Federer and 9 Years Ago Tomorrow

[McEnroeisanartist]

9 years ago tomorrow, Roger Federer, the 5th ranked player in the world at the time, lost in the first round of the French Open to a player, Luis Horna, who had never won a Grand Slam match. Federer had lost in the first round of a Grand Slam in three of the previous five Grand Slams. It was his 18th grand slam played and had reached two quarterfinals. After that loss, in his next 18 grand slams played, he would remarkably win 13 grand slams (he also reached two other finals, and two semifinals).

 

[TribalJunkie]

**crickets chirping**

 

[Hood_Man]

It is a pretty cool fact that, especially when you consider what came afterwards.

There's hope for Gulbis yet!*

[EDIT]

*Tongue firmly in cheek

 

[Warmaster]

It is a pretty cool fact that, especially when you consider what came afterwards.

There's hope for Gulbis yet!

I wouldn't be too optimistic

 

[kishnabe]

It is a pretty cool fact that, especially when you consider what came afterwards.

There's hope for Gulbis yet!

Gulbis didn't beat anyone significant in a Slam. Federer beat Sampras before those horrendous 1st round losses.

Plus Federer cared then, Gulbis don't know if he cares about his losses.

 

[Hood_Man]

I wouldn't be too optimistic

I'd give anything to see him get past the second round to be honest.

 

[stringertom]

A smooth sea never makes a skilled sailor. You must remember Fed dealt with the tragic loss of his formative-years coach, Peter Carter, the previous summer. His early '02 mini-slump cannot be attributed to that horrible accident in South Africa but I'm sure his eventual emergence was first delayed but then reinforced by how he dealt with the loss.

 

[Mustard]

After beating Federer in straight sets in the first round, Horna had a match point in his second round match against Verkerk. Verkerk came back to win and went all the way to the final.

 

[roundiesee]

I remember that match well. To me, Horna was a very underated player. He was a superb clay courter IMO, and he was playing lights out that day against a somewhat subdued Federer. I suppose after all those early round losses, not many would have predicted that Federer would have such a wonderful career

 

[Cormorant]

Luis Horna was a redoubtable opponent on clay, if only for a little while. He took a set from Coria in Hamburg at a time when the Argentinian was the heir apparent to the clay throne, and there was even a bit of a contretemps between them so unused was Guillermo to losing sets on the red stuff. Still, Federer's loss to him was a disappointment back then and it seemed like the Swiss had made remarkably little progress when 2004 came around and Kuerten routined him.

I'd forgotten about Horna's near miss to the tailspinning Dutchman in 2003. Verkerk took down half of the top 8 in that event, and I can't think of anyone else who made a GS final and ended up with so few top flight wins. But he wasn't the only one to reach a championship match at a major and yet have a negative W/L ratio in top tier competition; he had company that decade with two other slam finalists who've lost more than they've won, and I wonder if anyone can guess who they are...

 

[joeri888]

Luis Horna was a redoubtable opponent on clay, if only for a little while. He took a set from Coria in Hamburg at a time when the Argentinian was the heir apparent to the clay throne, and there was even a bit of a contretemps between them so unused was Guillermo to losing sets on the red stuff. Still, Federer's loss to him was a disappointment back then and it seemed like the Swiss had made remarkably little progress when 2004 came around and Kuerten routined him.

I'd forgotten about Horna's near miss to the tailspinning Dutchman in 2003. Verkerk took down half of the top 8 in that event, and I can't think of anyone else who made a GS final and ended up with so few top flight wins. But he wasn't the only one to reach a championship match at a major and yet have a negative W/L ratio in top tier competition; he had company that decade with two other slam finalists who've lost more than they've won, and I wonder if anyone can guess who they are...

Cool question. I was just wondering about that W/L record. Let's see, there were many finalists in the 2000's, but my guess is that they were players in the early 2000's. Maybe Puerta? And my second guess would be Clement.

 

[Cormorant]

Cool question. I was just wondering about that W/L record. Let's see, there were many finalists in the 2000's, but my guess is that they were players in the early 2000's. Maybe Puerta? And my second guess would be Clement.

Clement's correct, but Puerta had a positive ratio. And that's a good call on the Frenchman, because I wouldn't have believed it myself without looking it up; he must have racked up a lot of defeats in his post-prime seasons.