ShareThisThe destiny of an athlete sometimes hinges on very little, and Monday it was just a couple of inches on a critical shot by Roger Federer that kept him from exiting the 2009 French Open -- just as Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic had done on the two previous days.
After playing tentatively and inconsistently for most of three sets against Tommy Haas, Federer flubbed a forehand wide to give the German, already leading two sets to love and by 4-3 in the third set, a break point.
Almost everything in Federer's ineffectual performance up to that point indicated Haas was close to finishing off the upset that he would surely serve out the match in the following game if he converted the break point.
On that vital point, Federer hit a second serve and Haas hit it over to his backhand side.
"I played a decent return," Haas said later. "I didn't want to go for too much -- I wanted to keep it deep and cross court."
In an instant, Federer realized he could run around his backhand and comfortably hit a forehand. His signature shot from that side is an inside-out, forehand cross-court over the low part of the net to his opponent's backhand.
After struggling with swirling winds, his own lack of rhythm and Haas's inspired play, the 13-time Grand Slam champion hit what he described after the match as "my first good shot of the match."
Following the arc of Federer's trademark whippy topspin, the ball flashed over the net and was so finely angled that Haas had no play on it, especially because it landed very close to the sideline.
Federer remained silent, possibly so emotionally relieved he did not have the energy to do otherwise, not like the subsequent two points. Then, he let out celebratory yelps that sounded something like "aiyie" and "ahay" when he hit a service winner followed by a Haas forehand he watched fly long to even the set at 4-4.
"I knew the significance to that shot," Federer said. "I knew that if I come out of that game I can create some opportunities later on and in that set."
Maybe being perhaps the finest tennis player in history endows a player like Federer with prescience, but he was right. He broke Haas in the next game, held serve for the set, won the fourth set 6-0 and broke at 2-2 in the fifth set and was home free. The final score read 6-7 (4), 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.
"You can't learn to hit a forehand like that on a break point," Federer said about his possibly match-saving shot in the third set. "It comes from practicing, from having some luck, and from staying calm at the right moment and going for it. You could play more defensively, but then you give the option to your opponent to try to win the point.
"I'm more of the kind of player who tries to put luck on my side. Happily, I just hit a pretty normal shot at that moment. I stayed fairly calm and was relieved after that because I hit a good serve (on the next point)."
Haas, who had lost seven matches in a row to Federer going back to 2002, was asked to explain how a veteran (31) like himself can come to grips philosophically with a crushing loss like that -- particularly when one shot, and a few inches, surely decided his destiny.
"There's no secret to why he's been where he's been the last five years, and what he's accomplished," Haas said of Federer. "You've just got to tip your hat and say, that's why he's Roger Federer."
So the dream of winning a first French Open crown remains alive for Federer, after five Wimbledon, five U.S. Open and three Australian Open titles.
Though he has lost to Nadal in each of the past four years at Roland Garros, Federer seemed hesitant to comment on the effect the four-time defending champion's ouster would have on his chances, except to admit: "There was a little shock in the locker room, some excitement. And it does put some pressure on me."
That is certainly a better situation than maybe being out of the tournament, but for that one stroke of genius.
"It was a great battle for me," he said about surviving against Haas. "I'm thrilled to be through and given another chance."
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
columnCanadian clients may not useMust credit Toronto Globe and Mail(All currency U.S.)
