The Delray Beach International Tennis Championships singles’ draw has been released with American John Isner as the top seed.

Isner faces compatriot Jessie Levine in the opening round while 2002 finalist and fourth seed Andy Roddick squares off against German Philipp Petzschner.

Roddick has been struggling with injury since the Australian Open and will need to find his form in order to make a deep run here. If the draw holds up, Isner and Roddick will clash in the semifinals.

Croatian Marin Cilic makes his first appearance at this event and takes on the crafty veteran Jarkko Nieminen in his initial match. Third seed Viktor Troicki is another first timer in Delray Beach. In his opening encounter, the Serb battles seasoned opponent, Steve Darcis.

After a five year absence, fifth seed Phillip Kohlschreiber is back and collides with the talented Olivier Rochus who was a finalist in Auckland earlier this year and a quarterfinalist in Memphis last week.

Previous participants, sixth seed Alex Bogomolov Jr. and Kevin Anderson play qualifiers in their first meetings. Bernard Tomic rounds out the seeds at the number eight spot. The gifted Aussie will combat 2006 champion and wildcard entrant Tommy Haas in the first round.

Other notables playing include 2010 French Open semifinalist Jurgen Melzer in his maiden appearance, 2010 ITC finalist Ivo Karlovic, 2010 champion Ernests Gulbis and two time ITC victor Xavier Malisse.

The action gets underway Monday, February 27. Join the MiamiTennisNews Facebook Fan page at http://www.facebook.com/MiamiTennisNews and follow us on Twitter under the user name @MiamiTennisNews at http://twitter.com/MiamiTennisNews for news, live scores, and results.

Nathalie Narcisse

The finals of the ATP Champions Tour were contested Tuesday night at the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center between Australian Patrick Rafter and American tennis legend John McEnroe. The meeting between the two former majors winners was expected to be a display of serve and volley, both delivered. Rafter prevailed over McEnroe 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1) in two highly competitive sets.

Although the ATP Champions Tour has been in existence since 1997, the four day event in Delray marked the Champions Tour’s inaugural stop on U.S. soil. McEnroe qualified for the finals by going undefeated in Group A (3-0) highlighted by wins over Mats Wilander and Andres Gomez. Despite losing to Ronald Agenor, in Group B, Rafter advanced by beating Aaron Krickstein and Pat Cash.

Rafter was favored in the final in light of his age. However, McEnroe held his own in the match. The difference was Rafter’s ability to raise his game level in the tiebreakers. McEnroe would later concede during the trophy ceremony that Rafter was “too good.” Also, McEnroe jokingly said that Rafter is “younger, faster, and better-looking than me.” The win places Rafter at the top of the rankings of The Champions Tour. The Champions tour moves next to Zurich on March 9.

Turning to the ATP Tour’s main draw, top seed Tommy Haas was upset on Monday night by Teimuraz Gabashvilli in straight sets. Despite dropping a set to Nicolas Lapentti, Evgeny Korolev, last year’s finalist, advanced. Mardy Fish, the 2009 champion, moved on when Christophe Rochus retired at 3 all in the third set. Second seed Ivo Karlovic ousted Philipp Petzschner while Kie Nishikori, 2008 champion, fell to third seed Benjamin Becker .

From the World tour, 2009 champion Mardy Fish returns seeking to become the first individual since Jason Stoltenberg in 1996-97 to defend.  Fish will face stiff competition from top seed Tommy Haas winner in 2006, second seed and serving giant Ivo Karlovic, two time finalist James Blake and two time champion Xavier Malisse. Wildcard youngster Kei Nishikori who stunned Blake in the 2008 final has again been given a wildcard entry.

On the doubles side, the top attraction are Mike and Bob Bryan who are on the hunt for their second straight title.

Come out to see today’s stars as well as those of yesteryears.  For more info on the tournament and to purchase tickets go to www.yellowtennisball.com or call (561) 330-6000.

After one week of play, the cream of the ATP has risen to the top at the Australian Open.   Although some had a tougher road than others, eight of the top seeds are still in the hunt.  Here’s a look back at the tournament’s key moments to date.

In the first round, Igor Andreev’s forehand gave world number one Roger Federer all sorts of headache.  After stealing the first set, Andreev was just one forehand winner away from serving for a two set to one lead.  When Andreev’s shot sailed long, so did his opportunity at an upset.  Thereafter, Federer cruised through his matches.

