In Roger Federer's words: 'Grand Slam losses hurt twice, I'm happy to avoid them'

Roger Federer was among the players to beat at the Australian Open 2004, traveling to Melbourne with no coach but still seeking a notable result. The Swiss defeated Alex Bogomolov Jr., Jeff Morrison and Todd Reid in the opening three rounds, toppling three rivals from outside the top-100 to march into the last 16. There, he faced Lleyton Hewitt for the tenth time, hoping to score the third triumph over the Aussie. In the 2003 Davis Cup semi-final, Lleyton came from two sets to love down against Roger on the same stadium, looking to repeat that performance and remain on the title course. Instead of that, Federer scored a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 in two hours and 18 minutes for the best Australian Open result and the first quarter-final down under. Roger erased six out of seven break chances to keep the pressure on the other side of the net, having the upper hand from set number two to advance into the quarter-final.

There, Federer faced another player from his generation who ousted him in a thriller in Melbourne a year ago, David Nalbandian. Suffering two Major defeats against the Argentine in 2003, Roger was eager to avoid another one, scoring a 7-5, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory in two hours and 41 minutes for the second semi-final at Majors. Federer won only six points more than David, firing 20 aces and defending eight out of 11 break chances. David gave his best to stay in touch, suffering five breaks from Roger's 12 opportunities, enough to propel the Swiss over the top.

At the Australian Open 2004, Roger Federer advanced to his second Major semi-final.

At 5-5 in the opener, Federer saved a break point with a booming serve, gathering momentum and stealing David's serve in the next one to claim the first set 7-5. The Argentine led 4-3 with a break in set number two, only to drop three straight games and hand it to Federer, drifting further away from the finish line. Losing ground in the closing stages of the opening two sets, Nalbandian fixed that in the third, stealing Roger's serve at 5-5 and clinching it with a smash winner for a 7-5, looking much better on the court now. Starting all over, Roger raced into a 3-0 advantage in set number four, sealing the deal with a service winner in game nine for the first semi-final in Melbourne. 

"I made a lot of unforced errors at the beginning, unable to find the rhythm. I took more chances than he did; my game is based on the attack. There would always be unforced errors when you played like that, but yeah, I probably made too many. David is one of the players who will always draw mistakes from you. We had already played before, and I knew there was nothing to worry about, especially if I'm in front. It's nice to beat him at a Slam; those losses hurt twice. To get him back for at least one defeat is great, especially after taking down Hewitt in the previous round. It is my second Grand Slam semi-final, and I'm thrilled," Roger Federer said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/30U8m32