Azeem Rafiq’s reflections on Jonny Bairstow’s Test landmark

Azeem Rafiq’s reflections on Jonny Bairstow’s Test landmark
England’s Jonny Bairstow bats on the first day of the fifth and final test match between England and India in Dharamshala, India, Thursday, Mar. 7, 2024. (AP Photo)
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Updated 07 March 2024
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Azeem Rafiq’s reflections on Jonny Bairstow’s Test landmark

Azeem Rafiq’s reflections on Jonny Bairstow’s Test landmark
  • In the triumphant 2019 ODI World Cup campaign England was indebted to Jonny Bairstow’s back-to-back centuries in the group stage against India and New Zealand that propelled the team into the semi-finals

LONDON: Against the dramatic background of the Himalayas, Jonny Bairstow is playing in his 100th Test match for England at Dharamsala. This makes him the 17th Englishman to achieve that feat, the most recent of whom was Ben Stokes in February 2024, also against India. In the team are Joe Root, now with 140 Tests and James Anderson, who is playing in his 187th, second only to Sachin Tendulkar, with 200. Prior to this match, 72 players have reached the landmark, 10 of them appearing in more than 150 Tests. In a remarkable coincidence, Ravichandran Ashwin of India is also making his 100th Test appearance in the match, and on Feb. 8 two New Zealand players, Kane Williamson and Tim Southee, will reach the landmark against Australia.

Bairstow made his debut for England in 2012 at Lords against the West Indies, having made his One Day International debut Sept. 16, 2011, against India at Cardiff. His breakthrough into first class cricket came in June 2009, when he made his debut for Yorkshire against Somerset at Leeds. He top-scored in the second innings with an unbeaten 82. In Somerset’s second innings, Yorkshire’s wicketkeeper was injured and Bairstow took over the role, claiming four catches.

Someone who witnessed that debut was Azeem Rafiq, who was 12th man for the team, having made his own debut for the county in the previous month. I spoke with Rafiq about his experience of playing with and sharing time with Bairstow. He was full of admiration and lavish with praise for Bairstow and his achievements. These have been made against a backdrop of challenges. It is well documented that he lost his father, David, at the age of eight in tragic circumstances. Bairstow senior had been a wicketkeeper/batter for Yorkshire for 20 years, playing four times for England.

Azeem was quite clear that Bairstow is a seriously talented and gifted athlete, with very high levels of skill across a number of sports, including football and rugby. He is also clear in his view that Bairstow has been underrated. Rafiq thinks “it is unfair that Bairstow has been questioned so much and has had to prove himself so often.” From the outside, Bairstow portrays a pugnacious personality. Rafiq sees this as a defence mechanism, saying that it must “be draining to continually have to prove himself and fight against the tide.”

At times, Bairstow gives the impression of being prickly. Rafiq says that, in reality, Bairstow is very human. “Yes, he does wear his heart on his sleeve, but there is no lack of authenticity with Jonny, he brings his whole self to work. Playing for England means the world to him, he loves the touring aspects of the job.”

Mark Ramprakash, a former coach to the England team, has written that he found working with Bairstow a challenge, not because he did anything wrong but that he prepared in a spontaneous and instinctive way. Rafiq’s view is that Bairstow “has an inner steel, a confidence in his own ability, is very driven and works hard in silence, all of which shapes his approach to training and preparation.”

Rafiq was also keen to point out that Bairstow has a level of performance across all three formats of the game which should be the envy of many. Only three cricketers have played one hundred times for their country in each of the formats — Tests, ODIs and T20Is. They are Ross Taylor of New Zealand, Virat Kohli of India and David Warner of Australia. Another one, Tim Southee of New Zealand, will be added on Feb. 8. Jonny Bairstow has played in 100 Tests, 170 ODIs and 70 T20Is.

During his 99 Test matches, Bairstow has scored twelve centuries. The first, an unbeaten 150, was scored at Newlands, Cape Town, in 2016. The last one, an unbeaten 142, came in the defeat of India at Edgbaston in July 2022.

