Viva la Federer.
written: 7:49 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, 2008

I finished the first draft of the paper and had time to watch the last few games of the Simon/Stepanek match.

It's 10 minutes before the life-and-death match between Roger and Andy Murray, and I am kind of freaking out. The match thread on RF.com has already crossed 35 pages - and the match hasn't even started yet.

This is kind of like the US Open final, but worse. Worse because I am now fully and incontrovertibly aboard the Federer Express and have been for sometime now. I am fully invested in Roger Federer: when he cries, I cry with him; when he smiles, I smile with him; when he laughs, I laugh with him. When he wins, I feel like I'm winning, too.

So when he loses, my heart breaks into a tiny million little pieces and I am actually legitimately and genuinely upset about it. If he loses tonight, I swear, I will cry.

If he wins tonight, I swear, I will cry too. Playing with an injured back, playing with an upset stomach, playing a full season in a year when he was unfortunate enough to be inflicted with glandular fever; playing his beautiful, classic tennis no matter what obstacles stand in his way, getting on that court and finishing the job no matter how bad he feels, and dealing with defeat, the loss of his Wimbledon title, the loss of his #1 ranking, with utmost grace and humility and optimism.

He is, in my opinion, quite amazing, and that's putting it quite mildly. I'm getting mildly emotional just writing this, so imagine the nervous wreck I'm going to be in six minutes' time.

GO ROGER!

I believe in Roger Federer.

before sunrise // before sunset


Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010