Wimbledon 2013: Talking points from Day 3

The dethroned King

Roger Federer’s 2nd round defeat at Wimbledon signalled the end of an era

It was going to take an extraordinarily stunning upset to outdo Rafael Nadal‘s 1st round exit on Monday but Roger Federer‘s second round exit to Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky did just that. The statistics speak for themselves of just how significant, historic and shocking this result is. It was the first time he had failed to reach a quarter-final of a Grand Slam since the 2004 French Open and his earliest Grand Slam defeat since a year before that. It was the first time he had lost to a player outside the top 100 in past eight years. It was his earliest defeat at Wimbledon in 11 years when he lost to Mario Ancic and the worst defeat for a defending champion in 10 years.

What was the most perplexing thing was that Federer simply couldn’t get to the grips with the revolutionary serve and volley tactics employed by Stakhovsky. He tried passing him, trapping him, forcing him and even hurting him but they didn’t work. The Ukrainian served brilliantly and volleyed at a level that is almost extinct on the tour at the current time. But even so, even now with his powers diminished, you still expected Federer to come through. But the volleys and forehands which he would have so coolly dispatched even two years ago, fell long or into the middle of the court for Stakhovsky to put away.

For me, the match was summed up in the final two points. On the match point, Federer produced a stunning return and passing shot. The crowd sensed the King was about turn the corner to victory. But in the very next point where both men played it safe, Federer was the one who fired an innocuous backhand into the tramlines, handing over his crown with a whimper. Many fans, me included, were left speechless. This simply doesn’t happen to Federer! But we have to get used to the fact that for the first time in 11 years, Roger Federer won’t be playing in the second week of a Grand Slam.