Sports
Barclays ATP World Tour Finals: Roger Federer makes history
Last night Swiss tennis player, Roger Federer finished the year on a high note just as in 2010 after winning the last ATP World Tour Finals.
After a difficult match, he defeated French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in three sets 6-3, 7-6(6:8), 6-3 in the O2 Arena in London.
Roger Federer holding his trophy at Barclays final – copyright www.red-photographic.com
It was an emotional victory for Federer with lots at stake. Since the beginning of the Barclays tournament in 1970, no other men had won it six times. Both Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras won five times. It is with Wimbledon, which he also won six times, the tournament he won the most.
With this victory Roger Federer won his 70th title and became the 5th player in tennis history to have reached 100 finals. The record is hold by American player Jimmy Connors with 163.
This year, it was Federer 10th participation at Barclays, something quite remarkable knowing that only the first eight best players can participate each year.
At the age of 30, he became the oldest player to have won it.
As of today he is ranked number 3 in the world just before Andy Murray.
Federer and Tsonga were not meeting for the first time. It was already their third match in two weeks time! Federer had an advantage with 7:3 when the match started. He won the final in Paris Bercy and this week in London 6-2,2-6,6-4. But Federer described Tsonga as a dangerous player, who defeated him in Montreal and Wimbledon this year.
Tsonga hoped to be the first tennis player in history to win the tournament. Only two French reached the finals since the beginning 41 years ago. The last one was Sébastien Grosjean a decade ago, who lost in three sets against Australian Lleyton Hewitt.
Tsonga played an amazing final against Federer, with a good service and coming to the net often, forcing Federer to make mistakes. Federer became more agressive after loosing the second set in the tie break. Having missed a match ball, he was forced to play a third set. But as he said in the press conference afterward, “it felt probably better going in three sets”.
simon@red-photographic.com – Group Photo Barclays eight best players 2011
Loosing the match of his career didn’t prevent Tsonga to stay fair-play with Roger, smile, hug and congratulate him, “You are the Best”.
Federer knows he will see Jo-Wilfried Tsonga next year again and will have to be careful!
After a year with ups and down, Roger Federer never lost hopes. He told tennis Tv.com in an interview that remaining calm and always believing in himself helps him. “I knew that hard work will pay off eventually”.
He is happy with what he accomplished in London and is looking forward to next year.
“I have never finished so strong”, he told journalists after the match.
With Djokovik, Nadal and Murray not playing their best tennis right now, Federer has much to hope for at the upcoming Australian Open in January.
