Federer Around the Web

Roger Federer took a beating on court losing in the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup final. But he didn't take one in the press. Here’s a sampling of what has been written:

Roger Federer, an exceptional athlete defying descriptions
The Hindu

Federer has become a familiar traveller, but his journey's end is not even in sight, writes Rohit Brijnath.

Eleven tournaments he has won this year. Five of the last eight slams. Ten matches lost in two years. A head-to-head record since 2004 that stands at 4-1 vs Safin, 8-0 vs Hewitt, 6-0 vs Agassi. Of the four matches he lost this year, in two (Safin, Australian Open final; Gasquet, Monte Carlo) he had match points, and in a third, against Nalbandian, he served for the match. Only one day in the year, against Rafael Nadal in the French Open, did someone truly own him...

Tough season gets to the Swiss master
Reuters

Roger Federer proved he was human after all but still managed to reinforce his reputation as being arguably the greatest player of all time despite losing his Masters Cup title last weekend...

[I]t did nothing to shatter Federer's aura of invincibility. Federer had single-handedly rescued the tournament from becoming a farce after the sudden pullouts from injury of Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi...

Federer beaten but his reputation remains unbowed
Yahoo Sports
By Alastair Himmer

Nalbandian, to his credit, refused to be beaten. But the manner of Federer's defeat will be an ominous warning to his rivals ahead of the 2006 season.

Federer's play, demeanor is unmatched
ESPN.com
By Bonnie DeSimone

[Federer] is consistently excellent without being mechanical, passionate but not surly, amiable without being cloying, an extraordinary yet accessible athlete who has gone for lengthy stretches without an agent or a full-time coach. Not too good to be true. Truly good.

And he showed up even though he wasn't completely sound, giving the Shanghai fans a special incentive to root for him. Five of the other seven players originally scheduled to play in the tournament scratched...

Federer's still the man to chase for '06
msn.foxsports
Matthew Cronin

Now that Roger Federer has proven he's not invincible — when playing on one leg — hope springs eternal for the rest of the elite players in 2006.

Or does it?

Nalbandian battles back to end Federer's final run
The Guardian
Stephen Bierley in Shanghai

And so ended the Wimbledon and US Open champion's run of 24 consecutive victories in finals, stretching back more than two years. Federer had also won his previous 35 matches, and this was only his fourth defeat this year. Remarkable statistics for a remarkable player. On this occasion it was simply a match and a final too far, although "giving up was never an option", he said...

But has David Nalbandian given Federer something to think about next time he walks on court? Has the Swiss’ confidence been shaken?

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