A shock exit at Wimbledon, and this question is already being asked.
It had to happen some time, but no one was quite prepared for the brutal slaying of Roger Federer by the 24-year-old Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 2010. Federer’s remarkable run of seven consecutive Wimbledon finals came to a dramatic finish at his favourite tennis venue on Wednesday evening.
You write off Roger Federer at your peril, but might we have seen the best of the six-time Wimbledon champion? Failing to reach one Grand Slam semi-final and ending a run of 23 successive appearances in the last four can be called careless, but to follow up his quarter-final exit from last month’s French Open with a defeat at the same stage here hints at a more long-term pattern.
There were similarities between Federer’s defeat by Robin Soderling in Paris and his loss to Berdych in London. Both his conquerors are big hitters who consistently keep the Swiss at the back of the court, denying him the chance to attack. The nature of the former world number one’s game is such that he usually makes a steady flow of errors, but which are rendered irrelevant by the torrent of winners.
Throughout his career Federer has enjoyed remarkable fitness — this was his 43rd successive appearance at a Grand Slam tournament — but, with his 29th birthday approaching in August, the years and nearly 900 professional matches may finally be catching up with him. The Swiss has not been at his best physically in recent months, a lung infection having hindered his spring programme and leg and back injuries troubling him here.
How much his Wimbledon defeat owed to Berdych’s form rather than Federer’s frailties we may find out over the next few days. At one stage the Czech looked one of the best of a potentially great generation of emerging players — one that included Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray — but he has taken time to realise his potential. Reaching two successive Grand Slam semi-finals hints at big things ahead for the world number 13.
You would never discount the possibility of Federer adding to his tally of 16 Grand Slam titles, or winning Olympic gold at Wimbledon in 2012, but regaining his number one ranking might now be just beyond him. He may be destined to remain for ever on 285 weeks at the top of the rankings, just one week short of Pete Sampras’ record.
Federer’s past two Wimbledon singles titles were hard won, going to record numbers of games and culminating in thrilling final sets. Indeed, the last two Wimbledon men’s singles finals rate as two of the greatest matches of all time.
Over the years, Federer has also set the standard for decency on the court. He took his elimination by Berdych in characteristically phlegmatic style, referring only to “a bit of a back and a leg issue” that prevented him from playing as freely as he would have liked, and paying tribute to his vanquisher for taking every chance he got. He plans a rest and a return to the fray in North America. He looks as if he needs a rest, time away from the tennis court. He never looked himself at 2010 Wimbledon. He has said that he has years left to play and that he wants more Grand Slam titles. There are Wimbledon records still to be broken, and they are not yet beyond his - considerable - reach. He is not done yet.
Alan Wilkins is a TV broadcaster for ESPN Star Sports. Inside Edge appears every alternate week
