Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Those were the words on my mind while watching Federer go down against Nadal in straight sets in the French Open Finals.
The match was a clash of titans, old rivals; one seeking to equal Borj's record and the other seeking to prove his detractors wrong the lay his hands on the silver trophy that had been eluding him. History beckoned and the occasion called for high drama, an adrenaline rush.
But that was not to be, after ominously losing his serve in the first game itself Federer went down like a pack of cards. In all he could wrest only four games from Nadal who played a power packed and smart game.

All through I kept expecting Federer to rise from the ashes, elevate his game and show some flashes of brilliance. True there were a few good points and rallys, but not enough. Not enough to stop the Nadal juggernaut. In the end instead of being a well fought contest it turned out to be a mere whimper.
Will we see Federer on the clay court finals the next year ? Will the master be able to brush aside younger more lithe competitors to make it to the finals ?
And if he does what aces must he have up his sleeve to beat Nadal ?
It has been debated that Federer may not stand a good chance in this championship in the coming years but surely it is not the end of daylight for Federer's French Open campaign. It may be dusk, but not nightfall yet and the honor that has long belied him might just come in the hours of dying light, or so I hope, because that would be poetic justice.