Another difficult challenge lays ahead for Federer in the fourth round in Aussie Lleyton Hewitt who will have the support of the crowd.  Still, Federer is favored in that match.  Should Federer advance, his tasks gets more complicated since he could face Nikolay Davydenko in the quarters, a man who has beaten him their last two meetings.

While Fernando Verdasco, a semifinalist last year, struggled through his first round match then benefited from a retirement his last round;  Davydenko, his fourth round opponent, has been in peak form through three rounds.  If Davydenko moves on to the quarterfinals, Federer’s streak of 22 consecutive majors semifinal will be in serious jeopardy.

An astounding fatality in the first round was French Open finalist, Robin Soderling. Playing Marcel Granollers ranked 113, Soderling let a two set to none advantage evaporate.  Current U.S. Open champ Juan Martin Del Potro who has been dealing with a wrist injury also made an early exit. After defeating James Blake in a thrilling second round match, in the fourth round, Del Potro fought hard but came up short against Marin Cilic in another five setter.  Cilic who has now gotten to the quarterfinals in the last two majors will battle Andy Roddick.

Although Roddick has been pushed with each passing round, he’s had the answers.  After straight sets wins in rounds one and two, Roddick required four sets against Feliciano Lopez, then five versus Fernando Gonzalez, the Australian Open 2007 finalist and his coach’s former pupil. If Roddick aces the Cilic exam, it will be either Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray his next nemesis.

Despite minor blips, Nadal, the defending champion, has been in his best shape since the French Open loss.  After routine victories the first two rounds, Nadal needed four sets against Phillip Kohlschreiber and Ivo Karlovic who are higher caliber players.  Nadal will clash in the quarterfinals with Andy Murray. Thus far, Murray has come through without dropping a set. If their 2008 U.S. Open meeting is any indication, this quarterfinal duel will be a great one.

When Mikhail Youzhny retired in the third round, for Lukasz Kubot it became a good news and bad news scenario. For the first time, 27 year old Kubot made it to the fourth round at a major. To his chagrin, Novak Djokovic will be his subsequent adversary. It is unlikely that Kubot has any weapon which will trouble Djokovic.  However, the same does not apply to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who could be Djokovic’s counterpart in the quarterfinals.  Tsonga leads their head to head 4-2.

For Tsonga, the 2008 Australian Open runner-up, the primary order of business will be taking care of Nicolas Almagro in the fourth round.  In the third round, Tsonga put down Tommy Haas.  With Almagro’s five titles all on clay, Tsonga is an overwhelming favorite in that match.  So a repeat of the 2008 Australian Open final may be one match away.

So who will be the eventual champion?  With their take no prisoners performance so far, Davydenko and Murray have the edge. However, of the guys remaining with a legitimate shot at the title, Davydenko is the only one who has yet to make it to the final of a major. Therefore, the riddle is whether Davydenko can defeat both Djokovic and Federer in a best of five match to reach the final.

For his part, Murray will have to knock out Nadal and possibly Roddick to get to the final.  The Scot has the talent, so Murray is hoping with the off season he exorcised last year’s majors demons.

Ultimately, it may be another case of those who’ve been there before hoisting the trophy again.  Thus, Federer obtaining his 16th major or Nadal his second straight Australian would not be unexpected.

At the Australian Open final, despite a marathon semifinal match, Nadal had adequate reserves to stare down Federer in another five setter.  With that victory, Nadal seemed well positioned to achieve the calendar grand slam.  After sweeping every clay court tournament, Nadal was halted at the Madrid Masters by Federer days prior to the French Open. For many analysts, fatigue may have been deserving of an assist as Federer defeated Nadal in straight sets to capture his initial title of 2009. As such, Nadal was still considered the outright favorite for a fifth consecutive French trophy.

While everyone may have discounted Robin Soderling in the fourth round at the French Open, the Swede who played a contentious match with Nadal at Wimbledon in 2007 had visions of victory dancing in his head.  Soderling upstaged the best clay player in circulation, handing Nadal his first defeat at Roland Garros.  Soderling rode this euphoric wave all the way to his first final at a major where he was ultimately stopped by Federer. In addition, Soderling was a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Open.  At his initial ATP World Tour Finals, Soderling was a semifinalist and with that result jumped to a career best ranking of 8th after commencing 2008 at 17.

