Roger Federer needs Rafael Nadal. History might not care, because if Federer beats Robin Soderling in the final of the
French Open Sunday, that will be his 14th major title. He will tie Pete Sampras' record, and will have done something Sampras never did: win the big one on red clay.
Federer can only beat the player standing on the other side of the net. And the tennis world will be buzzing about King Roger, and his crowning, if he wins. But deep down, everyone will feel it: Something will be missing.
Nadal.
"No, not really," Federer said. "Not really."
But you have played him in the French final three years in a row.
"Four years. Four years."
Federer advanced to the final Friday when he beat Juan Martin Del Potro, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. An awfully tight match against a guy that the general sports fan has never heard of, I know. But don't worry. Del Potro is the real deal.
He's the fifth-best player in the world, just 20 years old and 6-foot-6, thin, strong and athletic. He's basically a basketball player with a racquet in his hand, and he has a big future.
That just goes to show Federer's problem, though. He beat Gael Monfils in the quarters, demolishing a darn good player. Then he fought past Del Potro, but no one notices that, or counts it.
The Main Event in tennis is Federer-Nadal. It's last year's Wimbledon final. It's the greatest individual rivalry in sports. If Nadal had beaten Soderling last year at Wimbledon, it wouldn't have been the same, either.
See, Nadal needs Federer, too. And in the past year, since the rivalry became so big, that's who he has beaten to be the best.
So will the French Open itself be enough for Federer? I don't think so.
But honestly, we'll have to watch and see how it feels.
"I just congratulated him and wished him good luck," Del Potro said.
"I said everybody wants him to lift the trophy at the end."
Federer lost the French and Wimbledon final to Nadal last year, and the Australian this year. He won the U.S. Open, but Nadal -- on his worst surface, hard courts -- had lost earlier and wasn't there.
But while Federer's fans were just thrilled to learn that their guy could still win majors, they missed Nadal, too.
No, Federer says. And sure, he has had his head knocked off by Nadal enough times to feel some relief without him. But every champion wants a shot back at the guy who beat him.
Pete Sampras never won the French, but was considered the best ever because of all the majors. And because he beat Andre Agassi. He was better than Agassi early in his career, and they traded places occasionally in the middle. And in the end, Sampras beat Agassi in the U.S. Open final.
This talk matters only if Federer wins, of course. He has beaten Soderling nine times, and never lost to him. So lose to this guy, at this moment, and the doubts will be there about Federer.
The best-ever argument, or the why-can't-he-do-it argument. One match can mean so much in tennis. That's Federer's pressure.
Soderling is talented, but has never been consistent. He knocked Nadal out on Sunday, and he has worked to get into serious shape. He's having one of those dream tournaments. The funny thing about Soderling is this: While every tennis coach, and every kid is trying to wing as much topspin as possible to be like Nadal, here came Soderling with the gameplan to beat him: Take any short Nadal spinning shot, step in and crush it.
Flat. If he beats Federer, too, then there are going to be coaches scampering in panic.
I would like to know where Federer's head is now. He has been perfection flawed since that Wimbledon final. We've seen him smash racquets, fall apart to top players, cry in Australia.
He has been getting better the past several weeks, but even at the French, his game has simply deserted him several times, briefly.
The truth is, Nadal, for the first time, has lost his perfection now, too.
On Friday, Nadal pulled out of the Queen's Club tournament, a grass court warmup for Wimbldeon.
"I have been having some problems in the past months with my knees, that's no secret, that did not allow me to compete at 100 percent always," he wrote on his website. "I need to work with my team to recover well, work on my physical condition to be at my top form and get ready for the grass to play at Wimbledon. I hope I can be ready to compete by then."
Nadal's knees have been an issue, and he has been criticized for playing too much. But, just guessing here, I wonder if Nadal's problems might be partly in his head. Maybe he needs to step away for a week or two for a mental break.
Nadal should be strong enough to come back, but with a loss on his best surface, word is now out that he can be beat, even on clay. His opponents won't be finished before the match starts anymore.
Federer knows about this. Nadal knocked him there last year. He has finally accepted what's happening, and has been changing, working on being more aggressive, and on mixing in dropshots. He underwent grueling preparation the past few months, with four-hour on-court sessions, serving and running and sliding sessions on the clay.
The idea was to simulate a five-set French Open final, and do it over and over.
"It's been a good clay court preparation,'' he said.
No, it was a Rafa Nadal preparation.
Now, he gets Soderling instead. That's not what he needed, not who he needed.
Kuznetsova Wins French Open
Svetlana Kuznetsova conquered her nerves and beat a shaky Dinara Safina to win the French Open.
