FED FOUND HIS FEET ON CLAY IN END
I’ll talk about fighting in front of 80,000 fans until the day I die. Would I ever make a comeback? No.. but if Eddie Hearn came on and said Kessler 3? I’d say: F ****** hell, I’ll look at it
CHAMP AT LAST Roger Federer in 2009
ROGER FEDERER fought off a rare case of stage fright with the bravest shot of his career 11 years ago today on his way to winning his only French Open title.
And the silky Swiss superstar showed true steel to complete his career Grand Slam in Paris (below).
Federer had been reduced to tears by a brutal defeat to Rafa Nadal in the 2009 Australian Open final just months before.
And the No.2 seed had lost the last three Paris finals to the dashing young Spaniard. For all his greatness – he had already won 13 Majors – he seemed destined never to win the clay-court Grand Slam.
Yet in an enormous shock, Nadal lost for the first time ever in Paris to Robin Soderling. Suddenly, with his bete noire beaten, Federer was the favourite. This was his golden chance. And he knew it.
“This was when the journalists started saying it’s this year or never,” he said later. “But I knew that instead of the tournament becoming easier, it was going to become more difficult because of the pressure.”
His fourth-round opponent the following day was former world No.2 Tommy Haas. And with the weight of history on his shoulders, Federer was staggering to a horrible defeat when he lost the first two sets and was break point down at 3-4 in the third.
Court Philippe Chatrier, where he is adored even more than Centre Court, was reduced to silence. It was effectively a match point.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think, ‘Hey, if I win this point I’m going to win this match’,” said the German.
Only then did Federer rip an inside-out forehand winner which landed just inside the sideline to win the point – and release the pressure.
“I struggled in the first two-and-ahalf sets,” added the Swiss. “It was my first good shot. I knew I would look back on that shot. It saved me.”
Federer went on to win in five sets and six days later saw off Soderling in the final.
NO FRENCH SLAM.. FEDERER RECORD IN PARIS
It was six years ago yesterday when he brought down the curtain on a glittering career with a booming right hand to floor George Groves in the eighth round at Wembley Stadium.
It was witnessed by the biggest crowd in British boxing since World War II, with 80,000 people at the spectacular occasion.
Now, at 42, Froch is happily married to wife Rachel and has three kids. And he reckons he has doubled his career earnings in investments.
Life is perfect, but the fighter in him which made the Nottingham man a two-time world champion, means every so often when Joe
Calzaghe or Mikkel Kessler are mentioned, there’s a glint in his eye.
And even in April he joked he wanted Calzaghe out of retirement for a clash between two of Britain’s great super-middleweights.
“‘I’m so financially secure there is no money motivation,” said Froch.
“You’re putting your life at risk to earn money you don’t need. So what’s the point? My legacy is intact.
“The desire is gone. When the desire goes, you have to be honest with yourself.
“I have thought about it. I retired in such a good spot of my career, it’s just stupid even to think about it, but you do as a fighter.
“We are a special breed of person. Most people don’t understand why you would want to fight and get punched in the face. I don’t understand it now. It feels like a lifetime ago.
“To answer the question, I would have to say, ‘No I will not fight again’. But the fighter in me is still saying if Eddie Hearn comes to me and says, ‘I’ve been on to Kessler, he wants the decider’. F**king hell, I’d have to look at it!” Froch may not have received the plaudits his career deserved until his latter years but at least they came.
And that night at Wembley was the perfect send off. After a controversial TKO win in the first fight, he settled the dispute with Groves on the biggest platform and opened the door for promoter Hearn to use the national stadium for huge fights in the future.
That includes Anthony
FROCH FACTFILE
Born July 2, 1977, Nottingham
35 fights, 33 wins, 24 KOs, 2 defeats First pro fight, March 16, 2002, beat Michael Pinnock in London on TKO Won WBC super-m’weight title vs Jean Pascal Dec 2008 (unanimous decision) Lost WBC belt to Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler in April 2010
Beat Arthur Abraham in Finland in November 2010 for vacant WBC crown Lost belt to Andre Ward a year later Won IBF super-m’weight title from Lucian Bute in May 2012
Added WBA belt to IBF one by beating Kessler in rematch at O2 in May 2013 Beat George Groves in Manchester by TKO in Nov 2013, then ended career by beating Groves in rematch in May 2014
Joshua’s epic heavyweight duel with Wladimir Klitschko three years later.
Froch is mocked for bringing up the 80,000 fans stat so often but, like his work as a Sky Sports pundit, the Nottingham man doesn’t care if he upsets people.
“People laugh at the 80,000, because I told Floyd Mayweather when I was interviewing him before the Manny Pacquiao fight, which was comical,” added Froch.
“But just think about it for a minute – 80,000 at a boxing match, me and George Groves. I will talk about it until the day I die.
“You look at that ring entrance, at that event, at that performance, and you’d be proud too. I should be shouting it from the rooftops. Not the best fight of my career, but one of the biggest nights of British boxing since the War.
“I was the catalyst.”
GREAT CAREER Froch’s stunning right hand floored Groves, he lost to Mikkel Kessler in Denmark but won the rematch at the O2