London, July 04: It is intricate plot development and stunning twists that often make for great sports stories, ones that are celebrated and retold time and again.
Unpredictability is the very soul of sport. You don’t know what comes next; you don’t know whether this great feat or that is possible or not. And the suspense makes it all special.
Amazingly, one of the greatest stories in the history of sport — Roger Federer’s climb up Mount Improbable — has always seemed utterly predictable.
Almost from the moment he won his first Grand Slam title here six summers ago, the Swiss maestro seemed readily recognisable to many as not only someone very, very special but also a champion with rare skills and motivation who is destined to join the immortals of the sport.
Having done that in Paris last month, Federer now wants to leave them all behind. You wonder what lies beyond immortality.
Perhaps we will have a chance to check with Roger should he win on Sunday and gets past the record he now shares with Pete Sampras — 14 Grand Slam titles.
After a clinical dismantling of Tommy Haas of Germany in the semifinals of the 123rd Wimbledon championship on Friday, the Swiss genius is on the cusp of a great moment in the history of the game and his own career.
In a fourth round match of the French Open last month, Haas blew a two-set lead against Federer to lose in five. But on grass here, although he beavered away courageously, the difference in class was enormous.
Imperious performance
It was a commandingly authoritarian performance from the great man and the 7-6(3), 7-5, 6-3 victory took just two minutes over two hours.
In six matches so far, Federer has lost just one set. The five-time champion is the first player since the Challenge Round was abolished in 1922 to reach seven straight Wimbledon finals. It will also be a record 20th Grand Slam final appearance for Federer.
The maestro might have been a touch relieved a few hours later. For he doesn’t have to take on an entire nation, merely Andy Roddick, who he has beaten in the finals twice in the past.
Roddick served confidently and volleyed superbly and won a pair of tiebreaks to beat the great British hope, Andy Murray, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(5).
Once the American broke Murray’s serve in the 10th game of the first set with a crosscourt forehand, he knew he had a great chance. Although the Scot fought back to take the second set, Roddick was unstoppable in the two tiebreaks.
“Tommy was playing extremely well. I knew the danger. I am happy with my performance. This is just another great opportunity to get into history. It is extraordinary,” said Federer.
He said he did not know if Sampras was planning to get here for Sunday’s final but said he was “very honoured that I now share the record with him. He is a good friend.”
Whether he will continue to share that record past Sunday afternoon is doubtful but the friendship will remain.
Federer was just perfect — there was a good rhythm to his serve, when he ventured up he volleyed with consistent depth and power and from just inside the baseline he kept Haas rocking back on his heels.
Haas himself served very well for the most part, often getting out of tight situations with big serves.
He also hit the ball deep and moved superbly but against a player who might go down as the greatest of all time and one who is still near the peak of his powers, the German’s game simply did not match up.
Favourite shot
But Haas served with such confidence that his serve was not broken until the 12th game of the second set, a game in which the maestro hit one of his favourite winners — an angled cross-court forehand which the German could only watch.
“Amazing. Where does he get those angles,” John McEnroe often wonders in the BBC commentary box.
Not just the angles, his use of court space, length, width and airspace…everything is indeed amazing. Flexible and imaginative, he plays shots that may have been beyond the range of anybody who ever played the sport.
“I came up with some good shots today,” said Federer. “It is nice to get here. As a kid I never thought I would get all these records.”
Federer served so well that he did not face a single breakpoint in the entire match. And he raised his game just that bit when he needed to in all three sets to get the job done.
Marvellous return
In the first set tiebreak, the great man hit a marvellous backhand return down the line for a mini-break and in the second, he broke Haas’s serve for the first time in the match in the 12th game.
Haas tried everything — he even waved his arms at Federer after a shot as if to say, “Please, no, you cannot return that.”
But history was beckoning and Federer had no time for jokes as he broke to 5-3 and then served out the match.
In the mixed doubles championship, Leander Paes and Cara Black advanced to the finals beating Stephen Huss of Australia and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain 6-4, 6-4.
SCOREBOARD
Prefix denotes seedings
Men’s singles: Semifinals: 2-Roger Federer (Sui) bt 24-Tommy Haas (Ger) 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-3; 6-Andy Roddick (U.S.) bt 3-Andy Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(5).
Men’s doubles: Semifinals: 2-Daniel Nestor (Can) & Nenad Zimonjic (Srb) bt James Blake & Mardy Fish (U.S.) 5-7, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(3), 10-8.
Women’s doubles: Semifinals: 4-Serena and Venus Williams (U.S.) bt 1-Cara Black (Zim) & Liezel Huber (U.S.) 6-1, 6-2; 3-Samantha Stosur & Rennae Stubbs (Aus) bt 2-Anabel Medina Garrigues & Virginia Ruano Pascual (Esp) 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2.
Mixed doubles: Semifinals: 1-Leander Paes (Ind) & Cara Black (Zim) bt 12-Stephen Huss (Aus) & Virginia Ruano Pascual (Esp) 6-4, 6-4. Quarterfinals: 9-Mark Knowles (Bah) & Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Ger) bt 2-Bob Bryan (U.S.) & Samantha Stosur (Aus) 0-6, 7-5, 6-3.
–Agencies