When Roger Federer lost to Guillermo Canas in two successive Masters series
tournaments last spring the tennis world asked whether the game’s greatest
player was in decline. Within six months he had successfully defended his
Wimbledon and US Open titles and reached the final of the French Open.
Sergio Mantegazza, a self-made Swiss billionaire ranked No 336 in a recent
list of the world’s richest people, had his sleek 210-foot motor yacht -
equipped with its own helicopter and launch pad – moored outside the harbour
here today [Fri 25 March]. A few hundred metres away Roger Federer, a
self-made Swiss millionaire ranked No 1 in a recent list of the world’s best
tennis players, dropped anchor in the semi-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters
with one of his best performances of the year.
Andy Murray plans to keep his temper under control after a three-set win over
world number 20 Ivo Karlovic put him through to the fourth round of the
Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells.
It can be dangerous to read too much into head-to-head records. Only one
current player has beaten Roger Federer more than once and never lost to
him, but even Dominik Hrbaty, the world No 195, would admit that he was
lucky to catch the planet’s greatest player cold in first rounds on their
only two meetings, in Paris in 2000 and Cincinnati four years later.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has taken tennis by storm in the last fortnight but the
French whirlwind finally blew itself out here today. Having beaten four
seeded players on his way to the Australian Open final, Tsonga finally met
his match in Novak Djokovic, the world No 3. Claiming his first Grand Slam
title, Djokovic came from behind to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.
Twelve months ago there were tears of despair as Maria Sharapova suffered the
heaviest defeat of her Grand Slam career when she took only three games off
Serena Williams in the final of the Australian Open. They flowed again here
today in the Rod Laver Arena, but this time they were tears of joy as
Sharapova claimed her third Grand Slam title with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over
Ana Ivanovic.