Australian Open: Roger the great a harmless old GOAT

Roger Federer’s ball-striking is effortless and extraordinary and yet he doesn’t always take these drills too seriously at practice.

Roger Federer in a practice session at Melbourne Park. Picture: Tim Carrafa.

Roger Federer has booked a practice court with John Millman. His training sessions are always worth a look. The ball-striking is effortless and extraordinary and yet he doesn’t always take these drills too seriously.

He became bored enough at the French Open a few years ago to turn his racquet upside down and return serves with the handle, slogging balls into the bleachers of Court Philippe Chatrier like a baseball player hitting home runs.

Federer is scheduled to practice with Millman from 3.30pm until 3.45pm. That’s about the extent of Federer’s workouts during a tournament, a mere 15 minutes of flicking balls around Show Court 2 like he’s a Harlem Globetrotter on a day off. He believes the work has been done in the weeks before the tournament. From now, you just get out there and light it up in the matches.

Given the swiftness of his win over Tomas Berdych and the importance of his semi-final tonight against Korean Hyeon Chung, a quarter-of-an hour still seems excessively minimalistic but then again, given the cost of hiring a court in Melbourne these days, maybe he’s just trying to save a few bucks.

Millman is pounding groundstrokes and Federer is flicking his replies like he’s barefoot and playing table tennis. It really is a sight. Federer is one of a kind because of the contrast between the on-court seriousness and the off-court goofiness.

In a match and now at practice, the facial features are striking. The eyes are intense. The athleticism is extreme. He’s formidable, macho, motivated and intense. After matches, he’s so happy to have won that he cannot stop giggling in his on-court interviews with Jim Courier. It’s like he’s never been on TV before and wants to make a good impression.

He’s a master of the humble-brag. He’s such a likeable and harmless old G.O.A.T. Walking back to the locker room, it’s any wonder he doesn’t trip on a chair or bump his head. As one of the spectators said while he trained yesterday, “He can be a bit of a dork!”

It’s a compliment. There’s a guileless joy in him. The love of his career. The love of his family. “She’s my wife!” he once blurted out while pointing at his missus, Mirka, in an on-court interview at Wimbledon. He sounded like an overexcited 16-year-old. I’ve got a girlfriend!

“He looks taller and skinnier in real life,” a fan on Show Court 2 says when she’s asked to describe Federer’s appeal. “I didn’t think it was him when I got here. I don’t think he’s attractive, but I think he’s gorgeous.

“He doesn’t even seem to take it that seriously. I mean, he does. But he just seems like a pretty nice person. There’s not a lot of players that make you think they’re a nice person.

“There’s nothing angry about him. He’s a bit older, he has a family, he doesn’t act like anything’s gone to his head. I actually can’t believe I’m getting to see him. It’s a highlight of my week.”

The 36-year-old Federer plays the 21-year-old Chung tonight for a place in the final.

“I’m excited,” Federer said. “I thought he played an incredible match against Novak (Djokovic). To beat him here is one of the toughest things to do in our sport.

“I know that Novak wasn’t at 110 per cent, but he was all right and he was giving it a fight until the very end. To close that out was mighty impressive. I don’t quite know exactly who else he beat through the tournament but to bounce back from a Novak match, and get it done again, that’s tough. That shows he has great composure. A great mindset.

“Physically he must have recovered because Novak gives you a workout.”

Federer’s knowledge of Chung was comically yet understandably non-existent.

“I’m not sure,” Federer said when he was asked about the South Korean’s strengths and weaknesses. “I have to look into it. Right now I couldn’t tell you how I need to play him. One thing I know is that I’m going to be playing aggressively. I don’t know how I’m going to do that exactly yet. I don’t know exactly how he returns and how he serves exactly. Those are the two major aspects to the game. Those start the points. I have to figure those parts out a little bit tonight or tomorrow. I like it when we don’t know the guys. I hardly know Chung.”

Federer barely missed a ball on Show Court 2 yesterday. A boy called out, “Hey, Roger! What’s the secret to your serve?” He looked relaxed enough to talk him through it. The game face returned. The snap of the wrist right before impact was more noticeable at court level.

He went past the allotted 15 minutes. He was there with Millman until 3.56pm. A 26-minute training session? That’s a torturous regimen for Federer. He looked in fine enough fettle to beat Chung tonight and conduct another giggling interview with Courier.

“Jim does a really nice job, I must admit,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of good ones with him over the years. I just try to play along, have fun with it. I like that a lot.”