Davidovich Fokina has won the Shanghai Masters 1000, beating Rafael Jódar, his young compatriot. According to We Love Tennis, it is the best title of his career. I understand the feeling. My best title is a singles win in club league (interclubs, Belgium’s weekend team league), in the wind, on court 4.
Afterwards he posted the photo. Him, his team, a glass of champagne in hand, and Roger Federer next to him, who came to watch the final from the stands. The legend with 20 Grand Slam titles, the source specifies.
I look at the photo, and I see intentions. The team, the glass of champagne in hand, Federer alongside. It is exactly the pattern of our photo at the club bar. Except that with us, where Federer should be, there is Didier, who holds the cone of chips and always closes his eyes.
The level of after-match photos has gone way up, people don’t realise. Mine, I took with my phone propped on my stats folder, ten-second timer. The result is blurry. That comes from the lighting, the strip light on court 4 shines straight onto the bar.
The young man has his team, and a well-dressed gentleman beside him. With us, the photo was taken by the cousin. Didier surely has a mother too.
And Federer, technically, is a spectator. We have spectators too. Two, on Sunday at ten, when it isn’t pouring. They don’t pose, but they are there.
Two practice sessions away, mind you, and I had the same photo. All I’m missing is the Masters 1000 title, and the Swiss.
It’s true, we checked: We Love Tennis.
