Swiss Family Federer: Masters of their destiny

In the locker room during the break, Roddick huddled with Brad Gilbert, typically promoted (in part by himself) as the best coach in tennis. For consultation or conversation, Federer had only a physical therapist and a buddy who “used to play tennis a bit,” but guess who did most of the talking?

“I told them, I think I have to serve and volley, because I remember playing serve and volley the year before,” Federer said, referring to his straight-set victory over Roddick in the 2003 semifinals. “I just thought, you know, I will get more free points. He will maybe feel the pressure a little bit more and cannot take as many chances from me at the baseline when I’m serving.”

Federer continued, “This is exactly what happened, and it makes me extremely, you know, happy and proud, that I actually did take the right choice in such a moment.”

On the Fourth of July, he wore down Roddick, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-4. Gilbert, Mr. Winning Ugly, was outcoached by the mentor in the mind of a 22-year-old tennis artiste, who has now won two of three Grand Slam tournaments all on his own.

“He’s never worked as hard as he has since he hasn’t had a coach,” said a most reliable source, Federer’s mother, Lynette. “He’s gotten to know himself, and his tennis.”

The happy mom was off the mobile phone with her husband, Robert, who remained home in Switzerland to avoid the tension of live tennis. Now Lynette Federer was celebrating with family and friends in red Swiss caps what she called a confirmation of the coming-of-age performance Federer put on here last year.

On the most renowned of all tennis stages was a showdown of contrasting body languages — Roddick exuding unbridled energy from every pore while Federer glided around the lawn as though guided by the breeze. Except just as he transformed his tactics during the course of the match, Federer evolved to his exalted state of calm over a period of years.

His temper was once so bad, his mother confided, the family wondered if John McEnroe was a distant cousin. Other parents used to ask how she and her husband put up with such dysfunctional behaviour from Roger, their youngest child.

“We’d say, ’We don’t like it,”’ Lynette Federer said. “He’d have his tantrums, he’d throw the rackets, waste his energy.

“But he just needed time. In his childhood, in school, in his tennis, he always learned how to go over the hurdles. Every time he banged his head, he improved. I think Roger’s learned self-discipline, to step back, not rely on somebody.”

The apple of her eye apparently didn’t fall far from the tree. Federer has ascended to a secure place as the world’s No. 1 player after parting ways with his coach, Peter Lundgren, while his parents have assumed control of his career management from the global powerhouse IMG.

“We are not doing everything ourselves,” Lynette Federer said. “We have a lawyer, a tax attorney.” Still, Team Federer stands apart from most tour heavyweights, many of whose entourages could fill a grandstand section of Centre Court.

Lynette Federer’s guess is that her son will eventually hire another coach (might Phil Jackson be interested in this new Zen master?). “At the moment, things are going all his way,” she said. “When he does have a down time, that’s when he needs one.”

Federer’s third-set tactical switch to more serve and volley wasn’t the whole story, not the way Roddick was tiring in the fourth set. Roddick’ footwork and shot preparation were failing after he set a blistering pace in winning the first set and expended considerable energy rallying from 0-4 to 4-all in the second set, only to lose it.

Roddick may be 21, but 145-mph serves and one screaming forehand after another will exact a toll against an opponent who literally and figuratively does not sweat.

However canny Federer was, even Phil Jackson might admit that you can’t teach talent. Though he played far more baseline tennis here this year than last and got away with it until Sunday, Federer had the serve-and-volley skills to resort to. Roddick was married to his pre-match plan to (and we’re paraphrasing Roddick here) hit the stuffing out of the ball. For such a strategy he needed coach Gilbert?

Andre Agassi recast himself with Gilbert but seldom solved Pete Sampras in a big-money match. Roddick, now 1-6 for his career against Federer, admitted that Federer “has an aura about him.” To beat him — on grass, at least — Roddick needs work on his volleys, or a better game plan.

What might that be? Coach Gilbert, the author of a soon-to-be-released second book, the subject of a recent magazine profile, a man who by reputation would talk to a racket if it had ears, strode silently past hopeful reporters into a waiting car.

Now that he has bumped heads with coach Federer, let’s see what Gilbert has learned.

(The New York Times)