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The aura that jades but never fades

Aparajith Ramnath (http://www.thehindu.com/thread/author/Aparajith-Ramnath/)

(http://www.thehindu.com/thread/author/Aparajith-Ramnath/)

AUGUST 29, 2016, 03:32IST

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Rekindling, rejuvenating, reinventing, some sportsmen have a je ne sais quoi even when theyre but a shade of what they
were in their prime. What makes the unjaded veteran that is Roger Federer so thrilling to watch?

Watching Rahul Dravid bat against the English seamers in 2011 was a wonderful experience for any fan. The backlift was curtailed, the stance
adjusted, and, as experts pointed out, the Wall tried to stay inside the line of the ball (cutting down the chance of an LBW). It wasnt always
pretty, but it was the determination and adaptation that we admired in the 38-year old Test-match veteran. Zaheer Khan, when he had cut down
his speed and was struggling with fitness, demonstrated a splendid command of the art of swing and reverse swing, even adding an innovative
knuckle ball to his repertoire. Think, similarly, of the thrill of watching Boris Becker win at the Australian Open in 1996 after years in the
wilderness, or of Goran Ivanisevic, well past his prime, winning his coveted Wimbledon trophy. What is it that compels us to watch these
veterans battling it out?

The concept of late style, referring to an artists technique and performance in the twilight of his/her career, is relevant here. The critic
Edward Said wrote a book on the subject, but his reviewer in the New York Times, Edward Rothstein, had a somewhat different vision of
late style, and it is worth quoting: A late style would reflect a life of learning, the wisdom that comes from experience, the sadness that comes
from wisdom and a mastery of craft that has nothing left to prove. It might recapitulate a lifes themes, reflect on questions answered and allude
to others beyond understanding.

That wonderful passage could apply to what we feel about our favourite sportspersons as their careers draw to a close. It also enables me to
make sense of my continuing support for Roger Federer, well past his prime.

I became a Federer fan at a time when he lost about a match a year and when he did, it made headlines. My admiration for him stemmed not
from his dominance (a reigning Pete Sampras, for instance, had never held the same fascination for me), but from the artistry and finesse with
which he achieved his successes. And yet, oddly, I dont recall very clearly any of his matches from those years. I suppose I watched the
highlights most of the time, in the smug knowledge that our man could not be challenged.

Roger Federer - Prime of Tennis

Thus passed perhaps the most glorious part of Federers career. But the thrill of watching and supporting Federer only emerged fully
when it became clear that he was always going to be the underdog in one contest at least: playing Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. Every hero
needs his nemesis Superman his Lex Luthor, Holmes his Moriarty, Feluda his Maganlal Meghraj. Roger Federer had found his. Nadal is
rightly credited with making Federer take his own game up a notch or two, something we could scarcely have believed possible. But what he did
especially was to highlight the human side of Federer.

We saw him as a vulnerable mortal like any of us, except that he could produce sublime beauty on the tennis court. My own status as a Federer
fan truly began to crystallise only with the 2007 Wimbledon finals, when he nearly panicked, yelling in frustration about the then-new HawkEye,
but ultimately made it to the finish line. It was confirmed the following year when Nadal bearded the lion in his own den in that nerve-wracking
five-setter that few who watched it will ever forget. Federer was on the verge of tears; half a year later, after the finals of the Australian Open,
the tears flowed freely.

(Highlights HD) Roger Federer Vs. Rafael Nadal - Final Wimbledon 2007

No longer could Federers dominance be taken for granted at the Grand Slam tournaments. But for a Federer fan, there were new phases to
come. Poetic justice came in 2009 when the French Open crown finally sat on a Swiss head, although it was a touch anticlimactic because
someone else (Robin Soderling) had knocked Nadal out earlier. Still, that year, with a tenacious Wimbledon win, and with stability on the
personal front for Federer, gave us a glimpse of a more stoic and accepting Roger.

After his win at the Australian in 2010, he endured a barren period in Grand Slams, but he had acquired an aura of contentment, as distinct from
complacency. Where he was once criticised as immodest and arrogant, he was now unquestionably gracious, grateful for whatever successes
he continued to have, and seemingly at peace with himself. His resurgence in the 2011-12 hard court season raised talk about the possibility of
further Grand Slam titles. That possibility was fulfilled under the roof of Wimbledon in 2012.

What had changed in his game over all these years? I dont have the reams of footage one would need to answer this definitively, but here are
some impressions. Federer started off going to the net often, then became a classic baseliner, and finally, under the tutelage of Paul Annacone
and Stefan Edberg, began to use the serve-and-volley at frequent intervals. His serve grew more and more precise, but his forehand began to
fail him, and his flowing single-handed backhand was his most aesthetic weapon but also his Achilles heel, as opponents groundstrokes
increasingly caught the frame of his racquet.

His every stroke seems to recapitulate a lifes themes, and there is a certain
sadness that comes from wisdom that awareness of ones fallibility
Watching Federer win Wimbledon in 2012, and nearly do so in 2014 and 15, was a treat. His run to the semi-finals this year gave nearly as
much joy; and the fact that he is going to miss the US Open will add poignancy to his next major appearance. His best years are behind him,
and yet he continues to tweak his strategy in subtle ways, change his racquet to a larger frame, come to the net more often, all the while striving
to spare his ageing back from undue stress. Whats more, its the fact that hes now the underdog in big matches that makes it interesting for his
supporters.

Thats why I think Rothsteins words capture beautifully what I feel these days about Federer. His every stroke seems to recapitulate a lifes
themes, and there is a certain sadness that comes from wisdom that awareness of ones fallibility not only for Federer himself, but for his
supporters who are enthralled by his late style and still drawn to watching him play, all the while thinking wistfully of the days when he routinely
won Grand Slam tournaments.

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7comments Latest

AnalJain
ExcellentcaptureofthoughtsofallFedererfaithful

5monthsago (0) (0) Reply(0)

Laks
L DidnotgetfascinatedofPete'sdominance?Ireckon,yousawsomethingelseinplayers.FedererneverhadananswertoNadalandDjokovicathis
prime.PetebeatAndre6timesoutof10andBeckerneverhadachanceagainstPete.

FedererisreallygreatandspecialbutPeteisasgoodasanybodyintennis.

5monthsago (0) (0) Reply(0)

ShivamGoel
SG InmyopiniontheSwissmaestrohasbeenaneraoftennisthatmightneverbematched.Heisnotonlyagreatplayerofthegamebutalsoagreat
ambassador.Hehasstagedhimselfatsuchahighlevelwhereeveryyoungplayerwilladmiretoreach...

5monthsago (0) (0) Reply(0)

VSK
V FascinatingreadingaswasFed,thelegend!

5monthsago (0) (0) Reply(0)

TheWarlock
TW Couldn't forget that night of 2008 when Federer lost to Nadal in Wimbledon. Not much into sports but cried for the first time after defeat of a
165 sportsperson.

5monthsago (0) (0) Reply(0)

OPSwaminathan
OS Brilliantpiece

5monthsago (0) (0) Reply(0)

Pckiran
P Youjustreadmymind,lovelyarticle.Samegoesforcricket..therearemoreswashbucklingbatsmennowbutthejoyofwatchingsachinathisprime
andpastitwasunparalleled.

5monthsago (0) (0) Reply(0)

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