Roger Federer remains hugely missed across the tennis world. It has been nearly a year since his retirement from tennis at the Laver Cup. The game is in good order, especially due to the emergence of the young superstar Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. But the way the 20-time Grand Slam champion played was still uniquely graceful and perfect to watch, and tennis will always be lesser without him.
It is Federer’s birthday at the time of writing. The Swiss legend has turned 42, and it is his first birthday since he officially announced his retirement from tennis. Therefore it feels like an apt moment to relive the three occasions he was in action on his special day.
The Three Times Federer Played on his Birthday
1. Federer vs Max Mirnyi 2003 Montreal Masters Quarterfinal
The Belarusian Mirnyi is not widely remembered by many casual tennis fans. But he was a very solid competitor, reaching a career-high ranking of #18. Also, he won his only ATP title in 2003 in Rotterdam. Who did he play in the semifinal? The only and only Roger Federer, prevailing in three sets. He had beaten Mirnyi since on the clay courts of Hamburg, but was seeking hard court revenge. The 2003 Wimbledon champion breezed through the first set, winning it 6-2. But the always dogged Mirnyi battled hard in the second set and drew more errors from his illustrious opponent. Eventually though, Federer had enough to overcome the challenge 6-2 7-6. Andy Roddick then overcame the Swiss in the semifinals. It was one of Roddick’s three wins in the 24 matches he contested against Federer.
Mirnyi reached two more ATP singles finals, before going on to specialise in doubles. He is currently a member of Kei Nishikori’s coaching team. Federer began to dominate the sport in the following season after winning his maiden Grand Slam title.
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2. Federer vs Ivo Karlovic 2008 Cincinnati Masters Round of 16
6’11 Ivo Karlovic had one of the best serves in tennis history. The Croat has been overtaken on the list for most ever aces hit by John Isner, but the American has played more matches. Karlovic still has the most aces hit per match on average in tennis history. The Swiss maestro though ended his career with an extremely strong record against the eight-time ATP champion. Federer won 13 of his 14 matches against Karlovic, almost always playing the better tennis in the tight moments.
When was the one occasion Federer lost to Karlovic? On his birthday at the Cincinnati Masters in 2008. That may seem even more surprising since it is a tournament that the eight-time Wimbledon has won on seven occasions, and it is his most successful Masters event. However the Cincinnati courts are usually among the fastest on the tour, and they were even quicker in the 2000s. That usually helps Federer, but it assisted Karlovic’s style in this one case. The Croat prevailed 7-6 3-6 7-6 despite not threatening in return games. Karlovic would only win one of his next 17 sets against Federer after this contest.
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3. Federer vs Marin Cilic 2014 Toronto Masters Round of 16
Federer had beaten Cilic on all four occasions they had met before this contest, dropping just one set out of ten played in the process. However, their last match was in 2012 in Shanghai. Cilic was a much-improved player by 2014, and offered a much stiffer challenge to Federer on his 33rd birthday. The Croat’s powerful serves and groundstrokes meant the first two sets were decided on tiebreaks; Federer won the first and Cilic the second. The deciding set was a similarly tight affair with many thrilling rallies. In the end it was Federer who manufactured enough big moments to win 7-6 6-7 6-4. The 28-time Masters champion reached the final, but lost in straight sets to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Cilic got more than just revenge a few weeks later in the US Open. He swept aside the 5-time champion in straight sets in the semifinal, before winning the title with another win in three sets against Kei Nishikori. This remains Cilic’s sole Grand Slam title. The 103-time ATP title winner subsequently defeated Cilic in the 2017 Wimbledon final, and then in a five-set epic in the 2018 Australian Open final. Those were the last two Grand Slams that Federer won.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
