Even the loser left happy after Federer's 7-5, 6-1 win at Indian Wells

Published Mar 16, 2018

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—Through the first ten games of his BNP Paribas Open quarterfinal match versus Roger Federer, Hyeon Chung had labored with tenacity and skill. Down 3-0, he’d broken back, leveled the set at 3-all and held on for 5-all.

Said Chung, “I'm just trying to stay, like, calm and I'm just trying to learn from Roger.”

Over the course of that seven-game comeback, Chung had ceased playing the Federer resume. The intimidation factor had worn off. Instead, the man from Korea was nicely dialed in, playing the brand of contemporary, power-baseline tennis we’ve seen for years from the likes of Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori.

Best of all, Chung was unhindered by the large blisters that had forced him to retire in the second set of their Australian Open semi. His movements were deliberate, disciplined, balanced. His groundstrokes carried depth and weight.

Said Federer, “I like his speed of shots, you know, forehand and backhand…it's a heavy ball, and he's very consistent. In today's game, that's a lot. And then he's good on the defense, and he also likes to come to the net. So I see a lot of good things moving forward for him.” As Chung evened the set, a tiebreaker appeared likely.

Match point from Federer vs. Chung:

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Federer has long made it clear that he is a devout student of tennis history. The Laver Cup event that Federer and his management team created last year was a tip of the hat to the great Aussie. A week ago, making his San Francisco Bay Area debut, Federer was delighted to hear he was in the same area that had spawned the first man to win all four majors in a calendar year, Oakland-raised Don Budge. So perhaps it was an omen that Pete Sampras was watching and that Federer could pay tribute to the Sampras legacy.

Said Federer, “Even nowadays, if I go hit balls with [Sampras], I see what made him so great. And I would still feel, like, even just hitting balls with him, I would learn with him.” Federer rapidly passed the pop quiz, in the next two games brilliantly mimicking a trademark Sampras sequence: snapping open a set—and in turn, turning that trickle into a tidal wave.

At 5-all, Federer held at 15. Ditto in the next game. First set, 7-5.

Then, the deluge.

Seemingly able to read just about every shot Chung struck, Federer glided, darted, sprinted—and rapidly won the second set, 6-1, closing it out with an ace down the T.

Chung had been dismissed so comprehensively in the second set it was hard to believe he’d been on such even terms for most of the first. It was a profound demonstration of a longstanding principle: If you strike a king, you must kill him. Occupy Federer’s house, but when the time comes for the king to take action, you will be swiftly and noiselessly dismissed. Only business, goes Federer’s sensibility, nothing personal.

The victory made Federer’s record for 2018 a flawless 16-0, equaling a similar calendar-year start he made in 2006. Let’s get this straight: That was 12 years ago. Federer was 24 years old then. A dozen rotations of the earth around the sun since—one-third of Federer’s lifespan—he’s once again at the top of the world. Rivals who’ve taken Slams in recent years—Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka—are all in physical disarray. A wide range of youngsters have yet to ripen.

At one level, Federer’s resurgence is a testimony to his persistence. Yet even that has been a stealth-like effort. Call me when you see Federer sweat. As he has since returning to competition in January 2017, Federer this evening looked remarkably comfortable. To be sure, in the cool night, with a breeze in the air, as Chung made his move in the first set, Federer shanked a few forehands, missed several backhands.

But as Federer noted about how he’d worn down Chung, “It's not just about the young legs. You have to put the ball in the right place and run more, and eventually maybe they do get tired. I'm not sure.”

“I think all the fans love Roger's play,” said Chung. “So I'm just trying—I'm trying to play my tennis all the time against Roger. So I'm just really happy.” Fancy that: So adept is Federer that he can even bring joy to those he has sent off into the night.

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