'Roger Federer is a legend, I am a normal man' - Croatian player who beat the Swiss as a junior
During his illustrious 22-year professional career, Roger Federer has won 50 of his 58 matches against Croatian players. Among eight different players from Croatia who have locked horns with the Swiss maestro, only five - Ivan Ljubicic (3), Mario Ancic (1), Ivo Karlovic (1), Marin Cilic (1) and Borna Coric (2) - have managed to beat the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
Not surprisingly, none of them has a winning record against Roger Federer. That is is the case for players from pretty much all other countries too.
Of course, this is with regard to the exploits of Croatian players against Roger Federer on the ATP tour. Two other players from Croatia have also tasted success against the 38-year-old, albeit on the Satellite Tour (now called the Futures) - which is not recorded by ATP in their stats.
19-year-old Ivan Vajda beat a 16-year-old Roger Federer in a satellite tournament at Uster, Switzerland, back in 1997. And Davor Grgic is the other player from Croatia to have beaten Federer, having done so at the Under-14 Sunshine Cup in the US.
But in their next two junior meetings - an Under-16 tournament in Lille, France and an Under-18 tournament in Milan, Italy, Roger Federer emerged victorious over Grgic. The Croat recently opened up about his experience of facing the great Swiss on the junior tour, and how their paths have diverged since then.
Roger Federer and I were good friends: Davor Grgic
Speaking on the occasion of an exhibition tournament in Osijek, Croatia, Grgic said that he used to be good friends with Roger Federer but hasn't been in touch with the Swiss legend in recent times.
“We were good friends," Grgic said. "My coach at the time, from New Zealand, and his Australian (Peter Carter, who died prematurely at the age of 38), knew each other and I was often traveling with him. We went out often together. We also spoke on the phone, but then when he entered the top 10, he changed his number and we haven't been in touch since."
Grgic added that the duo could have met each other at the Australian Open last year. But the reticent Croat chose not to 'bother' the Swiss legend in the midst of a tournament.
"Sure, we could have seen each other last year in Australia when I was there, but I didn't want to bother him. I repeat, I'm not someone who wants to get noticed and then who knows if he would have remembered me," the Croat added.
Reminiscing his only win over Roger Federer, Grgic said that life has since taken the two down different roads. While Federer blossomed to become one of the best players ever, injuries and loss of form meant that the Croat had to prematurely hang up his racquet and became a coach.
"In fact, I don't like to talk about it at all or point it out, and maybe that's why (there are) different opinions," Grgic said. "Because Federer is what he is today, a real legend, while I'm an ordinary man in a small town. It is heaven and earth. But, yes, I beat him. And that in our first mutual meeting out of a total of three. It was in America at the Under-14 Sunshine Cup. I also remember the results, it ended 6-4, 6-4."
Grgic remembers Roger Federer as an easy-going and relaxed person. He believes the Swiss legend's bevvy of skills on the tennis court is a result of playing many different sports during his formative years.
“He was very easygoing, relaxed, playful," Grgic said. "He also played other sports, from cricket to some that I didn't even know the name of at the time, and I think that's why he developed such a range of skills. While the others trained 'three hundred' hours a week, he diversified."