Mardy Fish calls Roger Federer's record of 23 consecutive Slam semifinals the most unbelievable sports stat he's ever heard
Mardy Fish believes that a couple of feats accomplished by Roger Federer - reaching 23 consecutive semifinals and 36 consecutive quarterfinals at Grand Slams - make for the most unbelievable sports stat ever.
Fish is a former top 10 player, peaking at No. 7 in the ATP rankings back in 2011. The winner of six singles titles, the American was also a multiple Grand Slam quarterfinalist during his career.
Fish brought up Roger Federer's astonishing Slam record while replying to a question posed on Twitter by Joseph Pompliano. Pompliano is an analyst who breaks down the business and money behind sports, and on Sunday he asked his followers to name the "most unbelievable sports stats" they had ever heard of.
Fish quote-tweeted Pompliano's post and commented, "Federer straight 33 quarterfinals, Federer straight 23 semifinals in Grand Slams."
It is pertinent to note, however, that Mardy Fish got one part of his comment wrong. Roger Federer actually reached 36 straight quarterfinals at the Majors, not 33.
Roger Federer - the holder of some of the most staggering records in tennis
Roger Federer's quarterfinal streak ran from Wimbledon 2004 to Wimbledon 2013, showing his unreal consistency in the early stages of Slams for nine years on the trot. But that is far from being the 39-year-old's most impressive feat.
After winning Wimbledon 2004, Federer reached 23 consecutive Slam semifinals - winning 20 of them - which many believe is one of the most staggering streaks in tennis history. His dominant run at the Majors only came to an end in 2010; the Swiss lost to Robin Soderling in the quarterfinals of the French Open that year.
Roger Federer, the winner of a record 20 Grand Slams, has several achievements in his CV that point to his unparalleled excellence. The 39-year-old has the longest streak of Grand Slams finals reached, at 10, and is also the only player to win two Grand Slams five consecutive times - Wimbledon in 2003-07 and the US Open in 2004-08.
There are a few relatively lesser-known feats notched up by Roger Federer that are perhaps just as impressive. Those include having appeared in at least seven finals at three different Slams, and winning at least one title on each of the three surfaces in a season eight times in his career.