On Friday, Swiss tennis great Roger Federer ended Novak Djokovic's historic win streak by defeating him 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) at the French Open.
"I've trained a lot during my whole life for these kinds of matches," said Federer. "There was an enormous amount of pressure on Novak and he really played well."
Djokovic went into the match with a perfect 41-0 record and an overall 43-0 win streak that extended all the way back to last November.
"What I would like to say, and I said it to him at the net, is that his record, although it's not the best because other players have done better -- today it's so physical and professional -- what he achieved is unbelievable," said Federer.
But Federer did more than just put an end to Djokovic's streak. He also prevented the 24-year-old Serbian from becoming the #1 ranked player in the world for the first time ever.
Visit the Hollywood Collectibles website today to own your very own Roger Federer memorabilia!
"A loss cannot feel good, that's for sure," Djokovic said. "But, look, I know what to do. I handle myself better off the court, on the court. I'll just accept it as another loss."
Federer also ended Djokovic's run to win his first French Open title this year. And, as Federer himself put it, he saved Nadal the trouble of having to face Djokovic yet again in a finals match - Nadal having lost multiple finals matches to Djokovic this year.
"Beating Novak today was maybe a good birthday gift for [Nadal] because he lost his four previous matches against Novak," said Federer of Nadal, who turned 25 on Friday. "I'm going to play against Nadal, my main rival, in another Grand Slam final. We live for these moments."
Nadal beat Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to also advance to the finals, so Nadal and Federer will face off for the title on Sunday.
Nadal will be attempting to win his 6th French Open title, which will tie the all-time record set by Bjorn Borg. Nadal has won every French Open since 2005 except for the title in 2009, which Federer won.
(Sources: Associated Press)
At Hollywood Collectibles, you can find a great selection of tennis memorabilia, including signed tennis balls, autographed tennis photos, and much more.
Visit the Hollywood Collectibles sports memorabilia website today to own your very own 100% authentic signed sports collectibles.
Released On: 6/22/2011
Views: 8320
Released On: 6/22/2011
Views: 8185
Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington says that he will skip the 2011 NFL season so that he can recover from injuries. And since he will have no playing obligations, Pennington has signed up to serve as an analyst for Fox Sports.
Released On: 6/21/2011
Views: 7646
Rafael Nadal, the defending champion of Wimbledon, won the first match of this year's Wimbledon on Monday by defeating American player Michael Russell 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
Released On: 6/21/2011
Views: 4803
Released On: 6/21/2011
Views: 5918
Released On: 6/16/2011
Views: 5343
Released On: 6/16/2011
Views: 6285
Released On: 6/16/2011
Views: 5762
Released On: 6/16/2011
Views: 5584
Released On: 6/16/2011
Views: 5962
Released On: 6/16/2011
Views: 6585
Released On: 6/16/2011
Views: 6049
Released On: 6/15/2011
Views: 6649
Released On: 6/15/2011
Views: 6204