Monday, July 7, 2008
Wimbledon
I'm not much of a tennis fan. But like basketball when Michael Jordan was playing, I'll watch tennis if Federer shows up. People who know say he has all the shots — no weak points. Federer's demeanor is unusually self-contained. Closest thing might be a boxer.
He is also, unlike the earlier punk tennis stars, a gentleman. Always gracious and balanced. His loss at Wimbledon was dramatic — it is called the greatest match ever. Although I only saw the last part, starting after the rain, when in the fifth set it was 2-2, the drama was there from first look.
Nadal, in the win, was himself very gracious, calling Federer “the greatest”. McEnroe's after match interview with the two of them had tremendous appeal: Federer's withheld distress, Nadal's youthful delight and understanding of the moment, and McEnroe, once one of the young-punk tennis jerks mentioned earlier, now greying and more thoughtful himself, applauding the winner with genuine emotion and empathizing sincerely with Federer. It was a fantastic match, ending like a movie, with twilight descending as the players emerged from the tradition bound stadium.