Federer and Henin lying in wait - 網球

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Federer and Henin lying in wait
By Joel Drucker Special to ESPN.com

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- As the Sony Ericsson Open gets under way, the day is
quintessentially Florida -- sunshine, a breeze, a hint of sultry and sensual
humidity, a brief rainstorm and a spring training-like atmosphere.

For this is only March, a time when hope holds eternal possibilities for all.
As ex-pro Todd Martin once said, "It's not until later in the year when we
get grouchy and feel we better do something to make the year count. In the
early part of the year, we're all a lot more optimistic."

Roger Federer comes to Florida trying to start another streak after having
his 41-match win streak snapped in California.
But while many gathered here are eager to make a good impression, Roger
Federer and Justine Henin are among those who've come here strictly hankering
for a victory. And yet, with the tournament barely under way, how each of
these European stylists manages their respective energy is quite revealing.

On Tuesday, Federer walked into the Sony Ericsson Open's interview room off
the heels of something that hadn't happened to him since last August: a loss.
It had come 10 days ago, on a Sunday at the Pacific Life Open, to an
Argentine, Guillermo Canas, on a warm day in the desert.

Listening to Federer at a press conference evokes the sound of European
diplomacy, international banking or perhaps even a patrician museum curator.
It's not just the accent, but the manner in which he speaks that suggests
notions of global vision, of a man who as a child spent more time honing his
language skills than parking in his parents' living room watching
"SportsCenter" waiting for his pizza to arrive.

So there sat Federer, journalists from all continents hanging on his every
word, tranquilly weighing the good and the bad (never the ugly with this guy)
of an earlier-than-planned arrival in Miami.

"There's definitely some good things about it," he said. "All of a sudden,
this was the first time in many years where I've had a week. I didn't know
what I was going to do. So I had time to take another rest and enough time
for leisure and also to practice. I got here early. I don't know if that's
going to pay off, but yeah, it's going to be interesting to see my reaction
here.

"I hope I can play well."

Leisure? Hope? Was this the man everyone from Rod Laver to Tiger Woods
regards as the greatest ever?

It hardly mattered. For what is a press conference but mere talk? The words
that fill the air are filler for the more consequential matter of action that
separates sports from virtually all other human pursuits. Federer knows the
interview game and plays it adroitly. When a reporter queried him about Latin
American players, he tipped his hat to that region's contingent, adding that
"the only ones that's really missing is Africa and Asia." When another asked
if he ever plans to play in India, he noted that it's "definitely one of my
priorities for the next year." No wonder Federer is an ideal spokesman for
UNICEF.

But occasionally a relevant morsel emerges. While Federer declared he'd
hardly watched a minute of the action from Indian Wells, he praised that
event's winner, his big rival, Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard hadn't won a title
since he'd beaten Federer last June in the French Open finals.

"For some, it may come as a surprise," Federer said about Nadal's victory at
the Pacific Life Open. "For me, I think it's normal. I always said if I'm not
No. 1, he should be No. 1."

Nadal, though, is the one who took a cross-country flight Monday from the
West Coast. It hardly seems fair that he's the one shaking off jet lag while
Federer has been languidly acclimating himself to a tournament where the
humidity and wind are far greater factors than in the California desert. Such
are the challenges of this exceptionally rigorous Tennis Masters double --
two tough tournaments that in some ways pose more challenges than a Grand
Slam.

But while the top 50 men are automatically entered in both Indian Wells and
Miami, only the second is mandatory for the women. Henin took full advantage
of that choice, eschewing California in hopes of winning here for the first
time.

At 9:45 on Tuesday morning, Henin was deep in the thick of a practice
session. This is a woman who makes every minute of her tennis life count. If
Federer's accent is arguably a telltale sign of his relaxed, confident manner
and long-term view, Henin reveals much through her pale, flat face and dark
brown eyes. She is always looking ahead, straight ahead toward her target,
her eyes buried under her omnipresent hat -- a beak of sorts -- and a rolling
gait that suggests images of a running back just getting up off the ground,
ambling back to the huddle before charging forward once again. Think of Jim
Brown with a great backhand.

Once on the court, the Belgian devoutly engaged with her long-standing coach,
Carlos Rodriguez. As a male hitting partner whipped serves her way, Rodriguez
and Henin exchanged words in the concise intimacy of people who know each
other exquisitely well. Considering how many tools Henin has, it's
fascinating to watch her constantly adjusting, tinkering, retooling,
rethinking -- but at heart always playing the same eclectic game.

Jimmy Connors once remarked that one of the toughest challenges during a
tournament was killing time while waiting to play. One of his approaches was
to never watch action movies, lest he drain too much of his energy viewing a
chase scene or shootout.

Don't get seduced by Federer's calm talk or Henin's grim focus. Like the more
animated Connors, these two are also aware that the time to spring into
action will be fast upon them. In some senses, particularly during this early
part of an event, all tennis players are caged lions.


Joel Drucker is based in Oakland, Calif., and writes about tennis for Tennis
Magazine and The Tennis Channel.



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