The Curse of Gillette is Complete!

A couple of months ago I issued a public warning to Roger Federer that he should be afraid, very afraid of what might befall him after seeing his two other partners in crime in the Gillette TV commercials take dramatic falls. First we had Tiger Woods imploding at home and on the golf course, then Thierry Henry transforming himself from the most loved to the most hated footballer in the world thanks to a hand ball that cost Ireland their World Cup place. (Oh, and how the Irish cried when the French team failed to win a single game in their group and were sent home in disgrace, economy class). Tiger continues to be in turmoil, and Thierry's played his last, ignominious World Cup. And so to Roger, the winner of 16 Grand Slam titles. After failing to make the final of a French Open he won last year he has now been dumped out of Wimbledon in the quarter-finals by Thomas Berdych, the first time the Fed's failed to make a Wimbledon final since 2002. His ungracious reaction to this was to blame a hitherto secret back injury, leg injury and any other injury he could come up with, failing at the same time to praise the young Czech for a sublime performance. Now he will watch Nadal probably claim his second Wimbledon title and Grand Slam number eight. What price that the Spaniard will match Federer's 16 Slams one day? And what price Messrs Woods, Henry and Federer will not be appearing together again in any commercial?