The Hindu : Sport : Another record beckons Federer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 26, 2006

Sport

Sport

Another record beckons Federer

Nirmal Shekar

London: In a leafy corner of a quiet London suburb, in a gently undulating landscape presided over by an attractively-ageing cathedral, one of the oldest theatres in the world of sport — one that offers the comforting illusion of having enslaved time to serve its needs — is all set to stage its 120th show.

As tens of millions of pairs of bleary eyes continue to feast on the offerings from the world's most popular sporting stage — the football World Cup — amidst frenzied outpourings of nationalistic fervour, The Championships at Wimbledon, beginning on Monday, may as well be taking place in another planet. For, spiritually, emotionally and from a purely cultural point of view, the Wimbledon experience could be a few light years from the World Cup.

If, for countless sports fans all over the world, Germany 2006 has been a sort of sensory tsunami, then for connoisseurs in the game of tennis, Wimbledon is but a gentle Mediterranean wave. The sights and sounds and smells at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, with its ivy-clad walls and ubiquitous rows of hydrangeas, rather than threatening to overwhelm your senses, end up casting an ever-so-gentle spell even as you marvel at the place's timeless appeal.

Everything has changed here; yet everything is the same. Three years on, there will be a roof on the Centre Court and play will continue through wet weather. Computerised line decisions will be tested during the championships. A new referee — Andrew Jarrett — is in place following the retirement of the popular Alan Mills after the 2005 event. And there is a new chief executive too in Ian Ritchie.

Some changes

We will no longer hear the clear, distinctive, aristocratic voice of the now-retired chief executive Chris Gorringe over the public address system. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. Provided there is no further rain, play will resume on the Centre and No.1 courts in 15 minutes.'' Gorringe was the voice of The Championships.

Yet, for all the changes, every familiar scene, right from the time of the opening act to time when the curtains finally come down, will be almost the same — only the actors change and the twists and turns of the drama vary from year to year.

His Majesty Roger Federer, the defending champion, will make his way to the centre court at exactly 1 p.m. (5.30 p.m. IST) on Monday, weather permitting — there is a 50 per cent change of play being interrupted — to handle the considerable challenge posed by the talented 21-year old Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, who won the Nottingham grass court tournament on Saturday.

Federer, who equalled the great Bjorn Borg's record of 41 straight victories on grass at Halle last week, was last beaten on the surface by Mario Ancic of Croatia in a first round match here in 2002. Since then the Swiss genius has effortlessly co-opted all his rivals here for service in the cause of his sublime art. The Roddicks and the Hewitts are no more than marionettes dancing on strings held by the Swiss master.

While purists rave about the luminosity and multi-textured beauty of Federer's game, his grass court wizardry has left everyone wondering if he can be stopped at all on these lawns. The bookmakers have installed him as a forbidding 4/7 favourite for the title. And the second favourite is Lleyton Hewitt at 8-1, followed by Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal at 10-1.

Going for his fourth straight title — only Borg and Pete Sampras have won four in a row in the Open Era — Federer sports a Sampras-like aura of invincibility. To beat him, an opponent has to steel himself mentally and actually believe that it can be done; strategies and shotmaking skills are of secondary importance.

"I feel very good coming into this year's Wimbledon,'' said Federer. "All year long I have not played a poor match.''

The champion will need that confidence to negotiate his way past the early hurdles — Gasquet in the first round and possibly Tim Henman in the second.

"It's one of the toughest draws I've had as a top seed. I have to play very well from the start,'' said Federer.

In the women's championship, Justine Henin-Hardenne looks the strongest on form. But Venus Williams may not part with her title easily while Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova and Amelie Mauresmo will fancy their own chances.

India's pride, Sania Mirza, has been handed a tough draw as she faces Elena Dementieva, the seventh seeded Russian. But Sania, who made a huge impression here last year, has fond memories of this place and will hope to reinvent herself as a top class performer.

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