Federer sets sights on seventh Wimbledon title
Federer sets sights on seventh Wimbledon title
For almost a decade it seemed Roger Federer was guest
of honour on finals day at nearly every grand slam event but over the
past 12 months Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal have conspired to strike
him off the guest list.
Between winning his first major at Wimbledon in 2003
and a record 16th slam at the Australian Open in 2010, Federer failed to
reach the showpiece match in one of the big four tournaments just five
times and contested an astonishing 22 finals.
So regular were his appearances in the finals that,
when he was absent, it felt a little like attending a Madonna concert
where the Queen of Pop had failed to show up.
Unfortunately for Federer, considered the most gifted
player to have swung a tennis racket, his run of success has dried up
and he is not happy being just one of the crowd.
Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open champion
Djokovic and Nadal have split the last nine major trophies between them
and they have also contested the last four slam finals.
Federer feels it is time someone gatecrashed their
party and winning a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon crown would be a
good start.
"It's my time of the year now," said Federer who was
kitted out in a collared, long-sleeved cream jumper complete with purple
trim and a green 'RF' logo embossed on the upper right arm.
"I fancy my chances here and at the U.S. Open. It's
exciting times ahead," he told reporters at Wimbledon on Saturday.
The rivalry between the top three has electrified not just the tennis community but the whole sporting world.
It seems each time one of the trio reaches a final, a
host of records are on the line. Over the next 42 days, not only will
they will be chasing a Wimbledon crown but the number one ranking is
also up for grabs, as is the Olympic gold medal when the All England
Club hosts the tennis event during the London Games.
GREAT CHAMPIONS
Djokovic is a bona fide member of the top-three club
now but he admitted that had it not been for the Federer-Nadal rivalry,
he might not have been the player he is today.
"Their rivalry is one of the most respected rivalries
in the history of our sport, if not the biggest rivalry," Djokovic, who
will begin the defence of his crown against Juan Carlos Ferrero on
Monday, said.
"They're two great champions, two tennis players that
made the history of this sport. Every time you a see a Federer/Nadal
match, everybody is excited. Even I'm excited to see it.
"Playing against both of them made me a better player. They also made me work harder."
It is no wonder that Nadal, who has already bagged 11 majors, relishes the challenge of playing in this era.
"I feel very lucky to be part of these two rivalries.
It's something that brings special motivation to my game, the motivation
to keep improving my tennis," said Nadal who won a record seventh
French Open title two weeks ago.
"If you are not able to improve your level you are dead in this very competitive world of tennis."
Federer is aware many people have written his tennis
obituary over the past two years, especially after he was knocked out in
the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2010 and 2011, and he is determined to
show he can rise from the ashes.
"I want to do better; I have to do better in this
event," said the Swiss who was beaten here by Tomas Berdych in 2010 and
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last year.
"I could have gone further the last couple (of years).
Maybe the other guys were just too good. Maybe I wasn't quite at my
best. Who knows what the combination was?
"But it's up to me to make that difference now and take
it to the next step. Then once hopefully I am there, I can reach for
the title.
"A seventh would be amazing. That would be tying Pete
(Sampras) which I think would be absolutely fantastic. I am dreaming of
the title. There's no denying that."
