Roger Federer: end of an Era?

Former World’s number one, Roger Federer faced yet another exit (a semi-final loss against Rafael Nadal) at the ATP World Tour. 2013 stands as a period the Swiss Ace wouldn’t have wished to be. We take a look at the other matches where he failed…

January

– Australian Open journey ends in a defeat to Brit Andy Murray in the semi-finals. Murray takes him down by 6-7, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2.

February

– Julien Benneteau beats him in the quarter-finals of the Rotterdam Open, thus breaking a run of 28 consecutive last-eight wins against players outside the Top 10.

May

– Thrashed 1-6, 3-6 by Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the Rome Masters final, sending him into the French Open without a title in the year for the first time since 2000.

June

– Defeats Mikhail Youzhny to win first and only title of 2013 at Halle and 77th career trophy to tie John McEnroe at number three in the Open Era title-winners list.

– Crashes out of the French Open after a straight sets defeat in the quarter-finals against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

– His career takes a new low as the defending champion loses to world no 116, Sergiy Stakhovsky  in Round Two at Wimbledon. It is his earliest defeat at Wimbledon since 2002 and his earliest loss at a Grand Slam since losing in the French Open first round in 2003. The result also ends Federer’s run of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final appearances.

July

– Makes an appearance at the Hamburg Open for the first time since 2008. Loses yet another match to world no 114 Federico Delbonis in the quarters. It is just the 12th time in his career he has lost to a player outside the Top 100.

September

– Yet another Grand Slam exit and this time it’s the US Open as Spain’s Tommy Robredo sweeps to a surprise straight sets win in the US Open fourth round.

October

– Ends his coaching partnership with Paul Annacone, who had worked with him since July 2010.

November

– Suffers 22nd career defeat to Nadal to end year with a loss in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals.