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by Pete Bodo
I suppose this would be a appropriate time to play Beethoven's Third symphony, the Eroica, which the composer originally intended to dedicate to Napoleon Bonaparte. Hmmm. . . Actually, I can see Roger Federer as Napoleon, but I don't want to give Nike any ideas this close to Wimbledon design time.
But really, excessive weeping or gnashing of teeth over Federer's loss to Marcos Baghdatis last night would be uncalled for, if not exactly inappropriate, and I can just imagine Roger laying a hand on the shoulder of some grief-stricken minion and gently saying: Come on, man, let's be serious. Let's remember I have 16 Grand Slam titles, even if I did allow Rafa to borrow that number ranking for a bit . . .
Besides, ESPN's Greg Garber did a little neat original thinking a few days ago, when he wrote an interesting piece with a title bound to make the promoter of any tournament other than a Grand Slam wince: Does Fed Care About the Masters Events?. Ouch! Well, Greg did resist the insertion of "even" before the word "care". . .
Greg did his due diligence, and it would be a mistake to read his column as mere in-one-ear-and-out-the-other opinion. Here's the nut graph, if you're too lazy to click on the link:
What was it that Andrew Burton said about data mining?
All right, let's us not get all carried away here, either. The hed on Garber's column is slightly misleading. Federer is far too professional (not to mention proud) to just mail it in at Masters Series events, never mind getting up to any of the other shenanigans that even top-ranked players sometimes pull in the way of effort, or lack thereof. But the record speaks for itself. Federer is masterful at Slams but often gets slammed in Masters. And it's not like Baghdatis has no game, either.
If you want to get downright perverse about, but in a good way, Federer's emerging consistency as a surprise loser at sub-majors may be a good thing - it suggests that he's settled into a pattern, dictated by his situation. And tennis players live - and die - by patterns. Frankly, it would be far worse if he were volatile, ripping through one draw only to get whacked early in another, his confidence and skill fluctuating unpredictably. Those of you who know the joys of cruise control understand that Federer is rolling along at 65 on the highway, but dialed in at 75-plus on the big Interstates. As long as he can sustain his other-worldly level in the majors, he's got nothing to worry about.
Of course, the loss of any match is, in a sense, is playing with fire, or like succumbing to the urge to tug at that one loose thread in your sweater only to find, ten minutes later, that you're standing there shivering, surrounded by a pile of yarn. But so far, Federer's failings at sub-major events are surprisingly well modulated. They suggest that he's got one eye on the business at hand while the other is roving around, seeking something a little more. . . interesting.
If Federer were a less gifted and responsible guy, he'd spend every press conference at a sub-major whining about how much the ATP makes its stars play, and threatening to absorb any punishment the organization chooses to mete out as he declares, "no more!" Instead, Federer goes with the flow. Says the right things. Trains diligently. Takes life as it comes.
This may not be the most challenging or exciting interpretation of Federer's loss, or the mindset that may lurk behind it. But it, or something like it, represents the most sensible (and what is Federer, if not sensible), discreet, and prudent approach Federer can take as he embarks on the back end of his career. I think what he endured in 2008 and early 2009 probably taught him that the one thing he never, ever needs to do again is hit the panic button.
And let's not forget the sting value in losses like the one Federer suffered last night. Do you think Federer will forget about this unpleasant interlude the next time he sees Baghdatis across the net at a major? There are a lot less reliable motivating factors than having been sandbagged. It's just another way for a guy who has to do a little self-sandbagging in order to get the juices flowing.
So instead of the Eroica, let's cue up something by someone more like. . . Sheryl Crow?