Roger Federer won his fourth consecutive U.S. Open yesterday. And even though he would not say he won it with ease...no one really came close to putting together a sustained challenge. Sure there were a few sets he lost, and there were more unforced errors than we are used to seeing, but no one could match him.
Most sporting commentators describe Federer's performances by saying something like, "He just has another gear."
When Federer was easily handling Andy Roddick's best effort and 140 mph serves, it looked like Roddick was working his heart out on every point. Federer barely looked winded at the end of three sets. Roddick had sweated through the BILL of his cap.
Here is the thing I love about Federer. He has no coach. He is totally and completely accountable to himself.
Early on in his career, Federer would get into a tough game and he couldn't handle the pressure. His game would crumble.
He had a coach for many years. Most professional tennis players have several coaches, hitting partners, and a friends and family entourage. While Federer clearly has an incredible support group, he is currently without a coach.
His quote from earlier this weekend, "Luckily, along the way I learned that it's about hard work, and that talent only takes you so far."
Federer is an amazing closer.
In the first set of this year's final, Novak Djokavic had at least three chances to close out the set. Federer won those points when then really mattered. He then won the set in a tie breaker. In fact, He won the first two sets in a tie breaker.
So this week's Finisher's Blog observation: Finishers are Accountable to Themselves.
Seems very obvious and easy to comprehend. It is much harder to put into practice. How do you become accountable to yourself at all times? How do you focus and perform at your best when everything is on the line? Go look at Federer.
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