Rob McLean - Reports of Federer decline should wait for Wimbledon
Having kept a respectful silence over Roger Federer's recent run of defeats, commentators in the US are now openly questioning whether this is the beginning of a very slow decline for the greatest player who ever drew breath. Peter Bodo, one of the game's most respected commentators asked, "Is it time to panic about Federer?"
I think waiting until after Wimbledon would be the right time.
The world No 1 can walk away at any point with his head held high, secure in the knowledge that he has achieved pretty much everything in the game. The Grand Slam would have been nice but with the modern men's game and the frighteningly high level of competition, it is nigh impossible to achieve. It was last accomplished 41 years ago in a gentler era of camaraderie and post-match socialising.
It is always a shame when a great champion seems to be slowly losing his aura. At nearly 29 Federer is definitely looking vulnerable in recent events, albeit over three-set matches. He is in excellent company as his friend, Tiger Woods, knows that only another major will stop the whispering.
The defining moments for Roger now will be at the French Open and Wimbledon. Federer has reached the semi-finals of the last 23 grand slams - an extraordinary record. Sadly, the rivalry with a rejuvenated Rafael Nadal, which the Spaniard leads 13-7, may be over.
They take part in this week's Madrid Masters, their last clay-court event before the French Open, and haven't met since last year's Madrid final when the Swiss had a rare success over his clay-court nemesis.
Madrid will be fascinating - Nadal on a roll again, Federer in a slump defending his title and Andy Murray (he won this event when it was played on hard courts) hopefully getting his game back to form in time for Paris, Queen's and Wimbledon.
If you like a bit of bad blood with your tennis, the women's event in Madrid is worth looking out for. The all-Serbian battle between Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic in the second round could be lively.
Jankovic's irritation with her compatriot stems from last month's vital Federation Cup tie against Slovakia in Belgrade that Serbia lost. Jankovic made a 48-hour journey from the US to play while Ivanovic chose not to take part or even support from the sidelines and was then photographed having coffee with her boyfriend in Majorca.
Other factors that may have contributed to Jankovic's fit of pique could be that Ivanovic has won the French Open while Jankovic is still waiting for her first slam after numerous fourth round and semi-final appearances. It will be interesting to see the closing handshake.
Jankovic, who won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon with Britain's Jamie Murray, has also had to play second fiddle to the game's most glamorous player when it comes to magazine photo-shoots.
Nevertheless, it was an encouraging week for Jankovic, beating both Williams sisters in Rome but then obviously too worn out to defeat the unseeded Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. Indirectly this was a very good result for the confidence of Britain's Laura Robson. The 16-year-old beat Martinez Sanchez in an exhibition event in the Hopman Cup earlier in the year. The body language and general demeanour of he Spaniard suggested she was taking it very seriously and very unhappy at losing to the youngster.
Date published :
12 May 2010 - 09:15:20
