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Wednesday August 24, 2005
Pretty is as pretty does
Federer exudes grace, skill and pure dominance
By Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated
The amazing thing about Roger Federer
is how many really astute tennis authorities not only speculate that he
might become the greatest player ever to pick up a racket, but that he
already might be the prettiest. It's almost as if he is so beautiful
upon the court that it would be worth paying to see him play even if he
didn't win -- which, of course, he does most every time. There
is such an effortless quality to Federer's game. He always seems to be
in the right place. He gildes, never scurries, and his strokes are so
clean they seem to have been lifted from a manual -- picture-perfect. Keep
in mind that being a champion in any sport doesn't necessarily equate
to beauty. The finest players often are, by the very nature of their
excellence, sui generis, which means they are impressionists who create
a new model rather than improve on the loveliness that precedes them.
(Think Babe Ruth.) I never saw Joe DiMaggio play, but
from everything I heard about him, he seems to have been the equivalent
in center field to what Federer is on the court: all grace and majesty. The
fact that Federer hits an old-fashioned one-handed backhand helps. A
two-handed backhand, which most players have used ever since Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert
came to glory, never can look so stylish because the two hands never
can achieve the lovely arching reach and extension of just the one. The
two-hander jerks; the one-hander flows. Well, it is good that we have Justine Henin-Hardenne,
the fabulous little Belgian champion, around because she hits a
backhand for the angels. It reminds us that Federer is still just short
of perfection. And, of course, although he utterly dominates on
hardcourts and grass, he still is vulnerable on clay to the very best
dirt specialists. But it will take any opponent playing well beyond his
usual finest talents to deny Federer a repeat championship at the U.S.
Open -- which would be his sixth Grand Slam title. Pete Sampras set the record just three years ago with 14. He should keep it for, oh, another four or five years. If
anyone can beat Federer, it must be done before the finals. As they say
of him: never on Sunday. The last 22 finals Federer has played, he has
won. Victory in 22 straight finals -- that's almost beyond comprehension in any sport today. So,
come Sunday, Sept. 11, we should see him jumping the net in victory
once again .. no, excuse me, strike that. Tennis champions used to
jump over the net. Now the men, anyway, all fall down in triumph. It's
bizarre. It started with Bjorn Borg, I believe. He would collapse to his knees. No,
no, guys, that's not the way to win. All other champions, you rise up
in victory. You throw your arms up. You shake your fists to the
heavens. You exult. Basketball players raise their forefingers on high
-- we're No. 1! Football players even find somebody to hoist up on
their shoulders. Victory is up. Only modern male tennis players act
like losers when they win. Federer's the worst of the lot: He tends to
fall flat out. Come on, Federer: As gorgeous as you are at everything else, why do you have to take victory lying down?
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