Melbourne was the site where Fernando Verdasco at last  lived up to his talent.  After surprising Andy Murray the hottest player on tour in the fourth round, Verdasco was involved in a dogfight in the semifinals with countryman Nadal.  Hands down, the best match of the tournament and one of the most scintillating of the year, the two Spaniards went toe to toe for over five hours.  Although Nadal was triumphant, Verdasco’s run in Australia galvanized him the rest of the year.  Verdasco reached the quarters at the U.S. Open and was instrumental in Davis Cup play. Verdasco participated in his first ATP World Tour Finals and ended 2009 at number 9.

After an horrendous start to the season, Federer’s year turned around after beating Nadal in Madrid in May. After avoiding a sleuth of pitfalls to get to the French Open final, Federer grabbed the elusive brass ring and tied Pete Sampras’ record of 14 majors.  With a knee injury placing Wimbledon defending champ Nadal out of action, the impossibility of a Federer-Nadal duel could have been deflating for the championships.  To the contrary, Andy Roddick stepped up to the plate and in facing Federer, the two had a final to rival last year’s epic.  Federer had to out ace Roddick, required 95 minutes and 30 games in the fifth set before coming away with the victory and a record setting 15 majors.  In July, Federer supplanted Nadal at the top of the ATP’s ranking list.  Brimming with confidence, Federer appeared unstoppable and was a shoe-in for a sixth consecutive  title in New York.

At the U.S. Open, Federer battled Del Potro in the final.  With this being the latter’s maiden major final, jitters were more likely than not to play a pivotal role.  In spite of his youth, Del Potro demonstrated that he is a quick study.  After a devastating lost to Federer in the French semifinals, down two sets to one, Del Potro carried a tiebreaker and showed up Federer in the fifth set to capture his initial major. Del Potro closed 2009 as the world’s fifth best player and is a definite threat to take over the top spot in 2010.

While Murray shone at the Masters and lower tournaments, he hit a wall at the majors. After a 2008 U.S. Open final appearance, for Murray reaching the round of 16 in Australia and New York, the semis at Wimbledon and quarters at Roland Garros was a let down. Moreover, Murray displaced Nadal at number 2 in August prior to U.S. Open.  However, by year’s end, Murray fell back to his designated post of number 4.

Like Murray, Djokovic‘s season can be categorized as ok. The 2008 Australian Open champion had a quarterfinal run in Australia and Wimbledon while getting to the semifinals in New York.  Djokovic picked up steam toward the end with titles in Beijing, Basel versus Federer and at the Paris Masters. With the addition of Todd Martin to his coaching team, Djokovic will certainly be a force in the upcoming year.

Besides Del Potro, Marin Cilic is another youngster who generated a lot of talk.  Cilic got to his first quarterfinal at a major at the U.S. Open in ousting Murray and seized two titles.  In addition,  Cilic was key in Croatia’s run to the semifinals in Davis Cup.  Thus, this gigantic Croat will be someone to keep a close eye on in 2010.

Every season, there’s a veteran competitor who rediscovers and dips into the fountain of youth. This year, that person was Tommy Haas.  After struggling with injury throughout his career, Haas was one Federer forehand shy of making it to the quarterfinals at the French Open.  The German star then excelled on grass, beating Djokovic for his first title on that surface. That momentum carried Haas to his first semifinal at a major since 2007. At Wimbledon, Haas was once more blocked by Federer.  At age 31, Haas catapulted from a spot of 82nd  to 18 at the closure of 2009.

Dependable Davydenko!  For Nikolay Davydenko, that is an applicable label. For the past few years, not only has Davydenko been a workhorse, he’s been consistent. After missing a few weeks early on in the season with a foot injury, Davydenko dropped out of the top ten to 12 for the first time since 2005. Also, in skipping the Australian Open, Davydenko severed his streak of 29 consecutive majors.  Still, Davydenko terminated the season with a flurry.  After shocking Nadal in the final of the Masters in Shanghai, Davydenko rammed through Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals and brushed aside Del Potro for his most prestigious career trophy.  For his hard work, Davydenko was rewarded with number 6 ranking at tournament’s end.

