By Cheryl Jones
Roger Federer still has it. Sunday, in the singles final at the Gerry Weber Open, he faced a young German who has really shown promise – Alexander Zverev. In a mere 53 minutes, it was apparent that Federer had studied the shot making capabilities of Zverev and he then capitalized on the chinks in the young man’s game. There was consistency in Federer’s shots from the moment the first ball passed over the net. The Swiss maestro was on fire!
On paper, it seemed as if the twenty-year-old lanky young German could be a match for the seasoned Federer who is thirty-five. For example, before the final, the tournament tallies revealed that Zverev served 47 aces to Federer’s 27. Zverev had 69% of his first serves land where they were supposed to land and he then won 86% of the points associated with them. Federer had 63% of his first serves fall on target and he won 81% of those points. Actually, all the way around, it was an almost even comparison of statistics. But that didn’t matter in the long run. As with any sport, the only thing that does matter is the final numbers on the scoreboard. When the clock made its final tick of the match, the score was 6-1, 6-3 and it gave the Swiss maestro his ninth win at the Gerry Weber Open.
A few years ago, it seemed as if Federer’s game was faltering when he had to deal with a spate of maladies that included back and knee problems. He began 2017 with an unheard of win at the Australian Open where he won his 18th Grand Slam title. (It also gave him the distinction of being the second oldest Slam champ of the Open Era. Ken Rosewall is still the reigning oldster with wins at the 1970 US Open and the 1971-72 Australian Open.) Soon after Australia, Federer won a couple of ATP 1000 events to backup his phenomenal return to competitive tennis – BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and the Miami Open Presented by ITAÙ. (He chose to skip Roland Garros to work on his grass court expertise.)
It was the fifth game of the first set before Zverev managed to chalk up his first winning game. Federer was masterful in his inclusion of numerous drop shots that forced Zverev to abandon his baseline stance where in the past he has contended with issues concerning the success of his returns. It was definitely an issue in his earlier matches in Halle. It’s as if he cannot make his lengthy frame follow his legs toward the ball, let alone have the ability to then make contact with it. (One of my sons is the same height as Zverev and even though he is much older, there was a lanky stage in his development until his body filled in the lines that his skeleton had provided.) Today, he was no match for the man whom many claim to be the greatest tennis player, ever.
The Gerry Weber Open was celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. (That’s the Silver one according to those who keep track of that sort of thing.) It might just be that the silver this time out could be the equal to gold for the tournament and for Federer who has often gone on from Halle to take the Wimbledon title, too. That could make eight titles there, just one behind his now nine here at the Gerry Weber Open. But, that is only speculation.
The audience who had filled every useable seat in the arena watched a masterful tennis exhibition the likes of which won’t be duplicated any time soon. Federer is always gracious beyond compare. He blazed through a young man’s game that has the promise of much more than a ho-hum career. Zverev slipped on the grass near the net in the third game of the second set. Federer made sure his opponent was not injured and as soon as the German had regained his bearings the match moved on without a complaint or a glitch of any ilk from either player.
After the match, Zverev said, “I think Roger is playing really, really well. I think going into Wimbledon he’s going to be probably the favorite to win the whole thing. So, credits to him. He played an unbelievable match. Of course, I could have played better but he didn’t really let me play my best tennis. He mixed with the ball a lot. He played very aggressive. I think he deserved to win.” There are those who can predict greatness in the making and if they had spoken to Zverev today after the match, they may have offered a prediction that put ditto marks under a long ago guesstimate for Roger Federer’s career. Wimbledon is waiting to welcome Federer and Zverev and, as always they are hoping the best man will win.
For those lucky enough to have followed the career of a young fellow from Switzerland there was satisfaction today that was almost personal. Greatness isn’t an anomaly that ebbs and flows with the tide. With Federer, it is a part of who he is. It is almost as if his heart is buoyed by the hearts of those who admire his tennis prowess as well as his magnanimous persona. It’s a package that many strive for, but few in life are ever granted the possession of.
The Gerry Weber Open had a winner today. But with Roger Federer’s victory, the entire community that surrounds Halle won. Federer’s ninth victory on the final Sunday of the Gerry Weber Open not only awarded him another trophy, but it underscored the hope of those that follow tennis intently that the best is yet to come.
