The Final Score: Roger Federer is Beatable… For Now

It was a strange sequence on television. Thomas Berdych of the Czech Republic walloped Roger Federer in the final game of the third set in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. Then, Star Sports showed a television commercial for luxury watch brand Rolex. It featured dramatic musical scoring, highlighted Federer's winning moments, interspersed with a racing Rolex hand, the one counting down seconds.

For Federer's stature and, more poignantly, age, time is a dangerous companion. Time ticks. Time reminds him that, although he's getting wiser after every match, he's not getting any younger. Time makes a hurting back and painful leg more than occupational hazards. Like Rolex, Federer is Swiss-made. A Rolex, however, theoretically can function forever. Federer is aware of his limitations. Time, for the six-time Wimbledon champion, is now the enemy. Maybe ESPN's sports maharishi Michael Wilbon was right. After seeing Federer struggle to win a five-setter against Alejandro Falla in his first match of the tournament, Wilbon declared that Federer was no longer untouchable. Star Sports' commentator Vijay Armitraj mentioned "oh dear" after unforced errors by Federer several times during the match against Berdych. Armitraj's concern resonated from the stadium all the way into living rooms around the world. Federer wants time to stop, allow him to stay at his peak for as long as possible. Time, however, doesn't stop for anyone, not even for the sport's King of Grand Slams. Berdych hastened the passing of time by ousting Federer out of Wimbledon in four sets. Roger must've aged five years in this match alone. Yet through a match Federer clearly wasn't fit to win, even after unlikely mistakes, even after shots made only by men way below his league, he kept his winner's elegance intact. He still looked unperturbed even after he lost the third set, 6-1. Tennis bad boy emeritus John McEnroe was in the crowd. I imagined McEnroe, in the middle of Federer's anguish, utter to himself, "How can he not be tearing the (bleep-ing) grass off this court? I'd be ripping the (bleep-ing) umpire's guts out by this time." On the other hand, Berdych was drenched like a surfer who just got out of the sea. If you were wrestling Godzilla, wouldn't you be sweating buckets too? At one point, though, Berdych had six double-faults compared to none for Federer. I thought that meant Berdych wasn't on the court to play safe. He was out to there to slay the unhittable foe. Federer was lucky. England was still in mourning the quadrennial demise of English Football. The world's consciousness was focused on South Africa. Otherwise, his early, uncharacteristic downfall from a Grand Slam, from Wimbledon of all places, would've been the talk of the town. While Federer's loss, and not so much Berdych's conquest, cannot be ignored, it won't be blown out of proportion. They say time heals all wounds. In sports, sometimes time worsens wounds. Berdych robbed us of a Federer-Nadal finale. Time, apparently, is beginning to rob Federer the Unbeatable of his invincibility. - Mico Haili, GMANews.TV