Roger Federer made a name for himself in 2002, winning the first Masters 1000 title and ending the season just outside the top 5. The best was yet to come a year later when the Swiss went further, winning his first major crown in Wimbledon and ended the season on a high note with the Masters Cup trophy in his hands.
With those five top 10 wins in Houston, Federer finished second behind Andy Roddick on the ATP ranking list, preparing to attack the no. 1 in early 2004. Becoming one of the best players in the world with Peter Lundgren, Federer decided to continue without the Swede since 2004, in search of the new coach and heading to Melbourne with no one in his dressing room.
In his first official coachless match, Federer got off to a winning start at the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 win over Alex Bogolomov Jr. The match lasted an hour and a half , and Roger had the advantage from start to finish, dropping just 15 points in his games and keeping the pressure on the other side of the net.
Taking on another opponent outside of the top 100, Federer beat Jeff Morrison 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 34 minutes to advance to the third round. Roger erased all four break opportunities and offered four breaks to reach the top in no time and stay on the title course.
Round three brought in another lower-ranked opponent, and Federer had no problem in a quick 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 win over Todd Reid. It was all over in 74 minutes, with the Swiss player snapped once and winning no less than eight breaks, completely beating the Australian on the return to cross the finish line and set up the clash against Lleyton Hewitt.
After the game, Federer said he felt great on the pitch, building up a lot of confidence after the Wimbledon crown and chasing big stakes in the Majors.
Pablo Andujar on playing against Federer
Pablo Andujar staged a huge surprise on Tuesday by beating Roger Federer 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the second round of the 2021 Geneva Open.
The Spaniard trailed 4-2 in the decider but played solid tennis to snatch the win right under Federer’s nose. “Of course I was nervous, but I tried to keep it like it was another game,” Andujar said.
“I have a lot of respect and I admire Roger Federer a lot. I really admire him, but I had to try not to think about who I was playing against. I’m very proud, not for beating him, ”he added. “This is the way I focused and treated the game… [I was able to] Enjoy playing Roger Federer today. If I had lost I would say the same, and that’s what I’m most proud of. ”
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