rogerfederer.com - Roger loses first match

Roger loses first match

Seventh seed Fernando Gonzalez shocked our number one 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-5 to hand the defending champion his first-ever loss in the round robin phase of the Masters Cup.

Roger was undefeated in the round robin phase in five previous appearances at the season-ending championships and had never lost to Gonzalez in ten prior encounters.

Roger was never in trouble until the second-set tiebreaker, when Gonzalez, who had only won two sets in their previous meetings, stunned him by running off to a 6-0 lead. Our star saved one set point before sending a forehand long to level the match.

Shouting and pumping his fist, Gonzalez had break points for the first time in consecutive games in the third set but couldn't convert. Roger squandered five break points of his own.

Roger looked stunned as Gonzalez whipped winner after winner, and the Chilean finally converted a break to pull ahead 6-5. Gonzalez showed some nerves by double-faulting while serving for the match at 40-0, but Roger sent a forehand wide to end it.