Showing uncharacteristic calm, Kuznetsova earned her second Grand Slam title Saturday by defeating Safina 6-4, 6-2 in an all-Russian matchup. Jitters have often betrayed Kuznetsova down the stretch in big matches, but she swept the final four games with steady play.
Instead it was the top-ranked Safina who battled her emotions. She double-faulted seven times, struggled with her movement and appeared near tears late in the match.
"Today I think she was too tight," Kuznetsova said. "She had so much pressure on her. But I could bring my better game today-that's why I won."
Four-time French Open champion Justine Henin and others have criticized Safina's ranking because she has yet to win a major. She climbed to No. 1 in April and will remain there through at least late July, but she's now 0-3 in Grand Slam finals.
The younger sister of two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin was runner-up at Roland Garros last year to Ana Ivanovic.
"Hopefully, one day I can win here," Safina said during the trophy ceremony, her voice cracking. The loss ended her 16-match winning streak.
On Sunday, Roger Federer will play in his fourth consecutive Roland Garros final, with one big difference this year: He's facing Robin Soderling, not Rafael Nadal. Federer will bid for his 14th major title to match Pete Sampras' record, and he'll try to become the sixth man to win all four Grand Slam titles.
Soderling will play in his first major final after upsetting four-time defending champion Nadal in the fourth round.
Kuznetsova beat 10-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, and against Safina she had the more varied game, mixing the angle and pace of her groundstrokes as she scooted across the clay. She hit an occasional drop shot and won all six points when she came to the net.
Cool, damp weather made for slower conditions that lessened the impact of Safina's booming groundstrokes. And her serve was woeful: Safina lost more than half her service points and was broken five times.
She double-faulted for the last time on championship point, then slammed her racket to the court. Kuznetsova's reaction to the victory was subdued. The two finalists, whose friendly rivalry dates back a decade, traded kisses on the cheek at the net. Kuznetsova then allowed herself a brief smile and acknowledged the cheering crowd by patting her chest.
No. 7-seeded Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion, won $1.5 million while Safina received $750,000.
Paes, Dlouhy win French Open men's doubles
India's Leander Paes celebrated a ninth Grand Slam doubles title before thanking former playing partner and 20-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova for boosting his career.
Paes teamed with Lukas Dlouhy of the Czech Republic to capture the French Open title with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Wesley Moodie of South Africa and Belgium's Dick Norman.
It was 35-year-old Paes's fifth men's Grand Slam men's doubles title having won twice here in 1999 and 2001 with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi, 1999 Wimbledon with Bhupathi and the 2006 US Open with Martin Damm.
He has also won four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, including the 2003 Wimbledon and Australian Open trophies with Navratilova.
"Martina has been a soulmate for many years. We've been through a lot in life, especially me in the last eight years. She's been along with me, supporting me, guiding me at times," said Paes.
"When I was diagnosed with cancer and I couldn't play, she basically stayed away from the game and didn't play mixed doubles until I came back."
"Whenever I look at a person like Navratilova, she gives me a lot of inspiration. It was strange that just at the end of the second set when we were getting a bit nervous and a bit edgy, she came out there and was just making eye contact.
"Lukas served three doubles faults early in the third set. I told him at one point, Martina is out there. Come on. Have a look at her. She's inspiring us."
Paes also paid tribute to their opponents.
Norman, at 38, would have been one of the oldest major title winners had he succeeded.
"Dick and Wesley served really huge and made it difficult for us. They did a great job in getting to the final," said Paes who has now won 40 career doubles titles.
Paes and Dlouhy first teamed up at Roland Garros last year, losing in the last 16 to eventual champions Pablo Cuevas and Luis Horna.
They then finished runners-up to Mike and Bob Bryan in the 2008 US Open final.
"We started playing together at Roland Garros last year. We lost then to the champions so we made it a point that we would come back and try and win it this year," added Paes.
Federer Wins French Open First time in history
Oh, how Roger Federer savored every moment with his first French Open trophy.
He raised it overhead. He cradled it in the crook of his elbow. He closed his eyes and kissed it. He examined the names of other champions etched on its base. Even in a downpour on Court Philippe Chatrier, as heavy, gray clouds blocked any shred of sunlight Sunday, that silver trophy sure seemed to glisten.
History was at stake, and Federer was at his best, completely outplaying No. 23-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 victory in a French Open final that lacked suspense but not significance.
“Maybe my greatest victory — or certainly the one that takes the most pressure off my shoulders,” Federer said in French, moments after dropping to his knees, caking them with clay, as his 127 mph service winner ended the match. “I think that now, and until the end of my career, I can really play with my mind at peace and no longer hear that I’ve never won at Roland Garros.”
Federer came heartbreakingly close in the past, losing the previous three French Open finals, so there certainly was something poetic about his tying Sampras’ Grand Slam mark at this particular tournament, on this particular court.
“If there’s anyone that deserves it, it’s Roger,” Sampras said. “He’s come so close — lost to one guy who’s going to go down as probably the greatest clay-courter of all time.”
That would be Rafael Nadal, the man who beat Federer at Roland Garros in the 2006-08 finals and the 2005 semifinals, too. But Nadal’s 31-match French Open winning streak ended this year with a fourth-round loss to the hard-hitting Soderling.
“I knew the day Rafa won’t be in the finals, I will be there, and I will win. I always knew that, and I believed in it. That’s exactly what happened,” the second-seeded Federer said. “It’s funny. I didn’t hope for it. But I believed in it.”
Only 7-13 against Nadal, Federer entered Sunday 9-0 against Soderling and, other than the threat of postponement because of rain, there was never any doubt that would become 10-0 by day’s end.
Federer was outstanding at the start, taking a 4-0 lead, and close to perfect in the tiebreaker. That was Soderling’s chance to get into the match, but Federer wouldn’t allow it: The Swiss star served four points — and all four were aces, ranging from 118 mph to 132 mph.
Federer called it “one of the greatest tiebreakers in my career.”
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Soderling never really stood a chance, not against Federer, not on this day, not on this stage.
“You really gave me a lesson in how to play tennis,” Soderling told Federer.
This was Federer’s 19th Grand Slam final, equaling Ivan Lendl’s record, and Soderling’s first. Soderling not only shocked Nadal — and the entire tennis world — but also beat No. 10 Nikolay Davydenko, No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez and No. 14 David Ferrer.
“Every time I played Roger, after the match, I always said, ’I played so bad today.’ Now I learned that it’s not that I played bad,” Soderling said. “He makes me play bad.”
For only two moments was Federer the least bit shaken: As the last few points were played — victory tantalizingly close — and during a bizarre and worrisome episode when a man jumped over the photographer’s pit and ran on the court.
“A touch scary,” Federer said, lamenting he didn’t ask for a chance to gather himself. “It definitely felt uncomfortable once he came close to me. Looking back, it definitely threw me out of my rhythm a little bit.”
Federer looked up at his pregnant wife, Mirka, and adjusted his headband, but soon was playing again. He lost that game at love, then quickly settled back into a groove.
Until, that is, the countdown to a championship had gone from matches to sets to games to points.
Waiting in his changeover chair at 5-4 in the third set, Federer shook his legs to stay loose and took a few sips of water, then wiped his face with a towel. Stepping back on court to try to serve out the match, he was churning inside.
“You can imagine how difficult that game was,” Federer said. “It was almost unplayable for me.”
He put a forehand into the net. He sailed a backhand long. He shanked a swinging forehand volley 3 feet beyond the baseline to give Soderling a break point.
“My mind was always wondering, ’What if? What if I win this tournament?”’ Federer said.
He gathered himself, of course, and won the next three points — the last three points of a tournament that meant so much to Federer.
For the next 40 minutes, he stayed on that court, relishing it instead of dreading it. Federer accepted the trophy from Andre Agassi, whose 1999 French Open title made him the last man with a full set of Grand Slam trophies.
“I’m so happy for you, man,” Agassi told Federer. Later, Agassi said: “Roger has earned his place, his rightful place, in the game, and winning here was just something that would have been a bit of a crime if he never did.”
Federer won three major titles each in 2004, 2006 and 2007, but 2008 was a struggle by his — and only his — lofty standards. Slowed by mononucleosis, he lost in last year’s Australian Open semifinals — the only one of the past 16 Grand Slam tournaments at which Federer didn’t reach the final. He absorbed the most lopsided Grand Slam loss of his career in the 2008 French Open final against Nadal, then lost to Nadal again in the
Then came another five-set setback against Nadal in this year’s Australian Open final, and Federer’s anguish was there for the world to see when he wept during the postmatch ceremony.
Four months later, on Sunday, Federer cried on court again. When the Swiss national anthem played for the first time after a French Open men’s final, tears rolled down Federer’s cheeks, that silver trophy nestled in his arms.
Turkish GP 2009
Last weekend the Grand Prix of Turkey took place with Jenson Button in the Brawn GP car taking his sixth win of the season followed by the two Red Bull drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.
Vettel had claimed pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session as the chequered flag was raised at the end of the session ahead of Button.
Barrichello qualified in third followed by Webber in fourth and Toyota driver Jarno Trulli in fifth. The two Ferrari drivers of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa were in sixth and seventh place ahead of Fernando Alonso in the Renault in eighth. Nico Rosberg in the Williams started from ninth followed by Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber completing the top ten.
