Zimpapers Logo

ROGER Federer’s wretched season narrowly avoided spiralling into further decline on Saturday night. Two hours and 40 minutes after he had entered the St Jakobshalle arena to the kind of ovation given to those walking to the ring on big fight nights in Las Vegas, Federer retreated to the locker room bearing fresh scars inflicted by a player barely known beyond the Canadian border.

Federer’s 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 win over Vasek Pospisil, a 23-year-old ranked No 40 in the world, may have edged him closer to clinching a place at the ATP Tour World Finals, which start at the 02 Arena in London in eight days — but it was a performance that would have done little for his confidence.

Pospisil led 3-1 in the final set and Federer said: ‘I think any winning match is a good thing right now. It’s all coming together at the right time.’

It is hard to endorse that sentiment after a series of unconvincing performances. Federer will always be regarded here in his home town as the heavyweight champion of tennis, regardless of the body of evidence that suggests he is a man deserving a mandatory standing count. He has suffered a series of blows to his game — and his vanity — from the likes of Sergiy Stakhovsky at Wimbledon, Federico Delbonis in Hamburg and Daniel Brands in Gstaad, and the ageing Tommy Robredo at the US Open.

“After these results, there are more ways for people to attack you, more questions to face,’ said Federer. ‘People have been telling me to retire for the past four years, since I won the French Open [the last major that eluded him]. I have spent most of my life in the news and I have had to deal with tough questions for the last 15 years”.

Pospisil went so close to adding another knock-out punch before his nerve collapsed under the strain of facing arguably the greatest tennis player in history. But when Federer served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, he looked like a man walking a high wire in clogs rather than the holder of a record 17 Grand Slam titles.  The tension inside the hall, within walking distance of where Federer grew up, spread from the former world No 1 to the crowd. There is a cold reality that Federer cannot ignore. His fall to No 6 in the world, and without a major championship for the second time in three seasons, prompts the question: can he ever again withstand the force of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal or Andy Murray to win another major?

Some argue that an arduous tour of exhibition matches in South America at the end of 2012, which netted him $12million (£7.5m) in appearance fees, compromised his usual training regime and cost him dear. Federer denies this — yet he has rejected fresh overtures to make another killing next month because he is intent on preparing for the Australian Open in mid-January. He is not without support. Last week Australian legend Rod Laver said: ‘You might be surprised when you look at the champion of the next Australian Open. It might be Roger.’ Undoubtedly, Federer was relieved to attract such distinguished support. ‘It’s good to know Rod still believes in me,’ he said. His worth has grown to $180m (£112.5m) but, at 32, the years and injuries are taking their toll. Money is no longer his motivation. He wants to be valued for his achievements, and being in London from next Sunday offers him the chance to redeem a season he currently has no reason to remember.

“For me, it is always an objective to make the finals,’ said Federer. ‘What’s being said about me by so-called experts is not something I can control. I can go to London with confidence and the feeling I can do something great there again. I don’t want only to participate, to lose three in a row in my group matches.’

His appearance in his 10th final at this tournament is of immense sentimental currency here. ‘I have felt the public behind me all week, because my matches don’t finish 6-2, 6-2 any more,” he said.

As midnight approached on Friday, a crowd of almost 100 people waited outside the arena for Federer, who had beaten Dimitrov more than two hours earlier. He posed for  photographs and signed autographs as though it was still a novelty. – MailOnline