There’s the one! Roger Federer replaces Andre Agassi as the oldest number one in tennis history. His historic return to the leaderboard throne was rounded off by a 4-6,6-1,6-1,6-1 win over Robin Haase in the quarter-finals of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Rotterdam.
“It would be incredible if I could do it,”said Roger Federer before the tournament started. Now it’s true: With 36 years and 195 days, the “Maestro” returns to the top of the world ranking list on Monday. So far, it was the American Andre Agassi who led the ranking in April 2003 with 33 years and 131 days.
However, the start was anything but on schedule: with his fifth ace, the underdog deservedly won the first round. Federer had conceded the decisive break in the ninth game – and thus lost his serve for the first time in the course of the tournament. The company’s own service was hung up, with only 42 percent of its first customers landing in the field. Haase, however, scored 81 percent when the first serve came.
Whoever provokes Federer, however, usually gets the receipt: The Swiss player did it better than in the first act, when he left three break points unused at the beginning, and got the serve of the Dutchman. After that it happened very quickly: double break and equalization of the set after only 19 minutes.
With the momentum in his bundle, Federer was also quick to escape the decision. Full in the tunnel and apparently without any nervousness he played out his aura. The physical signs of wear and tear at Haase did the rest. The local hero who went into the match with back problems had to throw up in the garbage can during the change at a score of 4:6,6:1,3:0.
It came as it had to: After 79 minutes it was a double fault of Haase, which gave the 20-time Grand Slam winner the historic victory.
For the last time, the Baselbieter had its place in the sun on the 4th day. October 2012. His triumph against Haase has now put five years and 106 days between the day he lost number one and the day he rejoined the throne. That is also a record.
Federer, who made his first appearance on 2. Feb. 2004, it also holds the best mark for the longest time interval (more than 14 years) between two reigns as industry leader. No other player was able to stay on the tennis throne for more than 302 weeks.
Continue on Saturday (not before 7:30 p. m. in our LIVE-Scores): The designated world number one then meets the winner of the match between Andreas Seppi and Daniil Medvedev. David Goffin and Grigor Dimitrov will contest the first semi-final.
Here the single panel in Rotterdam