Federer Dismisses Talk of His Demise
The Swiss ace and 16-time Grand Slam champion was quick to downplay his defeat against Tsonga immediately after the match. Federer said: "I was pretty pleased with my performance today and at least it took a special performance to beat me. He played an amazing match and didn't give me much hope." Federer's assertion that everything went well, apart from the score, was rather overshadowed by the fact that this was the first time he had ever lost in a Grand Slam tournament after being two sets up
Federer's Faltering Wimbledon Form
12 months ago, Federer lost at the same stage at Wimbledon against the Czech giant Tomas Berdych in four sets having almost gone out in the first round to unseeded Alejandro Fallo. These were matches that showed some chinks in the armour of the six-time Wimbledon champion and the warning signs were there again when he dropped the first set against Mikhail Youzhny in the fourth round. There now appear to be more dips in Federer's concentration levels and Greg Rusedski noticed that the Swiss was too keen to end the point against Youzhny rather than get in to longer rallies.
Federer's Erratic Recent Form in Majors
Against Tsonga, Federer appeared in total control with some serene play and shot-making. However, in the last three sets he could barely lay a racket on the Tsonga serve and never looked like breaking the Frenchman. There has been a trend in Federer's recent Major performances, including the straight sets defeat against Novak Djockovic in the Australian Open in January, where bursts of brilliance are followed by erratic games at crucial moments. In the recent French Open final, he was unable to find a first serve when 5-3 up against Rafael Nadal in the opening set.
However, Federer has set the bar so high in his major performances since he claimed the first at Wimbledon in 2003 that any dip is bound to be exaggerated. He defeated Djockovic in the French Open semi-final in June with a brilliant display, ending the Serb's 43 match winning streak. Federer also played well in the final before falling to his fifth defeat to Nadal on the last Sunday at Roland Garros.
The Effect of Rafa Nadal on Federer's Grand Slam Record
It is perhaps the Spaniard's incredible physical and mental wall that has done more to wear down Federer over the last few years than any other major contenders. The defeat to Nadal in an epic five-setter at Wimbledon in 2008 was followed by a devastating loss at the Australian Open in 2009 where the Swiss broke down in tears after running out of steam in the fifth and final set. In the post-match presentation, Federer said: "I've felt better. Maybe I'll try later. God, it's killing me."
Roger Federer has reached 29 consecutive quarter-finals in majors. He is by no means history and will surely have an opportunity to add at least one or two more Slams to his haul before finally retiring from a stage which he has graced for almost a decade.
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