Weeks 3 & 4 - Australian Open, Melbourne (hard)

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

RE: Weeks 3 & 4 - Australian Open, Melbourne (hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

So Roger the Lodger chalks up his twentieth Grand Slam title, beating Cilic by 6-2 6-7(5) 6-3 3-6 6-1. hmm

JonH · All-time great

Kudos Federer. Privilege to have watched tennis whilst he has played the game, whatever anyone says, surely the greatest of all time. And I'm not a fan of his particularly, just recognising the amazing achievement of the guy.

-- Edited by JonH on Sunday 28th of January 2018 12:47:58 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Truly wonderful player. And seemingly decent human being. How can one not be a fan?

Jeff Stelling · Club Coach

Great result for tennis as a sport. Surely no way the GCOAT can overcome a 20-16 deficit now.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Truly wonderful player. And seemingly decent human being. How can one not be a fan?

Dunno, but I'm not. The chemistry thing, I'd guess...

brendan · Strong Club Player

I was a fan and can still appreciate his achievements but like the women with Serena it denigrates the sport when someone that old can still dominate it so easily

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

You cannot deny the enormity of the achievement, but tennis needs fresh blood and new rivalries to ignite more interest particularly in the younger generation. They have never really known anything other than the Fab Four and would benefit from younger role models and heroes. None of which is the Fed's fault of course. Others simply have to step up.

Jaffa · Challenger level

I personally love the man. A complete idol to me.

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

Federer is correct and pc, hence how sponsors love him. A highly approvable character if you are middle/upper class and deplore premiership footballers. Totally dull and uninteresting if you love Gazza and maverick characters. So most tennis fans love him, because that's the nature of many people that follow it and hold tickets for a slam.

indiana · Tennis legend

All credit to Fed, it's supremely difficult not to credit it. I guess there is something about the kind of "I'm great and know it and don't you all know it too" that grates with some a bit. As Steven once said its probably the German part of his Swiss made up that maybe conflicts a bit with the British psyche that probably often wants its stars ( super or otherwise ) to be just a little more humble. But I guess that he doesn't have much to be humble about, and I'd generally prefer to see the real man than any fake humility.

So quite clearly a true great and he has been a pleasure to watch and still watch but I understand how he can divide a bit.

indiana · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
You cannot deny the enormity of the achievement, but tennis needs fresh blood and new rivalries to ignite more interest particularly in the younger generation. They have never really known anything other than the Fab Four and would benefit from younger role models and heroes. None of which is the Fed's fault of course. Others simply have to step up.

Indeed. The middle to late 20s generation have been relatively pretty poor and the younger generation yet to really prove. I accept to an extent that Andy just wants back playing tennis but I think some of the frustration is around there having been a real window there for maybe at least a couple more years yet to add some Slams. How he comes back we wait to see.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Nobody seems to have reported that Kyle became the new World N° 26 on Monday. biggrin