Cabeza del Demonio
Hall of Fame
A match no one expected, that has been criminally underappreciated over time. Federer had reached the last 10 Grand Slam finals and came into AO08 without having lost a set since 2006. He had dropped only 6 games in his first 2 rounds, and his matchup against Tipsarevic looked to be a routine affair. But the unseeded youngster didn't seem intimidated one bit, matching Federer step for step with powerful flat shotmaking, capping off an intense first set with a forehand passing shot screamer.
The match continued to produce intense rallies with neither willing to surrender the momentum. Things came down to the wire in a tiebreak, and Federer suddenly elevated into a new gear, running away with the tiebreak and finishing with a perfectly placed backhand to level the match. But Tipsarevic, far from backing down, continued to dominate on serve and matched the great man for firepower and confidence. He dismissed 2 Federer set points with fearless tennis, and it would earn him the momentum he needed to get within a set of pulling off the unthinkable.
Sensing the danger, Federer upped his own level to level the match again with clinical efficiency. As the match entered its 5th hour both players continued to redline their games and thrill the crowd with impeccable quality tennis and gutsy serving to stay level. At 8-8, Federer earned a crucial break point, returning a Tipsarevic smash with a blistering forehand pass. He would not look back, serving out the match to quell the Serbian underdog's grave effort in an incredible 6-7(5) 7-6(1) 5-7 6-1 10-8 epic.
This is one of my personal favorite matches, and it foreshadowed the impending fall of the one-man empire that was Roger Federer.
Enjoy!
The match continued to produce intense rallies with neither willing to surrender the momentum. Things came down to the wire in a tiebreak, and Federer suddenly elevated into a new gear, running away with the tiebreak and finishing with a perfectly placed backhand to level the match. But Tipsarevic, far from backing down, continued to dominate on serve and matched the great man for firepower and confidence. He dismissed 2 Federer set points with fearless tennis, and it would earn him the momentum he needed to get within a set of pulling off the unthinkable.
Sensing the danger, Federer upped his own level to level the match again with clinical efficiency. As the match entered its 5th hour both players continued to redline their games and thrill the crowd with impeccable quality tennis and gutsy serving to stay level. At 8-8, Federer earned a crucial break point, returning a Tipsarevic smash with a blistering forehand pass. He would not look back, serving out the match to quell the Serbian underdog's grave effort in an incredible 6-7(5) 7-6(1) 5-7 6-1 10-8 epic.
This is one of my personal favorite matches, and it foreshadowed the impending fall of the one-man empire that was Roger Federer.
Enjoy!
