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WIMBLEDON 2015

TENNIS

Wawrinka advances after Sousa win in three sets

Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka reached the Wimbledon second round on Monday after a 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win over Portugal's Joao Sousa.

Wawrinka advances after Sousa win in three sets
Wawrinka my be fourth-ranked but doesn't seem himself among 'Big Four'. Photo: AFP/File

Wawrinka, French Open champion and fourth seed, will face Victor Estrella Burgos for a place in the last 32.

The Lausanne native has captured two of the last six Grand Slams but insists that he remains the man on the outside, admiring
the success of the sport's 'Big Four'.
   
The 30-year-old added the French Open this month to the 2014 Australian Open title while, in the same space of time, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal have failed to add to their tally of majors.
   
Despite that, Wawrinka still does not consider himself the equal either of those three or world number one and defending Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, the men who make up the game's superpowers.
   
“The big four, it's not what happens in this year,” Wawrinka said.

“It's what's happened the past ten years,” he said.

“That's why they're much better than everybody.”

Federer has 17 majors, Nadal 14, Djokovic has eight while Murray has claimed two.
   
“I personally really don't care,” said Wawrinka.

“For me the big four always means the big four,” he said.
   
“They're where they are because they did so much for tennis and they were so strong during more than ten years.

“They deserve to be the big four and they will always be the big four — that's for me how I see it.”

 

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ROGER FEDERER

Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?

Roger Federer is talking optimistically about returning to his "highest level" after knee surgery, but does tennis have to start adjusting to a future without the Swiss star?

Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?
Is it the end of the line for Roger? Photo: Martin BUREAU / AFP

The 20-time Grand Slam winner announced on Wednesday that he would be sidelined until 2021 after his second operation in a matter of months.

Federer remains upbeat, tweeting: “I plan to take the necessary time to be 100 percent ready to play at my highest level.”

In some ways 2020 is a good season to miss after the coronavirus ravaged the tennis schedule. Writing Federer off in the past has proved dangerous.

He returned from a six-month injury lay-off to claim the Australian Open in 2017, winning his eighth Wimbledon crown later that year.

But he will be 40 in 2021 and is now heading into uncharted territory.

Despite his groaning trophy cabinet, there are two factors that will motivate Federer to keep going — the risk of losing his grip on the men's Grand Slam title record and a missing Olympics singles gold medal.

Rafael Nadal has 19 majors, just one shy of Federer's mark and Djokovic has 17.

Spain's Nadal will be fancied to draw level with Federer at the French Open, rescheduled for September, while few would bet against Djokovic winning in New York weeks earlier.

In April, Federer said he was “devastated” when Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II. Last year he fell agonisingly short at the All England Club, failing to convert two championship points on his own serve against Djokovic.

The Wimbledon grass probably remains his best chance of adding to his Grand Slam collection — he has not won the US Open since 2008 and his only title at Roland Garros came in 2009.

Even though Federer has slipped from the very pinnacle of the game, he is still a major threat to Nadal and Djokovic.

'Golden' ambitions

Last year, the world number four had a 53-10 win-loss record and he reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January in his only tournament this year.

Federer, who is still six ATP titles short of Jimmy Connors' all-time record of 109, has one glaring omission from his CV — the Olympic title.

The Swiss won doubles gold in Beijing in 2008 with compatriot Stan Wawrinka but lost in the singles final to Andy Murray in London four years later.

The postponed Tokyo Games will almost certainly be Federer's last opportunity to complete a career “golden” Grand Slam — he will turn 40 on the day of the closing ceremony next year.

Tennis will feel the loss of the elegant Federer keenly when he walks off the court for the last time.

Djokovic and Nadal have been the dominant forces in recent years but the Swiss remains the biggest draw and last month topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-earning athletes.

His last appearance on court was in front of nearly 52,000 fans — touted by organisers as a world record for tennis — at a charity match against Nadal in Cape Town in February.

Federer is nearly always the crowd favourite wherever he plays and has proved a perfect ambassador for the sport since he won his first Grand Slam title in 2003.

He certainly expects to be back and competitive next year.

“I will be missing my fans and the tour dearly but I will look forward to seeing everyone back on tour at the start of the 2021 season,” he tweeted.

The avalanche of support from his adoring fans showed they would miss him too, but they will have to get used to a time when he is gone for good.

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