Having the chance to face a legend like Roger Federer was the dream of most players, although it was very hard to beat the Swiss legend on his best days. The former world No.1 had enormous popularity thanks to his impact on and off the court, which is why he was celebrated in every tournament he participated in and always had the cheering on his side.
Over the course of his long career at the highest level, the 20-time Grand Slam champion has gone through several generations of players and has had to change his game to stay competitive. His opponents tried all kinds of tactics in an attempt to put him in difficulty, but the Master from Basel has always adapted like a great champion thanks to his infinite completeness in every area of the court.
Johnson on facing the Swiss Maestro
On the latest episode of the 'Changeover Podcast', former American ace Steve Johnson recalled his clash against the Swiss at the 2017 Indian Wells Masters 1000. He was defeated by King Roger in California, but he created several problems for his illustrious rival and was eager to face him again at the Australian Open three years later. However, Federer used a very different strategy in Australia than he had adopted in Indian Wells, and this change surprised Steve.
“I left that match in 2017 thinking that I have a good game plan and I really want to play him again, I know what I can do. I then played him in Australia the next year and he beat me 2, 2 and 2. Something like that. Like bad. Like bad, bad. And he is able to change” – Johnson recalled.
He also added: “Every time in Australia, I would go good chip and deep cross, he went chip line immediately, so I was on the run. He would not even let me get to the second slice to then chip it down the line to get him moving. It was really remarkable. I left that match and Craig and I were thinking he changed tactics very well.”
