Sport

No stopping the Federer Express

Nirmal Shekar

The great Swiss picks up his 10th Grand Salm title.

AP

RARE FEAT: Roger Federer became the first man in the Open Era to win three consecutive majors twice in his career.

Melbourne: A remarkable man, this Roger Federer. When the chisel and the paintbrush are not readily available, the master is equally comfortable with a chainsaw and hatchet.

After all, masterpieces can wait; milestones cannot — they need to be crossed at every passing Grand Slam. In his relentless and historic ascent of the game's greatest peaks, the world champion will don whatever role fits the occasion to get the job done and stay on course.

In the event, on a cold, windy and wintry summer's night at Melbourne Park, on Sunday, Federer toiled like an everyman against a determined Fernando Gonzalez of Chile for a little more than an hour before pulling away for a 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4, victory in two hours and 20 minutes in the men's singles final of the Australian Open tennis championship.

A repeat

The great Swiss, who collected his 10th Grand Slam title, became the first man in the Open Era (post-1968) to win three consecutive majors twice in his career. He now holds the Wimbledon, U.S. and Australian titles, just as he did when he won here last year.

In this epic voyage without any known earthly destination, from now on the name of each way station will have a legendary ring to it.

As the genius-fuelled Federer Express inevitably and inexorably chugged into its tenth Grand Slam junction, Bill Tilden (10 titles) would have ever so slightly stirred in his grave.

But, modern sport's most celebrated journey towards immortality will resume in the poetic environs of Parisian springtime — with chirpy little birds joining the chorus of adulation from chestnut trees in full bloom — later this year. Around that time, too, Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg (11 titles) will prepare to welcome His Royal Highness to their elite company.

Barring an asteroid Armageddon, by year's end, only one man in the game's pantheon — Pete Sampras, winner of 14 major titles — will be able to look over his shoulder, rather than in front of him, to spot the Swiss summiteer.

Not at his best

It is remarkable that on a day when he was not playing his best tennis, struggling a bit with the conditions and a big-hearted opponent, Federer still managed to close out the final in straight sets to become the first man since Bjorn Borg at Roland Garros in 1980 to win a Grand Slam title without losing a set.

Gonzalez, with tremendous support from the stands — there is a big Chilean community in Melbourne — was very much the better player for the most part of the first set. He broke the world No.1 in the ninth game and then went up 40-15 (two setpoints) on serve in the next.

Seizing the moment

That was when the great man charged out of the trenches to seize the moment.

Federer broke right back with a backhand pass, let go of four setpoints in the 12th game on Gonzalez's serve before running away with the tiebreak.

As the stylishly sultry Chilean tried all sorts of tricks — particularly drop shots that rarely helped his cause — Federer laboured to groove his forehand, struggling for rhythm.

"I wasn't feeling that great from the start,'' said Federer. "I was missing too many forehands. My rhythm today wasn't good.'' But once into the second set, the master settled down and played with greater confidence even if this was not a day when he would unfurl strokes of transcendental majesty game after game.

The man who can expect to rule the game uncontested for the unforeseeable future broke to 4-3 in the second set. Federer hit one of those forehand crosscourt winners that 99 per cent of tennis players dare not dream of, given how acute the angle was. A backhand winner sealed the break.

In the third set, Gonzalez once again hung in there courageously. But bravery can only get you that far in skill-based sports. Here, again, Federer broke to 4-3, taking charge at the net and he was on his way.

Serving for the match, the champion played a flawless game. He set up three championship points with a forehand winner and then secured his 10th major title with a backhand winner up the line.

"I knew he was a dangerous player,'' said Federer. "But I told myself before the match: `You have beaten him nine times. Take it easy.''' In the end, it was indeed a perfect 10 — for, it was also Federer's 10th straight victory over Gonzalez.

"What can I say? He has been doing this all his life — playing great matches,'' said Gonzalez.

And, believe me, he's not done — not yet. For, this is a journey like no other.

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