Federer’s achievements make him the greatest player of all-time. But leaving Paris a champion was a daunting challenge. He had lost the last three French Opens to Rafael Nadal, but Nadal never made it to the second week, stunningly upset last Sunday by Robin Soderling.
Once that happened, all eyes turned to Federer, and it was Soderling on the other side of the net in the final. With all that was at stake for Federer, he was playing under the most pressure of his career. But he seemed to handle that pressure with ease, the same ease he displayed in making quick work of Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4.
For Federer, every match after Nadal was beaten was like a final for him. He had become the favorite, and rightly so since next to Nadal, he’s the best clay-courter on the tour. He became the story of this major, and he had to deal with a ton of attention. It was not an easy second week at Roland Garros for Federer, but he survived it, not giving in to the pressure. Maybe that’s why he has been to 20 straight Grand Slam event semifinals, and 15 of the last 16 finals at the majors.
Four times in six matches prior to the final, Federer had to come from behind to win. Against Tommy Haas, he was five points from defeat. But in the final, Federer played his best tennis of the fortnight, His serve, and his forehand were magnificent, and he effectively employed drop shots. All elements of Federer’s game stood out. He never allowed Soderling to get settled.
There was some rain over the last 24 hours in Paris, and rain fell during the match. That made the court slower, and that helped Federer as it neutralized Soderling’s power somewhat. Soderling’s serve clearly came up lacking.
