Wimbledon Final with out Roger :-(

To say the least, it is painful to a fan to watch a Wimbledon Final with out Roger Federer’s participation. We got so used to it, for past seven years to see him in grandslam finals and more so if the slam in question is wimbledon.

In many ways Wimbledon is one slam which is precious. Tennis as a game reaches pinnacle of beauty at this place. In contrast to hard hitting baseline gamers, beautiful Serve and Volley gamer prevails a lot at Wimbledon. Pete Sampras reigned this place before Roger Federer broke lose to the Tennis scene as dominant force. Roger has shown signs of future in 2001 when he sent Pistol Pete home in 2001 Wimbledon. Not many at that point have done that to Sampras. People would have realized a prospect there but not many would have thought the guy would go on to become greatest Tennis player ever to hold a racket.

It is 2003 where Roger laid hands on his first slam and so fittingly at Wimbledon. Post Sampras era Tennis world has seen some Hewitt’s and Roddick’s but they were either not consistent or not all round in their game or showed signs of champion. I almost stopped watching Tennis after Sampras left scene. I would have committed a biggest blunder if I did so because Tennis world has witnessed a great phenomenon couple of years later an the champion has appeared. Champion in truest sense and more complete than Pete Sampras.

2004 is the year where Roger bagged three of the four slams of the year which Pete Sampras also has not managed. Show did not stop there. In 2005 he bagged two. In 2007 and 2008 he repeated feat he has achieved in 2004 and additionally he reached finals of French open both the years, only two lose both to greatest clay player named Nadal.

Roger is one way responsible for raising expectations on him. 2008 year was considered as low year for him and people said and written that Roger’s time is over. As Andy Murray pointed out end of 2008, Roger has semi final of Australian open, two finals at French and Wimbledon and Won US open, which is a great achievement. But, definitely not by Roger’s standard. Biggest pain that year was losing Wimbledon, which is more Roger’s home since 2003.

When every one is writing off Roger, he has other plans. He came back strongly in 2009 by breaking Pete’s record of maximum slams along with bagging French slam which eluded him for 4 years and also gaining back Wimbledon. Some may argue that he was lucky to be helped by injury of Rafa Nadal in the process. But there is no argument against Roger being second best Clay player and would have bagged 4 more of them if not for Nadal.

2010 is a bit painful for fans because we cannot find him in Wimbledon final. It has become a habit to look at Roger’s matches only after semi final stage because for more than 5 years till semifinal stage games looked more of a formality. This year was completely different and more so in Wimbledon when he struggled in first round. I am not writing an obituary here but after the first round match there was a strange feeling in the stomach that this year he is not going to win it. But like many others I thought, he would lose it to Nadal or Murray in the final but quarterfinal exit to a man whose match I never matched earlier is something that pained me.

Season of slams takes a break now till year end US open. Sincerely hoping Roger to compensate for what has happened at French and Wimbledon at Newyork later this year. It is not too easy though, with old horses like Hewitt and Roddick rediscovering their mojo and “generation next” in form of Nadal, Murray, Djokovic, del Potro trying to deny the throne to the King. Hope the King Returns.