Shots 11-15
Rafa hits a topspin forehand crosscourt to Fed’s backhand. Scar tissue scar tissue in Federer’s brain, Federer’s backhand. Fed loops a solid backhand back crosscourt. A losing pattern. A losing pattern. Rafa hits a sharper, stronger topspin forehand to Fed’s backhand. Fed covers it in a flash and from way off court surprises Rafa with a powerful and perfectly struck backhand crosscourt. (We both admitted we cried, the local pro and I, the morning after: Fed’s new backhand with the larger racquet at 35 years old, the solution to the Rafa topspin problem he could never solve.)
Shots 16-18
Fed rips a forehand crosscourt, puts Rafa on his bicycle, his legs like pistons churning and churning to get two strong hands on a backhand, send it back cross court. Fed puts Rafa on his bicycle again by going down the line–the animator so excited he pauses the action, steals a glance at Federer’s face. I’m running Rafa like shit Rafa Rafa can run like shit like wind like anima spirit animal thirty forty years pass Roger and Rafa fathers and grandfathers on a boat in Mallorca cast poles in the water . . . The old nurse touches Odysseus’ scar. Deeper and deeper, shot after shot.
Artist Bio: JC is an animator/designer from Australia. He is also a tennis and anime fanatic. The animation above of Federer and Nadal took him 50+ hours to complete. You can follow him @JCeptable on Twitter.
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