For the first time in eight years, the Australian Open semifinals will not feature Roger Federer.
For the first time in 14 years, the Australian Open fourth round will not feature Roger Federer.
The great man was felled on Friday, in the third round of Australian Open 2015, by a display of brilliance, some brawn, and a lot of honest-to-goodness-bottle from Andreas Seppi. The perfect combination of a willing challenger and a challenged champion, ending 6-4 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(5).
“Just a bad day,” Federer said frankly. “It had things to do with Andreas' game and with my game as well. You put those things together, all of a sudden you're playing a match you don't want to play.”
For Federer, it was rather reminiscent of the US Open in 2013. A resurgent opponent showing no mercy on his backhand, leaving him to mis-time the forehand, and then pick him off in the open space. An opponent, Tommy Robredo, whom he hadn’t lost to in 10 previous meetings.
Seppi had also not beaten Federer in 10 previous meetings before Friday. He had won just one set, in Doha three years ago. He had also beaten just one member of the top 10 on 26 occasions. And yet on Friday at Melbourne Park, he showed up believing he could win.
“You don't play every day on a centre court, in front of a full stadium, against Roger Federer,” Seppi said. “But I was very calm. Is a special moment for me.”
For much of the early exchanges, debate flitted about as to whether Seppi was on or Federer was off. Maybe it was the dayglo yellow that made Federer look a little less serene. But whatever his opponent was doing, Seppi was concentrating on himself. He is a man who has persevered in this sport. Ever since struggling with his backhand as a junior, he has carried around a picture of Yevgeny Kafelnikov hitting a backhand. He did credit to his inspiration today.
At 4-4 in the first set, Seppi broke to love. He faced break-back points from Federer as he tried to serve out, but held his nerve. One set up: Seppi confident, Federer anxious.
The second set went to a tiebreak and Federer stormed ahead, only for Seppi to win six of the last seven points to take it as Federer went for a lunge volley and missed. Two sets up: Seppi buoyant, Federer deflated.
“I guess it was just an overall feeling I had today out on the court that I couldn't, you know, really get the whole game flowing. You know, was it backhand? Was it forehand? Was it serve? It was a bit of everything.
“I was hanging in there. Gee, what did I have, 4-1 in the breaker, 3-1 in the breaker? I don't remember what it was. I hit a pretty good serve that I shouldn't – downwind, I should never lose that point.”
In the third, Federer began to chat to himself. Amp himself up, and in three languages, no less. He broke to lead 2-1 with an ‘allez’, ‘komm jetz’ and a ‘come on’, and then served out the set to love at 6-3. Two sets to one: game on.
But he seemed tired in the fourth, and, as the sun’s shadow cut the court in half, Federer served to stay in the match at 5-4. He served out to love. Again Seppi held, and Federer served again. Clinging on by his neon as the score hovered around deuce, he sent a huge forehand skipping just inside the tramline to gain game point. He fist-pumped quietly. But he looked terrified.
“It went in phases,” Federer explained. “But at least I was able to iron out things a bit and able to play much more solid at the back end of the match. But it just broke me to lose that second set. And actually the fourth, I should win it, too.”
Three points later, an ace down the T sent the set to a tie-break, and again, Federer had the early advantage. Producing a backhand winner for practically the first time all match, he put himself up 5-4. He had two points on serve to add to his 369 tiebreaks won, rather than 189 lost.
But the next backhand was a shank, followed by a scintillating off-forehand into the open space from Seppi. Match point.
On match points, especially upset match points, the challenger is usually a bundle of nerves, tip-toeing around the baseline and desperately waiting for his opponent to muck it up. Not so Seppi. The pair flew forehand to forehand until, with the internet almost paused in anticipation, Federer rushed the net and Seppi passed him. A brilliant, beautiful forehand up-the-line.
“It was a winner, so I didn’t know how I can play a winner,” Seppi said, almost sheepishly. “At the beginning I thought I couldn't even reach the ball. Then, yeah, when I hit it, I didn't saw it going there. I just saw when it bounced in. Was, yeah, for sure one of the important shots of my life.”
“The way he hits it you think, this can't possibly land in,” Federer said. “You kind of go and you're there and you're like, ‘No, I'm going to let it go’. As you're telling yourself that, you look behind you and you already know it's done.”
Three sets to one: game over.
Bizarrely, Federer finished the match with one more point than Seppi – 145 to 144. But not the ones he needed to. And 55 unforced errors didn’t help, even when married with 57 winners.
“It's just when it counted the most somehow it just ended up going his way,” the 17-time Slam champion said. “I had to play it a little bit passively at times when normally I would play aggressive.”
By strange quirk of fate, it’s the second year that Seppi has done for the Brisbane champion, having ousted Lleyton Hewitt last year. But that’s immaterial. What matters here is that he’s beaten Roger Federer. He’s in a Grand Slam fourth round. Someone should send him a photo.
“To have this win in my career, it's for sure something big,” Seppi said. “Now I know that I can handle also some very difficult moments or some big pressure.”
And Federer? He won’t be playing Nick Kyrgios in a dream fourth-round encounter. But he’s not going anywhere just yet.
“It's not like I'm playing shocking or I'm feeling shocking,” he said. “It's like one of those things you look back and maybe, yeah, I didn't feel so good. If I were you, I wouldn't read very much into that.”
It was just a bad day. That’s life.
ausopen.com
Once again Roger had his chances, but either couldn't capitalize on them, or just squandered them.
And I guess if I'm being honest Roger just wasn't playing anywhere near his best. I honestly cannot recall the last time he had 9 double faults in any one match.
Here's hoping the media doesn't start those retirement rumors again.
Once again I find myself rooting for the women (go Genie Bouchard & Aga Radwanska!). At this moment I just don't have it in me to root for any of the remaining guys.
On a more positive note congratulations to my other favourite Swiss, Martina Hingis and her partner Flavia Pennetta who won their doubles and moved into 3rd round. Good job ladies!.
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