Roger Federer earns his career Grand Slam at the French Open

6/8/09
roger federer
By Max J. Dickstein

Roger Federer earns his career Grand Slam at the French Open

Photo credit: Game Face

PARIS - JUNE 08: Roger Federer of Switzerland poses with his French Open winner's trophy at the Arc de Triomphe on June 8, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

By Max J. Dickstein

The tension was gone and Roger Federer was serene.

The coveted trophy that had eluded him longest — and might have forever, it often seemed — was finally his, ready to join the Swiss star’s crowded trophy case.

“It’s maybe my greatest victory, or certainly the one that removes the most pressure off my shoulders,” the 27-year-old Federer said yesterday after winning his first French Open title. “I think that now and until the end of my career, I can really play with my mind at peace, and no longer hear that I’ve never won Roland Garros.”

Federer’s 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 triumph over 25th-ranked Robin Soderling, under a consistent drizzle, was heavy with the weight of history. After three years of losses in French Open finals against Rafael Nadal, Federer secured his place as perhaps the greatest player ever to compete in men’s tennis.

This major men’s singles title, Federer’s 14th, tied him with Pete Sampras for most all-time, and his victory on red clay made him the sixth man to win each of the four majors. His predecessor on that list, the 1999 French Open winner, Andre Agassi, handed Federer the Coupe des Mousquetaires.

“I’m so happy for you, man,” Agassi said.

It was a sentiment shared by the boisterous crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier, where nervous backers cheered the Swiss from the first ball to the final game, clinched with a 127 mph service winner.

The 24-year-old Soderling shocked the top-ranked Nadal in the fourth round last Sunday. But Federer did not fall in line with other higher-ranked foes done in by Soderling’s cross-court power and steady placement; the second seed’s unyielding quality of play blunted the Swede’s bid for another momentous upset.

Federer weathered a bizarre episode when a man, later identified as “Jimmy Jump,” intruded onto the court and accosted Federer with Soderling serving at 1-2 in the second set — the match’s longest.

(with reporting from the Associated Press)
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Roger Federer earns his career Grand Slam at the French Open

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