Roger conquers Roland Garros - at last!

I first saw Roger Federer play very early in the new century, when he teamed up with Martina Hingis to win the Hopman Cup in Perth. He instantly became my favourite tennis player. Not since John McEnroe in his prime had I seen anyone play with such poise, elegance and sumptuous style. Fortunately, he didn't display - and, indeed, has never displayed - any of Super Mac's infamous on-court tantrums.

I've followed Federer's exploits ever since and, as some would know, tipped him for greatness well before his first Wimbledon victory even though, back in those early days, there were question marks over his temperament and whether he had the mental fortitude to fully realise his undoubted potential.

Now that he has triumphed at Roland Garros and equalled Pete Sampras' tally of 14 major titles, can we finally hail him as the greatest tennis player of all time? I'd say so, primarily because the competition these days is far stronger than it was in the days of Rod Laver, his only real challenger for the accolade.

What next for the great man? Well, how about a 'Roger Slam', i.e. adding Wimbledon, the US Open and the 2010 Oz Open to the French Open crown? Surely then there will be no more room for argument on who the greatest of all time is.

Food for Thought: Too many people forget that Federer went through most of 2008 suffering from the after-effects of the debilitating mononucleosis disease he contracted prior to the Australian Open that year. The fact that he still managed to win the US Open after reaching the semi-final in Melbourne and the final in Paris and at Wimbledon, speaks volumes for his courage, a quality that is not often highlighted.