Wimbledon 2018: The eight-time champion Roger Federer seeks to continue to reign at SW19



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This year marks the tenth anniversary of the 2008 Wimbledon Epic Final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, dubbed the biggest match in the history of tennis. For fans of Federer, the memory of the day was the Swiss master who was staring into darkness with a silver plate in his hands, rather than the brilliant trophy of Wimbledon, which he had owned for five years. years. Nadal had conquered the oldest bastion of the Federer empire; For the most part, it was the end of an era

Ten years ago, Federer will again begin Wimbledon as an absolute favorite.

This defeat ten years ago is now wrapped in the golden light of nostalgia. to terms with the fact that he will not win any battles that he enters. After a few years in the Grand Slam desert, he made an incredible comeback last year. The Swiss defeated Nadal in a five-set thriller in the Australian Open final and then won his eighth Wimbledon title. One more and he will equal the record of Martina Navratilova of the greatest number of singles titles at Wimbledon.

In 2017, five years after his last triumph at Wimbledon, Federer won without losing a set. He took him in front of the big names Pete Sampras and William Renshaw (amateur era), who each have seven titles.

  Roger Federer. Art by Rajan Gaikwad

Roger Federer is watching his ninth Wimbledon title. Rajan Gaikwad Art

Just as Nadal's rough and exhausting play is made for Roland Garros' red clay, the serenity of Federer suits Wimbledon. Center Court is its Sistine Chapel – a place that showcases its artistic flourishes like no other.

Federer's first whiplash arrived at the perfectly cut grass of Wimbledon. As a teenager ponytail with heaps of talent, he battled the best player of the generation – Pete Sampras – in the fourth round in 2001. The American was the resident Wimbledon resident ; Federer yet another suitor. In a class and trick show, field expertise and bravado by both players, Federer came out victorious 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5.

Two years later, Federer finally kept his promise, beating big Australian Mark Philippoussis in the final to win his first Wimbledon and Grand Slam title. Maybe he needed to slide this last piece into the puzzle to make sense of the big picture. No male player embarked on a more dominant race after the first Slam. He won 11 of the next 17 majors, and won better than most others.

In 2007, Federer became the first player since Bjorn Borg to win five consecutive titles at Wimbledon. With its Grand Slam record rising to 20 after winning the Australian Open this year, the Swiss also holds the rare record of five or more titles at three different Grand Slams – he has six at Melbourne and five at the US Open. Although Federer is fluent in most surfaces, he is very eloquent on the grass.

Even when Nadal dominated his genius, and Novak Djokovic later walled him, Federer would return to Wimbledon with renewed hope. That was his comfort zone. While the game was regularly transformed into a battle of will at most other majors, the Wimbledon turf fields still rewarded his talent. In 2012, Federer beat world No. 1 Djokovic in the semifinal and Andy Murray in the final in 2012.

Running for four and a half years without a major, Federer continued to seek glory at Wimbledon. His victory at the Australian Open in 2017, which took place after six months of layoff, was a pleasant surprise. But his triumph at Wimbledon was marked by a practical and predictable theme.

Federer's 2018 also enjoyed a huge success, if not equal to that of 2017. After winning the first Slam of the year, he returned to No. 1 worldwide. after a gap of six years in February. However, he lost in the final of the Indian Wells Masters, to Juan Martin del Potro, and then lost the first place with a surprise of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 against the Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis at second turn. "I deserve it (lose first place) after this game," said the 36-year-old in Miami, where last year he was looking forward to winning the "Sunshine Double". Federer and his former enemy Nadal shared the first two Slams of the year and traded the first two places three times this year

. As he had done in 2017, Federer decided to spend the season on clay and stay cool. Upon his return, he won the Stuttgart Open for the very first time. Despite a surprise defeat by Croatian Borna Coric in the Halle final, the Swede signed the best match he would have hoped for Wimbledon

"He's definitely the favorite," said McEnroe in the press British. "He is positioning himself beautifully and missed the French Open like last year to make sure he's ready – it's a risky strategy but he's proven that he can Roger's is the biggest tennis story of the last 40 years – he's won three of the last six majors after winning none of the past five years, that's amazing. "

With his big comeback last year, Federer equation. The only integer relevant to him, and for the history of tennis, will be the number of Grand Slams that he finishes. The number 21 is imminent at SW 19.

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