The triumph of Roger Federer’s win is not in the compilation of fourteen Grand Slam titles but his recovery from adversity and the adjustments and evolutions that he has made to his game. Rafael Nadal has displayed phenomenal athleticism and power during his six Grand Slam wins but he has never exhibited the consistency shown by Federer in three areas: Consistency: Federer has always played the entire year and wins during each season. Like Tiger Woods – another blue chip brand name athlete – he wins about half the time. Federer has made every Grand Slam semi-final for the past …
Federer def. Roddick 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-2
Reminiscent of that Sampras-Agassi match in the 2001 – which was also regrettably scheduled for the quarter-finals due to a poor draw – Roger Federer ousted Andy Roddick from the U.S. Open in straight sets last night. Like the classic match half a dozen years ago, the first two sets were played without any breaks of service. However, Roddick could not match Federer’s relentless play. At key times, it seemed that Roddick made poor judgments or tried for too much; Federer remained focused and played his (superb) game. In the 2001 match, Pete Sampras prevailed because he possessed a more …
The Appreciation of Andre Agassi
On Monday, Andre Agassi won under the lights at the U.S. Open. In 1990 a different Andre Agassi lost to Pete Sampras in the U.S. Open Finals. Once Agassi was seen as a gifted under-achiever; now he’s admired as the epitomy of a professional athlete. Substance replaced style and successes replaced failures on the biggest stages as Agassi won the career Grand Slam. Agassi’s career path mirrors the development of many student-athletes as they progress through High School. Often the game is more mental than physical, work ethic can trump raw talent, and consistency is critical. Agassi still possesses tremendous …
Night Tennis
James Blake and Andre Agassi played one of the better tennis matches that I have seen in recent years last night (and part of this morning.) The majority of the points were very well played, displaying the tremendous skill of both players. The match was intense and legitimately surprising as the momentum changed sides several times. If there is a lesson that can be applied in other sports, it is to never give up. Down two sets and a break in the third, Agassi brought his game to another level and won the next two sets. Needing to break to …