It was scored in the second innings and followed another century by Bairstow in the first innings, 106 out a total of 284. He is one of 72 players to have scored a century in both innings of a Test match. In the first eight months of 2022, he scored 1,061 Test runs, including six centuries, a remarkable achievement. Then in September, in peak form, he suffered a freak, but career-threatening, ankle and leg injury which ruled him out of the 2022 T20 World Cup and all cricket until April 2023.

In some of the many articles written about Bairstow reaching the milestone in Tests, a question is raised as to whether it could be the last one for him. Here again is the constant picking away at his right to be in the team to which Rafiq has referred. Not only is this raised in relation to Bairstow’s batting, but also to his wicket keeping.

He is a specialist wicketkeeper/batter but has kept wicket in only just over half of his Test matches. When he first came into the Test team, he did not keep wicket. The first opportunity came in December 2013, but it was another two years before he was made first choice keeper, a position that he has not always been able to retain. In the current tour of India, he is not keeping wicket.

Bairstow has produced some incredible highs in his career. In the triumphant 2019 ODI World Cup campaign England was indebted to his back-to-back centuries in the group stage against India and New Zealand that propelled the team into the semi-finals. Against this, critics allege a lack of consistency, a Test average of 36.4 and some indifferent wicketkeeping at times.

This makes it even more remarkable that Bairstow has reached the 100 Test landmark. Rafiq refers to Bairstow’s “resilience in abundance,” saying that the landmark is “an incredible achievement, a testimony to Jonny and his family on a journey that has not been easy, but which he hopes still has some way to run.”


Japan on cusp of World Cup as Son scores in Palestine draw

Japan on cusp of World Cup as Son scores in Palestine draw
Updated 1 min 15 sec ago
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Japan on cusp of World Cup as Son scores in Palestine draw

Japan on cusp of World Cup as Son scores in Palestine draw
Australia secured a last-gasp 2-2 draw against Bahrain in Riffa
In Group B, Palestine — nominally hosts for a game taking place in Jordan — grabbed a surprise 12th-minute lead over South Korea

Headers from Koki Ogawa and Ko Itakura put runaway group leaders Japan two goals up at half-time
HONG KONG: Japan are on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup after a 3-1 win at China on Tuesday, while Son Heung-min scored again as South Korea were held by Palestine.
Headers from Koki Ogawa and Ko Itakura put runaway group leaders Japan two goals up at half-time, before Lin Liangming pulled one back for China early in the second half.
Ogawa snuffed out China’s hopes of a comeback with his second to silence a crowd of 45,000 in Xiamen, where fans without tickets gathered outside the ground to watch the action on their phones.
Loud booing greeted the Japanese national anthem before kick-off and the game was briefly stopped in the first half when a fan invaded the pitch.
“All the players got us this win today,” said Japan coach Hajjime Moriyasu.
“The players on the pitch, the players on the bench and those that weren’t on the bench today — it was down to their energy that we won.”
Japan were playing their first senior international in China in nine years and there is a long history of rivalry between the two countries.
There was a heavy police presence outside the Xiamen Egret Stadium, where about 750 Japan fans were expected to be in attendance.
The convincing victory gave Japan five wins and a draw in Asian qualifying Group C and took them to within touching distance of a place at the World Cup.
However, the rest of the group is incredibly tightly packed, with one point separating Australia in second to China in sixth.
Australia secured a last-gasp 2-2 draw against Bahrain in Riffa, with the Socceroos scoring inside the first minute through Kusini Yengi only for substitute Mahdi Abduljabbar to score twice in three second-half minutes for the hosts.
However, Yengi equalized in the sixth minute of injury-time to grab what could prove a precious point for Tony Popovic’s team.
The draw means Australia have the edge in second on seven points, nine back from Japan but one ahead of Indonesia, Saudi, Bahrain and China.
The top two teams in each of the three groups will reach the showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico, while those who finish third and fourth go through to a further round of qualifying.
In Group B, Palestine — nominally hosts for a game taking place in Jordan — grabbed a surprise 12th-minute lead over South Korea thanks to Zaid Qunbar.
The advantage lasted just four minutes, talisman and skipper Son firing in from close range to bring the Koreans level with his 51st goal for his country. Son had a goal chalked off for offside late on.
Despite the 1-1 stalemate, the Koreans are firmly on course for the World Cup at the top of the group, holding a three-point lead with four games to go.
Iraq occupy second on 11 points following a 1-0 victory against Oman in Muscat, while Jordan’s 1-1 draw at Kuwait leaves them two points back, in third. Oman sit fourth, on six points, with Kuwait on four and Palestine on three.
In Group A, talented 21-year-old Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored the only goal to give Uzbekistan a 1-0 win over North Korea in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
It cemented the Uzbeks’ place in the top two in the group, along with table-toppers Iran, who were 3-2 winners at Kyrgyzstan.
Third-placed UAE kept on Uzbekistan’s coattails with a 5-0 victory against back-to-back Asian champions Qatar in Abu Dhabi, with Fabio De Lima netting four goals.
The win ensures Paulo Bento’s side remain three points from second, while Qatar stay fourth, six points off the automatic qualification spots.
North Korea are bottom and yet to win in six games in this phase of qualifying.

