YA THINK?
Roger Federer sat down and gave a rather revealing intervierw to the Spanish paper, El Pais. Here are just a couple of the interesting Q&A's that I lifted from Go to Tennis blog:
Q: Would a second title at Roland Garros, this time beating Nadal, have a different taste?
A: Obviously. No slam will taste the same as my first Roland Garros. It’s the one I was looking for, the big one I was chasing after, the title for which I prepared almost secretly. I trained in the pre-season in February in order to be ready to play the semifinals of Roland Garros in May. I always knew I could do it, but to actually do it, to go all the way to the end, is an incredibly satisfactory experience. I always expected to get it by beating Rafa, but you can’t choose who’s on the other side of the net. We two still have long careers ahead. I hope we have more opportunities to play in the Philippe Chatrier.
Q: You speak as if the future were set.
A: When Agassi gave me the trophy at Roland Garros, he said, “You deserve it. It’s fate.” I thought: “It’s true.” I felt the same. After having given so much of myself for so many years in Paris… Look, no matter what people say, I never thought my problem was clay. My problem was Rafa. The guy is unbelievable. There are some people who don’t want to believe it, but that’s the truth, unfortunately for a whole great generation of clay courters. So for me, it was as if fate was calling me. Being able to handle the pressure, being able to believe I could win each year, even though Rafa would then come and crush my dreams, was the key, my greatest strength. You can lose heart in but a moment. The instant of defeat hits you extremely hard. But I have always believed I could improve. So I believe in destiny.
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