INQUIRER Sports

FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, fans were enthralled to see two great players slug it out in a Wimbledon finals for four hours before Roger Federer finally stamped his class to become the greatest player of all time.

Many of us woke up the next morning exhausted but somehow relieved to have seen it end, with Federer hoisting the handsome trophy that symbolized his sixth Wimbledon triumph and an all-time high 15th Grand Slam title.

Federer put it so well when he said, “Somebody just had to win.” He didn’t say it but he was glad that he was the one who did not lose.

It was the second straight epic final for Federer at the hallowed grass of the All-England Club. He was up to the task against Andy Roddick on this one, not like last year when Rafael Nadal clearly had his number.

Although I am not a Roddick fan and have written him off, I have to say that I was extremely impressed by what I saw.

I never thought that the American would be able to produce a scintillating performance in the final, especially against Federer who has a lopsided career record against him.

Roddick also deserved to win that match, but the gods of the game smiled on the unrelenting Swiss. He will have to wait again for his time to come, if it ever will, this late in his career.

* * *

How Roddick played and handled himself throughout the tournament showcased a player so different from the Roddick many of us have come to know.

He appears to have found renewed vigor. He has changed his diet and lost weight. His training is now being documented as a really tough regimen, the fruits of which we all saw in the way he survived that hard grind at Wimbledon.

Roddick’s new coach, Larry Stepanek, whose specialty is the baseline game, seemed to have helped him take his game to a higher level, one that now makes him a real threat to Federer’s reign.

Before Wimbledon, Andy never seemed to have what it takes to make it through the quarters or semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament. His mental game had always been suspect.

He used to break down somewhere along the way. But not at Wimbledon—and my guess is, not in the next few Grand Slams to come.

* * *

“Was there game fixing in this one?”

I was often asked this question when I was still coaching.

It was asked especially in times when a player failed to play at his best, when he couldn’t do the things he usually did, or when he made errors that were seemingly impossible for him to make.

As a coach, I felt that it would be unwise to touch that ground. The moment you accuse a player of deliberately throwing a game, it’s tantamount to saying that you’ve lost respect and trust in him.

Whether the accusation is true or not, we can only imagine how he will play again after that bum game.

During my time, I always gave the player the benefit of the doubt and viewed his bad playing days as an off-day. Maybe, he was not focused on that day or simply did not play well.

It happens.

But I had a standing agreement with all my players: I’d give them all 8 to 9 minutes on the floor, and if they did not show me intensity or defense, then, I’m sorry, they would have to be replaced.

It’s the coach’s job to do the most he can to win the game and to give opportunity to all who work hard to also play.

However, if there is a suspicion, it is the management and the league itself that must investigate. They also must come down hard on all erring parties after the conclusion of an investigation.

It’s very difficult for a coach to suspect his players of fixing games while he’s coaching them.

The human factor is something that all sports have to contend with.

Send comments to tommymanotoc@yahoo.com