Saudi Arabia’s World Cup hopes dented in Indonesia

Saudi Arabia’s World Cup hopes dented in Indonesia
Updated 19 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s World Cup hopes dented in Indonesia

Saudi Arabia’s World Cup hopes dented in Indonesia
  • Depressing outcome for Herve Renard 

JAKARTA: Saudi Arabia lost 2-0 in Indonesia on Tuesday to leave hopes of automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in serious doubt.

Just six points in six games in Group C and no goals in the last four matches makes for depressing reading for head coach Herve Renard. 

A goal in each half from Marselino Ferdinan had 60,000-plus fans in Jakarta on their feet and it will not have gone unnoticed by Renard — in his second game back in charge — that this creative talent made a difference just as his, Salem Al-Dawsari, was missing through injury.

And he was missed. Without the 2022 Asian Player of the Year, Saudi Arabia may have had the majority of the ball, but they created little going forward and were hit multiple times by the rapid counters of Indonesia.

Renard said: “Indonesia deserved to win this game. We now have four games and it will be tough and it will be tough for everybody. I accept the challenge to take Saudi Arabia to the World Cup; it doesn’t matter which way but we have to go to the World Cup.”

In the opening exchanges there was a white wave and Saudi Arabia could count themselves lucky that they were not at least a goal down inside the first 10 minutes.

Indeed, the hosts hit the post in the opening minute as Marselino could not quite connect with a right-sided cross from Ivar Jenner and all watched as the ball came back off the woodwork. 

Rafael Struick had another great chance in the ninth minute, running on to a Thom Haye ball over the top but with just the goalkeeper to beat, Ahmed Al-Kassar made the save. 

The Green Falcons thought they had an advantage midway through the first half. Justin Hubner’s leaping challenge against Mohammed Al-Qahtani succeeded in getting the ball but also ended with his boot in the face of the young Al-Hilal star. When the referee went to the pitchside monitor, the home fans feared the worst but, in the end, a yellow card was shown.

If that was a little fortunate for Indonesia, the lead they took after 32 minutes was deserved.

Saudi Arabia, already aggrieved at a couple of decisions, felt that they should have been given a penalty and then watched in horror as the hosts broke forward. Ragnar Oratmangoen pulled the ball back for Marselino standing near the penalty spot and the Oxford United player took his time, twisted and turned and then curled home into the top corner.

The referee ignored the protests from the men in green and seconds after the restart, Struick was through on goal again but just could not quite get the final touch. 

Just before the break Indonesia went close again with Calvin Verdonk volleying just wide from the left. Firas Al-Buraikan then had a rare sight of goal but his shot on the turn was blocked.

Renard would have been the happier of the two coaches to hear the half-time whistle, but both he and his opposite number Shin Tae-yong knew there was a long way to go.

Saudi Arabia started brightly after the break and put pressure on the hosts without creating real chances and it was another breakaway that led to Indonesia’s second.

Verdonk broke down the right and fed Marselino inside the area. His first attempt was blocked by Ali Al-Bulaihi but fell kindly for the Oxford star who then lifted the ball over Al-Kassar into the net.

