On this day: Roger Federer beats Bjorn Borg's ultimate record on grass

Following the first-round loss to Mario Ancic at Wimbledon 2002, Roger Federer became a player to beat on grass, settling into the winning rhythm in Halle and the All England Club. In 2003, the Swiss won the first ATP title on grass in Halle, backed by the maiden Major crown at Wimbledon, gathering momentum and remaining undefeated on the fastest surface until 2008! Rattling one Halle-Wimbledon duo after another, Federer grabbed the 36th consecutive victory on the green surface in the final at Wimbledon 2005, moving closer to Bjorn Borg's ultimate record and preparing to attack it in 2006. Rafael Nadal toppled Roger in his first Roland Garros final that season, with the Swiss throwing everything on his beloved grass, clinching the fourth straight trophy in Halle thanks to a hard-fought win over Tomas Berdych in the final. It was the 41st consecutive triumph for the Swiss on grass, matching Borg's record from 1976-81 and looking good to topple it in the first round at Wimbledon.

In Halle, Roger dug deep against Richard Gasquet, prevailing in three sets and setting another clash against the Frenchman at Wimbledon.

Leaving the pressure and records in the locker room, Federer stormed over Gasquet 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in 74 minutes, racing into the second round and becoming the first player in the Open era with 42 straight wins on grass! The defending champion lost 15 points in 13 service games, offering Richard one break chance and erasing it to keep the initial shot intact. Gasquet served at 78% but couldn't draw anything from that, dropping 45% of the points in his games and getting broken five times from seven opportunities earned by Federer. Firing less than ten winners and more than 50 errors, Richard was never a contender against the man on the mission, with Federer hitting more winners than unforced errors and having a clear advantage in the shortest and more extended exchanges.

Roger held at love in the first game and secured a break a few minutes later, forging the lead and moving 3-0 in front with a hold at love. Both players served well in the rest of the set and Federer closed it with an ace at 5-3, moving two sets away from the record streak. Gasquet delivered two great holds at the beginning of the second set, creating a break chance in the fourth game and losing ground once he squandered it, allowing Roger Federer to clinch a break at 15 in game five and move 3-2 up. The Swiss stole the rival's serve again at 4-2, wrapping up the set with another comfortable hold and repeating breaks in games five and seven in set number three to advance into the next round and add another massive record to his impressive tally.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2Bi4pee