The Frenchmen were in the headlines both on and off the court. Richard Gasquet had to deal with doping charges despite withdrawing from competition at the Sony Ericsson Open.  Gasquet was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing but his ranking took a severe blow.  Formerly at number 7 in 2008, Gasquet is now 52nd in the world.  Jo Wilfried Tsonga failed to capitalize on his 2008 success in Australia, with only a quarterfinal finish in Melbourne and dismal postings at the other majors.  On the other hand, Gael Monfils revealed a glimmer of the promise that made him a standout in the juniors.  Monfils cracked the top ten for the first time in March and completed the season at 13th.  Fabrice Santoro, the magician, who provided so many great moments and gave a new meaning to longevity finally took leave of the game.  It will be hard to encounter anyone who can match Santoro’s flair and style.

On the subject of uniqueness, 2000 U.S. Open and 2005 Australian Open champion Marat Safin bid farewell to the sport.  A colorful and volatile player, Safin never won another title after Australia and in many people’s eyes failed to fully realize his potential. The game will be a tad less animated with his absence.

The Davis Cup belonged to Spain for the fourth time this decade.  Overflowing with aptitude, Spain wrapped up the trophy in two days, as David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, Verdasco and Nadal crushed the Czech Republic.

The doubles pair of Mike and Bob Bryan struggled most of the year after taking the Australian Open.  At Wimbledon, the Bryan brothers were bested by defending champs Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.  The latter spent most of the last half of the season ranked number one and managed a total of nine titles including five Masters series trophy.  However, after winning the ATP World Tour Finals title, the Bryan brothers regained the number one ranking after having slipped to number 3.  For veteran Leander Paes and partner Lukas Dhouly, 2009 was low volume in terms of titles; yet, the two that this team won were significant since they were the French and U.S. Open.  Paes and Dhouly finished the year as the fourth best team in doubles.

Former tennis star Andre Agassi shifted focus from the court to shenanigans occurring off field.  In his book ‘Open’, Agassi disclosed his struggles with methamphetamine in 1997 and his deception of the rules committee in testing positive.  Agassi also divulged candid details about his first marriage, his love-hate relationship with the sport and his preoccupation with his hair piece which may have been partly responsible for his lost to Andres Gomez at the French Open in 1990.

The last couple of  years, Federer and Nadal have had a firm grip on the top two rankings. In 2009, Nadal’s palm was loosen temporarily by Murray.  With injury always plaguing the Spaniard and with Federer’s forehand becoming erratic again toward the last part of the season, foretelling of a probable shakedown by Djokovic, Murray or Del Potro at the top in 2010 may not be a hyperbole.

You were so close to getting to the final of another major in Paris.   Is there any part of your game you feel you need to work on that will help you get there as you did a couple of years ago?
“I don’t think that there’s anything really I have to change about my game which was demonstrated by the fact that I was so close in Paris. For sure I have to keep improving things. I don’t know, perhaps working more on my serve and net play, but all this gives me peace of mind”.

Your most successful year was 2007, in that you reached the Australian Open final with coach Larry Stefanki, why did the two of you part ways?
“[First of all ] Larry is a great coach and I was with him many years . [However], Larry and I had a major problem, he lives in California and I in Chile….So, I am very grateful for all that he thought me and I have a great respect for him.”

Turning to the semifinals where Juan Martin Del Potro will be his opponent, the last time the two met was the 2007 Australian Open.   As far as Gonzalez is concerned, Del Potro is a “different player”. Regardless, there is a level of comfort in knowing “[one] has a winning record” against the other guy.

Commenting on the atmosphere to be expected with his being Chilean and Del Potro Argentinean, would there be any tension?  Gonzalez cited “there may be a rivalry between countries, [but not between us players].  Juan Martin and I are really good friends. It should be a good match and should be fun”.

After Wimbledon, Gonzalez took four weeks off due to tendonitis in his right knee. Gonzalez said that the lesion is not as severe as Rafael Nadal’s. With rest and treatment, he has been lucky that the knee has been responding.  Thus, he hopes his good run will continue through the remainder of season.

Concerning his forehand, Gonzalez was asked the secret to that stroke being “such a weapon”.   Gonzalez answered “I don’t have fear if I miss. If you don’t take a risk, you don’t miss.”  In other words, one has to be willing to gamble.

After three consecutive finals, Sam Querrey finally registered a victory at the LA Tennis Open.  Querrey defeated 22 year-old Australian qualifier and California native Carsten Ball 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 for his second career ATP title.

