Originally Published on 10sballs.com as http://www.10sballs.com/2011/10/19/andy-murray%e2%80%99s-rise-to-no-3-does-it-bode-the-end-of-federer-era/ by Apeksha HA
With Andy Murray winning 3 titles back to back and claiming the No 3 ranking in the world- What does it mean for Roger Federer - Are his days over?
Let’s look at some figures and then come to a logical answer:
Roger Federer has won 67 career singles titles in all (4thoverall in the ranking with Jimmy Connors at 109). He has won 16 GS and been at No 1 for 285 weeks (just one week behind Pete Sampras) and probably is the player with the highest number of records to his name.
He said in an interview: I’ll probably be picking the tournaments I like to play the most at this point because I’ve achieved so much. It’s important that I work hard, I practice well, I do all the right things. Olympics is obviously part of that. “. He also said that he is at peace with the rankings. There is nothing else that he can do.
Isn’t it obvious that a person who has achieved so much in his career will not bother about rankings? He has his goals set and amongst them, GS win and Olympics are prioritized higher. He is at a stage where he has to listen to his body and be wise about his playing decisions. He cannot go on and play back to back tournaments like earlier. So it was inevitable that he will slip in rankings. The fact that he is taking rest and preparing himself to be in the right situations to win is a sign of danger for his rivals.
So my answer to the earlier question would be – No, even though Andy Murray has surpassed him, it will not affect Federer and his game. And it definitely does not mean that Murray is playing better than Federer now as we all know that Murray has a tendency to choke at a GS stage against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. For me rankings are insignificant as rarely a person has won a GS after 30 as World No 1. It’s about the quality of play and mental toughness that takes the person to a GS title and with his 80% win record this year; he surely can surprise us all in 2012!
As Tom Landry once said: “Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it & staying with that plan.” Sounds like what Federer is currently implementing! What do you think?
Here is a recent pic of Federer practicing in Dubai: Enjoy Federer fans!
Here is a recent pic of Federer practicing in Dubai: Enjoy Federer fans!
Also:Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30?
Djokovic’s 2011 stats; his No.1 ranking; and, Kaizen!
Djokovic’s 2011 stats; his No.1 ranking; and, Kaizen!
If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com
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