Roger Federer - Return of the King (7 times Wimbledon Champion)

“I’ve won so much that you feel like if you put yourself in the right position and you do all the right things you’ll definitely get a shot of winning big tournaments.”

That’s what Federer said a year ago when no one was ready to believe the champion. After all, he had not won a Grand Slam since 2010. When he turned 30, most of the critics had written him off citing the younger legs of Djokovic & Nadal being too good for the greatest player in tennis history.

Greatest leaders/players have been those who have kept their word and followed what they have said. And so did Federer today. The Fedex went on to defeat World No. 4 Andy Murray in 4 sets: 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

 

The way Federer played today was the vintage Federer of old days. He was broken in the first set at 4-4 by Murray who played aggressive tennis from the start. Unlike his earlier grand slam finals, Murray played good strong tennis throughout the match but as they say, when Federer is playing at his best, no one can stop him.

In the second set, both the players played unbelievable shots to the excitement of the crowd. Federer saved 2 break points to finally seal the third set in the 12^th game with a perfect volley which brought out the applause from every person in the stadium.

When it looked like Federer had momentum finally; rain Gods interfered only to make it even stronger for the God of tennis. Federer who had not been serving well till now came on strong, and started hitting the sweet corners just as he did in the semi-final against Djokovic. And it seemed that Paul Annacone had a crucial role in the revival as Federer started ripping his forehand on Murray's second serve, which 90% of the times was angled towards Fed’s backhand. And in the 7^th game which turned out to be the crucial one, Fed sealed the 6^th break point of the game to end the 26 point game to go up 4-2. And from then on, it was just Federer all over the court with his shots.

Not to take anything away from Murray, he was aggressive and positive throughout the match and my heart really goes out to him for his unbelievable effort. He should be really proud of the way he played but today was not his day as it was the day which was meant for Roger Federer to win his 17^th GS.

This is the day which will be remembered as the day when Roger Federer created history to win his 7^th Wimbledon title and also claim his World No. 1 ranking at the age of almost 31 when every critic had written him off.

This is the day which will be remembered as the day to remind us all, that in the end, what world says about you does not matter but what matters is your will and determination.

This is the day which will be remembered as the day when a person named Roger Federer decided that 30 is the new gold and age can never be a barrier for anyone to achieve ones' goals.

About one year ago, I had written Federer and myth of age 30 in which I said, if you think "you can you will" for this great champion. And today again I will say Thank You Roger Federer for inspiring us all and making us believe that it is all in our mind, we define our goals and achieve them.

In the end, I will sum up the match with this quote:

"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible. " - Orison Marden

Also: Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30? 

 Roger Federer & His Secret of Success?

Roger Federer- The Last Link To The 90's? 

Roger Federer- The SwissFighter!

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Roger Federer- The SwissFighter!

“I've worked extremely hard since I lost that match point against Novak last year at the U.S. Open”- Roger Federer

Sitting with both hands clasped together, I cheered for Roger Federer saying it loudly: “Federer please make sure you serve well.”  At that very instant, US Open 2011 semifinals memories flashed back and I said to myself, "Federer, you got to make that serve; you have not come so far just to lose now".

And then as soon as I saw Djokovic’s return went in the net, I jumped in joy with a big YES. Roger Federer had won against defending champion to book his eighth Wimbledon finals appearance. I was elated  not as a fan of Roger Federer but it was for the joy of humanity, joy of seeing a person achieving his goals when everyone had thought the opposite for him.

He is 30+, he still fights out in tennis courts when all the analysts and critics have waived him off just like another bus ticket. After all it’s the generation of the young guns. How can a player above 30 be so confident about reaching the finals leave apart reclaim the World No.1 ranking?

How can Roger Federer even think of survival in the presence of Djokovic /Nadal? Doesn’t he know that tennis was not anymore for him? Wasn’t 7 wimbledon finals enough for him?  Doesn’t he know that in today’s world present matters and not the past? Doesn’t he know that all the critics have the lifetime experience of predicting what’s best for him?

Roger Federer was the underdog in today’s match as per so called experts. He should have retired long back – doesn’t he know that ? Oh My, what a shock it must have been for everyone who had written him off and was calling for his retirement.

I just can’t help smiling and looking at admiration towards the champion known as The Fedex. Why?

Because when I look at him, he gives me hope about my dreams. He gives me belief that what matters in life is your own faith in yourself. The whole world might be against you but it’s you who matter. It’s the power of your mind and hard work that  determines your success even when you grow old.

When I look at him, he gives me inspiration to not give up in any circumstances. He gives me the faith to stand strong at times of adversity. Just today, I felt certain colleagues did not react the way I wanted them to react to my idea and infact when I  knew I was pretty damn good. I was upset and sad. Then I thought of Federer and his defeat against Tsonga last year. He said to everyone that he played well and he knew in his heart that against Tsonga and Djokovic (US Open ), he was good. But did anyone believe him?

Should he have also gone and sat in a corner sad and not work even harder than before. Should he have given up hope and stopped working? If at the age of 30, he is not ready to give up, why should I ?

That’s why I say, Federer's win in the semi finals is not about being happy as a fan, it’s about being joyful for the purpose of humanity. It’s about how inspiring it is to see someone stick to his goals even in dire circumstances and not deviating from his path. It’s about a person’s perseverance and belief to do the impossible.  It’s about a lesson that we can all learn to implement in our lives and make sure we stick to our goals no matter how much resistance we face.

Even if you are fans of other tennis players, I would still suggest all of you to cheer not for Federer- The Player  but for Federer -  The Person’s determination and will power to prove to the world that there is nothing bigger in this world than a person’s thoughts and action.

