MELLOW PAPA, FEDERER, WINS 16th MAJOR AND SADDENS SCOTLAND
When was that, sir?
“Why, 1314,” he answered, as though it were yesterday.
Andy Murray, the great bright hope of Scotland and Britain, hopes he doesn’t have to wait that long to win a tennis major and acclaim as his land’s most prominent victor since the Scots of Bannockburn.
But as long as Roger Federer hangs out in the world’s tennis parlors it will be very hard going to knock him off his No. 1 perch. At 28 he’s just getting better, more confident and mellow as a rookie father,
It was “Breakfast in Melbourne” for the good folks of Scotland, tied by radio and TV Sunday morning to the far-off steely blue pavement of Rod Laver Arena where the Murray-Federer battle took place.
The balls were yellow, the ball kids garbed in pink, the clouds above the opened roof in puffy orange – and Murray soon felt as blue as the court, ever a step behind, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11).
Bannockburn wasn’t mentioned again although Federer, taking this title for a fourth time – his record 16th singles major – made Murray burn for 2 hours-41 minutes.
Murray is only 22, a terrific shotmaker, superswift on his feet. He had eliminated the defending champion, Rafa Nadal, and performed admirably against the rising Croat, Marin Cilic in the semis. But then Federer stepped into his life and made him cry.
Nadal, taking the championship, had done the same to Federer here 12 months ago. Addressing the home folks via TV, Andy, out of Dunblane, brushed aside tears, saying, I’m sorry I couldn’t win it for you. I can cry as well as Roger, but I can’t play as well.
“I’m getting closer. It was better than Flushing Meadow” – an overpowering defeat in the US Open final by Federer in 2008.
Federer believes that Murray will win a major – a matter of time. “He’s too good not to.”
Murray lamented, “I had my chances tonight.” Three break points early “could have made it different.” But Roger wouldn’t budge, and was ahead to stay at 3-2.
Their stretched-out points, involving more spin than a presidential speech, wowed the full house of 15,000 as the two of them used every inch of the court and the surrounding regions to make balls stay in play.
Federer was a master of keeping a point alive with soft spins and angles – then lashing out to score with a huge forehand along either line. It was like mesmerizing somebody with a lullaby before tipping the bed over. Double-digit rallies were common and Federer was more often the winner. Every time it seemed that Murray might catch him, tantalizing Roger pulled away.
So when will this Britain-paining jinx expire. “Poor Andy. They haven’t won a major in 150,000 years,” Roger needled the Brits. He was a little off. Only Seventy four years have passed since the last major won by a Brit, Englishman Fred Perry seizing the US prior to television, 1936.
Only three more major chances for Andy this year. “Clay isn’t my best surface,” he said, “but I’ll work hard getting ready for the French.”
Roger said the tie-breaker was “a roller coaster. It was over so quick I didn’t realize I’d won the championship. It was a match of high intensity. “ He said he had to blend aggression with patience. Head and legs, obviously, were as important as shotmaking.
Meanwhile, the Scots will always have Bannockburn.
Tags: Andy Murray, Men's Final Oz Open, Roger Federer
January 31 2010 09:19 am | Australian Open
Martha on 31 Jan 2010 at 9:36 am #
I always wait for your postings – great insights, humor and history…
bk on 31 Jan 2010 at 9:52 am #
he was psyched out by the swiss
bk on 31 Jan 2010 at 9:57 am #
swiss-man
by the way, good to see kenny rosewall in attendance. I wonder if he was thinking about what he would have to do if he was in his 20s again in order to beat federer? Maybe he’d be hoping that pancho would sucker-punch roger back in the dressing room for all of them
on a more serious note, even though he’s a bit too metrosexual for my tastes, i can see fed playing with the old-time pros: he has that classical game and he conducts himself – save for the crying spells – a lot like the doomsday stroking machine and fire-bird did back in the day.
Tom on 31 Jan 2010 at 3:32 pm #
Nice post
Charlie on 31 Jan 2010 at 8:17 pm #
Well said, Bud. Roger kept Andy off balance with his repertoire and dialing it up a notch if necessary, pulling the rug out from under him at every critical juncture. Delpo punishing Fed’s second serve at the US Open is a distant memory. It would be great if Rafa returns in form for the French. But Roger is playing with house money after eclipsing Pete and winning on the dirt. It would be a great way to rekindle the rivalry in the final. If not – I know, it’s premature – but the only pressure Fed could feel this year would be trying to win the grand slam in NY. Here’s one Federerian hoping that Nadal returns to elevate the game
Karen on 05 Feb 2010 at 2:45 pm #
Well done.
Just wanted to say thank you for all that you’ve been and are to tennis.
I was a toddler in the late 70′s when I used to see tennis on PBS! Fell in love with the game then! You helped to make me a tennis fan. (Guillermo Vilas helped a little too.
)
I miss you on TV.
All the best to you!
tennis online on 13 Feb 2010 at 4:52 pm #
That was great! This AO to easy for Roger.
Charlie on 19 Feb 2010 at 6:11 pm #
+1 to Karen. Bud is the voice of, and definitive word on, tennis. Bud, someone mentioned that you are still on TV, if not the networks. Is it the tennis channel or ESPN? I was just with what appears to be the Spanish army at the Academia Sanchez-Casal in Naples,FL and the great guy I was hitting with says Rafa will be back in force at the French. I assume he will be ranked 2nd nothwithstanding the AO results and new rankings. Rafa/Fed before the final would be a travesty