Juan Martin del Potro took down the five-time defending champion Roger Federer to capture the US Open title this week.
The Argentine player kept the pressure on the player many hail as the greatest in tennis history, one he had never beaten in six prior attempts, to complete a dramatic 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 upset after four hours and six minutes.
“A dream came true,” said a tearful Del Potro. “I don’t have words to explain how I feel.”
No. 1 Roger Federer has won his 38th straight match at the U.S. Open, moving into the quarterfinals with a victory over No. 14 Tommy Robredo.
Federer, in search of his sixth straight title at Flushing Meadows, split the first 10 games against his Spanish opponent Monday, then won 14 of the next 18 for a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory. He was off the court in 1 hour, 48 minutes.
His next match will come against No. 12 Robin Soderling, whom he beat in straight sets earlier this year in the French Open final to complete his career Grand Slam.
With his latest performance at the 2009 French Open, Roger Federer tied Pete Sampras’ record of 14 major singles titles and became the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam. Federer was at his best, completely outplaying No. 23-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 victory in the French Open final.
“Maybe my greatest victory _ or certainly the one that takes the most pressure off my shoulders,” Federer said in French, moments after dropping to his knees, caking them with clay, as his 127 mph service winner ended the match. “I think that now, and until the end of my career, I can really play with my mind at peace and no longer hear that I’ve never won at Roland Garros.”
Rafael Nadal held off Roger Federer to win his first Wimbledon title and end the Swiss star’s reign at the All England Club. Nadal missed two championship points in the fourth set but recovered to win a dramatic rain-interrupted match 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (8-10) 9-7.
Nadal, 22, is the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon titles back-to-back. Thought of as tennis’s version of a world heavyweight title fight - it lived up to the hype, Nadal finally won the longest Wimbledon men’s singles final after four hours, 48 minutes.
After his victory, a tearful Nadal climbed through the stands to celebrate his win with his family and supporters before heading to the royal box to speak to members of Spain’s royal family.
Rafael Nadal secured his status as The King of Clay yesterday when he took a fourth straight French Open title. Nadal pretty much destroyed world number one seed Roger Federer in three straight sets - 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. Nadal, who hails from Spain, who has never lost a match at Roland Garros, didn’t lost a single set in this year’s competition.
Tennis season will heat up now as the road to Wimbledon begins today with the Artois Championships getting underway at the Queens Club in London.
Roger Federer has won twelve Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, five Wimbledon, four US Open), four Tennis Masters Cup titles, and fourteen ATP Masters Series titles.
