Catching the Lines: Quotes from the Open
I didn’t expect another Australian Open victory for Roger Federer to be as inspiring as it was tonight. After all, it was his opponent, Andy Murray, Great Britain’s Great Hope, who had so much at stake: the chance to become his country’s first men’s major singles champion in 74 years. Federer had already achieved the career Grand Slam (at last year’s French), the all-time major singles titles record (at last year’s Wimbledon), and the unofficial “Greatest Of All Time” designation (bestowed upon him by more than one tennis authority). Where would be the drama in witnessing him extend a record he already holds?
But the championship, and its aftermath, were in fact dramatic. It may feel familiar when Federer plays brilliantly in a Grand Slam final, but it’s a familiar thrill. Tonight his genius was in full effect: He served well, retrieved well, cracked dazzling forehands, rifled impossibly-angled backhands and, in a stirring third-set tiebreaker, withstood five set points for Murray before converting championship point on his third try.
The trophy ceremony that followed did not provide the iconic image Rafael Nadal gave us last year, when the Spaniard draped a companionable, consoling arm around a crushed and weeping Federer. But this year’s edition was plenty poignant. The enormously talented Murray, still without the Grand Slam title he so ardently covets, was disconsolate—his lower lip trembling, his eyes filled with tears. In the past, the Scotsman has come across, off the court, as the world’s stodgiest 22-year-old—likeable but ornery, stoic and unexcitable, something of a curmudgeon. Tonight, he was clearly shattered, and it was moving to see him so moved, his tears rendering him unable to finish his runner-up’s speech.
“In a way it was hard to watch, but at the same time I like seeing players who care for the game,” Federer said later about Murray’s emotional display. “It’s nice to see.” Federer also credited the Scotsman’s play with raising him tonight to a level he has achieved only rarely during his remarkable 16-Slam run. “Guys like Murray—they’ve made me a better player, because I think this has been one of my finest performances in a long time, or maybe forever.”
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I’m sorry to downshift so abruptly from Federer’s profound observations, but I wanted to wrap up this year’s blog with a few of my favorite quotes from the tournament:
Not thrilled with the linesman:
Andy Roddick, on the tumble he took during his first-round match:
“I ran into one of those immovable objects called a referee. … Normally they see a player running full speed, they decide to at least move or catch the player. You know, I felt like he was trying out for WWE or something, just letting me go.”
Is the Ivy League degree a requirement for that job?
Roddick, on who takes care of his dog when he’s on the road:
“Sometimes when I leave, the dog wants to stay in Austin, because it just tells us, and my friend Neal Boban, who graduated from Dartmouth, takes care of it, takes it out thrice daily, emails us updates.”
Um, thanks, I think:
James Blake, talking about John Isner:
“He’s such a good kid. We give him a hard time for saying a few stupid things, but he’s actually pretty bright.”
She knows how to hydrate:
Maria Kirilenko, when asked if she would celebrate her 23rd birthday with champagne:
“No, I don’t want to get drunk before my next match.”
Did you buy anything there?
Andy Roddick, on Marin Cilic:
“He literally sets up shop right behind the baseline and isn’t going to be moved.”
No love lost:
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, when asked about his ailing quarterfinal opponent Novak Djokovic:
When did you first realize he had a problem?
Tsonga: Five years ago.
That’s one way to dodge the question:
Did you resent having to play qualifying?
Yanina Wickmayer: “What does ‘resent’ mean?”
Unintended consequences:
Serena Williams, on hearing comments from the crowd during the final:
“I think everyone was for Justine tonight. This one guy was like, ‘You can beat her, Justine, she’s not that good.’ I looked at that guy and I was like, you don’t know me. And I think I won all the games after that. Because that’s just totally rude.”
Foreign language appreciation:
Serena, on Justine Henin:
“She says ‘Allez’ a lot, so I think it’s kind of fun.
Mind on the match?
Serena, on what she was thinking when she was down a set and 4-0 versus Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals:
“If I lose today, and I don’t win in doubles, I think I can catch a flight on Friday.”
And some awards:
THE ‘MAKING MOUNTAINS OUT OF MOLEHILLS’ AWARD:
Sam Querrey, when pressed on his claim he had worked out every day of the off-season:
Even on Christmas day?
Querrey: On Christmas day I went for a run. I ran up a mountain.
A mountain? Where?
Querrey: Near my aunt’s house in Marin County.
A mountain in Marin County?
Querrey: Well, really, I ran up a hill in her neighborhood.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF
Donald Young, on dealing with the rowdy pro-Lleyton Hewitt crowd in Rod Laver Arena during their second-round match:
“You just gotta kinda imagine they’re cheering for you, even though obviously you know your name’s not Lleyton or Hewitt, and you know you’re not Australian.”
THE ‘WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE, WHO NEEDS PIERRE-YVES’ AWARD
Justine Henin, when questioned about the diamond ring she’s sporting on her left hand:
“Well, it’s not coming from a lover, if that’s the question. It’s a gift from a friend.”
THE BLUNT PRAGMATISM AWARD
Roddick, on the injury he suffered in the quarterfinals:
“Obviously anytime there’s something with an arm, a shoulder, numbness with your fingers, I’m going to be a little bit concerned. My arm is pretty much my livelihood.”
THE SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE AWARD
Maria Sharapova, who doned $10,000 to the Haiti relief fund, on her first-round loss:
“There are many worse situations in life. There are people that don’t even know what a tennis match is in the world.”
THE OFF-THE-CUFF ELOQUENCE AWARD
Roger Federer, on whether he thinks about his legacy:
“I try to be good for the game, leave it better off than when I arrived, even though that’s hard. I’m very thankful to the legends of the game who created this great platform for us.”
THE UNDERSTATEMENT AWARD
Federer, trying to explain how he’s been so successful in Slams:
“You know, I’m definitely a very talented player.”
Related posts:
- Federer, Soderling slotted in same U.S. Open quarter
- Federer, Roddick in top half of Wimbledon draw
- No. 2 Federer takes top seeding at Wimbledon
- Sony Ericsson Open: Men’s Preview
- Big Four? Let’s Talk about the Big Six
