Roger Federer's 2003 Wimbledon title is still in my mind, says former coach
In an interview to Blick the former Roger Federer's coach Peter Lundgren recalled the 2003 Wimbledon title won by Roger Federer over Mark Philippoussis in a straight-set final. That marked the Basel's native first Major title. Asked if it comes to his mind, Lundgren replied: 'Every time that I am at Wimbledon. This title, his first Grand Slam win, is the biggest memory I have of him. I was proud to be with him in that time.'
Lundgren also recalled a key moment happened during Federer's run: 'Before the quarter-final against Sjeng Schalken he was suffering a strong back pain. Then it suddenly started raining and it kept raining. It gave him the chance to get better and be fit again. Otherwise it would have been tough for him to win that year.'
'The first big title is always important. People often asked me, why doesn't he win a Grand Slam title? I said: He is not ready for it yet. Everything requires time. Look at today's players: they are 25 or 28 years old when they become good. Wimbledon has always been special to him. Here he brokethrough with the win over Pete Sampras in 2001, so he became popular. The following year he brutally lost to (Mario) Ancic, a year later he won the title.'
Lundgren also praised Federer from a human point of view: 'He is always the same and I like him a lot. It's a long time since when we started working together. We are still good friends.'
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from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2GMwDjo
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