Roger Federer has delighted fans this year at the French Open. And no, we’re not talking about his chic Nike outfits but rather with his winning performances through the first three rounds. He played against an inspired Nicolas Mahut and tuned him up in 4 sets. One fluke game serving at 4-5 in the second set was Fed’s only hiccup. Maybe you want to call this a lapse in concentration or simply not going for the jugular, but the fact remains that Federer is on a collision course with #1 seed Novak Djokovic.
This year’s tournament has been characterized by drama and upsets in the early rounds. We still see the dominance of the top players on either side but for those in the mid-level rankings, there has been plenty of scintillating matches. This is why Federer has not disappointed fans thus far, despite losing two combined sets in his two previous matches, it just gives us (the audience) a longer look at tennis’ genius at work. The drama enhances his play and gives us all more to cheer for. Tactically, Federer’s game on clay is more advanced than Nadal’s react-hit-anticipate-hit-etc-etc… He’s carving slices, angling serves, belting forehands, and still popping his one-handed backhand smoothly. This is why it’s so interesting to watch him on clay! Here at 10sballs.com, we’re not trying to jinx anyone but… it looks like his timing is spot on at the moment!
Andreas Seppi, who Federer dismissed easily in Rome just a couple of weeks ago, has made it to the 4th round this year! He beat Verdasco in 5 sets today and is playing quite possibly the best tennis of his career right now! Another player who’s looked supreme on the clay this year is Tomas Berdych (he came through Kevin Anderson in 5 sets as well), and Federer beat him in a closely contested match, again a few weeks ago, in the Madrid 1000 final. This means that Federer has an immense chip on his shoulder because he’s proven that he can beat the “hot” guy of the moment. And this gives him complete confidence and makes his artistic and powerful style even more surgical and deadly. David Goffin, beware, the Fed Express has good momentum and shows no signs of making any stops!
Topics: 10sballs.com, Fed Express, Federer, Nicolas Mahut, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Sports, Tennis News, Tomas Berdych