As they had to, Saudi Arabia started to push forward more and more. Al-Bulaihi headed just over from close range and then the lively Abdullah Al-Hamdan nodded just wide with a fine attempt that had goalkeeper Maarten Paes scrambling across his line. Soon after, the same forward headed straight into the arms of the No. 1.

There were not many more chances to come, though Mohamed Kanno shot against the bar, and the game ended with a flurry of cards, including a second yellow for Hubner.

Saudi Arabia will argue that the defender should have seen red long before but, in truth, they were second best for too much of the match.

Now, the race for the second of the automatic places behind leaders Japan, way ahead on 16 points, could not be tighter with four teams on six and one of those sides, Australia, facing Bahrain later on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia will be hoping for a favor and, with just one win in six, they need all the help they can get.


Tickets on sale for 2024 Next Gen ATP finals as future tennis stars descend on Jeddah

Tickets on sale for 2024 Next Gen ATP finals as future tennis stars descend on Jeddah
Updated 19 November 2024
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Tickets on sale for 2024 Next Gen ATP finals as future tennis stars descend on Jeddah

Tickets on sale for 2024 Next Gen ATP finals as future tennis stars descend on Jeddah
  • 8 best men’s under-20s will compete from Dec. 18-22
  • It will be the second edition of the finals presented by PIF as part of 5-year partnership between the ATP Tour and Saudi Tennis Federation

JEDDAH: Tickets are now on sale for the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals, as Jeddah prepares to welcome the world’s best male tennis players aged 20 and below.

The 2024 tournament is the second in a five-year partnership between the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Saudi Tennis Federation, putting the tennis stars of the future in the spotlight.

The 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals, presented by the Public Investment Fund, will take place on hard indoor courts at King Abdullah Sports City from Dec. 18-22 with an increased total prize fund of $2.05 million. Tickets and packages start from SR30.

First hosted in 2017, the finals moved to Jeddah in 2023. It marked a historic turning point as the first professional tennis tournament held in Saudi Arabia and played a pivotal role in the Saudi Tennis Federation’s ambition to inspire a million people to take up the sport by 2030.

Arij Mutabagani, president of the Saudi Tennis Federation, said: “Building on the success of last year’s tournament, we are thrilled to welcome the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF back to Jeddah for the second year. This event not only showcases the future stars of tennis but also highlights our commitment to fostering a vibrant sports culture in Saudi Arabia.

“As part of our vision to inspire 1 million people to play tennis by 2030, (the finals) play a crucial role in igniting passion and interest among Saudi fans and young players by bringing the best young talent in the world to our doorstep.”

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “This tournament is a glimpse into the future of tennis, and we are proud to partner with the Saudi Tennis Federation to bring it to life. By showcasing the talent and ambition of these young athletes, we hope to inspire a new generation of tennis players, both in Saudi Arabia and around the world.”

The top seven players qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals based on their Race to Jeddah ranking points accumulated throughout the 2024 ATP Tour season. The eighth place is reserved for a wildcard entry.

The final field will be confirmed once the ATP Challenger Tour season finishes on Dec. 2. The eventual winner will join a star-studded list of Next Gen ATP Finals champions, including current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz, and 11-time ATP Tour winner Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The finals are played in a round-robin format with the eight players split into two groups of four. The top seed is placed in Group A and the second seed in Group B, with the remaining seeds drawn in pairs and allocated to a group. The top two from each group advance to the knockout semifinals, with the Group A winner facing the Group B runner-up and vice versa.

The Next Gen ATP Finals are known for their groundbreaking innovation and unique format, designed to make tennis faster while bringing fans closer to the action and players.

They align with the Saudi Tennis Federation’s goal of attracting 1 million players to tennis while developing and nurturing young homegrown talent. Among several new initiatives is the “Tennis For All” program, in collaboration with the Saudi Sports For All Federation, aimed at introducing the sport to more than 60,000 boys and girls in schools across the Kingdom.


