He’s ba-ack…and fired-up for 2012!
After Roger Federer’s frustrating year, finishing the season without a Grand Slam Title for the first time since 2002; he capped-off 2011 by winning his 100th career final at the ATP World Tour Finals. One-hundred career finals is astonishing itself, but to own a 70% winning percentage…that is epic. With his 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roger’s now won six season-ending trophies – surpassing Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl’s record of five a piece. Tennis-heads have said it for years now…we are simply witnessing history in the making.
After a tough loss to Novak Djokovic at the U.S. Open – where he had two match points against eventual champ – Roger took six weeks off before returning to the court for his hometown Masters event in Basel. He won that tournament…then went on to win the Paris Masters, before climbing the mountain again at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. And to think, unlike every Spanish athlete alive – Roger has achieved greatness without doping! (Thanks Yannick Noah)
While Djokovic, Nadal and so many others on the Men’s Tour will spend the next month recovering, Roger’s goes into 2012 and the Australian Open with all the momentum.
There’s still plenty of tennis left to be played in 2011 – The Davis Cup Final is this weekend in Seville, Spain – as “The Dopers” take-on Argentina. This is a rematch of the 2008 Davis Cup Final, where Spain prevailed. Spain then went on to win the Cup again 2009.
December 6th…two weeks of tennis starts in Doha, as well – at the 2011 Arab Games. Best of luck to Todd Noonan – he’s the tennis venue producer and heads out today to prepare for the event on site, and get everything ready for his high-maintenance english announcer.
Congrats, by the way to Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor…they won the doubles title in London – defeating Bob and Mike Bryan in the semi’s, then Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in the Final. Here’s a the Bryans’ final video blog from London – filmed on Thanksgiving Day. Not a lot here, really – but I share it to salute our friend John Coleman, who can be seen shortly after Bob talks about not having a belt. He’s the guy at the end of the hall in the white sweater. Nice work, as always JOHN!
