A few twists of the knife to start: Two sets to one. A 6-0 winning record against his opponent. 11 aces to 13 double faults. Only 5 of 22 break points converted. A 2,200 day winning streak, snapped. A chance to tie Big Bill Tilden’s record, wasted. The opportunity to pad the resume with #16, gone. . at least for now. Oh, the agony!
Still breathing? Good! We can now begin the healing process. (If you aren’t a hard core Fedophile, you might want to stop reading now. It’s going to get weird.)
Say it with me, Fed fans: Roger Federer lost the US Open. In five sets. To Juan Martin del Potro.
Now that we’re past the DENIAL stage, let’s move on to the next four stages of Fed Fan grief.
ANGER. How can you really be angry at Roger Federer? For shame! Instead, let’s smile at Roger’s pissed off outburst against the chair umpire today. “Don’t tell me to be quiet!” That was awesome.
BARGAINING. This one is easy. Roger Federer took the French this year after coming back from two sets to one down against del Potro in the semis. Juan Martin got the “W” in NYC in similar fashion. The career grand slam or tying Big Bill Tilden? I know which one I’d take.
DEPRESSION. There’s always alcohol and ice cream. Or save the calories and watch this:
And this:
And more recently:
And of course, there’s this:
There’s more gushiness to be had here.
ACCEPTANCE: The final stage is always the toughest, but let’s give it a shot!
I accept that Roger Federer holds the all-time record of 15 Major titles. I accept that Roger Federer is the Greatest Tennis Player of All Time. I accept that he’s had an unprecedented 2009 – reaching the finals of all 4 majors, completing the career slam at Roland Garros, regaining his beloved Wimbledon title and retaking the No. 1 ranking. Oh, and he got married and fathered twin girls, to boot. I accept that Federer’s beaten his main rivals – Murray, Djokovic and Nadal – more recently than they’ve beaten him. I accept that Roger’s hair will always reign supreme. I accept that his practice t-shirts will always make me smile. I accept that he’s richer, more talented and better dressed than I am. I accept that he can’t win every match, even though I really, really want him to. I accept that he lost the US Open to a nice young Fed fan named Juan Martin del Potro (and not one of the infidels – you know who I’m talking about!) I accept that even Roger Federer can’t have it all.
Feeling better yet? Either way, I still recommend a hot fudge sundae and a frosty glass of Chimay. Yay!
Time for some self-diagnosis:
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