The Progression of Federer Thoughts

We posted this one on Twitter after Roger Federer’s opening match in Istanbul against Jarkko Nieminen. Rog is always known for his finesse, but when he struck the ball, the reverberating sound was as if he was hitting a baseball with an aluminum bat. And as that little yellow orb skimmed over the net with extraordinary pace, it was tough not to think about how the Old Man is at freakin’ #2 in the world, still playing Big Man tennis.

In interviews about his advancing age, the Maestro continually assures us he’ll keep playing as long as it’s fun. And on Wednesday, his first words in the interview about his 6-2, 7-5 win over Nieminen were that it was “an entertaining second set.” That’s right, he thought the one where the scoreline was closer was more entertaining. Is he just thinking about the spectator’s point of view? Or is it all about the challenge? He likes it when he gets to really earn that win. “I had a tough time breaking him,” Rog said about that trickier second set. “It could have gone maybe a bit easier.”

But that wouldn’t have been as fun, right Rog? 😉

You might also enjoy:

Roger Federer and Vasek Pospisil — Don’t Mess with the Old Man

and

Pretzels, Laundry, and Roger Federer — Tales of Cincy’s Center Court Elevator

Photos: Screencaps of Roger Federer, Istanbul tournament, 2015 TennisTV. Fair use.