'FEDERER VS THE ROBOTS'

The following is part of Roger Federer's Press Conference after his Wimbledon win.

"Since my generation and Rafa's generation, the next one hasn't been strong enough to push all of us out really, so that has been helpful for us to stick around."
Federer has previously been critical of a perceived inability of the younger players on tour to come to the net, instead staying on the baseline and engaging in long rallies.
On Tuesday the Swiss great seemed rather unimpressed by the lack of variety in the modern game.
"They can choose not to play that way, too, if the coach has taught them to play differently," Federer said.
"I know you can easily get sucked into that mode when you don't want to attack, but if you can't volley you aren't going to go to the net."

Interesting views from the great man.
No matter what grade you watch you will always see a player go to the net to do the obligatory volley and smash routine just like the 'big boys' do, yet I wonder why this is so ?
If you are only going to the net to shake hands why would you bother to waste your time with a couple of minutes at the net in the warm up ?
Would you be deemed as a baseline 'robot' if you broke with tradition and bypassed the net in the warm up ? Even if you are a robot ??
Tennis has some interesting traditions, the all white at Wimbledon, the 'by the book' warm up routine, the silly high five hand shake at the end of a match, the raise of the hand to say 'sorry' if you hit a net cord winner.
I do believe that Australian legend tennis Professional John Alexander broke with tradition and in fact commenced his warm up at the net because that's the way he played his matches, at the net.
Today's players all do the same thing and there is no variety, they are a dime a dozen as that's the way they get taught. The net is out of bounds yet it is always a part of their routine before a match.
Federer won Wimbledon at age 35, nearly 36, by finishing points early on the grass just as he did on the hard courts at the Aussie Open in January. Roger has the most variety of any tennis professional currently and he is almost the oldest guy playing the game on tour.
Countries will continue to produce baseline robots because that's the way that the sport is being taught, just as Roger suggested, with no variety.
Roger no doubt owns a tennis education book that is written in his mind and when he plays at his best he resembles a Professor teaching his pupils from a text book.
In all reality, he could read the next page without opening it, he knows what is coming next.......