Tennis: Federer masterclass leaves Tomic chasing shadows
Roger Federer was supposed to be yesterday's man but, as an awestruck Bernard Tomic discovered to his cost Sunday, the force is still very much with the Swiss master.
With Federer not having won a grand slam title since his success at Melbourne Park two years ago and with a host of young guns snapping at his heels, the stage had been set for Tomic to end Federer's run of successive grand slam quarterfinal appearances at the Australian Open.
Tomic had idolized the 16-time grand slam champion and modeled his game on the Swiss ace as he developed through the ranks and even boldly stated four years ago that he wanted to be world number one, achieve a calendar grand slam and beat Federer.
All those goals remained a distant dream Sunday.
Federer was like a Jedi master teaching a young padawan learner what it takes to master the Force, cajoling Tomic to attack, counterpunch, parry, slice, volley and defend while all the time putting the ball back before he calmly killed off the point when the opportunity arose.
Such was his mastery at the Rod Laver Arena, Tomic could not help but show he still felt in awe of his 30-year-old opponent, who marched relentlessly into a 31st successive grand slam quarterfinal with the 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Television cameras captured him exclaiming "wow" when the world number three produced an exquisite drop shot early in the second set and a few games later, the gangly right hander turned to his family and friends in his box and said, "I can't do anything."
"I played pretty decent at times, but when I played well, he just played better and there was nothing I could do. He broke my confidence down," Tomic told reporters.
"It's tough to play your best against someone like that. He's not going to let you play good.
"Obviously he does something that, with a lot of players I can use my game.
"It's tough. I can't use my shots the I way I need them against him ... because he knows, he's a little bit smarter and he understands where I'm going to go."
While Tomic may have felt he was powerless against Federer, the Swiss said the match was a lot tougher than the scoreline suggested.
"I figured he was going to play a bit aggressive, that it was going to be a tough match, which it was," Federer said.
"Maybe the score suggested differently, but I thought we had long games, tough points and he actually did really well." - AFP
With Federer not having won a grand slam title since his success at Melbourne Park two years ago and with a host of young guns snapping at his heels, the stage had been set for Tomic to end Federer's run of successive grand slam quarterfinal appearances at the Australian Open.
Tomic had idolized the 16-time grand slam champion and modeled his game on the Swiss ace as he developed through the ranks and even boldly stated four years ago that he wanted to be world number one, achieve a calendar grand slam and beat Federer.
All those goals remained a distant dream Sunday.
Federer was like a Jedi master teaching a young padawan learner what it takes to master the Force, cajoling Tomic to attack, counterpunch, parry, slice, volley and defend while all the time putting the ball back before he calmly killed off the point when the opportunity arose.
Such was his mastery at the Rod Laver Arena, Tomic could not help but show he still felt in awe of his 30-year-old opponent, who marched relentlessly into a 31st successive grand slam quarterfinal with the 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Television cameras captured him exclaiming "wow" when the world number three produced an exquisite drop shot early in the second set and a few games later, the gangly right hander turned to his family and friends in his box and said, "I can't do anything."
"I played pretty decent at times, but when I played well, he just played better and there was nothing I could do. He broke my confidence down," Tomic told reporters.
"It's tough to play your best against someone like that. He's not going to let you play good.
"Obviously he does something that, with a lot of players I can use my game.
"It's tough. I can't use my shots the I way I need them against him ... because he knows, he's a little bit smarter and he understands where I'm going to go."
While Tomic may have felt he was powerless against Federer, the Swiss said the match was a lot tougher than the scoreline suggested.
"I figured he was going to play a bit aggressive, that it was going to be a tough match, which it was," Federer said.
"Maybe the score suggested differently, but I thought we had long games, tough points and he actually did really well." - AFP
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