How Federer vs. Borg would shape up

By Frank Malley Special to PA SportsTicker

WIMBLEDON, London (Ticker) - Roger Federer matched Bjorn Borg’s record of five straight Wimbledon victories on Sunday.

PA SportsTicker analyses the strengths and weaknesses of two of the game’s legends.

STRENGTHS

Federer: A dynamic all-court game. He can mix it with the best from the baseline or serve and volley. It is that ability to change his game which gives him the unpredictable quality possessed by so many champions. Tennis has not seen a backhand as flamboyant, as natural or as penetrating since the great Rod Laver. But Federer’s forehand is his bread-and-butter point winner, a crushing shot hit flat and with huge power. An athletic mover, mentally tough and composed.

Borg: One of the swiftest and daintiest movers to adorn a tennis court. Possessed a brilliant two-fisted backhand and a precision forehand. Preferred to play with heavy top spin and was ideally suited to clay courts, winning the French Open on six occasions. The wonder of Borg was that he could transpose his clay-court prowess at Roland Garros to the grass of Wimbledon a fortnight later. Known as ‘IceBorg,’ his demeanor on court was nerveless.

WEAKNESSES

Federer: Hardly any to speak of, except the inability to win on the clay of the French Open against Rafael Nadal - an opponent who could arguably become the greatest clay specialist ever. His first serve could be heavier. It is in the 125mph range rather than the mid-130s which was averaged by Pete Sampras. Also has a tendency at times to lose the rhythm on his mid-court approach and lose concentration midway through a set. Borg: Treated the volley as if it was one of life’s great mysteries. Rarely ever came to the net which meant that his game could become predictable, albeit rarely less than brilliant. The looping nature of his forehand also meant that occasionally he appeared short of time on occasions against the best players on the fastest surfaces.

VERDICT

Borg v Federer with modern rackets in the same era would have been one of the great sporting clashes. On the one hand the deadly accuracy of Borg’s groundstrokes and brilliant counter-attacking against the greater panache and all-court acumen of Federer. What a treat to see perhaps the two most graceful movers tennis has ever seen on either side of the net. Who would win? Too close to call. It would depend on the day and the surface. My bet, however, is that Borg’s superior precision would win the day on clay while Federer’s all-court game would be too strong on faster surfaces. But then Borg won Wimbledon five times in succession in an era which included Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. What is certain is that both are tennis legends.