The one match that people remember

在你成名前，有一場比賽，大家記憶猶新

very clearly, even before you became as great as you’ve become,

就是你在溫布頓撃敗森柏斯 非常精彩的賽事，跟我們談談吧

was when you beat Sampras at Wimbledon – outstanding match, tell us about it.

從小到大我都很崇拜皮特，你可以想像

Well, you have to imagine Pete was my hero growing up,

當年我與他在溫布頓同場較量

so when I played Pete at Wimbledon that year,

一起步入球場

we walked on court together

我記得自己非常緊張，邊行邊發抖，雙手冰冷

and I remember I was so nervous.

那時，很多人相信我是來陪皮特打球

I was shivering

不過，我明白如果能在賽事開始時，表現得好

walking on court, I was, I had cold hands,

或者有機會勝出

there was this belief that I was just hitting tennis balls with Pete.

在整個比賽中，我一直相信這個想法

But I knew that if potentially

終於打到第五盤，取得7比5成績，最後勝出該場賽事

I found you know, a good start into the match,

這是我第一次在溫布頓中央球場作賽

who knows, I have a chance to win.

他成功了！森柏斯出局了！

I believed in that I guessed,

那次是我人生中最重要的時刻

all along and I ended up winning 7-5 in the fifth set,

我能與皮特來一場真正的較量，感到十分自豪

and it was my first Wimbledon centre court appearance.

對我來說是美夢成真

He’s done it! The Champion is out!

兩年後，你終於拿到第一個大滿貫錦標

It was a big moment in my life

就是網壇聖杯：溫布頓冠軍

and I’m very proud of that I had the chance to actually play against Pete.

當時我心理狀態不好，凡事不太順利

was a big dream come true for me.

有時未比賽已覺得自己輸了

Two years later

直到參加溫布頓，我先開始感覺良好

you end up winning your first major

自己抽到好的分組線，不過打到第三或第四圈賽事時

and

我的背部突然不太靈活

it happens to be the holy grail of Tennis – Wimbledon.

不記得是怎樣克服過來

The circumstances were tough

最後都勝出了該場比賽，進入準決賽

just because I knew that my mental strength was very weak back then.

其後，我跟羅迪克打了一場非常精彩的賽事 又在決賽與菲利普西斯一較高下

I, you know, sometimes lost matches before I even walked on court.

賽事完畢，勝出者：費達拿

And then when Wimbledon

對我而言，這是戰勝傷患的最完美結局 亦同時釋放我的潛能

got underway actually I started to feel really good,

當我贏得第一個溫布頓冠軍時 真正感到有股動力湧現

I had a good draw,

我曾獲得很多殊榮，都是我喜歡的 更可以用幾個小時談論

and then all of a sudden I think in my third or fourth round

不過作為首項殊榮，它始終是與眾不同

match my back completely locked up on me.

在我眼中溫布頓是最完美的

I kind of came through that match, I don’t know how,

比賽中的每項細節，我都喜歡

and I was in the semis.

無論是牆上的藤蔓，或是修剪整齊的青草

I played the most incredible match

我都覺得很好

against Roddick and then against, in the finals, against Phillipoussis.

這些都使我十分欣賞溫布頓

Game, set and match – Federer

你剛提到準確、完美，正好是勞力士致力做到

It was just this perfect scenario for me at the end after

品牌與溫布頓結成夥伴

having to fight through injury, that opened the gate

整體來說，這對於溫布頓及網球有什麼好處？

unlocking my potential.

我認為一個品牌，能夠像勞力士般

Only when I won my first Wimbledon did I feel that things were really coming together.

與世上最重要的賽事長期合作

I have many more which

這樣的關係是很美妙的

love and I could talk hours about but the first one was very, very special.

我的意思是他們都致力實踐至臻至善

For me, obviously Wimbledon is just perfection,

這樣的合作天衣無縫，這對夥伴是天作之合

you know, everything that the tournament does is you know,

如此經典的賽事與勞力士這個品牌合作 我認為球員獲益良多

I love it, you know.

勞力士另一次約會

Whether it’s the ivy on the wall, whether it’s the perfect cut grass

I don’t know, it all just makes sense to me.

That’s what I really appreciate about Wimbledon the most.

You just talked about precision and perfection,

which is what Rolex embodies,

and that of course married to Wimbledon.

How good is that both for Wimbledon and for tennis in general?

Well I think it’s wonderful that a brand like Rolex

has stayed the partner of the most important tournament

in the world for such a long period of time

I mean, they embody both all the grace and the excellence

And It’s subtle, it’s a nice partnership and

and I think the players can profit from what a classy event and a brand Rolex is.

Another Rolex Rendezvous