|
January 14, 2008
Time Is On His Side
At 26, Federer Sits a Mere Two Slams From Sampras's Career Mark of 14
By Liz Clarke, Washington Post
Roger Federer's chief rival won't be taking part in the Australian Open this year. Pete Sampras doesn't play tennis anymore -- at least not in earnest. He bowed out of the competitive grind six years ago, entering the realm of sporting legends the moment he laid down his racket. But it is the 36-year-old Sampras, more than any active player, who Federer finds himself chasing at 26, having run out of worthy opponents long ago. Should Federer win a third consecutive Australian Open, which gets under way today at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, he would claim his 13th Grand Slam title -- a feat that would move him past his tie with Roy Emerson and within one of Sampras's all-time mark of 14. The likelihood of the Swiss No. 1 surpassing Sampras's record is so certain, barring injury, that it's simply a question of when, in the view of those with even passing knowledge of the sport. Count Sampras among them. "Yes, I see it happening -- if not this year, next year," Sampras said during a conference call last week. "Sure, I would love my record to stay forever, but records are made to be broken. And if there's someone I'd like to see break this record it's someone like Roger." Jim Courier, who retired in 2000 with four Grand Slam titles, thinks it will happen this year. "Assuming Roger stays healthy, his target number for majors is more Jack Nicklaus, with 18, than Pete," Courier wrote in an e-mail. "If he wins one per year for the next six years, he gets to 18. Seems likely he does better than that." Federer is hardly the only contender in the 2008 Australian Open. But the rest of the field -- highlighted by second-ranked Rafael Nadal, third-ranked Novak Djokovic and top American Andy Roddick -- becomes interesting, in a sense, only in relation to their prospects of denying Federer the title. The Swiss has been the main constant in tennis in recent years, having played his way to a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals. "No other player has ever done that -- Sampras, [Rod] Laver, [Bjorn] Borg -- the handful of greatest championships we have," says Leif Shiras, 48, a former touring pro turned Tennis Channel commentator. "He is, in many ways, writing his own record." Federer's main enemy, as he enters his 10th year on the pro tour, is injury and ennui. It's doubtful either will be his downfall. On the first count, he plays a graceful style of tennis that enables him to generate tremendous power without abusing his body. On the second count, he genuinely loves the sport, delighting in developing new shots and experimenting with new tactics, much like a painter who never fails to be inspired by a blank canvas. "He plays an effortless game, seems to love the life on the road and is a brilliant scheduler who doesn't overplay or chase the money," Courier adds. "All of those factors should lead to another six years or so where he will be in the hunt for majors." Meantime, Sampras thinks that the smartest way for youngsters such as Djokovic and Andy Murray to challenge Federer is to come in behind their first serve and attack his backhand. "The last thing you want to do against Roger is stay back and let him dictate the point with his forehand," Sampras said. That's what Sampras himself tried to do against the Swiss when the two met in Asia for three exhibitions last fall. Sampras prevailed in their third meeting, staged in Macau in late November. They'll reprise the format March 10 at New York's Madison Square Garden. "Roger is a phenomenal mover," Sampras said. "He's got this little backhand flick crosscourt that I don't think anyone in the world has today. I just tried to take my chances, tried to serve big and not let him dictate the play. Easier said than done." By the time they meet again, in New York, Federer may be just one Grand Slam title shy of Sampras's record. If so, he would be poised to tie the mark at the French Open, the one major to elude him, and break it at Wimbledon. More likely, if Federer replicates his achievement of last season, he will tie Sampras's mark at Wimbledon and break it at the U.S. Open. Either way, Sampras said he hopes to be on hand, much as the reclusive Borg was last summer at the All England Club, where Federer equaled his feat of winning five consecutive Wimbledon titles. "Roger's not one of these kind of brash, abrasive athletes that you don't really root for," Sampras said. "He's someone that I've got a ton of respect for in the way he's played and the way he's handled it." On the women's side, sisters Serena and Venus Williams will be seeking their ninth and seventh Grand Slam titles in Australia. They're seeded seventh and eighth, respectively, but that vastly understates their potential. While Venus has never won the Australian Open, Serena has won it three times, including last year, despite arriving in Melbourne out of shape, unseeded and ranked 81st in the world. She proceeded to crush Maria Sharapova in the final, 6-1, 6-2. Nonetheless, world No. 1 Justine Henin, who skipped the 2007 Australian Open while getting a divorce, will be favored. And 2000 Australian Open champion Lindsay Davenport, who has won three of four tournaments since returning to tennis following the birth of her first child, will be a dangerous floater.
|
