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CALLING SIGNALS |
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CAN'T MISS |
 ROGER FEDERER |
Federer was this summer's
all-sports phenomenon
of TheColumnists.com
Heaven is sitting in a Los Angeles sports bar at this time of year.
Nachos piled high. Fans going wild. TV screens showing everything every night:
Vlad Guerrero jacking them out for the L.A. Angels. Randy Moss hauling them in for the ex-L.A. Raiders. Matt Leinhart going deep for the USC Trojans. Kobe Bryant getting ready to pump up the Lakers. Jeremy Roenick bringing back the Kings and hockey.
And just recently cloud-nine tennis from far away. The event was the U.S. Open in New York. The master was Roger Federer of Switzerland.
If baseball calls fastballs cheese, Federer is Swiss Cheese. Without the holes.
This Swiss hits heat. Off his serve, forehand, backhand, overhead. You name it, Federer smashes it. And no one returns it consistently.
Andre Agassi is the greatest returner in history. He couldn’t handle Federer’s shots in the Open final of Sept. 11.
On a date we remember as New York’s Pearl Harbor Day, Federer made for sunnier memories by flashing sizzling tennis form. His four-set domination of America’s favorite player gave the Swiss his sixth Grand Slam title. At just 24 years old.
John McEnroe called Federer maybe the greatest in history. And that was before the slamming of Agassi. During the CBS telecast, Mac said it again. Yes, he can be serious.
Federer is nearly halfway to Pete Sampras, whose 14 Grand Slam titles top tennis.
And believe it that Federer will conquer the clay of the French Open, something Sampras couldn’t.
Right now it’s Sampras, Federer one-two all time. The Swiss will pass him by the end of this decade.
Federer simply has the brain and racket head to hit that level. As opposed to McEnroe, the court king in 1984 who fell off the throne thereafter. And Marat Safin, who brilliantly kept Federer from winning the Australian Open last January but has failed since.
Federer dominates tennis. Any time he’s in a tourney, you look for his name. As long as he’s in the hunt, other players are prey.
That’s how it was in the ‘70s with Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert, then Bjorn Borg. And in the ‘80s with McEnroe and Martina Navratilova, then Steffi Graf. And in the ‘90s with Graf, then Monica Seles, then Sampras. And in this decade with Venus Williams, then sister Serena.
When they stepped on the court at their peak, they won. Even before the coin flip.
You can’t say that with Agassi, as impressive as his eight Grand Slam titles are. With his so-so serve, he could always be had. Same with a couple of other champs of his era: Jim Courier and Martina Hingis.
Which brings up America’s next hope, Donald Young. The Chicago 16-year-old added to his junior title at the Aussie Open with a junior doubles title at the U.S. Open.
The lefty knows how to win. But will his game translate to the big time?
Luke Jensen says no. I ran into the former doubles pro and current TV analyst at the ATP stop in L.A. in July and asked him about Young’s prospects.
He dismissed Young because of his serve. Too weak. Check back in a few years for that prediction.
In the meantime, plan on Federer padding his resume at the next Slam, the Aussie Open.
That’s in four months. Plenty of time for baseball, football, basketball and hockey heaven at the sports bar.
©2005 by Bucky Fox. This column first posted Sept. 19, 2005.
You can visit Bucky Fox's website at www.BuckyFox.com
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