Although Querrey was the first to break,  Ball bounced back to square the set.  But, Ball relinquished his serve again to give Querrey a 5-4 edge.  Despite Ball hanging tough, Querrey’s serve and forehand helped him carry the first set.

Initially, neither player had a break point in the second.  However, after Ball held at love for 4-3, Querrey made two double faults and sent a forehand long to hand his opponent double break point.  Carsten converted with a backhand return winner for 5-3.  Then, with a pristine service game, Ball pushed the match to a decisive third set.

Once Querrey guarded serve, when Ball netted a backhand volley, he had break point.  A subsequent forehand error from Carsten gave Sam the advantage. Querrey consolidated at love for 3-0.  Although Ball won his next service game, it was all he could manage.  Querrey got the insurance break for 5-1 and with a strong game concluded the match.

By winning his first matches of the year and making it to his first ATP final,  Ball gained valuable experience this week.  Victories in the second round over third seed Dmitry Tursonov and in the semifinals over Leonardo Mayer,  Mardy Fish’s quarterfinal opponent although Fish never took court due to injury, will be paramount to Ball’s development. Querrey also had an important win over top seed Tommy Haas in the semifinals.

In doubles, Mike and Bob Bryan claimed their fifth LA Tennis Open title by vanquishing Germans Benjamin Becker and Frank Moser 6-4, 7-6.

From August 1st through 9th, we will be on site at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park providing live updates from this ATP 500 tournament.   Headliners include defending champion and world number 6  Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro, former champion and world number 5  Andy Roddick as well as 2008 Australian finalist and world number 7  Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.  Other key names scheduled are this year’s French Open finalist Swede Robin Soderling,  top 20 players such as Frenchman Gael Monfils, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, Czech Radek Stepanek and Croatian Marin Cilic.  A host of top 50 men will also be fighting for this title such as former winner German Tommy Haas, big serving Croat Ivo Karlovic and former major champion Australian Lleyton Hewitt.  Besides Roddick,  Americans James Blake, Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey and John Isner will be present.

Stay tuned to MiamiTennisNews.com thru the coming weeks for all your U.S. Open series needs. For additional info on the Legg Mason tournament click here or go to www.leggmasontennisclassic.com

Hours after the Wimbledon committee revealed the singles’ draws, turmoil ripped through the men and women side demonstrating that no player is a shoe in for the championship.

After losing his second exhibition match, Rafael Nadal, the top seed and reigning champion, withdrew due to knee tendonitis. That afternoon, female number one and top seed, Dinara Safina’s recovery after her meltdown in Paris was dealt a major setback. Safina was ousted in the semifinals by Tamarine Tanasugarn ranked 47th in a grass court warm-up tournament. Last year, Tanasurgan defeated Safina in the finals at this event.

Now, fifth ranked Juan Martin Del Potro replaced Nadal at the top half of the draw. Although Del Potro has been improving rapidly, more seasoned grass players such as Radek Stepanek, Lleyton Hewitt or first round opponent Arnaud Clement could be an obstruction. In addition, Del Potro could face Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals. The extent of Roddick’s ankle injury will determine how much of a factor he will be. With a manageable draw, the prospect of Andy Murray becoming the first Brit since 1936 to raise the Wimbledon trophy looks promising. But, Murray may see Roddick or Del Potro in the semifinals. Despite Roger Federer’s multiple championships at the All England Club, with such a competitive field, other than experience, Federer has no distinct advantage. In the bottom section, Federer may need to go through the same stubborn rivals he battled in Paris to get to the quarterfinals. There, Federer could square off against Fernando Verdasco or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, both hungry competitors. Similarly to Murray, Novak Djokovic, Federer’s potential match-up in the semifinals, appears to have an easy path on paper. Yet, Tommy Haas who beat Djokovic in the finals at Halle could represent a roadblock.

Safina’s chance at redemption against Svetlana Kuznetsova may take place in the quarterfinals. Although with defending champion Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic as possible semifinals opponents, Safina could be in the midst of a perpetuating nightmare. Venus’ performance the first couple of matches will determine whether she can prevail for a sixth time at Wimbledon. Serena Williams’ chance to avenge her Sony Ericsson lost to Victoria Azarenka could come in the quarters. However, Azarenka may need to knock off former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova in the round of 16 before getting to Serena. With Vera Zvonareva slowly getting back from injury and Elena Dementieva’s dismal play the last few months, for players such as Dominika Cibulkova, Aleksandra Wozniak or Alize Cornet, the door is wide open to reach at least the quarters.

