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Roger Federer Relaxed At Indian Wells Practice
By Richard Pagliaro
(March 9, 2010) INDIAN WELLS — It was a quiet Monday evening at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden — until Roger Federer took to the court.
Crouching low on the thickly muscled legs that made him resemble a rugby player emerging from a scrum, left-hander Michael Berrer ripped backhand after backhand as his coach, Italian Claudio Pistolesi, continued to feed him shots on the Indian Wells stadium court.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound German’s Lotto sneakers squeaked across the court, his grunts became a bit louder and soon Berrer was working up a sweat on this cool night.
All that effort was the prelude to a practice.
Then the main attraction took the stage.
Federer walked out on court carrying his red Wilson racket bag over his shoulder. Plopping down on his court-side seat, Federer pulled a red headband out of his bag, wrapped it around his forehand and did not bother removing the silver Rolex from his wrist as he bounced out onto court.
It was merely a practice session on a Monday night before three spectators and a few scattered security guards, but Federer spent a large part of the next hour bounding around the court with the enthusiasm of a teenager let loose on the stadium for the first time.
Preparing to play his first tournament since he swept Andy Murray in straight sets to capture his 16th Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open, the World No. 1 showed no signs of the lung infection that has sidelined him since he won the Melbourne major.
Clad in a blue Nike t-shirt, black Nike shoes with the red swoosh and the trademark “RF” log on the heel and black matching socks, Federer looked fit and relaxed. When he spoke the words echoed around the empty stadium.
“I feel fresh as a daisy,” Federer said at one point.
Talking to Berrer in German at times and occasionally joking with Pistolesi in an operatic Italian accent, Federer showed his sense of humor and his explosive shotmaking skill.
At one point, Federer mimicked a Marcelo Rios move in driving a leaping two-handed backhand down the line. He put his foot down and stopped one errant Berrer return off the short hop with the sole of his shoe, tried a between-the-legs shot that didn’t quite clear the net (“I hit that once against Starace,” Federer remarked to Pistolesi) and hit one behind-the-back, no -look backhand that struck his trainer right in the hands.
The pair started off hitting down the middle before Federer came to net and hit some volleys. After a brief break that Federer spent talking to Berrer and Pistolesi while munching on an energy bar, the players switched sides.
“Hey guys, good to see you,” Federer said to two observers sitting in the front row as he made his way to the baseline on the west side of the stadium.
Timing and movement are typically the two elements that can elude a player after a long layoff, but Federer’s precise steps and fast footwork were on display as a he buried a few backhand passes past Berrer, who snapped off several sharp serves when the pair played practice points.
Sitting directly behind the baseline, you get a good idea of why Federer’s forehand is such a lethal shot. He seems to be able to generate more spin and speed when he needs it without steepening or lengthening his swing. At times, Federer forehand moved with topspin, sidespin and pace making the ball bounce as if it intended to boomerang back to his side of the court.
The three-time Indian Wells champion tugged at his forearm after one serving sequence as if trying to shake loose a sense of tightness, but Federer played on and concluded a relaxed practice session shaking hands with both Berrer and Pistolesi before sitting down to scan his cell phone messages.
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