Beaten in the Mind…

One of the best ways of spending a Sunday is to laze around at home and catch up on some scintillating live sporting action. Lawn Tennis comes in a close third on my list after football and cricket and the top two seeds taking each other on in the final at Melbourne Park was enough invitation for four of us to gather at a friends place to witness the proceedings.
The last time I saw Roger Federer; a player I would back any day, take on Rafael Nadal was on the last day of my induction program with two fellow trainees who happened to be die-hard supporters of the Spaniard. The occasion was the Wimbledon final and the result was a match that pundits worldwide termed as arguably the best tennis match ever!
The support for Federer-Nadal was 3-1 amongst the four of us watching the game and all 3 of us not only wanted Federer to win and avenge the loss at Wimbledon, but also equal Pete Sampras’ long standing record of 14 career grand slams. Federer finally won his 13th with the US Open in 2008 after being twice denied by the same man, his nemesis.
All the ‘experts’ had predicted that a tired Rafa, coming on the back of a five hr marathon semi-final against compatriot Verdasco would be blown away in three sets by a fresh and raring Federer. Even Nadal himself, after his semi-final had acknowledged that Federer was the favorite for the title.
I was watching Roger after a very long time, but it was clear with the start of the match, that it wasn’t particularly one of his best days. Even Nadal was looking circumspect and both went on to break each other in the initial games making it look more like two rookies fighting it out. Nadal, the more aggressive and confident looking of the two took the first set before Federer made a slight adjustment in his game which denied Nadal time, to take the second and tie it at 1-1.
It was in the third set that Federer twice had the opportunity to break Nadal but spurned it, to finally lose the set in the tie-break. The tie-break was a clear sign that when it comes to Nadal, Roger Federer is a different man. His calmness under pressure seems to desert him and he makes nervous errors at crucial times. Display of emotion doesn’t come naturally to him but for anyone watching him in those crucial moments it is clear that a lot is going through his mind.
The fourth set finally gave a glimpse of the sublime tennis he is known for and he easily steered the match into the deciding final set, much to the joy of the three of us and to KG’s despair. In the decider, Nadal, who was ‘supposed’ to be tired, looked fresh and mobile as ever and broke Federer early on. Serving at 2-5 down in the final set, Roger committed a double fault and an error to hand Nadal two championship points. He then saved them promptly, only to delay the inevitable, and finally gifted the championship to his nemesis with another error. He was denied the elusive 14th third time consecutively by the same man.
Called upon at the presentation ceremony, he could muster just a few words, pointed at Nadal signaling it was his day before he said “God, its killing me” and went on to weep profusely. Undoubtedly, he was dearly waiting for the 14th and being denied must have hurt tremendously. But, it is being denied by the same man, and having absolutely no clue on how to overcome him is what must be a deeper wound.
Every Daryl Cullinan has a Shane Warne, every Anand a Kasparov. At times, a player manages to overcome his nemesis and wins the mind game, at other times he just hopelessly fails. It doesn’t matter if the game is on a clay court, a grass court or on a hard court. Nadal has beaten Federer in the mind and if the next game is played on ice for the matter, even my granny would be right in guessing who has the edge.
As a Roger Federer fan, I just hope his mind isn’t clouded by self-doubt, and as he himself advises youngsters, is able to enjoy his tennis while facing Nadal. No player is unbeatable, and in the recent times Federer, after an extended run at the top has been reminded that he is very much human, by Murray, Djocovic and Gilles Simon apart from Nadal.
A champion that he is, the onus now lies on him to solve the puzzle in his mind and ride back to winning ways.