A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
I realize that this is Super Bowl week and that the Super Bowl is the preeminent event in American sport.
But since the Big Game is still 5 days away, let’s take a day or two to appreciate and reflect on the 6-hour, 5-set masterpiece we witnessed on Sunday.
Can you be the best tennis player ever if another player beats you six times in eight Grand Slam finals matches?
It’s an open question.
Roger Federer has won 16 Grand Slam titles, two more than anyone else. But Rafael Nadal, four years Federer’s junior, has 10 titles of his own and has been winning them at a near-Federer pace. (Roger had 11 Grand Slams when he was Rafa’s age.) Perhaps more importantly, Nadal boasts a 6-2 record against his elder rival in championship matches of the most prestigious tournaments.
The sixth win came yesterday in the French Open final. It was the fourth time in six years that Nadal beat Federer to win a title at Roland Garros. When Federer was up a break in the first and appeared to be in control of the match, I was preparing my superlatives: beating Nadal in Paris is the one thing that Federer hasn’t done. When Rafa took over and won the match in four sets, I had to rethink the two players’ places in history.
Can one make a case that Rafael Nadal is, or will be, the greatest tennis player ever?
Perhaps.
At the age of 25, he already has more Grand Slam titles than Agassi, Lendl, and McEnroe and more than Guillermo Vilas, Arthur Ashe, and Ilie Nastase combined. He has an Olympic Gold Medal and is one of four players in the Open Era to have won a career Grand Slam.
We are blessed to be living at a time when we can watch two terrific tennis players, each of whom could make a convincing argument that he is the greatest of all time. But the GOAT conversation doesn’t start and end with Federer and Nadal. It’s quite possible that the best tennis player ever isn’t from Switzerland or Spain, but from Illinois, right across the river from St. Louis. That’s where James Scott Connors was born in 1952.
Roger Federer might have won the match but Andy Roddick won the heart of the people.
Roddick put his heart and soul into Sunday’s Wimbledon final only to come so close. The 30 game 5th set was the longest in Wimbledon history, and one of the greatest sets ever played in tennis.
The 4-and-a-half hour match might have beaten last year’s Nadal and Federer final match as the greatest tennis match ever played. Even though the match was long, both players did not look at all tired near the end. Roddick was still hitting his serve in the 130s, and Federer was still moving around the court with ease.
While it’s nice to see Federer win and break Sampras’s record for most grand slam wins, Roddick is the real winner. After thinking of leaving tennis after last year’s Wimbledon, Roddick hired a new coach, went on a new diet, and it all paid off. He is in the greatest shape of his life, and it has led him to play his greatest tennis. You could see how much he really wanted it. It was heartbreaking to see him lose after his greatest service game. The only time he was broken was in the 30 game in the 5th set, which was also the match-winning break.
While Roddick did have a chance to go up two sets to none, he shouldn’t kill himself over that. He has earned so much respect from tennis fans and observers everywhere. He can now be said to be a top contender in any Grand Slam. A lot of people questioned whether he could win another Grand Slam, and he has proven he can. The match that went on yesterday will not be forgotten soon, and even though Federer holds the actual trophy, Roddick holds the real trophy: the feeling that he can win another one and play with the best.
Roddick always leaves his heart on the court. The standing oviation was a very nice award, and showed that the spectators highly respected Roddick. Roddick lost to Federer three times now in the WImbledon final, but this year he won more than he lost. Even though it didn’t end up like he wanted it to, Roddick still holds his head high, waiting for the next time.
He said one day his name will be on the wall that shows all the players who won the tournament, and that he will be back. Roddick might have lost but to me he won. He showed his heart today, and that’s all fans can ask for. Sure, I would have loved to see him win, but he won in a different way. Roddick should be happy to be able to play tennis in front of people that love him. We will love him no matter what the outcome. Let this be a lesson to all athletes: people respect you when you put your whole soul into a match.
Andy Roddick, you should be glad. You have our respect and pride.
[Editor's Note: This article was originally published by MSF contributor Tyler Juranovich at PlayerPress.com and has been republished here at the author's request.]
* Andy Roddick photo credit: AndyRoddick.com
The Wimbledon betting community isn’t sure what to make of Rafael Nadal at this point. He is slated to be the No. 1 seed at Wimbledon and he is the defending champ, so he has to be taken seriously.
At the same time, he just isn’t healthy right now.
Nadal exited the French Open in surprising fashion when he lost to No. 23 seed Robin Soderling. Nadal had dominated the red clay in Paris for years. As a matter of fact, he had never lost.
Nadal was a perfect 81-0 in the French Open and had won four straight titles.
If the fact that he lost there isn’t a red flag, then there aren’t any other warning signs to heed.
With Nadal out of the way, Roger Federer finally won a French Open – his first – and also tied Pete Sampras’ record for most Grand Slam victories. Federer, who is now tied with Tiger Woods for major victories, can break Sampras record and separate from Woods with a win at Wimbledon. Woods, though, is the favorite on the US Open odds, which is taking place over the weekend.
Right after the French Open, there was some speculation as to whether Nadal was healthy and his coach came out and said he’s not. He then said that Nadal might miss Wimbledon altogether.
The odds makers realize that it is still a possibility, even though Nadal has come back to play since. Nadal has played in a couple of warm-up matches for the big Tournament.
The reality of the matter is that Nadal had to be at full strength, full peak to defeat Federer last year. Now that he’s hampered by a bad knee, not only will he probably not be able to beat Federer, he might not even make it through the ranks of the tournament to defend his title.
A lot of sports picks originally pegged Nadal as the man to win Wimbledon once again this year but now injuries are the wild card factor. If Nadal was healthy, we might be in for another classic but playing on one-and-a-half legs, Federer will be too strong for Nadal on the lawn in England.
The price per head for both tennis players has dropped according to the odds makers. Now that Nadal is back in the mix, the price for Federer has dropped while the fact that Nadal is not healthy has hurt his own odds. Andy Murray, who will be the British hopeful, has been the beneficiary on the betting lines.
