Roger Federer's mom Lynette once said in a newspaper interview, "I used to say to Roger, 'When you have these outbursts like this, you're just telling your opponent that you're ready for him to beat you'".
She was right.
Roger Federer lost his temper and the match against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open last night.
Federer angrily broke his racket Friday en route to a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 loss to Djokovic.
Federer fell behind 2-love in the third set, and when he netted an easy forehand to start the next game, he slammed his racket to the concrete, mangling it.
The outburst came as a shock especially to his fans.
“I was just frustrated,” a red-eyed Federer said shortly after the match.
“Didn’t feel great. It’s just a natural thing I did.”
Federer lost the next two games as the match slipped away despite support from a sympathetic crowd.
Djokovic’s opponent in the final Sunday will be Andy Murray who beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
(Via AP; Images by Matthew Stockman/Al Bello/Getty Images)
"Maybe it was wonderful for the crowd but it was terrible for me." ~ Rafael Nadal after he lost 4-6, 6-3, 6(3) to Juan Martin Del Potro.
The 20-year-old Argentine delighted a "partisan crowd" by upsetting the top-ranked Nadal in the quarterfinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.
According to AP, Del Potro "was buoyed by a home-court advantage, with many transplanted Argentines in the crowd singing "Del-Po" between points".
(Via AP, Images by Al Bello/Getty Images)
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Italian hottie Filippo Volandri’s 3-month ban for using an asthma drug has been lifted after he appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Switzerland-based court also ruled that Volandri will be restored the ATP points and earnings he lost, the Italian tennis federation said yesterday. The only punishment that will remain will be the elimination of Volandri’s points and earnings at a tournament a year ago in Indian Wells, Calif., where he lost in the first round and failed a doping test. Volandri was suspended by the International Tennis Federation on the eve of the Australian Open in January. The ban was due to expire on April 14. “The nightmare is over,” Volandri said.
“CAS recognized my good faith. I used the drug only for therapeutic needs and the ban was excessive.”
Volandri claimed he had a severe asthma attack the night before his match in Indian Wells and was forced to take more of the drug, salbutamol, than the allowed amount. “Finally I can start playing again,” he said.
“I didn’t skip one day of training.”
Volandri indicated he will sue the ITF. “Someone made a mistake and will pay for it,” he said.
Under the initial ruling by the ITF, all of Volandri’s results from March 13 onward were voided, including about $166,000 in prize money won and ATP points gained over a nine-month period. Volandri said he would ask the ATP to restore his ranking and that he would aim to play in the French Open. “It should just be a formality,” Volandri said.
“If not, I’ll roll my sleeves up and start over with the smaller tournaments."
He's already planning to play in Monza next week.
(Via AP, Image via Filippo Volandri's official website)
Federer angrily broke his racket Friday en route to a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 loss to Djokovic.
Djokovic’s opponent in the final Sunday will be Andy Murray who beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