The Williams sisters will do double duty at a major again. Defending champion and seeded fourth, Venus and Serena will attempt to win their fourth Wimbledon doubles title. 2008 men’s doubles champion Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic, the second seed, will attempt to repeat and wrestle the number one spot away from Mike and Bob Bryan.

Ambiguity reigns at Wimbledon this year. On both the female and male side, it is truly anybody’s trophy. First serve comes this Monday.

For three years, Roger Federer has been a bridesmaid at the French Open. Today, at last, Federer vanquished Swede Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 to seize his first ‘Coupe Des Mousquetaires’ and complete the career grand slam. Federer becomes just the sixth male player to possess all four majors.

Federer got off to an idyllic start by pressuring Soderling’s serve. With a forehand up the line error by Soderling, Federer had break point and cashed in courtesy of a double fault. After consolidating with a love game, Federer extended his lead by connecting on a forehand return winner for 3-0. After Soderling held serve in a tight game, he was unable to get a point in Federer’s game. Then, Soderling watched the first set end when Federer cranked a backhand crosscourt pass to break again.

In the second set, the caliber of Soderling’s play improved with a higher percentage of first serves and more forehand winners. With Soderling serving at 15-0, a deranged spectator leapt on court and accosted Federer, waving a Barcelona flag in his face. This frightening incident was terminated when security personnel tackled the intruder. Fortunately, after Robin won his game, Federer refocused and comfortably held for 3-2. With neither man able to dent the other’s serve, the set went to a tiebreaker. With an ace and by forcing Soderling into a forehand error, Federer went ahead 2-1. Soderling never touched Federer’s serve. With three additional aces, a backhand down the line error by Soderling and a forehand drop shot winner, Federer carried the set.

A double fault offered Federer his first opportunity to take charge in the third. Roger capitalized when Robin missed a forehand up the line. With his serve on autopilot, Federer went up 2-0. A hiccup came when serving at 2-1, Federer miscalculated a forehand up the line handing Soderling his first break chance. However, with a forehand down the line winner, Roger wiped out his previous error and held for 3-1. Once Federer extended his advantage to 5-3, tears began to creep into his eyes. Federer realized that he was four points from securing the only major trophy that had escaped him. After Soderling guarded serve, Federer misfired on a forehand mid-court to donate a break point. However, with a good serve and a forehand error from Robin, Roger was back on track. Subsequently, with a forehand volley winner, Federer finally arrived at match point and sealed the championship when Soderling’s return found the net.

This was an unpredictable French Open. Soderling’s run to his maiden major final was surreal. In the round of 16, Soderling beat Rafael Nadal, Federer’s hindrance at the French the ultimate four years. In so doing, the Swede prohibited Nadal from surpassing countryman Bjorn Borg’s record of four successive French Open titles. Strangely, Bjorn had Nadal to thank last year for preventing Federer from overtaking his record of five consecutive trophies at Wimbledon. Moreover, Soderling’s road kill list included David Ferrer in the third round, Nikolay Davydenko in the quarters and Fernando Gonzalez in the semis, all formidable clay court players.  Also, unlike prior years, Federer’s path was fraught with peril. Roger needed four sets in both second and third round against Jose Acasuso and Paul-Henri Mathieu, respectively. Further, Federer was possibly one forehand miscue from losing to Tommy Haas in the round of 16. Then, world number five Juan Martin Del Potro pushed Federer to five sets in the semifinals.

Post match, Soderling acknowledged he had a tough time since Federer did not permit him to be ‘aggressive’. Soderling felt his task was impossible because ‘Roger makes [one] play bad’. Federer confessed that ‘it was an emotional roller coaster’, citing he was nervous and his mind kept wandering. The question ‘what if I win this tournament’ continuously popped in his head, adding to his anxiety particularly when serving out the match. Federer claimed that along with his first Wimbledon, undoubtedly, this was his most satisfying win. Now, Federer has equaled Pete Sampras’ record of 14 majors. More importantly, unlike Pete, Federer has a French Open title on his resume.