EPISODE 6
THE ILLUSIONIST
This episode will focus on Roger’s knowledge of the game and statistics which enables him to be the player he is today.
In the film, we will ask Pete Sampras - Roger’s mentor - to be our referent. Weather condition, ball quality or ball bounce control: all of these elements are the essence of Roger’s precise and sensitive game. He treats the racket as a weapon he has to take great care of. He is a real maniac of the racket just like Sampras.
Roger is a master in strategy especially during his service. He is a real illusionist and knows how to manipulate his adversaries’ minds and fools them into thinking he’s going to strike a certain way.
Which is why we decided to give Roger a « magical » homage by asking master of illusion Criss Angel, to think of a magic trick especially conceived to be performed on a tennis lawn.
LOCATION
USA / Florida / Los Angeles
CHIEF OF MISSION
Pete Sampras
THEME
Science and game strategy, serving
GIVER
Criss Angel
TRIBUTE
huge illustration on a tennis court
GUESTS
Gilles Simon, Pete Ferguson, Craig O'Shannessy (ATP Analyst), Boris Becker, Severin Lüthi, Nino Schurter and Erika Hess
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
The voiceover explains that physical and mental abilities are not required not become a great champion. To be a real champion, you have to be an expert in strategy. A tennis match is very much alike a chess game and Roger understood it at quite a young age. Pete Sampras – Roger’s ultimate idol – will be maneuvering the episode.
We’re heading to Florida to meet Roger’s official racket stringing maker at the « Priority One » workshop created by Nate Ferguson. Sampras will interview Nate who will confesses the perks of having worked for Federer for 16 years. He also shares with us, Federer’s obsession with finding the perfect stringing for his rackets. Sampras shares the same obsession. https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/20499081/meet-roger-federer-racket-stringing-gurus. For Roger it almost becomes a fetich. He often faced problems with airplane companies as he did not want his rackets to be stored in, with the other luggage.
Federer makes his own best coach with the help of his computer. Severin Lüthi gives an expertise on Roger’s work based on statistics. Roger’s first reflex when he ends up a match is to look at the statistics. He knows better than anyone his weaknesses and how to correct them. This might explain why Roger is one of the few champions that has been able to train without a coach for a very long time. With statistics, Roger can precisely study which type of game to use against his adversaries.
Sampras and Craig O’Shannessy – analytics specialist – will then meet Criss Angel in order to analyze his serving skills. Indeed, Federer’s service has owned its reputation. Roger is known for being the only player to have won 116 sets, only with his services with no interruption. When he lost his first set facing G. Simon, in summer 2015, the Reuter agency created an alert in the news. We will discover through images of Roger playing, how he manages to create optical illusions when he plays, to disturb his opponents.
Andy Roddick and Gilles Simon explain how they got fooled by Federer’s tricks.
Tennisman known for his serves Boris Becker will then confirm what an extraordinary work Federer has accomplished with his wrists as he throws the ball.
Criss Angel needs help to perform the magic trick and seeks it by asking one of Roger’s best known opponents.
