ROGER Federer cut Brisbane into his tennis kingdom last night, declaring he would “never forget’’ the night at Pat Rafter Arena when he won his 1000th singles match. Federer notched his 1000th career win last night in a brilliant final at Pat Rafter Arena, outlasting Canada’s explosive world No.8 Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4. Raonic won all five of the tiebreaks he played in Brisbane but after being scalded at the end of the second set the world No.2 was able to break serve for the third time at 5-4 in the third set. Federer said it meant a lot to him to win his 1000th match in front of Queensland greats Roy Emerson, who handed him the trophy, and Rod Laver, who presented frame images of him to mark his achievement. “I’ll never forget this match,’’ he said. “It means more to win it in a three-set match like this when it could have been 6-4, 6-4. I’ve never felt like after a win because milestone like 800 or 900 wins never meant that too much to me — 1000 does. “My (five-year-old) daughters can’t count to 1000. My wife has seen probably 800 wins. “A lot of things have changed in the sport since I started. There are stadiums around that didn’t exist then. I couldn’t play in Brisbane earlier in my career.’’ Laver, Pete Sampras, Pat Cash and Tim Henman were among a group of former stars to congratulate Federer in a filmed tribute broadcast in the stadium at the presentation. Federer’s record of 1000 wins from 1227 matches in career ATP, Grand Slam and Davis Cup singles matches is bettered only by Jimmy Connors (1253 wins) and Ivan Lendl (1071) in the Open era. It’s a record forged despite early doubt and insecurities and in his fifth full year on the ATP Tour he won a Wimbledon final against Mark Philippoussis which he regards as the standout match in his life. Twelve years later, seven best-of-five set matches at Melbourne Park will be the test for Federer, 33, when he bids from next Monday to become the oldest male Grand Slam title winner in more than 40 years. The evergreen Ken Rosewall won four major crowns between 1968-72 at an age older than Federer will be in Melbourne. “I do believe I have a shot in Melbourne,’’ Federer said. “It’s just talk. I have to do the running, the clutch plays when it matters, like tonight.’’ Federer sent Brisbane spectators and tournament officials off with a spring in their step by saying he hoped to see them next year. “It would be my dream,’’ he said. The Swiss master has charmed the state on his two visits to Brisbane, which is the 29th different city to boast him as a winner of their tournament after he had been runner-up last summer to Lleyton Hewitt. Federer is too polite to say so, but his defiant tennis at his milestone tournament fairly yelled at his younger Grand Slam contenders: “Get back in the queue’’. Federer had turned the tables on Raonic by unleashing 20 aces, eight more than the man whose serve collected the second most aces, 1107, on the tour last year. The 17-time Grand Slam champion caned world No.11 Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2 in their semi-final on Saturday. Raonic, who grabbed his first win over Federer in eight matches in Paris last October, was vastly more impressive and underlined his capacity to make a bigger noise at the Grand Slams. The Canadian ensured a memorable final after he had gone a set and a break of serve down. But Raonic won seven points in a row in the tiebreak from 0-2 behind and capturing 12 of the 23 points on Federer’s second serves in the second set. Federer’s drawcard status ensured the second biggest total attendance in the Brisbane International’s history, 97,034, with a last-night crowd of 6228.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 14:12:35 +0000
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