Flying Tsitsipas leaves Fed looking his age
EVERY now and then we have to remember that Roger Federer is 38 years old and, on two big occasions this year, Stefanos Tsitsipas has provided a reminder.
In January’s Australian Open he saved 12 break points to defeat the great Swiss and yesterday he saved 11 against a strangely flat Federer to knock him out of the ATP Finals.
While Tsitsipas (left), 17 years his junior, becomes the youngest finalist in 10 years after a 6-3, 6-4 victory, Federer was left reflecting on the chances of the 2020 season being the one when the younger generation breaks through.
‘Does it feel like next year might be the best year yet? Possibly,’ said Federer, whose conqueror was left waiting to see who he would meet from the second semi-final, either defending champion Alex Zverev of Germany or Austria’s Dominic Thiem.
‘I just think they have proven their point this year by qualifying for the World Tour Finals, and also now at least one of them making it to the finals,’ added Federer.
‘I look at the list of who finished world No1 all these years and it’s just crazy that it’s always one of us (the big three).
‘But we are not getting any younger. So the chances increase, not because we are getting worse but because they are getting better.’
Federer declared that he was ‘extremely excited for next season’ but first he is off on a lucrative exhibition tour of South America, or ‘getting the wheelbarrow out’, as golfer Ernie Els once delicately put it.
It was an unexpectedly poor performance from the favourite, who had played such an outstanding match to defeat Novak Djokovic on Thursday night. He had not played long matches this week and had the benefit of a free day on Friday, when the young Greek had played for nearly three hours against Rafael Nadal.
The crowd was, as usual, fervent in their encouragement for the older man.
Rebounding from previous matches can be the difference between being in your early twenties to your late thirties.
‘It’s not maybe as easy as it was maybe 10, 15 years ago where you’re just going to play very good day in, day out,’ added Federer. ‘Maybe you need to do extra effort sometimes for that to happen.’
As if we did not know already, Tsitsipas is the real thing and the shape of the emerging generation is slowly presenting itself.
The Greek, Daniil Medvedev, Thiem and Zverev look like they will be fighting it out for the biggest prizes soon enough. In terms of an all-round game, Tsitsipas may prove to be the best and he does not lack in the ability to lift his game when it most matters.
Time and again Federer threatened to come back into it yet he was repelled on all but one of the break points he created, six in the first set and six in the second.
A big difference in Federer’s game was his serve, which was far less effective than against Wimbledon champion Djokovic.
One pleasing detail is that three of the four semi-finalists use a singlehanded backhand. It is the stroke that refuses to die, despite predictions of its demise.
Tsitsipas emphasised his resilience on big points. ‘It’s a mental struggle.
‘I am really proud to save so many breaks points. I was trying not to give Roger any time,’ he said.