Because, Roger Federer’s game is more than a sport right now, it’s about life, emotion, passion, and some of the greatest highs  and lows we can experience. It’s about his fight against the world to set an example to everyone: “Never underestimate the power and ability of anyone”

Also:  Never Say Die: Serena Williams Inspiring Story!

Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30? 

Never Say Die: Serena Williams Inspiring Story!

In my experience, I have seen myself and so many others giving up on their goals in their lives thinking of them as impossible".

"Being at the top and dominating the game with no fear for 7 years, she was suddenly diagnosed with career and life threatening injury. It threatened to take away from her the thing that made her everything and that she loved since childhood. After a year's time off, she came back to the tennis court and was never able to dominate the way she once used to until today. Serena Williams won her 5^th Wimbledon Championship title and 14^th Grand Slam of her career. She defeated Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2."

There were talks about new players coming up, end of an era, not being fit enough to sustain long matches, the big issue of age 30, and what not! How do you get over these things?

In both these situations, many would have lost hope and left it on fate, feeling they are just unfortunate to be born in such an era or unlucky to have such an injury! How does one get over that barrier?

Well, you just have to be Serena Williams in your lives in order to overcome all these odds. Just imagine what if she would have given up not trying. She wouldn’t have been able to achieve what she did today.

She is also a normal human being like us but still managed to comeback strong. Her game has been always strong but here is why I really think she was able to win Wimbledon today:

Mindset:  Never let others get into your head: It’s you who have to decide what your goals should be. Even if people don't believe you, it’s you who have to decide what you want. People will come, go and then come back again but your goals won't. People will be with you when you are at top one time, against you once you are down and then again with you at top!  It’s only family and true friends/fans who stick with you at all times. As Carl Lewis said “Scientists have proven that it's impossible to long-jump 30 feet, but I don't listen to that kind of talk. Thoughts like that have a way of sinking into your feet"

Attitude:  They say - it’s not the altitude but your attitude which defines your life! No matter what situation you are in - high or low - if you have attitude of not giving up ever and trying to reach your goals come what may, you are bound to succeed! Every human being is unique and has his/her own specialties so don’t compare with others. Carve your own way, work on yourself and grind it out. Don't ever give up no matter what!  I can guarantee you this that if you give up, you will never ever achieve what you are destined for. But if you don't, one day you will. Try your best and go for it!

And she is a perfect example of the above two differentiators. In the end, I am so happy to see Serena win her 14^th GS today after 2 years 4 days, imagine even the age factor couldn’t stop her. In the end, I will like to end with this:

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster woman,

But soon or late the woman who wins

Is the woman WHO THINKS SHE CAN!

Also: Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30? 

Can Roger Federer win his 17th GS?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy 

What does Wimbledon Stats say : Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer?

What a ride it has been for Federer in Wimbledon! From back spasms to pure genius, we have seen it all from this champion who played mind-blowing tennis to earn a record 32nd GS semifinal appearance. Roger Federer defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 6-2, 6-2  for the 14th time  in his career. 

On the other hand, defending champion Djokovic won his QF against Florian Mayer in his usual business style to reach the SF of his favorite GS of the year. Djokovic played aggressive tennis throughout the match  to defeat him in straight sets : 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.  The scream and the fist at the end of the match point by Nole, was a good signal to everyone that he is ready for his showdown against 6 times Wimbledon Champion Roger Federer. 

So the big question is who will win the biggest showdown in Wimbledon this year? Let's have a look at the Wimbledon stats so far for both these players:

Stats	Djokovic	Federer
Aces	44	47
1st serve (%)	69	67
1st serve points won  (%)	79	79
2nd serve points won  (%)	58	58
Net points won  (%)	65	75
Break points won  (%)	51	47
Receiving points won  (%)	45	46
Winners	202	191
Unforced errors	79	78

Opinion:

Clearly we can see both these players are pretty much even on their serves and unforced errors. Both of these players are playing good aggressive tennis with control and precision. The only weak area which might prove to be an advantage for Djokovic is the break points won. Historically we have seen that break point conversion rate is the sore point in Federer's game against Nadal/Djokovic.  

If Federer really has to win against Djokovic, he will have to be at his best even in break point conversion rate.  For me, this match between them is worthy of a Wimbledon final and the stakes are pretty high for both these individuals. Roger Federer, if he wins this SF, he will have a chance to win his 17th GS and claim World no.1 ranking (equaling Pete Sampras record of most weeks at World No.1)  On the other hand for Djokovic, if he loses this SF, he will not be able to defend his Wimbledon title and also possibly lose his World No.1 ranking to Federer. 

Both these players have played each other 26 times and Federer leads 14-12. But what's interesting is that Djokovic has defeated Federer 4 times out of their 5 meetings in last two years. BUT(a big one) these players have never met in Wimbledon so far. So it will be interesting to see what will happen in this classic showdown. 

Roger Federer:" So I think Djokovic has been able to put a lot of these things aside, and he seems a very complete and happy player out there right now.  I think all these little things create quite something at the very top, I think." 

Novak Djokovic: "Federer has variety, great variety, in his game, I guess.  He uses his serve very well.  He opens up the court.  He uses that slice really well to get the balls to bounce low.  You know, he’s very aggressive at times.  He can defend well." 

Verdict: On match stats, Djokovic has the edge definitely but there is a huge chance that Federer might come out firing like French Open last year knowing that history might be redefined on his victory. But I will go with Djokovic (only slightly). 

 All in all we are set for a match that the entire tennis fraternity, fans will be waiting for the showdown of the year.

So who will win:

All right, let me tell you what winning means? you're willing to go longer, work harder, give more than anyone else." Vince Lombardi

Also:

Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30? 

Novak Djokovic's Attitude : Fluke or Real?

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy