http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/2004/federer_tmc.asp
STARS OF 2003
December 8, 2003
Lord of the Strings
He is arguably the most talented player on the planet. There is no shot he has
not perfected, no surface he has not been crowned champion on. Is Roger Federer
ready to become tennis?next Master? By BILL SCOTT
Roger Federer wept tears of joy in July when he overwhelmed Mark Philippoussis
with a stylish performance to win his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.
Appropriately, the young gun whose all-round game resembles that of Pete
Sampras, claimed his first career-defining victory at the All England club, the
spiritual home of the now-retired Sampras.
His emotions only barely in check, the winner of the 1998 junior Wimbledon
title realized his childhood fantasy. "Holding this trophy is absolutely a
dream come true for me. I was always joking around as a boy, saying one day
I'd win it. I never thought it possible to win a Grand Slam."
Federer, 22, got his first taste of Masters Cup battle last season in Shanghai,
taking Lleyton Hewitt to a decisive third set in their semifinal before finally
falling to the eventual champion.
Now, moving into the 2003 Masters Cup field as a Grand Slam winner along with
fellow champions Andre Agassi, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Andy Roddick, Federer
knows the elite eight-man finale is another chance to further prove his pedigree.
"Shanghai was a wonderful experience last year," said Federer. "I'm looking for
ward to Houston where we'll all fight for the year-end No. 1 position."
Federer's current season can only be termed a breakthrough for the sometimes-
shy Swiss, who lived through a personal tragedy in August, 2002, when his first
coach and tennis mentor Peter Carter died in a car accident in South Africa.
The
Basel-based Australian had been with the talented youngster since Federer first
picked up a racquet. Due to his inability to travel full-time, Carter ceded
coaching duties to good friend Peter Lundgren, who has guided the flawless
Federer to the top of the men's game. That journey reached a high point at
Wimbledon, where Federer, at just 21, wrapped his arms around the trophy at a
younger age than Sampras.
A year after the atypical baseline final stoush between Lleyton Hewitt and Davi
d Nalbandian, Federer restored order to the Wimbledon grass with a classical
serve and volley game. He dropped just one set (to Mardy Fish) en route to the
title and did not face a break point in the final against Philippoussis (and
saved both break points he faced against Andy Roddick in the semis).
Peter [Carter] was one of the most important people in my career," said Federer
in the throes of his Wimbledon euphoria. "We would have had a big party
together if he was still here - I'm sure he was watching it from somewhere.
"It finally happened for me. You can only have so much talent, but you need so
much work on the side. I knew it was in me, but I didn't know what it took, in
time and work."
The post-Wimbledon days were filled with more personal satisfaction for Federer
, whose father Robert is Swiss and his mother Lynette is South African. Federer
received a typically Swiss victory gift - a Bernese Oberlander dairy cow named
Juilette - during his triumphant return home to play in the Swiss Open, held t
he week after Wimbledon in Gstaad. His momentum carried him to the final, where
he lost to Jiri Novak.
Federer also launched a men's fragrance line and took a well-deserved holiday o
n Sardinia before tackling the US hard court season. The experience of living i
n the rare air as a Grand Slam winner was all new to Federer,who flew to Gstaad
in a private jet. Observers were quick to liken Federer's world-beating success
to the Swiss effort in wresting yachting's America's Cup from maritime New
Zealand last February off Auckland.
Comparisons between the two Swiss sporting achievements were not lost on Federe
r. "I thought at one stage about the America's Cup. At one point Alinghi were
leading 3-nil. I told myself when I was up two sets to love in the final that I
should take it and race away. I've proved myself to everybody. It's a big
relief for me. There was pressure from all sides - also from myself."
Dubbed a future champion early in his career, Federer's Grand Slam results were
not in keeping with his talent before his Wimbledon breakthrough. He gave a ta
ntalizing hint at things to come in 2001 when he ended the 31-match win streak
of seven-time Wimbledon champion Sampras in the fourth round at the All England
Club, the American's longtime personal playground.
It's tough to compare anything with that. I was young in my career, it was my
first time on Centre Court, it was five sets... in the end I won. The emotion
was so high for me. I can't top that.?
Back on earth in the wake of Wimbledon, Federer got his hands dirty as he came
to terms with his bovine admirer Juliette - all cows in neat-and-tidy Switzerla
nd come complete with a name and a bell. The 1800-pound milk machine, complete
with a garland of flowers on her head, was presented to her surprised city-boy
owner on court in alpine Gstaad.
Federer is now well-equipped with fondue fixings for the foreseeable future,
with Juliette staying in his service, providing him cheese for the rest of her
life. Basel-bred Federer was given the choice of taking his new pet home or ?
for more practical purposes - letting her remain in the pristine alpine valleys.
Hetook the easy way out, but had to eventually pay a small price - learning how
to milk his female friend.
The mountain-side dairy clinic for the city slicker was orchestrated by former
Wimbledon champion Roy Emerson, who grew up on a farm in Blackbutt, Queensland,
where he learned dairy duties at an early age. Federer and Emmo met up with
Juliette in an alpine milking shed just above the Eggli ski lift above the
resort village. Sitting strapped onto a traditional one-legged milking stool,
the tennis player took a grip on the business end of a bovine for the first time in
his life.
Emerson shouted some well-chosen words of encouragement and got the flow starte
d for Federer, who survived his good-natured brush with the animal kingdom. The
sweet-tempered Juliette took it all in stride with a pair of inexperienced han
ds on the udder. "It's funny," said Federer. "It's a strange kind of feeling; t
he milk is kind of warm. I didn't know how to do it, but the little (farm) girl
showed me how. I did have some respect for the back legs. But she's a nice cow
and I'm glad I got to milk her at least once. Every Swiss should milk a cow -
today was the first time for me."
With dairy delights now just a distant memory, Federer is free to concentrate o
n tennis during the Masters Cup week, where the coveted year-end No. 1 ranking
is up for grabs. "I'm not thinking of No. 1. I'm not in a rush. If I win
matches and tournaments, it can come."
--
愛牛茱麗葉的段落好好笑喔^^''
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 61.62.37.29
※ 編輯: CMonHewitt 來自: 61.62.37.29 (12/24 10:59)