Fabulous Federer in sublime form as he wraps up win number...
“It’s nice to do it in a final, with nerves, against a great player”
Only a week of the tennis season has gone and already an alarming number of players have been calling in sick to tournaments or withdrawing, in the case of John Isner, because he is ‘tired’.
Rising gloriously above all this is Roger Federer, a player for the ages, who registered his 1,000th ATP Tour victory by winning the final of the Brisbane Open against Milos Raonic.
With his 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 victory, the 33-year- old Swiss became only the third player in the modern era to get into four figures of professional wins, behind Ivan lendl and alltime leader Jimmy Connors.
Just six weeks after filling in the last gap on his c.v. by lifting the Davis Cup trophy, Federer was being feted again, this time with a presentation from Australian greats Rod laver and Roy Emerson.
While fans have their favourite aspects of Federer — his freef l owing style, f or example — increasingly he is being recognised for his extraordinary durability and consistency in an era when men’s tennis is among the most physically demanding of sports.
Of all the stats being trotted out in tribute yesterday, arguably the most remarkable of his career remains the 36 consecutive times he reached the quarter-finals or (usually) better at the Grand Slams between 2004 and 2013.
While there are comparisons with lendl and Connors, an equally apt one is with Serena Williams, the all-conquering American who was born less than two months after him. She stands on 684 career victories, a mark which illustrates the Swiss master’s astonishing consistency of effort.
yesterday represented his 83rd career title, and hard fought it was against the huge-serving Canadian. It sets him up beautifully for a run at the Australian Open, which begins a week today.
Realistically you would expect him to overtake lendl’s tally of 1,071 but even Federer will struggle to overhaul Connors’ final figure of 1,253. They are three very different personalities, but what they have in common is an abso- lute lust for winning and severe dislike of losing.
Of going past Connors, the Swiss admitted: ‘I doubt that it’s going to happen but you never know.’
He was nonetheless delighted with this latest notch of greatness. ‘I’ve played a lot of tennis over the years so to get to 1,000 wins means a lot to me,’ he said.
‘It’s a special moment, no doubt about that, I will never forget this match. looking back, it’s almost nicer winning it this way, in a final with nerves and humid conditions against a great player.’
Raonic was aware of the historic occasion but rather overestimated Federer’s achievement.
‘ We all know t oday was a significant milestone for Roger,’ said the world no 8. ‘When we were warming up, I heard all those titles; I honestly thought he was playing for 2,000 match wins today! I think he needs to step it up!’
Two thousand wins will be beyond even Federer, but you would expect him to get past lendl, on the proviso that his body and sometimes troublesome back can hold up, as it did last year but struggled to do in 2013.
When Federer’s second set of twins arrived in May he was asked whether they would distract him f rom the tennis court but he has already answered that one. His smooth technique puts less strain on his body than most other players and his life runs like a Swiss clock, supported by his formidable wife Mir k a , as became apparent at t he O2 Arena in november. The man with whom he fell out there, Stanislas Wawrinka, looks to have played himself into form in time for the defence of his Australian Open title. yesterday he won the ATP Chennai Op e n by beating qualifier Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-4. By reaching the final and beating some tough Spaniards along the way, Bedene showed how useful he is, and it could yet be that by this time next week he will have switched his allegiance to Britain, as his change i n citizenship f rom Slovenia appears imminent.
Someone who will not be in Melbourne is US Open champion Marin Cilic, whose withdrawal through a shoulder injury should see londoner James Ward get an automatic entry into a Grand Slam field for the first time.
Cilic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga seem to have paid for putting in a full stint at the International Premier Tennis league in the offseason. Federer was smart enough to restrict his participation to a couple of days.
There was good news for Britain in the doubles yesterday, as two players won titles.
Jamie Murray made the perfect start to the season in the company of his Australian partner John Peers when they defeated Alex Dolgopolov and Kei nishikori 6-3, 7-6 in the final at Brisbane. Murray wants to make a case for a return to the British Davis Cup team this year.
And 2012 Wimbledon doubles champion Jonathan Marray won his second career title in Chennai. He and partner yen-Hsun lu beat Raven Klaasen and home favourite and eight-time men’s doubles Grand Slam winner leander Paes 6-3, 7-6.