Don't Play the Player, Just Play the Ball

摘要

Roger Federer, old in the tennis world at 35, won his 18th Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open in Melbourne by defeating rival Rafael Nadal in five grueling sets. This wasn't supposed to happen; Nadal, with his phenomenal serve, had won every major match between them since Federer's last Wimbledon victory in 2007. Federer knew he was up against a tough opponent. But, as John Pye of The Associated Press reports, he reminded himself when his chances of winning began to look doubtful: "Don't play the player, just play the ball. Attack the serve."