‘He’s the best sportsman in Spanish history’ – Feliciano Lopez pays tribute to Rafael Nadal ahead of Davis Cup farewell

‘He’s the best sportsman in Spanish history’ – Feliciano Lopez pays tribute to Rafael Nadal ahead of Davis Cup farewell
Updated 1 min 41 sec ago
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‘He’s the best sportsman in Spanish history’ – Feliciano Lopez pays tribute to Rafael Nadal ahead of Davis Cup farewell

‘He’s the best sportsman in Spanish history’ – Feliciano Lopez pays tribute to Rafael Nadal ahead of Davis Cup farewell
  • Tournament director and longtime friend and teammate is bracing himself for an emotional week in Malaga

MALAGA: “I think no one would have ever imagined a script like this,” Feliciano Lopez tells Arab News at the Martin Carpena Arena in Malaga, where Rafael Nadal is set to play the last tournament of his professional career alongside his Spanish teammates in the Davis Cup Finals.

Lopez, a longtime friend and teammate of Nadal, is the tournament director of the Davis Cup Finals and finds it poetic that the Spanish legend has chosen this team competition to be the last stop of his storied career.

“2004 Rafa wins the Davis Cup in Seville, I think that was probably the first big turning point of his career, in my opinion,” reflects Lopez.

“And then 20 years later, his career is coming to an end, playing the same competition, playing in Spain, in his country, alongside Carlos Alcaraz, who I think is a true blessing, because in a country like Spain, it’s very difficult to see that kind of athlete.

“Rafa is going to be playing his final professional tournament and we have Carlos Alcaraz having already four Grand Slams, it’s a true blessing.”

Spain’s greatest sports icon ending his professional tennis career by sharing a team with his heir apparent is indeed as good as it gets for the home fans that will fill up the 11,000-capacity arena when Nadal and Co. take on the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (5pm local time, 7pm KSA time).

“Also the fact that David (Ferrer, the former world No. 3) is the captain, it’s another nice coincidence. They are friends, they were teammates, they were rivals as well,” added Lopez, referring to Spain’s Davis Cup captain.

“Me here as a tournament director, I don’t know who would have been able to write this beautiful script. But I think it’s going to be very emotional, a lot of things coming to our minds, but of course Rafa is going to be the one playing the main role I think this week.”

 

 

Lopez, who officially retired from professional tennis last year and serves as tournament director at the Davis Cup Finals and the Madrid Open, first met a 15-year-old Nadal in Seville – just 200km north-west of Malaga – where they shared a practice session together.

“I was amazed by the intensity he was putting already at 15 years old,” he recalls.

Lopez’s funniest memory of his countryman was when Nadal made his Davis Cup debut in an away tie against the Czech Republic in 2004.  

Nadal was still 17 at the time and lost in straight sets in his first singles and doubles matches that weekend. But the tie was still in play thanks to Tommy Robredo, who won the other singles clash, allowing the Spaniards to enter the last day of action trailing the Czechs 1-2, with two singles showdowns to come.

Just as Lopez was about to take to the court for a do-or-die match against Tomas Berdych, a teenage Nadal stopped him in his tracks.

“I was literally almost putting my feet on the court and I saw Rafa coming towards me, running. I was a bit concerned, ‘What’s going on, what’s wrong Rafa?’” Lopez recounted.

“He said, ‘No, no Feli, I just want to wish you good luck, and please, you have to win this match and I will take care of the rest’.

“I will never forget, he was 17 years old, he made his debut, lost the two matches he played and he was convinced and he was so determined that he was going to win the deciding match; and that tells you everything about the way he thinks and the way he is. I will never forget that.”

 

 

Nadal, of course, clinched the tie for Spain by winning the fifth match in straight sets over Radek Stepanek, who was ranked 49 in the world at the time. A few months later, he shocked world No. 2 Andy Roddick of the United States to help Spain secure the Davis Cup title at home in Seville.

Spain is not short on sporting legends, but Lopez does not hesitate to dub Nadal the greatest of them all.

“He's the best sportsman of our history of course, with all respect to the others, because we have plenty of them, and very good ones,” said the 43-year-old.

