Federer still firing up
Tennis great tweaks team to give him an edge
SEVENTEEN years after his first full season on the ATP Tour, Roger Federer sets out next week in Brisbane to ink one last grand slam full stop to the greatest men’s tennis story ever told.
Federer’s addition of Ivan Ljubicic, in place of Stefan Edberg, to his team of coaches is a latest tweak to find something else, something extra to beat Father Time, Novak Djokovic and the other 126 opponents who turn up at every major.
The 34-year-old winner of 17 grand slam titles will probably win an 18th only if he can plot a path through or around Djokovic, his conqueror in their Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2015.
A close look at Federer’s head-to-head matches against Djokovic, which now stand at 22 wins each, tells a story.
Federer won three of their eight matches in 2015, but the only two encounters at grand slams resulted in four-set finals won by the Serb.
Djokovic is now a winner of 10 majors, largely because he has won six of his past eight grand slam matches against Federer since the Swiss star won their 2009 US Open semi-final.
Yet when Federer repaired to his Dubai training base for pre-season training, he insisted he would not frame his improvements around tactics and refinements to address Djokovic.
“I feel like I need to work on my overall game that is going to have an impact against most of the players,’’ Federer said in London after losing his last match of the year – to Djokovic – at the ATP Tour finals last month.
“I used to work more precisely towards Rafa (Nadal as an opponent). With Novak, it’s more straightforward.
“It seems like there are not many guys that can hang with him, or dare to go forward because he’s so good on the return. He’s perfected his game on the hardcourts, no doubt about it.’’
Djokovic’s 82-6 season, including three majors and eight other tour titles, was the best on the men’s tour since Federer’s 92-5 campaign in 2006, which also reaped three grand slam crowns.
Federer indicates he, Ljubicic and head coach Severin Luthi will be intent on refining the net-rushing game that gave him such variety and success at the age of 34.
“I’m able to beat the best players regularly,’’ said the world No.3.
“How I’m able to play at net now, how I’m moving and feeling at net in particular is great thing to have. Then my serve has been really working very consistent.
“There is definitely consolation.
‘‘It’s been a great stretch all the way for many months now.’’