Believe it or not, one of the hot topics as the pros head to Melbourne this month will be whether Roger Federer is still as untouchable as he once was.
Yes, you read that right. People – translation: primarily the sports media looking for a story – will be questioning the dominance of a guy who last year ended his fourth consecutive season at No. 1, won three Grand Slam titles, and captured his fourth career Tennis Masters Cup trophy to finish with record earnings of over $8 million.
What’s prompting all of this strange concern? It seems to be the fact that Federer had the audacity to lose nine of the 77 matches he played in 2007. It seems being upset in nine matches is a shocking statistic – or at least, it is when you’ve been more indomitable in the past three years. In 2004, Federer won 11 titles and 74 of 80 matches. In 2005, he won 81 out of 85 matches and again captured 11 titles. The following year was perhaps the most impressive of all – 92 of 97 matches and 12 titles in 2006.
Compounding this scenario is the fact that Federer has gone from being nearly bulletproof in 2006 – he lost to just two players, four times to Rafael Nadal and once to Andy Murray – to allowing six different players to beat him in 2007. Last season, Federer fell twice each to Rafael Nadal, David Nalbandian and Guillermo Canas, and once each to Novak Djokovic, Filippo Volandri and Fernando Gonzalez.
The “is Federer vulnerable?” chatter really escalated in Shanghai when he lost his first round match 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 to Fernando Gonzalez, the first time Federer had lost a round robin match in his six appearances at the event, and the first time he had lost two match in a row since mid-2003. It also marked the first time Gonzalez had ever experienced success against Federer, leaving the Chilean to quip, “Nobody beats me 11 times in a row.”
After that match, Federer addressed the fact that while he’s still in charge, it’s getting increasingly hard to remain unassailable.
“It’s not that easy to keep up the pace I have the last few years,” Federer said. “Some players or people might think now he’s more vulnerable. I disagree obviously. I’m going to hopefully show them again this week and then obviously next year again.” He kept his word about the rest of the week, tormenting Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-2 in just 60 minutes during his final round-robin match, and embarrassing Nadal in a 6-4, 6-1 semifinal victory that took only 59 minutes to secure. Now begins the quest to show that this year will contain more of the same.
Looking at the big picture, Federer primarily chuckles at questions about his supposedly shaky 2007.
“I think it’s a fantastic year,” said Federer, analyzing his season after delivering a stinging 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 blow to David Ferrer in the Tennis Masters Cup final. “It’s been in some ways a breakthrough year for me. Especially the way I played in the beginning of the year, not losing a set during the Australian Open, coming here, beating everybody in straight sets after losing against Gonzalez when people thought, ‘Okay, Federer is maybe not playing so well.
“Beating Nadal for the first time on clay (in the Hamburg final). I’ve beaten all my closest rivals, Nadal and Djokovic, more times than they’ve beaten me. It’s been one of those years which I’m really, really happy about.
“Maybe I didn’t win 10 titles, but it’s not necessary to (do that to) stay No. 1 in the world all the time. If I keep this level of play up, I’m in a great position for next year as well.”
His colleagues also aren’t buying into the theory that Federer’s hold on the game is lessening a tad.
Case in point: Gonzalez might have notched a first victory against Federer, but he wasn’t puffing out his chest as if he had permanently overthrown the king.
“I think today he is No. 1 by far because tennis, the ranking is made with 18 tournaments, not with one,” Gonzalez said. “He already finished No. 1 for three, four years in a row. I mean, you have to lose. He’s human. Sometimes the opponent can make a few good shots and he can lose a match.”
Nikolay Davydenko took his 6-4, 6-3 loss to Federer in the round-robin as just standard procedure – it was his 11th loss at the hands of the Swiss executioner.
“(I’m) still happy, you know, to be on the tour,” said Davydenko, with a touch of humor. “I don’t want to die now after losing against Federer.”
After his 4-match streak was quickly ended by Federer in the final, Ferrer simply said. “He’s the No. 1 – for me, the best of the history.”
So it doesn’t look like Federer will be co-operating with those looking for signs that he’s losing his luster. But for both for them and him, nothing less than winning the Australian Open will suffice.