Welcome back, MAESTRO!

Roger Federer is a new player. The old Champion is still there, but he became, if it's possible, a better player out there, on court. Aggressive, smart, brave and finally persuaded to do right things at right moments. Not that he wasn't able before, but maybe when a player has so many weapons under his belt he needs someone that is able to simplify his game, using them to build variety and safe points at the same time: that "someone" is surely Mr Paul Annacone, that together with Severin Luthi was able to get the attention and the belief of a such champion.
We never saw a such performance from Roger Federer against his nemesis. Rafael Nadal always had to do two or three things when he played Federer: lefty-slice serve on his backhand, supervamostopspin forehands on his backhand, and the last forehand on the other side, when the court is finally open. But Rrrrrafa yesterday did understand very well from the beginning what was going on: Roger was hitting before, hitting earlier than ever. Crossed backhand as a winner, after THAT topspin; dowon-the-line backhand on Nadal's backhand and then, a huge forehand, in every side of the court. Smart play at the net and the killer serve: that slice that gave him tons of points.
Healthy, motivated, shiny Federer beat, in a week number 5, 4, 3 and 1 in the world. Losing just a set, in the final. All younger than him. That wasn't just  a case, it was a reinassance in style.


It's maybe too easy to express Lovestream today.
The day after a such victory and a such perfect week is pure joy, a ray of light that suddenly is entering from your window during a cloudy day.
That's why I want to say I'll never love this ray of light as much as that cloudy weather outside. I loved Roger Federer and his tennis much more after devastating day of pain and suffer, during days we're waiting for this joy. Because Roger is able to give you emotions and to make you feel thankful especially during bad days, weeks, months. You realize you're feeling too much love to blame suffering and hoping he's gonna be better, happier.
And the fact Roger did understand that to let us know he's aware made me cry. Even more than yesterday, when I watched that ball that was incredibly in, that backhand that finally got its revenge, that Lion inside of him feeling proud to have found the way and the brave to break the fear.
But I also know Roger gave us a lesson: a satisfied and winner Champion, after 12 years of pro-tennis, after have reached all he could reach, didn't give up. He didn't want to feel satisfied.
His heart, his ambition, gave him the humility to re-invent himself, to listen to new words, new people he trusts, new kinds of work; to reach many more goals. Making even better a tennis that is art, yet. This is a lesson I'll never forget.
Because we all were able to see the love he put to make it possible. To complete, once more, the dream was there since he was just a kid.
Because Roger is still a kid inside, and I'm so thankful for that. For still being that. Because in this new Roger's version on court both his sides are present: the maturity to understand something had to be fixed and restored through new people and ways to do that and the pure side in which he protects the passion he fully has for tennis and for everlasting dream.
I don't know if I can be prouder of Roger than today. But I know Roger can allow that, one day.

 
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Roger Federer è un giocatore nuovo. Il campione di sempre è ancora lì, ma c'è un giocatore perfino migliore, se è possibile, adesso. Aggressivo, saggio, coraggioso e finalmente convinto di fare le cose giuste al momento giusto. Non che non ne fosse capace prima, ma probabilmente quando un giocatore ha così tante armi a disposizione ha bisogno di qualcuno che gli semplifichi le cose usando queste armi per costruire varietà e sicurezza al tempo stesso: questo qualcuno è certamente Paul Annacone, che insieme a Severin Luthi è stato capace di conquistarsi la fiducia di un tale campione.
Non avevamo mai visto una tale performance di Roger contro la sua nemesi: Rafael Nadal ha sempre dovuto fare due o tre cose semplici per lui per avere la meglio contro Roger. Servizio mancino sul suo rovescio, supervamostopspin di dritto contro il suo rovescio, e poi, quando finalmente il campo è aperto, il dritto dall'altra parte. Ieri Rrrrrafa ha capito molto bene fin dall'inizio cosa stava succedendo: Roger stava anticipando, stava colpendo presto come non mai. Quei rovesci incrociati vincente, dopo un toppone dell'avversario, quei rovesci lungolinea contro il rovescio dell'avversario, i dritti vincenti in ogni parte del campo. E quel servizio killer: lo slice da destra, che gli ha procurato non so quanti punti. E infatti Rafa ha cercato di essere aggressivo nel secondo set, ma c'è riuscito fin quando Roger non ha ritrovato percentuali di servizio adeguate.
Un Federer in salute, motivato, brillante, batte in una settimana i numeri 5,4,3 e 1 del mondo, perdendo un solo set, in finale. Non è un caso, è il preludio di una rinascita del suo gioco in grande stile.