Roger Federer has a good shot at becoming World No. 1 again
Back to serve and volley
"Roger für immer" (translated as 'Roger forever') was the theme dominating the indoor stadium at Basel last weekend and quite rightly so. The Swiss maestro's dominating performance in the last couple of tournaments has definitely boosted the morale of his fans world over and the prospect of the Swiss regaining the world no. 1 ranking is quite promising. Federer put up a dominant show at Basel continuing his fine form from Shanghai tested only by Karlovic along the way to his sixth title in a tournament he started off as a ball boy.
It was heartwarming to see Federer lift the Shanghai open for two important reasons – one, the old horse made it loud and clear that he is still in the running at the majors, the semifinals against Djokovic was quite a statement. But more importantly, he also revived the long forgotten art of serve & volley. The days of Goran Ivaniševi? and Pat Rafter are long since over – the Croatian's massive serve and the Aussie's impressive volleys no longer feature of today's tennis. Pete Sampras was arguably the last successful player to have experimented with the style. Of late, tasting success with 'serve & volley' play has become a humongous task with string technology favoring top spin and the federation attempting to woo the spectators with slower courts and deflated balls for longer rallies.
Realistic chance at No. 1 ranking
At both Shanghai and Basel, Federer didn't shy away from coming to the net and was confident enough to let the occasional pass from his opponent slip. A strong serve setting up the point at the net has proved to be a reliable tactic for the Swiss. Also, the most successful player in the history of the game, laid to rest all questions regarding his retirement and signed off saying, "I hope I can still maintain a few good years on the tour".
With a mere 490 points behind Djokovic this season (2230 points over the last 52 weeks) and Djokovic having to defend a massive 2500 points at Paris and London, odds of Federer claiming the world no. 1 spot is quite high. Federer has an exemplary track record at the world tour finals winning it twice each at London, Shanghai and Houston. Indoor stadiums have always been Federer's forte and three set tournaments will definitely aid the aging Swiss. If he does end the year at the helm, it will be the sixth time, the Swiss ends the year at No.1 and will be tied with Pete Sampras for the record. The season finale does promise an exciting run to the finish line.