來源：The New York Times
網址：http://tinyurl.com/ycc3mq5f
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Duel, Once Again, for Supremacy
費納的再一次頂尖對決
WIMBLEDON, England — Three Grand Slam tournaments down, one to go, and the
only men who have won major singles titles are Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
三個大滿貫賽已經落幕，今年還剩一個大滿貫賽；這三個大滿貫的冠軍落在費爸跟納豆身
上。
What year is this?
今年是西元幾年？
“2005?” Federer ventured, suppressing a giggle, in a Tennis Channel
interview on Sunday night.
「2005吧？」費爸說，硬是忍住笑容；他在星期天晚上接受網球頻道訪問。
A better guess would have been 2006 or 2007. But this continues to be a
time-warp season, at least in the men’s game, one where you could have
skipped a decade of tennis to build a business, tuned back in and felt
thoroughly up to speed except for wondering what those four young children
were doing in the front row of Federer’s box at Wimbledon on Sunday.
比較合理的數字應該是2006或2007，但是今年球季對男子網球比賽像是時光旅行般，一個
球員跳過了10年後又回來，馬上回復狀況，甚至追上其他選手；只是你會懷疑，星期天溫
網決賽，坐在費爸包廂第一排那四個小孩到底是誰的？
Yes, there have been some life changes (Federer and his wife, Mirka, now have
two sets of twins). But the on-court news still rings very familiar.
是的，人生是有不少的變化 （費爸跟他太太Mirka生了兩對雙胞胎），但是場上的新聞似
乎也是類似。
There was Nadal last month crushing the field on red clay to win his record
10th French Open. There was Federer this month gliding across the grass and
outclassing the opposition to win his record eighth Wimbledon title.
上個月納豆在紅土球場摧枯拉朽，贏得他第10座法網冠軍；費爸這個月在草地上優雅的打
敗對手，贏得他第8座溫網獎盃。
Neither dropped a set along the way, and now the 31-year-old Nadal and the
just-about-36-year-old Federer are in position for a days-of-yore duel for
the No. 1 ranking. It still belongs to Andy Murray but probably will not for
long given the state of Murray’s hip and the mother lode of points he has to
defend before the end of the season.
兩個選手在分別在法網跟溫網都沒輸掉任何一盤，現在31歲的納豆跟剛剛36歲的費爸兩個
又像以前一樣要爭奪世界第一的寶座。雖然現在球王還是茉莉，不過應該不會再坐太久，
基於他的臀傷以及他目前的積分來看。
So bring on the United States Open, the year’s final Grand Slam tournament
and the only major tournament in which Nadal and Federer have never faced
each other. It begins Aug. 28, and Federer is already the bookmakers’
favorite.
所以年度最後一個大滿貫賽美網就刺激了，這是目前唯一一個費納還沒對決過的大滿貫
賽，將於8/28開打，賭盤看好費爸。
Who can blame them? He was the pretournament favorite at Wimbledon, too.
能說什麼呢？費爸在溫網開打前也是被賭盤看好。
He can obviously handle the burden, but it is no doubt less magical to win
when many expect it than when nobody expects it, which was how he won the
Australian Open in January.
他能應付壓力，而且，當大家都看好他會贏球，會讓贏得冠軍看起來比較沒那麼神奇，這
就是他澳網獲勝的樣子。
“It felt like a fairy tale,” he said of Australia on Monday morning at the
All England Club, looking a little groggy after partying with a large group
of friends and finally going to bed at 5 a.m.
「感覺像是個童話故事，」費爸在星期一的全英俱樂部講到澳網，臉上有點疲憊，因為前
一天剛跟朋友開趴玩到早上5點。
“My head is ringing; I don’t know what I did last night,” he said, his
baritone voice a note or two lower than usual. “I just drank too many types
of drinks, I guess.”
「我的頭嗡嗡叫；我根本不知道我昨晚幹了什麼，」他說，聲音比平常的聲音低的多。
「我猜我可能喝太多了。」
Federer presumably will be as smart as usual about recovery even if he admits
that he is eager for more matches after spending much of the last year
rehabilitating his postoperative knee, doing fitness work or practicing.
