For those of you who read my last blog, Friday’s evening session is exactly what I’m talking about! It’s almost 2 am Saturday morning as I arrive back from commentating the David Ferrer / Andy Murray match. Ferrer won’t get to sleep till around 4am and he’s gotta come back and play Roger Saturday night. I thought sporting contests were supposed to be fair! That’s BS as far as I’m concerned, Ferrer is at a massive disadvantage having a lot less time to recover, never mind the fact he’s gotta take on Federer! Get rid of two evening session singles matches.
Some good matches today…Nic Almagro is looking really hungry and it’s good to see the young man playing some inspired tennis again because he’s rough on this red stuff. He plays with a lot of passion and I love that!
Roger is slowly getting back to his best and I thought it was a good contest this evening between him and Ernests Gulbis. He hit some great volleys!
Rafa is looking impenetrable. Can’t see anyone beating him!
But for me, today belonged to David Ferrer. His tussle with Murray was vintage stuff and proved again “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog!!” David is probably the player I admire most… Listen, I love watching Federer, he’s a genius, period. And Nadal is phenomenal with his attitude, fighting spirit and the way he carries himself. Ferrer is cut from the same cloth as Rafa, only he’s 5’9 ( I can relate!) and doesn’t have the luxury of being a lefty! But it’s the ATTITUDE of the guy that’s so impressive…the way he relishes the battle and the process of working out his opponent is only matched by Nadal. He rarely lets a poor shot bother him for more than the 25 seconds before the next point. When he vents his frustration, he does that to the max, he’ll destroy his racket, grab a new one, then crack on with the match. No “hangover” from the previous point. He’s got this ability to concentrate for such long periods of time and keep the intensity high…for 3,4,5 hours sometimes. Remember the Davis Cup final against Radek Stepanek??? Enough said!
If tennis coaches/federations etc. want a player to reference, this is the guy. He’s a mortal, Roger and Rafa operate in a different atmosphere. Let’s be realistic here, very few will ever reach the heights of those two guys. I think it’s easier to relate to the nuggety Spaniard. He’s not 6’4 with a massive serve. He doesn’t have bulging biceps or a forehand like Federer, but he’s a very well-rounded player. Well you might say there’s tons of well-rounded players. Yes, true, but very few with the attitude, heart, desire AND wheels of David Ferrer! The greatest compliment you can pay an athlete is to say they’ve maximized their ability and talent, and Ferrer has done that better than most!
Rob
Rob Koenig is a former ATP World Tour pro who won five ATP doubles titles, reached six other ATP doubles finals and reached the doubles semifinals at the 1998 US Open. He is now an internationally renowned tennis commentator. He and fellow commentator Jason Goodall run bespoke clinics and corporate tennis events around the world that provide fans with unique and unforgettable experiences. Contact Rob at: rlkoenig71@gmail.com to find out more.