44-year-old Belgian recalls when he beat Roger Federer
Only three Belgians on the professional tour managed to beat Roger Federer. David Goffin, Xavier Malisse and the 44-year-old Christophe Van Grasse. Grasse upset the Swiss in 1999 Davis Cup in Bruxelles. Marc Rosset was dealing with an illness, a 17-year-old Federer stepped in and Van Grasse defeated the Basel native in an epic five-set match. "All my Davis Cup memories are great. But I am one of the three Belgians who defeated Federer and that will never be taken away out of me: it's a nice anecdote that appears time by time in a bar. When I speak with people in bars, my friends sometimes hesitate to say that I beat Federer, which always generates some surprise", said Van Grasse, who was a great junior player but then never managed to really break through. "In my first professional tournament in San Marino, I reached the semifinals and i beat the top ten players, I thought it could be the turning point but then I lost two years due to a knee injury. I was never an example as a professional, I always felt hate and love. I cannot deny I regret a lot of things."
Van Grasse still follows tennis as a fan. "David Goffin's bad streak is all about a lack of confidence. He played on a cloud for such a long time, now he is losing but people will stop speaking about this streak if he has a good French Open run. He is a bit fragile and there are so many good players out there."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2JXaEWX
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