Former French Open champion Mary Pierce has praised Roger Federer’s undiminished passion for tennis.
Former World No. 3 Pierce also revealed the big reason behind Rafael Nadal’s dominance at the French Open. Acknowledging that she was a fan of Nadal’s game, she said that it was the depth of the Spaniard’s ground-strokes, which has proved to be the ultimate challenge for his adversaries on the red dirt.
Pierce, who was in conversation with Indian media outlet Mid Day claimed that Rafa was the overwhelming favourite to lift his 11th French Open crown in Paris. However, she also warned the 31-year-old southpaw about the supremely talented young brigade, who could possibly upset him on Parisian clay. Rising German star Alexander Zverev nearly defeated him last week in the final of the Rome Masters before Nadal turned it around to win the title in three sets.
Pierce said: “Roger’s such a great player. He’s won 18 Grand Slam titles and that’s no easy feat. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as passionate about tennis as he is. After the Australian Open last year, I was on the plane back with his coach and he was telling me how Roger spends all his time talking and thinking only about tennis. Some of the moves he has are nothing like I’ve ever seen before. It’s almost like it’s in his blood. I wouldn’t count him out of anything.”
“Nadal is one of the best players of his generation and I’m a huge fan of his playing style. Having played extensively on clay myself, I know how good it is for your game. Clay really develops your game, your legs, your health and your cardiovascular. He has an amazing backhand and hits so deep. He’s going to be hard to beat, but there are many unbelievably talented players today and having an unexpected person going deep into the competition would be exciting.”