即時去年他花了相當長時間復健他接受手術的膝蓋，他仍舊表示想趕快要投入比賽，所以
他應該會很快就恢復原本的狀況的。
He has picked his spots and tournaments beautifully, however, which is how he
is ranked No. 3 despite playing just seven tour events in the last 12 months.
雖然過去12個月內他只打了7個賽事，但他選的比賽都很關鍵，這也讓他排名來到第三。
Federer also has no points to defend the rest of the year. He is No. 2 in the
2017 points race, behind Nadal, who has 7,095 points to Federer’s 6,545.
Nobody else is close, certainly not Murray or Novak Djokovic, the two men who
— way back in January — were expected to dominate the season.
費爸在今年剩餘的賽季沒有需要積分去競爭，目前在2017年積分榜6545分排名第2，僅次
於納豆7095分。其他人都差很遠，更不要說是茉莉或是囧口，這兩個在今年一月的時候，還
被認為會稱霸今年。
Neither has reached the final of a major tournament this year, and it is
unclear when they will play again with Murray’s hip a big concern and
Djokovic’s right elbow pain serious enough to force him to retire in the
quarterfinals of Wimbledon.
這兩個今年都沒在重要比賽打到決賽，而且現在茉莉的臀傷狀況未明，囧口右肘傷讓他在
溫網半準決賽就退出，這兩個人今年還能不能打都不知道。
Djokovic said the elbow had been an intermittent problem for about 18 months
and he was expected to seek medical advice in the United States. His wife,
Jelena, is due to give birth to their second child in early September, and
some in Djokovic’s camp would not be surprised to see him skip the rest of
the season.
囧口說他的肘傷起起伏伏有一年半了，他被認為會到美國尋求醫療建議。囧口的老婆會在
九月生下他們的第二個小孩，所以囧口團隊裡有人認為囧口可能今年都不會打了。
Some savvy outsiders agree, even if the consensus is that the equation that
works for Federer (long break = Grand Slam title) will work for precious few.
有些人認為，費爸的贏球公式：休息長一點=大滿貫冠軍，對費爸適用，但不是對所有人都
可以。
“Roger’s fortunate because of the way he plays and his hand-eye
coordination,” said Pat Cash, a former Wimbledon champion now coaching Coco
Vandeweghe. “He can get away with that, but I don’t think a lot of players
could do that. But it makes sense for someone like Novak. He should take six
months off.”
「費爸很幸運，因為他打球的方式跟他的手眼協調很好，」溫布頓前冠軍Pat Cash說到，
「他可以休息很久但不受影響，但是其他大部分選手可能就不行那樣。不過對於像囧口這
樣的選手應該可以，他應該要休息個六個月再回來。」
That only makes sense if the elbow problem is serious or requires surgery.
Djokovic did look motivated and focused again at Wimbledon. But for now,
Federer is ahead of Djokovic in the rankings for the first time since
November 2012.
若是囧口的肘傷很嚴重或者要開刀，他應該要休息那樣久。囧口在溫網表現的很積極，也
比以往專心，不過，這次是在2012年之後，費爸積分第一次超過囧口。
He has yet to face Djokovic or Murray in 2017, and it is possible he will not
have to face either of them at any stage this season. It does seem for
Federer as if all the stars have aligned (or are too hurting to line up),
even if that is not a theme he embraces.
費爸今年都還沒對到囧口或者茉莉，也很有可能今年都不會再對到。看起來就像球場上的
其他明星都排好隊等他打敗（或者說受傷嚴重排不到隊），那是費爸之前沒想到的狀況。
“Not really,” he said on Sunday night. “I thought Andy and Novak were
going to continue. Novak, one year ago, was holding all four Slams, and Andy
went on this unbelievable run. And that’s why my mind-set coming back was
this is going to be rough. Novak was on top of the world. Rafa was going to
come back strong. I thought I might have runs and go deep maybe, but then
maybe I’m at the mercy at the end of Rafa or Andy or somebody.”
