it's not tennis, but when you brought up mental strength in performance sports (and other pursuits), i immediately thought of the blind golfer, Zohar Sharon (http://www.cjnews.com/viewarticle.asp?id=7188). he's been totally blind for 25 years and has won a few blind golfer tournies. anyway, this guy is a prime example of how important mental training can be, for any pursuit. take care - omni
Yeah I like Nadal's fighting spirit as well, but something went wrong against Gonzalez. Seems like he tore something in his leg. He's so young yet so commanding on the court, he's definitely going to be around for a long time, and so far is the only guy who's been able to take on Federer, probably because his top spin forehand plays right into Roger's backhand, and he doesn't like having to hit those high balls defensively. They're all a great bunch of young guys, I'm excited for the future of the sport. Great personalities, and frankly I think Federer has a much more likeable personality than Sampras who was a bit of an arrogant dude at times. Federer is very confident but does not come across the way Sampras used to in his interviews.
Tony Roche also thinks Federer can be greatest http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200701/s1836202.htm
From the Australian: "The claycourt title at Roland Garros in Paris is the only major to elude Roger Federer but Larry Stefanki, the widely respected coach of losing Australian Open finalist Fernando Gonzalez, said yesterday the Swiss star was too good not to win it. "Can he win the (Grand) Slam? In this calender year? I think he'll win the French Open," Stefanki said. "But whether it is this year, I don't know, but I know he will in his career because he is a great clay-court player as well." "Fernando is obviously going to do everything he can to not have him win the French Open. But Roger had to win here, to keep the Grand Slam alive, and he did that." Stefanki contends that Federer is beatable if attacked by a net player. "He struggles when you attack, but you can't take a guy who doesn't know how to play the net very well, that is not his asset, and stick him in," Stefanki said. "You saw what happened to Andy Roddick the other day. He tried to do something that he is not capable of doing, unlike Stefan Edberg, or a guy like Tim Henman, a current day player. There are no guys that can do that now. It doesn't exist anymore." He also said rivals needed to win the first set if they were to have any hope against the 10-time Grand Slam title winner. "That first set, you have to get under your belt with Roger, otherwise his nervous system goes to flat line, meaning he doesn't get bothered at all," Stefanki said. "He is the best front-runner I've seen since Borg. I have to take my hat off, because his nervous system is very, very good when he gets under pressure. He just seems to be this consistent every week he plays, and that is the magic about him." Stefanki added his praise to a barely recognised feature of Federer's game by rating him the best defensive player he has seen since joining the Tour as a coach in 1978. "He plays defence like Bjorn, or Mats Wilander," he said. "You saw the match point. Fernando, a couple of times, nuked balls into the corner, and he is hitting balls in about a six-inch square, and Roger just flipped it up the line like it was a flap-jack." "I really admire this guy because of the level he sustains. Johnny Mac (McEnroe) did this for a year and a half, but Roger is only getting better and he is not going away."
no doubt Federer is the greatest in the Open era. Sampras won many tournaments, but he couldnt play on clay, in fact he never won a tourney on clay... He racked up Wimbledons and US Opens, but he was never truly all surfaces player, like Federer is. As for comps against players in the 60s and 70s, its very tough because of difference in equipment, and methods of training. todays athletes are far superior..... Borg who knows, played against tougher competition than Federer, but decided to retire way too soon, judging by how his life went afterwards I dont think he would have been the greatest
Check out the photo gallery from the Australian Open at http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/galleries/index.html The first one says it all...There's only One Federer. This could be the year he wins his first French Open and the rare single-year Grand Slam. Quote from Rod Laver himself: ROGER Federer has all the weapons to become the first man in 37 years to secure a grand slam, says the last man to achieve the feat, Australian Rod Laver. And it may happen this year. Federer says he is determined to become a legend of the sport and join Laver, Don Budge, Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court and Steffi Graf in the most exclusive club in tennis. Cheers fxtwins