Sometimes you are in the right place as a player and if you are fortunate as a spectator.
This morning (Australia EST) I had the great good fortune to see live Roger Federer‘s shot (6-5 third set, 30-0) to take his US Open semi-final to match point. He described his shot in the immediate after game interview as his greatest shot ever. (See AFP story here with image, and an early example on YouTube.)
What was wonderful about the shot in real-time was that it looked possible. He created time to execute a shot practiced many times in training. I think it will become an iconic moment in tennis history and the slow motion replays of the stroke have some great spontaneous moments of recognition. Novak Djokovic, the crowd and Roger Federer have wonderful reactions.
In one moment it brought back Johann Cruyff‘s drag of the ball and gave a great opportunity to celebrate virtuosity. This virtuosity redefines and transforms what we think a game is.
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These moments leave you happy that you were around and for coaches and athletes offer new possibilities.
[…] I see in many sports is characterised by an acceptance of risk and an intuitive virtuosity that has effortless ease. These are moments for me beyond caution and beyond thought. This is where Laban meets […]