If you could reverse 2 sets of tennis Federer played...

[harinder]

Which ones would they be? Assume there is no knock on effect, just a simple retrospective change with everything else being the same. You can either choose 2 sets in the same match or spread across two matches.

For me, its either

2 sets in FO 06 (7 straight slams, grand slam, double career slam) or;
1 set each W 08 & AO 09 (7 straight W's, 8 W's total, 5 AO, H2H factor - reversal of 2 worst losses to Nadal)

 

[Inanimate_object]

I wouldn't change a damn thing about Wimbledon 08 or Australian Open 09. Those matches were unbelievable and made waves in tennis and the stories it produced.

I would take back Federer's 5th set at Wimbledon 2009, and give him the 5th set in Wimbledon 2014.

 

[Jokervich]

2 sets in USO 2008 semi final vs Djokovic

 

[CBK]

2009 AO 5th set and 2009 USO 5th set. That would give him 6 straight slams after the W 08 heartbreak (and thus would be remembered as one of the best bounce backs in tennis history).

But far more importantly, that would give him the CYGS in 2009 and unquestionable GOAT status. Imagine winning a 5th in the USO final to close out the CYGS, and to hit the shot of the decade in the match prior to that? Doesn't get any better than that, even for someone like Federer

 

[Deleted member 688153]

2009 AO 5th set and 2009 USO 5th set. That would give him 6 straight slams after the W 08 heartbreak (and thus would be remembered as one of the best bounce backs in tennis history).

But far more importantly, that would give him the CYGS in 2009 and unquestionable GOAT status. Imagine winning a 5th in the USO final to close out the CYGS, and to hit the shot of the decade in the match prior to that? Doesn't get any better than that, even for someone like Federer

Voting for this.

If he wasn't so damn stubborn, he'd have won those matches and more anyway.

 

[tennisaddict]

I would take back Federer's 5th set at Wimbledon 2009, and give him the 5th set in Wimbledon 2014.

Never mind. I mistook for 2008.

 

[The_18th_Slam]

2009 Australian Open: would give Federer 5 titles at 3 different Slams, and deny Nadal the Career Slam.
2014 Wimbledon: would give Federer the outright Wimbledon record, and his 6th YE#1 finish.

 

[Nathaniel_Near]

Voting for this.

If he wasn't so damn stubborn, he'd have won those matches and more anyway.

I'd like to come at this from a different angle (or question yours). How closely were you following and appreciating what Federer was doing in 2009? I ask because even if he had achieved that scenario, you might have not fully appreciated it and thus it's a choice you could be making on behalf of Federer (or on behalf of how the fan base as a whole would be most happy with Federer). But, what about for your own experience of the moment - would you not prefer to reverse some more recent sets?

 

[Deleted member 688153]

I'd like to come at this from a different angle (or question yours). How closely were you following and appreciating what Federer was doing in 2009? I ask because even if he had achieved that scenario, you might have not fully appreciated it and thus it's a choice you could be making on behalf of Federer (or on behalf of how the fan base as a whole would be most happy with Federer). But, what about for your own experience of the moment - would you not prefer to reverse some more recent sets?

That's actually interesting and you might have a point.
Still, it was largely a choice I was making for Fed, not myself, yes.
His losses wouldn't be as bad if he had a CYGS in the bag from 2009 though, but yeah, turning around the Wimbledon 2014 and USO 2015 losses would be fantastic too.

 

[BeatlesFan]

The first two sets of the 2008 Wimbledon final. No question!

Second place: the second and fourth sets of the 2009 USO final. This was a gimme match for Roger.

 

[Nathaniel_Near]

That's actually interesting and you might have a point.
Still, it was largely a choice I was making for Fed, not myself, yes.
His losses wouldn't be as bad if he had a CYGS in the bag from 2009 though, but yeah, turning around the Wimbledon 2014 and USO 2015 losses would be fantastic too.

Also, If Federer had won those two Slams at this age and stage against such opposition, to me that would perhaps be as GOAT defining as winning the CYGS. Doing so would have been such an extreme tennis rarity, and we tend to exalt the finest of tennis rarities. Federer proving a Major Champs winning game at this stage would've appeared miraculous and would have added massively to his legend. In a way, the victories would have been far more beautiful, given the journey they would have came off the back of. The only issue with these statements is that generally, there is a heavy bias toward dominance, and so the finest tennis rarities pertaining to longevity of brilliance tend to be undervalued...

 

[Deleted member 307496]

Take away the 5th set of the 2014 Wimbledon final and replace it with the second set against Rafa at the WTF in 2011.

 

[merwy]

Just going to pick the 2 matches that hurt me the most: AO9 and W14, fifth set for both.

An alternative would be any RG final against Rafa, to shut up the haters that say Fed doesn't deserve the RG title and to give him the double career GS.

 

[CBK]

Regarding W 2014 and USO 2015, that would have most definitely have been my second set of choices if not for the 2009 finals. The main problem with this is that you'd need to reverse TWO sets just to win the USO 2015, which is all the OP offered.

I've watched Federer since 2003 AO and having grown up watching him, I strongly believe that winning the CYGS in 2009 alongside the birth of his first set of twins, especially after the relatively lackluster 2008 (until USO) would have been the pinnacle of his career. And to do it in the 5th set of a USO final against an opponent playing out of his mind? Right after the birth of his kids? Trust me, even Federer himself would have told you that was his moment of a lifetime.

And this is all despite having had more dominant season between 2003-2007. 2009 would have just blown all those out of the water just due to the circumstances surrounding that year.