Courtesy-Sky Sports
After a hard-fought win in the third round, Roger Federer, who had two knee operations in 2020, hinted at withdrawing from Roland Garros, saying “I don’t know whether I am going to play.” Roger Federer will likely withdraw from the French Open on Sunday in order to relax ahead of Wimbledon.
Federer, the 2009 winner and likely in his final Roland Garros, reached the second week for the 15th time, two months shy of his 40th birthday. Due to a government-imposed COVID-19 curfew, his razor-thin 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 triumph over 59th-ranked Dominik Koepfer took place at Court Philippe Chatrier, which was bereft of fans and atmosphere.
On Monday, Roger Federer will face Matteo Berrettini of Italy, who had two knee operations last year and is competing in only his third tournament since the 2020 Australian Open. Federer, whose 3hr 35min match concluded just before 12:45 on Sunday morning, remarked, “I don’t know whether I’m going to play.” “I have to make a decision on whether or not to keep playing. Is it too dangerous to continue to exert pressure on the knee? Is it a suitable moment to take a break?” he added.
Since his debut in 1999, AFP Sport has looked at five of his finest moments at Roland Garros. Final vs. Robin Soderling in 2009 . With Rafael Nadal having been knocked out of the competition in the fourth round by Soderling in what was the Spaniard’s first ever defeat in Paris, Federer’s route to completing the career Grand Slam seemed clear.
Federer won his 14th major title with a 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 triumph, making him only the third man in history to sweep all four majors. It was a bittersweet victory for a player who had fallen to Nadal in the previous three Roland Garros championships. Tommy Haas in the fourth round in 2009
The Swiss star came back from a two-set deficit to overcome Germany’s Haas, a personal friend, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 in the final. Federer, who had saved a break opportunity at 3-4 in the third set with a crushing, nerveless forehand winner, stated, “Tommy played a wonderful tennis, I struggled to get into the meeting.”
Federer broke Djokovic’s 43-match winning streak and set up a final showdown with Nadal. Federer, who now has 16 major titles under his belt, won 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6. “I was just wanting to play well and make it to the French Open final, which I’m obviously pleased to have done. It’s almost as if I’ve won the tournament, which I haven’t,” Federer stated.
Federer required five sets to upset gigantic Argentine Del Potro 3-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, proving that his journey to the 2009 triumph was anything but straightforward. “I was lucky, but I battled hard because Juan Martin was playing extremely well,” Federer remarked.
This was the first final between Nadal and Federer in Paris, and it was hardly a classic. With a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 victory. Nadal successfully defended his championship, ending Federer’s aspirations of matching Don Budge and Rod Laver as the only players to hold all four Grand Slam championships at the same time.
“This is a wonderful victory and a tremendous accomplishment in my career,” Nadal remarked after winning his 60th match on clay.