Bercy Day Two – Federer qualifies for London: By Richard Evans

Written by: on 30th October 2013
BNP Paribas 2013 Masters Tennis Tournament
Bercy Day Two – Federer qualifies for London: By Richard Evans

epa03930344 Roger Federer of Switzerland returns the ball to Kevin Anderson of South Africa during their second round match at the BNP Paribas 2013 Masters tennis tournament in Paris, France, 30 October 2013. EPA/YOAN VALAT  |

The Parisians love style so, of course, they love Roger Federer. The elegant Swiss wins with style and loses with style and tonight, in front of an adoring crowd at the Bercy Omnipalais, Federer won the match he needed to win to ensure qualification for the ATP Tour World Finals in London next week by beating South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-4.

It wasn’t a flawless performance by Federer’s standards – he dropped serve when he served for the match the first time and went 15-40 down at his second attempt – but he got the job done with a flurry of Roger-like serves which ensured he would make his 12th consecutive appearance in the year end finals.

How did that achievement stack up against 23 straight semi-final appearances in Grand Slams, I asked. He didn’t really know but there was no doubting the satisfaction he felt in having achieved one of his prime goals for the year.

“It’s great news actually,” he said. “It’s nice achieving things this year because there were many things I couldn’t achieve that I wanted to. It’s a good moment sitting here right now knowing that it’s secure. Clearly every year since 2002 has been great for qualifying for the World Tour Finals, just seeing the prestige of the event, all the top guys showing up; the event growing as it went to different places. Now it’s at the 02 and you know what a great event that is.”

It is fair to say that it wouldn’t be the same without him. And his true fans will know that it has not been easy for a player many still consider the greatest ever to have graced a tennis court. In assessing his year, Federer used the word ‘tough’ a couple of times, acknowledging that it is a struggle to maintain the standards required to keep up with the other members of the Top4 as well as those, like David Ferrer and Juan Martin del Potro, both of whom won today, as the game gets ever more physical and pressured.

But Federer is a man who naturally emphasizes the positive and, typically, he put a positive spin on his use of the word tough. “I’m in the World Tour Finals and that’s tough to do,” he said, smiling. “So I’m happy. Tough isn’t always negative. I like it when it’s not so easy. But it’s true, I had to get up again after being knocked down numerous times this year.”

So with Federer sorted, the spotlight turned on the other contenders and the die is virtually cast. Stan Warwinka, who will give Switzerland a second player in the top eight for the first time ever, and Richard Gasquet of France will complete the London octet unless Milos Raonic can go all the way to the final.

The big Canadian stayed on track last night by defeating Holland’s Robin Haase 6-3, 6-4 but he will need to get past the No 6 seed Tomas Berdych next up and, should he win, Ferrer will probably be waiting for him in the quarter finals. So Warwinka and Gasquet look safe enough.

Meanwhile the tournament welcomed back Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2009. It has been a long absence, mostly brought about by damaged knees being unable to stand the strain of a long season and Rafa re-emerged under the spotlight they throw on players as they walk onto the 15,000 seat area with a modicum of suspicion.

He is never at his most confident indoors. “I never like it a lot, playing indoors,” said the man from Mallorca who prefers the sun on his back. “But that does not mean I cannot play well. OK, so I didn’t play well tonight but that can happen after two weeks without playing and a long time not playing indoors. The rhythm in my legs was poor and I make a lot of easy mistakes. But the positive thing is I won.”

The man he beat was fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers who battled hard but eventually went down 7-5, 7-5 to an opponent he had barely managed to take games off in two previous meetings.

Like Federer, Nadal is adored by tennis fans around the world and you won’t find many complaints from those of us who have to deal with him professionally week by week. After answering questions in his obligatory press conference for about 15 minutes, he jumped up and said, “Sorry, Real Madrid are about to play. I must watch.”

It was then that a distraught French reporter pleaded for a few words on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. So Nadal promptly sat down again and spent several more minutes analyzing the Frenchman’s game and offering an opinion as to which Grand Slam he thought Jo had the best chance of winning (Any of them except Roland Garros, was his reply).

Courteous, charming, accommodating – all the attributes that you cannot imagine from watching this fierce competitor in battle, Nadal possesses in abundance.

They are so different, Federer and Nadal but the game is oh, so lucky to have them.

 

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