As the lights went out Vettel took the lead as Trulli moved into third place while Barrichello suffered some sort of problem and almost stalled on the grid, dropping him back several places.
Button passed Vettel exiting turn 10 of the first lap after the German hit the kerb and ran wide at turn 9, meanwhile Webber passed Trulli to take the third place.
Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India was one of the first drivers to pit on lap 5 while in eighteenth place. He had been suffering from some sort of brake problem during qualifying and seems it had not been rectified as he retired from the race.
On lap 7, Barrichello made a pass on Heikki Kovalainen but couldn’t make it stick as Kovalainen re-passed the Brawn GP driver using his KERS system. On lap 9, Barrichello tried again but this time there was contact between the two drivers and Barrichello’s car span on the track, dropping him back to seventeenth and behind the second McLaren of Lewis Hamilton.
Barrichello passed Hamilton on lap 9 and then went onto pass the Renault of Nelson Piquet easily on lap 11 before hunting down the Force India of Adrian Sutil. On lap13, however, the Brazilian once again made contact, this time with Sutil, losing part of his front wing and seeing him pit on the following lap, moving him back to fifteenth position.
By lap 15, Button had created a gap of six seconds from Vettel, as Alonso entered the pits for his first stop from seventh place and Vettel pitted from second.
Vettel rejoined in sixth place as Trulli pitted from third. Button then entered the pits for his first stop on lap 17, along with Massa, Webber, and Rosberg, leaving Button to return to the track in first place.
Button led the race followed by Vettel, Kubica and Webber, until Kubica pitted on lap 21 and Vettel began closing in on the Brawn GP driver. The gap became less and less between the front two cars until Vettel once again pitted confirming he was on a three-stop strategy.
Vettel rejoined in third place behind Button and Webber. Rosberg was now in fourth ahead of Trulli, Massa and team-mate Kazuki Nakajima.
Lewis Hamilton, who had qualified the McLaren in sixteenth place, was in tenth by lap 33 and all over the back of Alonso. He then pitted and rejoined ahead of Piquet until the Renault driver passed him going into turn 13 and 14. On lap 28, Hamilton was also passed by Sebastian Buemi in the Toro Rosso.
Button made his final pit stop on lap 43, with Webber doing the same on the following lap from second. Button once again rejoined to take the lead followed by Vettel, who had yet to stop for the third time which he finally did on lap 49.
Barrichello entered the pits for the third time of lap 49, but this time he retired the Brawn GP car after suffering clutch trouble at the start and then a problem with the gearbox.
It was another dismal weekend for the Ferrari team, although both drivers finished inside the top ten at the Istanbul circuit. Raikkonen had a bad start, losing ground at the off and then tangled with Alonso, damaging his front wing.
The Williams driver Nico Rosberg, claimed his best result of the season so far with a fifth place, although he could have had a possible fourth had he not been held up by his team-mate. Nakajima ran well until his mechanics suffered problems fitting his front-left wheel during his final pit stop, putting him out of the points.
Button now lead the championship by 26 points over his team-mate Barrichello, winning six out of the seven rounds so far this season. Mark Webber finished in second place only 7 seconds behind Button ahead of his team-mate Sebastian Vettel in third.
Jarno Trulli finished in fourth followed by Nico Rosberg in fifth, Felipe Massa in sixth, Robert Kubica in seventh, Timo Glock in eighth, Kimi Raikkonen in ninth and Fernando Alonso completing the top ten drivers of the day.
Here are the results;
1. Jenson Button Britain Brawn-Mercedes 58 laps 1hr 26m 24.848s
2. Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault +00m 06.7s
3. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault +00m 07.4s
4. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota +00m 27.8s
5. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Toyota +00m 31.5s
6. Felipe Massa Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +00m 39.9s
7. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber +00m 46.2s
8. Timo Glock Germany Toyota-Toyota +00m 46.9s
9. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari-Ferrari +00m 50.2s
10. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault +00m 62.4s
11. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber +00m 64.3s
12. Kazuki Nakajima Japan Williams-Toyota +00m 66.3s
13. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes +00m 80.4s
14. Heikki Kovalainen Finland McLaren-Mercedes +1 lap
15. Sebastien Buemi Switzerland Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap
16. Nelson Piquet Jr Brazil Renault-Renault +1 lap
17. Adrian Sutil Germany Force India-Mercedes +1 lap
18. Sebastien Bourdais France Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap
Rtd Rubens Barrichello Brazil Brawn-Mercedes 47 laps completed mechanical
Rtd Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Force India-Mercedes 4 laps completed mechanical
Fastest lap:
Jenson Button Britain Brawn-Mercedes 1m 27.579s lap 40
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