ROGER FEDERER: RETURN OF THE KING

Centre Court. Stunned silence mixed with huge uproars. The royal box and the 15000 plus audience. Two champions on the world’s most coveted grass court, aiming to create history.

The 126^th edition of the Wimbledon at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club was all about old champions doing what they do best. Destroy the young guns and let the critics realise they are not to be written off yet. The Men’s and Women’s singles champions this year - Roger Federer and Serena Williams - are both aged 30 years.

On July 8, Sunday, when Andy Murray and Roger Federer stepped on court, both carried huge pressure on their shoulders. Roger aimed to add another grand slam to his 16 slams kitty after a two year drought while Murray was a nation’s hope that yearned for a Wimbledon crown for almost 76 years. The match was being touted as Federer vs Britain. The much anticipated match began in presence of a royal audience, with Britain’s who’s who present to cheer for their local hope.   

Amidst huge cheers from the home crowd, when Federer serve on the very first game was broken by Andy, it seemed that Murray under his new coach, eight-time grand slam winner Ivan Lendl would not be present in yet another final and let his opponent win.

As the game progressed, Murray with his dominance and excellent returns took the first set 6-4. He broke Federer twice in the set, second time in the ninth game. Federer broke back in between, with more chances in the twelve minute eighth game and in the second but couldn’t take them.  

Then in the second set which seemed would turn in to a tie-break, Federer did what only champions can do. At 6-5, 30-all on the Murray serve, after a long rally with acute angled shots and spins and a classic drop shot, the set was his.

In the third set, in the Federer serve in the third game at 40-0, rain struck. Rain it seems was a blessing for the six-time champion.  With the Centre Court roof now covered, after a forty minute gap, Roger Federer played unbelievable tennis. Rightly so, Fedex has lost no indoor match in the last two years.  The sixth game of the set saw ten deuces before Federer took the game with a backhand shot. The third set was his by the ninth game.

With two sets down, Andy Murray now seemed to be lost in the spell cast by the maverick magician.

In the fourth set, the Swiss star meant business. Murray lost his serve in the fifth game. Then there was no looking back for Roger, champions don’t miss such opportunities. Federer served out the match in his second championship point kneeling down to the grass, a king had met his lost kingdom. The grass court had regained its sheen.  

With his twin girls watching daddy dearest, winning his 17^th grand slam singles title, regaining number one position, equalling Pete Sampras’ record of being number one for most number of weeks, no more tennis records are to be broken, Roger Federer now creates them.