「真的沒想到，」費爸在星期天晚上的訪問說到，「我以為茉莉跟囧口還會繼續打下去
的。一年前囧口還有四個大滿貫賽冠軍，茉莉也是可以在不可能狀況下得分，所以我一開
始給自己設定回來打球所面對對手的狀況應該會很強。囧口曾經是世界第一，納豆也打的
很好。我有想過，我可能可以得個幾分，打的久一點，然後納豆或是茉莉或是其他選手最
後打的我無法反擊。」
For now, the only two men to beat him in 2017 are Evgeny Donskoy and Tommy
Haas. Donskoy was a qualifier ranked No. 116 when he upset Federer by winning
a third-set tiebreaker in the second round in the United Arab Emirates on
March 1. Haas was a wild card ranked No. 302 when he beat Federer, 2-6, 7-6
(8), 6-4, in Federer’s opening round in Stuttgart, Germany, last month.
不過到目前為止，2017年打敗過費爸的只有兩個人，Donskoy跟Haas。Donskoy，排名116，
在3/1阿拉伯聯合大公國的比賽在第二輪打敗費爸；Haas，世界排名302，則是上個月在德
國斯圖加特以2：1打敗費爸。
But Federer is undefeated against the top 100 and a phenomenal 25-0 in Grand
Slam and Masters 1000 play. So where is the next generation?
不過費爸在大滿貫或大師賽面對世界排名前100名的選手是完美的25勝0敗，到底下一個世
代的網球新星在哪裡？
Alexander Zverev, 20 years old and ranked No. 11, is its clear leader. Nick
Kyrgios, 22, remains a fire that can blow out too quickly. But Federer
wonders about it, too, speculating that the current ranking points structure
makes it harder for new talent to rise but also pointing out that the new
wave lacks variety.
Zverev，20歲，排名世界11，被認為是目前下一世代的新星領頭羊；Kyrgios，22歲，有些
表現，但似乎還不成氣候。不過費爸也認為，現在的排名系統對於新的球員要往前比較困
難，而且覺得新的球員的打法不夠多樣。
“I wish we’d see more players and coaches taking chances at net, because
good things do happen at net, but you have to spend time up there to feel
confident up there,” he said.
「我希望可以看到更多的球員或是教練敢在網前拿點分數，因為網前對決是會有好結果發
生的，但是就是得要敢衝向前，展現出自信來，」費爸說。
Even Federer served-and-volleyed on only 16 percent of his service points at
Wimbledon, but that was still well above the tournament average of 7 percent.
即使費爸發球後上網只佔他發球的16趴，但也比所有球員平均值7趴高的多。
“In any case, the race for No. 1 will go through us,” he said of himself
and Nadal. “Unless someone like Novak wins 25 or 30 matches at the end of
the year, which is of course possible. He and Murray have done it before.”
「在任何狀況，搶第一的念頭都會出現在我們身上，」費爸說到他自己跟納豆。「除非出
現一個像囧口那樣的人，在年底前狂贏了25到30場比賽；這當然可能出現，囧口跟茉莉都
打過這樣的比賽。」
Federer also said he would not become caught up in chasing the year-end No. 1
ranking if it comes at taking chances with his body. “I think maybe getting
there for just one week anytime would make me just as happy,” he said. “That
’s my feeling. To be No. 1 again would be something totally unexpected for
me.”
費爸說他不會糾結於追逐年度排名第一的位置，如果那會讓他對自己身體健康冒險的話。
「我想若是可以在第一名待一個禮拜就可以讓我很高興的了，」費爸說。「那是我的真心
話，我從沒想過我回來可以再度成為世界第一。」
He has not been there since 2012, which brings us back to the same question.
從2012年後他就沒世界第一過了，這就讓我們回到最前面問的問題了。
What year is this?
今年到底是西元幾年？