Roger Federer: Virtually Unequalled, Again

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: August 22, 2010

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When you grow up in the rural Midwest the only tennis court in town probably has knotweed growing through the cracks in the cement slab that may hold up a sagging net, often riddled with holes—that is if there is a net at all.

Youngsters may skate on the slab or try to leap the net as part of a daring afternoon challenge or out of boredom. You never see anyone playing serious tennis on such a court built with funds that some wealthy person in town has probably donated, hoping to elicit some interest in the genteel sport. 

Growing up as I did in such a restricted environment, the world around me was attuned only to high school sports and college football bordered by Nebraska’s Big Red on one side and the University of Iowa’s Hawkeyes on the other. Tennis was considered nothing more than a rich man’s sport indulged in by pampered country club kids who could not make a tackle or take somebody down for the count.  

There were no swimming pools or tennis courts or soccer fields in rural Midwest schools back then, or even now, if the truth be known. Given my socially stunted background, that I found and grew to love tennis remains a complete accident because I had no exposure to it or interest in it.

I just happened to be watching television one Sunday in 1980 and became fascinated by a match going on between Bjorn Borg from Sweden and John McEnroe from the United States.  



I cannot recall how I happened to have control of the television that morning because normally the television remote was owned by the men of the house—but that particular Sunday I found myself mesmerized by the match, siding with the Swede whose movie star looks had me hooked from the get-go. By the end of the match, when stoic Borg sank to his knees in triumph, I had collapsed on the shag rug carpeting, hooked for life.

Yes, I am that old!

Since that day, I have...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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