Del Potro Becomes Federer Tamer

This is so big news in the sports world, where the up and coming Argentinean tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro finally tames the unbeatable Roger Federer. (Not that Roger is so absolutely unbeatable, he loses sometimes).

Nobody expected Federer to lose, not in this fashion, in New York, in the most patronized Grand Slam of all, the US Open and to a very young player in Del Potro.

At a very young age of 21, Del Potro showed the guile and dexterity of a true champion, the one that Andy Roddick failed to develop fully and Rafael Nadal just fell short.

I always thought that the one that could beat or at least matched Federer’s extraordinary tennis prowess is someone who moves like a cat on the floor, or a cunning jaguar to be exact, not heavy like Andy Roddick or static like Rafael Nadal—- someone who has the unique abilities of Boris Becker and Andre Agassi—- both combined.

And that maybe, Juan Martin Del Potro is that person who can beat Federer now that he overcomes Federer on the most intense Grand Slam series of all.

For a long time, Roger just demolishes the field and finds no worthy rival, somehow turning ATP tennis into some kind of doldrums., full of tournaments where Roger was hands down winner even before the first serve is made. Now perhaps, Del Potro can make ATP tennis much interesting once again.

Entering Top 10 ATP ranking only last year, Del Potro was seen by many to be having great potential as a Grand Slam winner, and this time, he proves this prediction true, in the most dramatic fashion, winning it over the already-legendary Roger Federer.

So this Del Potro win must have turned the entire sports world all abuzz. When the finals for this year’s U.S. Open was announced – right about the time Nadal lost in straight sets to Del Potro – I immediately felt that since Nadal or Roddick is out of the way (Nadal suspected to be nursing some slight injury), the finals was certainly to become a mere ceremonial walk for Federer. He was that awesome and menacing.

But the surprise of all surprise happened, Federer falls down and Del Potro wins his first Grand Slam.

And mind you, the championship match was the best tennis match I’ve seen in a very long time, ever since Pete Sampras had retired would you believe?

I was actually watching the live coverage of the championship match so early in the morning but fell asleep when the fifth and final set was about to start.

The crowd roared when Federer had hit those ‘fascinatingly exact’ return volleys. But I could hear more applause every time Del Potro makes some smart points. Could there be lots of Argentineans in the Artrhur Ashe Stadium during the match? Maybe not.

I felt that the audience wants something unusual to happen, something that is atypical; so perhaps they had rooted for a Federer lost and a Del Potro wins.

But maybe Federer was just tired of winning (coming of a great and historic run in Wimbledon last month) and that Del Potro was just one very lucky tennis player today.

The drama unfolds now and it remains to be seen if a new and interesting rivalry is born.