Was Watching... Roger Federer Again!

Sometimes Too Good Is Just Enough


Coming into the final, Fernando Gonzales was playing a pretty mighty game of tennis. Yet, in front of Roger Federer, he ended up being second best on the day as the Swiss champ staked another Grand Slam Final in 3 sets. This may actually be the year he wins all four Grand Slam tournaments. He's certanly started off right by winning the Australian Open for the third time.

Federer has won 36 consecutive matches over all, and six of the past seven major titles. No other active player has won more than three Grand Slam titles. Federer is tied for fifth on the career list with Bill Tilden, who won his majors between 1920 and 1930. Pete Sampras is atop the list with 14.

Federer, still only 25, is moving rapidly into range, and Sampras has already said that he is convinced that Federer will pass him, perhaps sooner than later.

Tiger Woods is not yet convinced he will lose his race with Federer. Woods, who met Federer at last year’s United States Open, has befriended him. According to Federer, Woods often teases him that he is going to break Jack Nicklaus’s career record of 18 Grand Slam golf victories before Federer breaks Sampras’s record. Woods is six victories from his target, Federer is four from his.

“He loves it; he likes to beat me up,” said Federer, who spoke with Woods while he was in Australia. “He says he’s going to break it first. I hope just to get close to it. He is more, I think, driven than me. I’m maybe more laid-back in terms of looking at all these records and matches, but he really is so driven by the majors and by beating Nicklaus’s record.”

He added: “But I always hope well for Tiger, and not that I’m going to break the record the first. I hope he breaks it as well. I hope we both do.”

Well, Tiger's got a tougher job if there are 6 more to go on his table. Federer's got a good chance of picking up 2 more just this year, maybe 3 and possibly all 4. Tiger will win more over his career because he's a golf player and so the longevity will allow him to stretch that number into the 20s. If Federer could win another 10, that would be a totally amazing feat.