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Nalbandian ends Federer's 35-win streak to lift Masters Cup
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-11-20 21:35
Besides, he said, "I came much closer than I ever thought I would come to
this tournament victory. It was unfortunate in the end. I cannot believe myself
I came back in the fifth, but somehow I did. There's also pride in there because
three weeks ago I was still on crutches."
Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts as he misses a shot during his
match with David Nalbandian of Argentina at the Tennis Masters Cup final
in Shanghai November 20, 2005.
[Reuters] | Federer injured his right ankle
the week after ensuring the year-end No. 1 ranking with his 11th title of the
year on Oct. 2 in Thailand.
He couldn't practice or run until the week before the tournament. And with
No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal, No. 3 Roddick, No. 4 Lleyton Hewitt, No. 5 Andre
Agassi and Australian Open champion Marat Safin withdrawing either before or
right at the start of the tournament, there was extra pressure on Federer to
win.
He rallied from 0-4 in the deciding set and was serving for the match at 6-5
and 30-0 before Nalbandian broke back to force a tiebreaker. Nalbandian earned
three championship points when Federer sent a backhand into the net. The
eighth-seeded Argentine clinched the 4 1/2-hour match when Federer netted a
forehand.
Nalbandian lost a lopsided Wimbledon final to Lleyton Hewitt in 2002 in his
biggest previous match and although he's been consistent, he hasn't broken
through for a Grand Slam title.
"For the next time, very important matches or big moments, I will be
different on court," Nalbandian said.
Nalbandian had lost his last four matches to Federer, including a round-robin
match in this event last Sunday, and leads him 6-4 in head-to-heads.
Nalbandian, appearing at the Masters Cup for only the second time, became the
first Argentine to win the year-ending championship since Guillermo Vilas' title
in 1974 at Melbourne.
Federer had only once lost a best-of-five set match after leading 2-0 — to
Lleyton Hewitt in the 2003 Davis Cup semifinal.
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