March 11, 2007: Guillermo Canas ends Roger Federer's marvelous streak
As always since 1990, the first Masters 1000 tournament of 2007 season at Indian Wells gathered world's leading players and Roger Federer was the favorite to win the fourth straight title in the desert. His winning streak at Indian Wells had started back in 2004 and was the dominant figure in men's tennis ever since, especially on the hard courts. In the summer of 2006, Federer claimed Wimbledon and Canada Masters titles before Andy Murray defeated him in the second round of Cincinnati, the fifth and last loss he suffered that year!
Federer won five titles by the end of the season, including the US Open and Masters Cup, and no one could stop him at the beginning of 2007 as well, dominating at both the Australian Open and Dubai to clinch seven straight crowns and win a career-high 41 matches in a row! The Swiss was free in the opening round at Indian Wells and faced a lucky loser Guillermo Canas in the second round who stunned him 7-5, 6-2 in an hour and 45 minutes to deliver the first loss for the world no. 1 since August last year! This was their third meeting and the second win for Canas who also toppled Roger at Canada Masters five years ago, with the only triumph for Federer coming here at Indian Wells in the semi-final of 2005.
Canas defended the second serve more effectively and outplayed Roger from the baseline to score one of the most shocking results of the season, saving two out of three break points he faced and stealing Federer's serve four times from seven opportunities. The Argentinian tamed his shots nicely and Roger sprayed too many errors, unable to find his rhythm and impose his shots that would have given him the upper hand in the exchanges. The first break of serve came in game five after a forced error from Roger although he pulled it back in the very next game when he stole Canas's serve at love to level the score at 3-3.
It all could have been different if Roger managed to convert a set point on the return in game ten, netting an easy forehand to miss a great chance and wasting another set point a few minutes later before Guillermo finally held after a backhand error from his rival. Federer squandered a game point at 5-5 with another forehand mistake and he got broken when his backhand found the net three points later to send Canas 6-5 ahead. The Argentinian closed the opener with a forehand winner after 56 minutes and Roger received medical treatment on his right foot in the pause between sets.
Carried by the momentum he gathered in the opener, Guillermo broke Roger in the third game of the second set and held after a few deuces in game six to forge a 4-2 lead. A forehand winner in game seven sealed the deal for the Argentinian as he moved two breaks clear of Federer with a chance to seal the deal on own serve in the game that followed. Canas delivered a solid hold and crossed the finish line with a forced error from Roger, scoring the biggest win of his career after serving a 15-month ban for doping. Two weeks later he would beat Federer again in Miami and this was the first time since the summer of 2004 that Roger failed to reach the final in back-to-back ATP events!
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2VLzNqa
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