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June 21, 2007
Federer in good company
By Mark Hodgkinson, Telegraph
When
Bjorn Borg took his fifth successive Wimbledon title, in 1980, Roger
Federer was not even a twinkle in his mother's eye. And when Borg's
Wimbledon run ended in that 1981 defeat by John McEnroe, the Swiss
player was just a month old. But Federer is someone who knows his
tennis history as well as he knows how to caress a forehand pass. So,
if he lifts the golden Challenge Cup for the fifth summer in a row, to
share the record with the Viking god of the All England Club, it would
be something special. "I wasn't even alive when he
won his fifth, and I had only just been born when he lost for the last
time at Wimbledon, but I have seen the re-runs of those matches," a
super-relaxed Federer said ahead of his first match on Monday. It
takes a lot to faze Federer, but when the world No 1 had his first
proper meeting with Borg late last year, on a Dubai practice court, he
was so thrilled that he found himself "laughing inside" as he looked
over the net at his hitting partner.
"I
was in Dubai for a couple of days and I had this fantastic idea of
calling up Bjorn, who was there for a seniors match, and saying, 'Do
you want a hit? It would be a dream come true for me.' "He
said, 'Fine, 10am tomorrow'. That was the first time that I got to
speak to him at length. It was lovely to meet him properly and play
against him. It was very surreal. I was warming up and I was laughing
on the inside. I thought to myself, 'Yes, he's playing just the same as
he used to'," Federer said, glorying in the memory and dispelling the
notion that you should never meet your idols. "I
think everybody would like to know why he retired at such a young age,
at 26. In a way it was a pity that he didn't play on for longer, but at
the same time it makes him unique for having quit when he was so young." During
the Wimbledon fortnight, Borg will be at the All England Club for only
the second time since that 1981 defeat. He has told The Daily Telegraph
that he wants to sit on Centre Court on the second Sunday of the
fortnight and watch Federer equal his SW19 Big Five. There has been
talk that, should Federer win, Borg will present him with the trophy.
But Federer, a traditionalist, said that "wouldn't be a good idea, if I
won. It should be royalty presenting the champion with the trophy." Borg
used to walk out on Centre Court in a tracksuit top, skin-tight shirt,
short shorts and, of course, that headband. But Federer takes a closer
interest in fashion than Borg ever did. At The
Championships last summer the Swiss wore that retro, cream walk-on
jacket. And when he opens Centre Court on Monday, in the defending
champion's slot, he will sport a new look. He was a little coy about
the details yesterday, but did hint that he will possibly be wearing a
pair of white trousers and some "special shoes" as well as a smart
jacket. After losing to Rafael Nadal in the French
Open final, Federer withdrew from last's week Halle tournament, even
though he had prepared for his last four Wimbledon victories by winning
that event in Germany. "Clay is very
energy-consuming, with a lot of media, a lot of attention, a lot of build-up," he said, "and once the French Open is over you kind
of fall into a hole for a couple of days, so for me it was good to go
home for a change. I got five days in Switzerland before Wimbledon and
I feel good now, relaxed and mentally fresh. To me, that's more
important than having played some matches on grass beforehand. "I
played cards with my Dad, my friend and my godfather. I invited them
over to my new apartment in Zurich. I also invited some friends over to
dinner. It was nice to invite people because I never used to do that. I
didn't have the time, or I was living at my parents' and they were the
ones who invited people over. "I also went walking
and shopping in the city. I caught up with some friends, went to see my
parents, went to a barbecue. It was nice to be able to do things like
that."
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