Amid the weeping in SW19 last weekend, Andy Murray essayed what was a clunky if well-meaning compliment to his opponent’s longevity. ‘Not bad for a 30-year-old,’ he said. Shortly after, Roger Federer opined that he thought Murray might indeed win a Grand Slam one day. Probably deserved it, too. Unspoken seemed to be the thought, ‘Listen sonny, I might be 30 but I’ve got 17 of these buggers. Don’t talk to me about how old I am.’ Moral: never ever make jokes about people’s age, no matter how friendly you’re trying to be.
No one can understand the joy of being Roger Federer better than Federer himself. The great are given the gift of time, and with that they can display elegance. Seen from the other side of the net — the Andy Murray view — Rog must be a nightmare, but from anywhere else — sofa, the Royal Box or Henman Hill — he is poetry.
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