"Roger Federer's backhand wasn't good at all" - Lucas Ker recalls maestro's first ever ATP match
Back in 2004, a tennis match took place in Gstaad, Switzerland. While the encounter in itself wasn’t particularly memorable, it has become quite famous over the years - because it featured the then World No. 88 Lucas Arnold Ker taking on unseeded local boy Roger Federer in the latter’s ATP tour debut.
In a recent interview with ATPtour.com, Lucas Ker recalled the landmark match and also revealed what he thought of Federer at that point of time.
Never thought Roger Federer was going to be the best in the world: Lucas Ker
The man who currently has 20 Grand Slam titles to his name was all but a boy of 17 when he took on Lucas Ker in the first round of the Swiss Open. Roger Federer had been crowned the boys' singles champion at Wimbledon just days before his match against Ker, and was riding a wave of confidence.
However, the match turned out to be quite straightforward for Ker as Federer was defeated 6-4 6-4. The Argentine admitted that at the time he had no inkling Roger Federer would go on to scale such heights.
“I’m often reminded that I beat him but not many know that it was his first match on the ATP Tour," Ker said. "I never thought or imagined that Federer was going to be one of the best in the world and in history, I really didn’t."
Of course, it goes without saying Ker is thoroughly impressed today that Roger Federer has gone on to achieve everything that he has in his career.
“It’s incredible that he progressed as a player to be one of the best in history,” Lucas Ker said.
Roger Federer had a ‘stunted backhand’: Lucas Ker
Roger Federer would go on to play 1512 more matches after that battle, and along the way win as many as 103 titles - including 20 Grand Slams. He would also win two Olympic medals for Switzerland (gold and silver) while also lifting the Davis Cup and Hopman Cup for his country.
These statistics will keep piling up as long as Federer plays, but he has already managed to disprove Ker's initial notion about Swiss tennis players.
“I had to play a Swiss junior and at the time Switzerland didn’t have much of a (tennis) history. They weren’t very good players,” Ker said.
Lucas Ker didn't have a good impression of one of Roger Federer’s most aesthetically pleasing shots - his one-handed backhand. One can argue that back then it was far from the finished product it is today, so Ker had reasons to feel underwhelmed by it.
The Argentine did, however, form a good verdict about the rest of Federer’s game.
“Roger had a good serve, a good forehand but his backhand was stunted, not good at all," Ker said. "I remember moving him over there all the time and that allowed me to beat him solidly in two sets.”
It took Roger Federer four more attempts and six long years to finally win the Swiss Open in Gstaad (2004). By then he had already won three Grand Slam titles and also achieved the World No. 1 ranking, and was well on his way to greatness.