Roger Federer is losing some very big matches. The #1 player in the world lost to #2-ranked Nadal at Wimbledon and today he lost to #7-ranked James Blake in the Beijing Olympics; it was a bad day for Federer and a great day for Blake and the Americans. But Federer’s loss of momentum is not as important as Blake’s win.
The sport of tennis already has tournaments that are much larger than the Olympics – so predicting what players will make it to the finals and earn medals isn’t too hard. Blake’s victory was surprising, as is any upset of Federer. Historically, Blake hasn’t had much of an impact in Grand Slam events, but with this victory, he has won the hearts of a worldwide audience. More importantly, he has offered hope for an American medal in Beijing.
