Battling a long slump, Federer angrily broke his racket on Friday en route to a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 loss to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.
Federer fell behind 2-love in the third set, and when he netted an easy forehand to start the next game, he slammed his racket to the concrete, mangling it. The outburst was a shock coming from Federer, winner of the tour's sportsmanship award the past five years.
"I was just frustrated," a red-eyed Federer said shortly after the match. "Didn't feel great. It's just a natural thing I did."
"I was just frustrated," a red-eyed Federer said shortly after the match. "Didn't feel great. It's just a natural thing I did."
Federer was betrayed by his forehand, long touted as the game's best. It was the biggest culprit during the match's pivotal stretch bridging the second and third sets, when he lost 24 of 28 points and seven consecutive games.
Federer shanked at least half a dozen forehands and blamed the breeze, a staple at Key Biscayne.
Federer has endured wrenching defeats in recent Grand Slams, including a loss in February at the Australian Open that left him sobbing. But he has also struggled in Masters events, the ATP Tour's most prestigious tournaments aside from the majors.
Federer has endured wrenching defeats in recent Grand Slams, including a loss in February at the Australian Open that left him sobbing. But he has also struggled in Masters events, the ATP Tour's most prestigious tournaments aside from the majors.
Federer, who hasn't won any title since October, now heads to Europe to play on clay, his least-favourite surface. Or maybe it's now hard court.
"I haven't been winning 20 tournaments in a row, so nobody expects me to win really," Federer said. "It has been a tough last year or so, especially on the hard courts. My game never really clicked. Thank God the hard-court season is over."
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