Roger Federer Sets New ATP Benchmark After 50th Win of Season
Roger Federer is a step away from clinching his 10th Swiss Indoors title in Basel after seeing off Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-final on Saturday. The win is Federer’s 50th of the ongoing ATP season, a feat he has achieved for a record-extending 16th time in his legendary career.
Federer’s record is the most by any male singles player ahead of second-placed Jimmy Conors who did it 14 times during his career.
The 38-year-old will now face Alex de Minaur in the final.
“It’s hard to believe that I’m in another Basel final. It’s super exciting,” Federer said after the match. “[Fans] enjoy when I’m playing good tennis and it pushes me to play even better, keep on trying every point and try to make something happen. That’s what you do with a home court advantage.”
This was Federer’s 23rd successive win in Basel and this will be his 15th final at the tournament and 13th in a row.
This is the Swiss legend’s 157th final at the tour level while De Minaur has played 107 career matches so far.
De Minaur beat Reilly Opelka 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 in the first semi-final.
Former world no. 9 Marc Rosset feels that the way 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer has evolved means he could go on to play in his forties. “When we see Federer evolving on this surface, we say he could play for at least five more years,” Rosset was quoted as saying by the Tennis World.
Meanwhile, French Open Tournament Director Guy Forget has compared Federer to Picasoo and Mozart in response to a query whether the Swiss would have enjoyed the same success had he been born in Africa. “I think so (Federer would have succeeded if born in Africa). He is like Picasso or Mozart. They have something that no father, coach or mother can teach anybody,” Forget was quoted as saying by the Tennis World.