Federer: Roger's got game!

Roger Federer won the Madrid Open in the final match with Rafa:  6-4, 6-4.  Whoo hoo!

And Roger won his 15th ATP tournament.  That puts him even with Rafa and two behind Agassi.  Now it is on to The French Open - Roland Garros.  Roland Garros was a French fighter pilot during WWI, I believe.  But during the French Open, the men and women will - by and large - be keeping their feet on or near the ground.

A few years ago, commentators were remarking on "how does one beat Roger Federer?"  I wrote a post and observed that Federer just came to the match and played the game that his opponent brought.  That worked well for a while and then along came Rafa, Novak, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Verasco, Juan Martin Del Potro, and others who are hungry, nipping and snapping away at the heels and swings of their opponents.

It is my observation that Federer - a grand master on the court - has found himself until recently playing the same game over and over again and expecting to achieve the same results.  His game had become predictable UNTIL the MADRID OPEN.  And the world changed:

Federer started playing his own game; becoming more aggressive;  charging or coming to the net -  Thank God! - and changing up his game so that he is no longer predictable.

He has thrown his opponents off and I predict that Roger Federer is the most capable player when it comes to changing his game;  getting scrappy, even with a touch of class.

One can be classy and all the top 10 to 15 tennis pros are but class without smart, scrappy, ruthless courage will not win matches;  not matches against the top 10 to 15 seeds theses days.  

Go, Roger, go!  Take Roland Garros with that magnificent change of pace, that charging the net, that risk taking.  If a point is to be won or lost, I say fight for the point - get scrappy.

Whoo hoo!  Whoo hoo!  Good going, Federer.