“He’s by far our best athlete and his legacy is going to be also as a human being. Because his titles, of course, are not going to be forgotten, that’s for sure. But it’s very rare to see someone that good, tennis-wise, but also his legacy as a human being is going to be maybe bigger and better than his legacy as a tennis player.

“This is for me something unbelievable.”

In a career that spanned over two decades, Nadal won 92 titles, including 22 Grand Slams. Novak Djokovic is the only man in history to have amassed more major trophies.

Asked what he personally believes makes Nadal special, Lopez said: “I think his passion – he’s someone very passionate, he does everything with a lot of passion in his life.

“As a tennis player, I will say his intensity, from the first point until the last point, and this is something very rare to see. Tennis matches can be very long and you see up and downs all the time with almost every player, but with Rafa it’s a different story. He’s able to play with a lot of intensity and his self-belief also is something I think out of this world. That’s really something also remarkable.”

 

 

Lopez added: “But also tennis-wise, he’s a very complete player. He’s so powerful, the speed of his ball is completely different than any of the players. There was always a lot of talk regarding his fitness condition, his mentality and his intensity, all these things, but I think tennis-wise he’s top three in the history of the sport, otherwise I don’t think he would have been able to achieve everything that he achieved.”

Tickets for Tuesday evening’s quarterfinal between Spain and the Netherlands were sold out the minute Nadal announced he would be retiring after the Davis Cup and even participating players and captains have joked that they’re unable to score a seat in the arena for the Mallorcan’s farewell event.

“We can't get tickets. I think the tickets are going for $100,000. If you want to pay for me, I'll go,” laughed USA team captain and doubles legend Bob Bryan.

“Of course since Rafa decided that this is going to be his last professional tournament, the expectations increased all over the world and everyone wants to be present here today and there’s no room for everyone. So we’re getting ready for a big week,” said Lopez.


Roger Federer tells friend and rival Rafael Nadal that he made him enjoy tennis more

Roger Federer tells friend and rival Rafael Nadal that he made him enjoy tennis more
Updated 19 November 2024
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Roger Federer tells friend and rival Rafael Nadal that he made him enjoy tennis more

Roger Federer tells friend and rival Rafael Nadal that he made him enjoy tennis more
  • Federer began his message with the word “Vamos” and said: “As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional”
  • “Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me — a lot. More than I managed to beat you”

MALAGA, Spain: Roger Federer says Rafael Nadal made him enjoy tennis “even more” during a rivalry that spanned 40 matches over 15 years.
Writing on social media Tuesday, hours before the start of the Davis Cup Final 8, Nadal’s last event before heading into retirement, Federer began his message with the word “Vamos” and said: “As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.”
“Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me — a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could,” Federer said. “On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game — even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.”
Federer, now 43, was established at No. 1 in the rankings when Nadal, now 38, came along. Federer started his career with a 7-0 record in Grand Slam finals before his first loss at that stage arrived against Nadal in the 2006 French Open final, the first of their three consecutive title matches in Paris — each with the same result.


Nadal also defeated Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final, ending the Swiss star’s bid for a sixth championship in a row at the All England Club.
In all, Nadal led their head-to-head series 26-14, including 10-4 at Grand Slam tournaments and 6-3 in Slam finals.
Still, Federer told Nadal in his post, referring to him by the nickname Rafa: “You made me enjoy the game even more.”
They helped form the Big Three of men’s tennis along with Novak Djokovic, who is still active at age 37 and has won a men’s-record 24 major trophies. Nadal is next on the list with 22, followed by Federer with 20.
“What an incredible run you’ve had,” Federer posted. “Including 14 French Opens — historic! You made Spain proud ... you made the whole tennis world proud.”
When Federer left the sport by playing a doubles match at the Laver Cup in September 2022, his partner was Nadal. The two sat side-by-side afterward, crying.
“It meant everything to me that you were there by my side — not as my rival but as my doubles partner,” Federer wrote Tuesday. “Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.”
Nadal’s Spanish team was scheduled to meet the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinals Tuesday. Neither Nadal nor Spain’s captain, David Ferrer, would say Monday whether Nadal will play singles or doubles, both — or neither.
“Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last stretch of your epic career. We will talk when it’s done,” Federer wrote. “I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next.”