No time to waste for Haas

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:39

Haas, a Wimbledon semi-finalist for the first time at the age of 31, is bidding to become the oldest men’s champion at the All England Club since Arthur Ashe in 1975.

“Tennis players have a short career, some shorter than others. At 33, 34 or 35 you might be done,” said Haas, who faces a Centre Court showdown against Swiss master Roger Federer on Friday. “Then you have a whole life left. You want to be able to look back and say, ‘Hey, I played the sport that I love as long as I could and I’ve tried my best’.”

He added: “You look back at what you have accomplished and you want to be proud of yourself.”

The obstacle standing in his way of a first grand slam final is the genius that is Federer, a man who has been in the last six finals, and who saw his five-title streak brought to an end by Rafael Nadal last July.

Federer knocked Haas out of the French Open this year in an unforgettable five-set battle, in which the German was five points from securing a straight-sets win.

Then on a fateful break-point opportunity, he was stunned by a superb Federer forehand that sparked a turnaround in fortunes.

“It is in the past,” said Haas. “It’s done. Being a friend of his and knowing how much it meant to him winning the French Open, I’m happy he made that shot.”

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