Sceptics foolish to write off 'The Man'

ON TENNIS:THIS IS still an age of learning. Roger Federer remains less isolated than before at the top but once again proved irresistible. Two major finals, one quarter-final and Monday's win in New York represented his sober haul of 2008, writes Johnny Watterson

What a shocking season? So, he showed the tennis world his continuing iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove ambitions. The winning of his fifth US Open title in succession may have been the one most freighted with doubt but the grace and ruthless beauty of his destruction of Andy Murray was like Kilkenny putting Waterford to the sword.

Murray was given an awful glimpse of the chasm between him and 'The Man'.

Given the media's inability to become embarrassed, it would be optimistic to expect there to be a collective session of self-flagellation for daring to suspect Federer's ability could simply vanish under threat from the young swashbuckling Spaniard, or even a lugubrious Scot. Maybe it was all just a natural instinct kicking in and a pressing need to wallow in the vulnerability of a fallen king.

Few accounted for Murray dismissing the champion's nemesis in the semi-final but Britain's failure to land a Grand Slam title since Fred Perry last did in 1936 has reignited a Swiss dream that had, for a short time, wavered.

Federer's now ritual flogging by Nadal on the crushed brick of Roland Garros followed by Wimbledon's epic defeat over seven hours was this year's cautionary tale on how well-laid plans can so easily unravel. Despite his multilingual urbanity and reigned-in ego, in Federer's war room the plan has never been to just turn up and see what happens. His career map has always been to scale the highest peaks and conquer the Pete Sampras Everest of 14 grand slam titles.

Prior to Wimbledon last year, when he won his fifth successive title there too, Federer spent some time with Sampras. The two discussed how they coped with the pressure of always being expected to be excellent and how not to lose sight of the things that put them in such elevated positions.

"The conversation was about how it is for me and how it was for him," said Federer. "Just comparing things like mindset. Maybe he gave me a sense of security, even though I knew I was doing things right," he added.

"He has a lot of admiration for how I handle things on court and off court. I also feel I'm doing the right things but just to hear it from him, backing me up and being happy for me when I play well, maybe even beating his record some time, was nice."

For Murray, the US Open thrust him up into the group of four with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic and in the doing of it he has blossomed. The 21-year-old could so easily have called on the rain delay that took his semi-final against Nadal into a second day. He could have raged at some dubious line calls in the first set against Federer and used them both as convenient crutches.

But the often sullen player chose to borrow from the gracious manner of champions, Federer and Nadal. He will return to Britain a more mature man.

"He played better than me and he beat me," said Murray afterwards. "He beat me because he was better than me."

At the end of the final the New York crowd were howling for Federer as they too recognised the struggles he has faced this season, the doubts and insecurities he has overcome.

What are the chances now of Federer having another one of his 'disgraceful' seasons and equalling the Sampras record, not in his back garden in London, but among the beer and burger stands at Flushing Meadows?