Amazing Federer's 'hardest loss, by far'

Roger Federer won 103 titles arsenic a nonrecreational tennis player. The precise archetypal came erstwhile helium was 19 and bushed Julien Boutter 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4 connected an indoor hard tribunal successful Milan successful February 2001.

Federer, who has announced his status astatine property 41, is champion known for his 20 championships astatine expansive slam tournaments: 8 astatine Wimbledon, six astatine the Australian Open, 5 astatine the US Open and 1 astatine the French Open.

Let's instrumentality a look astatine 10 of Federer's astir memorable Grand Slam finals.

He's pictured present with the Wimbledon trophy successful 2009 - which was his 15th expansive slam title.

Words: Howard Fendrich
Gallery: Damien McCartney

Federer won the 1998 inferior rubric astatine the All England Club, and different motion of what was to travel arrived erstwhile helium ended seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras' 31-match winning streak successful the 4th circular determination successful 2001.

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But Federer did not marque it past the 4th finals astatine immoderate large tourney until 2003 astatine Wimbledon, erstwhile helium earned his archetypal expansive slam trophy astatine property 21 with a 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (3) triumph implicit Mark Philippoussis.

"There was unit from each sides; besides from myself," Federer said that day, aft sobbing connected tribunal erstwhile the lucifer ended.

Federer talked astir the sound and each of the goings-on successful New York, wondering aloud however helium would woody with each of the conditions and distractions there.

He won it the 5th clip helium entered, beating Lleyton Hewitt 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0 - the archetypal clip determination had been 2 shutout sets successful the event's title lucifer since 1884.

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"I'm grateful each tournament, each expansive slam I win. You ne'er cognize which is your last," Federer said then.

That would beryllium the archetypal of 5 triumphs successful a enactment astatine Flushing Meadows.

He bushed a drawstring of opponents from aggregate generations - all, similar Hewitt, large champions and ranked No.1 astatine immoderate constituent - successful the finals: Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Federer's archetypal expansive slam matchup against Rafael Nadal was successful the semi finals of the 2005 French Open, which Nadal won en way to his archetypal large trophy astatine property 19.

Their archetypal expansive slam last came a twelvemonth aboriginal successful Paris, erstwhile Federer was 24 and 7-0 successful large rubric matches for his vocation (the champion commencement for a antheral since the 1880s).

He besides was riding a 27-match unbeaten streak astatine majors overall. They had met six times previously, but what was astatine involvement successful 2006 genuinely marked the opening of what would go an enduring rivalry.

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It was the archetypal French Open last since 1984 betwixt men ranked No.1 (Federer) and No.2 (Nadal).

Nadal won 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4), utilizing his high-bouncing, topspin-lathered lefty forehand to make large problems connected Federer's backhand side.

The effect made Federer 0-4 against Nadal successful 2006, 44-0 against everyone else.

After losing to Nadal successful 3 consecutive French Open finals (2006-08) and beating him successful 2 consecutive Wimbledon finals (2006-07), Federer carried winning streaks of 40 matches astatine the All England Club and 65 connected writer courts into their latest gathering astatine Centre Court.

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In what galore see the top tennis lucifer successful the sport's agelong history, Nadal ended Federer's bid for a sixth title successful a enactment astatine Wimbledon by edging him 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 arsenic acheronian descended aft 9pm successful a 4h 48m trial of volition arsenic overmuch arsenic skill.

"Probably my hardest loss, by far," Federer said.

Federer became the sixth antheral with a vocation Grand Slam - astatine slightest 1 trophy astatine each 4 majors - and tied Sampras' men's grounds of 14 majors by beating Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 successful Paris.

This was 1 of Federer's 5 appearances successful the rubric lucifer astatine Roland Garros, and the lone 1 against idiosyncratic different than Nadal.

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Instead, Federer bushed the antheral who bushed Nadal, Soderling.

"I don't cognize if we'll ever cognize who was the top of each time, but I'm decidedly blessed to beryllium close up there," Federer said.

Federer broke Pete Sampras' men's people for astir slam trophies with his 15th by scraping past acquainted foil Roddick 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14.

Federer broke the big-serving Roddick for the lone clip successful the 77th and past game.

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The lucifer lasted 4h 16m - the 5th acceptable unsocial was much than an hr and a fractional long.

Afterward, Federer pulled connected a specially tailored achromatic overgarment with a golden '15' stitched connected the back. Sampras said: "Now he's an icon."

Federer took the past fractional of 2016 disconnected aft country connected his near knee, and helium returned to assertion his archetypal expansive slam rubric since 2012 by defeating Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 astatine Melbourne Park.

Federer was down a interruption successful the 5th acceptable but roared backmost with the assistance of a 10-point tally - and a new, flatter backhand - to drawback his 18th major.

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Federer entered the time 2-6 against Nadal successful slam finals.

"This 1 means a batch to maine due to the fact that he's caused maine problems implicit the years," helium said aft the match.

Less than a period from turning 36, Federer won his men's-record eighth Wimbledon trophy, needing conscionable 101 minutes to disregard 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4.

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"Wimbledon was ever my favourite tournament. Will ever beryllium my favourite tournament," said Federer

This triumph made him the oldest antheral Wimbledon champion successful the Open era, which began successful 1968.

Federer had returned to highest signifier erstwhile helium arrived successful Melbourne for the 2018 Australian Open.

He cruised done the tournament, and didn't driblet a azygous acceptable successful immoderate of his matches starring to the final.

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In the final, Federer bushed Cilic again for his 3rd rubric successful a five-major span and 20th slam overall, though this 1 was overmuch tougher: 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Said Federer: "The fairytale continues for us, for me."

It would would extremity up being his past expansive slam final, Federer came arsenic adjacent arsenic imaginable to earning Wimbledon rubric No.9 and slam No.21, but mislaid to Djokovic 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3) successful the archetypal fifth-set tiebreaker successful a last astatine the All England Club.

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Federer held 2 title points, but couldn't convert. He finished with much full points, much winners, much aces and much breaks of serve.

"I don't privation to beryllium depressed astir really an astonishing tennis match," Federer said.