Sports 7 - Federer Bows Down With Grace Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

Roger Federer - The Tennis champion
Bid a tearful goodbye to millions of his fans
Spread all over the world,
With a doubles match, at A2 Arena,
In London, last Friday.
Federer spoke with emotion:
'I am happy. I am not sad.
I enjoyed tying my shoes once more.'
Federer played his last match with his best
Rival in sports -Rafael Nadal of Spain.

An amazing fact,
About these two greatest players in Tennis,
Is that they bonded so well together,
With respect and admiration for each other.
They held hands, supporting one another
In their triumphant, sad moments
With tears of joy and sorrow alike.
A wonderful example
Of sportsman spirit at its best,
A rare and precious friendship!

When Federer entered the Arena
A little behind Nadal,
A tempest of emptions blew across
The Greenwich Peninsula.
After his last match, Federer spoke:
'I didn't want to feel alone.
I wanted it to be a celebration at the end.
It is exactly as I hoped for.'
Nadal, who was his doubles partner,
For the last match, spoke emotionally too.

'For me, it has been a huge honour,
To be a part of this amazing moment,
Of the history of our sports,
At the same time, sharing a lot of years,
Sharing a lot of things together.
When Roger leaves the tour,
An important part of my life is leaving too,
Because all the moments he has been,
Next or in front of me, in important moments of my life.'
An admirable friendship, never seen before!

Pete Sampras praised Federer:
' I have admired
The way you've handled it all,
From the very beginning to the very end.
You are always gracious in your defeats,
Gracious in your wins,
You are true to yourself
And where you come from.'
Dear Federer,
All players and fans will miss you very, very much!