Here is an excerpt from an interview Roger gave in Indian Wells in 2014. In that he
recalls what he considers as his best 3 shots in his career so far. The top two are
the same as the top two in the video, but the third one that Roger mentions is the
tweener against Djoker in USO. It is this interview that triggered the fan to compile
the above video.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Even after all these years of watching you, I think even us in the media were taken aback at some shots you come up with as winners. In the middle of a match do you surprise yourself at times with some of the points that you play? I mean that in a positive sense.
ROGER FEDERER: No, I see that. No, yeah, I do, as well, because in a match, you know, you just stretch that little bit extra. In practice, there is no reason in the practice. You can't quite get certain points going the way like you can the match.
I don't know if the court is bigger or the opponent pushes you further or you don't care if you have to slide on the hard courts. I don't know. In practice I save myself a little bit, because that's not when I want to get injured.
Yeah, I do surprise myself as well. I think most of the players do that to themselves, as well. Certain shots you can't learn, you can't teach. It's just instinct. You adjust and you just try. Sometimes you get lucky and it looks amazing.
Because we are professional tennis players it feels like really we controlled everything, but also sometimes we get lucky in the process. All you have to do is try get to the balls, and for that you have to be fast and anticipate. Then you try to come up with something. It depends how much risk you're willing to take. The more risks you take, the more spectacular it can be.
Q. You have hit a lot of incredible shots. Following up. There was the tweener against Gasquet, a lot of let cord shots that are really special, and that overhead you hit off of a Roddick overhead. Can you think of in your own career kind of two or three that were special to you during your career?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, sure. I think smashing to Roddick in Basel, especially because it was my home, my home city.
Then I think the get I had on the break point against Agassi in Dubai one time where I flicked it behind me. I don't know how I did it. I think I couldn't even believe it. I looked back and it was over his head for a winner somehow.
That one, and I guess the one against Novak through the legs, you know, at the US Open. Those kind of stand out to me right now.
