BGod
G.O.A.T.
If you try and look up "Federer's worst defeats", you don't get too much really. So why not take a look?
Stakhovsky (2013 Wimbledon), 7-6, 6-7, 5-7, 6-7
Federer was the defending champion and seeded 3rd. Stakhovsky was seeded 116th. Unlike many early round upsets in tennis history, Federer wasn't exactly hampered by severe injury, although a nagging back all year was the culprit for his downswing you can see by the tight scores it was not a collapse by any stretch. Stakhovsky served out of his mind and volleyed extremely well. By the thinnest of margins, Federer was unable to escape the earliest Slam loss since winning his first title. It also broke his streak of 36 consecutive Quarters.
Djokovic (2011 U.S. Open), 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 5-7
Yes, it was Djokovic's coming out party. Yes, it was a 5 set match. However Federer had beaten Djokovic at the French Open earlier in the year and was leading 2 sets to none. He was also serving with double match point. Perhaps the greatest of Federer's chokes, this is amplified by what occurred the previous year. He had double match point in the 5th set there too, but he hadn't won the first two sets and was returning. He was also in a downswing after losing back to back quarters to Soderling and Berdych. In his career, few times has Federer choked away a match in the definitive sense. Lost a match he should have won? Absolutely, several times, but choking one away? On serve? When??
Davydenko (2009 WTF), 2-6, 6-4, 5-7
Federer has dominated numerous opponents in his career but few have faced him as many times as Davydenko, only to lose nearly every single time no matter the momentum. Beginning in 2002, Federer would beat Davydenko all 12 times, often in straights (and one 4 set match at a Slam). Yet somehow, at the 2009 World Tour Finals, an event Federer has won 6 times and had made the Championship match 5 years in a row before having a bad round robin in 2008, Davydenko won. Sure, he'd repeat the performance the following year with a 6-4, 6-4 victory, but at Doha, a forgettable secondary ATP event. This was the World Tour Finals. He'd go on to lose 7 more consecutive matches to Federer before retiring. This sticks out like a sore thumb because it's a tournament Federer has always brought his best and sure, he lost to Giles Simon the previous year, but that was in round robin play and Simon has put up better fights against Roger. Simon actually won his first two meetings before losing the next 6 but of those 6 losses, 2 have gone 5 sets in Slams.
Nadal (2008 French Open), 1-6, 3-6, 0-6
Yes, Federer was still recovering from mono, but he was still performing well enough to make Slam Finals and this match occurred not long before the epic in Wimbledon. To only come away with 4 games in any best of 5 set match was unthinkable and it hasn't happened since.
Gasquet (2005 Monte Carlo), 7-6, 2-6, 6-7
Federer had some great years but the talk between 2006 and 2007 is always going to headline the conversation because he went 3/4 at the Slams, made the French Final and won the WTF. 2005 gets lost in the shuffle but in retrospect, it was a masterful year. The Slam blemishes are Semifinal losses to Nadal and an epic to Safin. He also lost a 5 set thriller to Nalbandian. The Safin and Nalbandian losses are examples of chokes but both players were phenomenal that day and had decent careers. On the main tour, the only other loss that season was to Richard Gasquet. Federer went 55-4 across the Slams, Masters and WTF. Let that sink in, 55-4. So you think, Nadal, Safin and Nalbandian, all understandable losses. So where does Gasquet come in? He doesn't. He was an 18 year old qualifier at Monte Carlo and lost the first set to the nearly 2 year reigning world number one. His career record against Federer is 2-14 and the only other time he beat him was a tight 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 match SIX YEARS LATER. Maybe being 18 and it's your first match, Gasquet found unlimited confidence, but when you review that season and look at Gasquet's career, it will never make sense to you. One final note on this match, Roger had match points at 6-5, 7-6 (on serve), and 8-6 in the tiebreak.
Stakhovsky (2013 Wimbledon), 7-6, 6-7, 5-7, 6-7
Federer was the defending champion and seeded 3rd. Stakhovsky was seeded 116th. Unlike many early round upsets in tennis history, Federer wasn't exactly hampered by severe injury, although a nagging back all year was the culprit for his downswing you can see by the tight scores it was not a collapse by any stretch. Stakhovsky served out of his mind and volleyed extremely well. By the thinnest of margins, Federer was unable to escape the earliest Slam loss since winning his first title. It also broke his streak of 36 consecutive Quarters.
Djokovic (2011 U.S. Open), 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 5-7
Yes, it was Djokovic's coming out party. Yes, it was a 5 set match. However Federer had beaten Djokovic at the French Open earlier in the year and was leading 2 sets to none. He was also serving with double match point. Perhaps the greatest of Federer's chokes, this is amplified by what occurred the previous year. He had double match point in the 5th set there too, but he hadn't won the first two sets and was returning. He was also in a downswing after losing back to back quarters to Soderling and Berdych. In his career, few times has Federer choked away a match in the definitive sense. Lost a match he should have won? Absolutely, several times, but choking one away? On serve? When??
Davydenko (2009 WTF), 2-6, 6-4, 5-7
Federer has dominated numerous opponents in his career but few have faced him as many times as Davydenko, only to lose nearly every single time no matter the momentum. Beginning in 2002, Federer would beat Davydenko all 12 times, often in straights (and one 4 set match at a Slam). Yet somehow, at the 2009 World Tour Finals, an event Federer has won 6 times and had made the Championship match 5 years in a row before having a bad round robin in 2008, Davydenko won. Sure, he'd repeat the performance the following year with a 6-4, 6-4 victory, but at Doha, a forgettable secondary ATP event. This was the World Tour Finals. He'd go on to lose 7 more consecutive matches to Federer before retiring. This sticks out like a sore thumb because it's a tournament Federer has always brought his best and sure, he lost to Giles Simon the previous year, but that was in round robin play and Simon has put up better fights against Roger. Simon actually won his first two meetings before losing the next 6 but of those 6 losses, 2 have gone 5 sets in Slams.
Nadal (2008 French Open), 1-6, 3-6, 0-6
Yes, Federer was still recovering from mono, but he was still performing well enough to make Slam Finals and this match occurred not long before the epic in Wimbledon. To only come away with 4 games in any best of 5 set match was unthinkable and it hasn't happened since.
Gasquet (2005 Monte Carlo), 7-6, 2-6, 6-7
Federer had some great years but the talk between 2006 and 2007 is always going to headline the conversation because he went 3/4 at the Slams, made the French Final and won the WTF. 2005 gets lost in the shuffle but in retrospect, it was a masterful year. The Slam blemishes are Semifinal losses to Nadal and an epic to Safin. He also lost a 5 set thriller to Nalbandian. The Safin and Nalbandian losses are examples of chokes but both players were phenomenal that day and had decent careers. On the main tour, the only other loss that season was to Richard Gasquet. Federer went 55-4 across the Slams, Masters and WTF. Let that sink in, 55-4. So you think, Nadal, Safin and Nalbandian, all understandable losses. So where does Gasquet come in? He doesn't. He was an 18 year old qualifier at Monte Carlo and lost the first set to the nearly 2 year reigning world number one. His career record against Federer is 2-14 and the only other time he beat him was a tight 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 match SIX YEARS LATER. Maybe being 18 and it's your first match, Gasquet found unlimited confidence, but when you review that season and look at Gasquet's career, it will never make sense to you. One final note on this match, Roger had match points at 6-5, 7-6 (on serve), and 8-6 in the tiebreak.
