Italian Andreas Seppi, who had only won a single set off Roger Federer in ten matches, won three of them today as he beat the Swiss 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
In the first set, Seppi, ranked 46, who had come out swinging freely on his groundstrokes, held break points at 0-40, 4-4. He proved it was not just a threat, either, executing the perfect strategy as he kept Federer back with his ground strokes – his forehand working especially well as it attacked the Swiss’ backhand, and the Italian drew an error from a Federer inside out forehand to grab the break.
Serving for the first set, the Italian looked like he might wobble as Federer held two break points at 15-40. However the Swiss netted an easy return and then missed a forehand, the shot that would prove crucial to both men’s fortunes in the game. Federer got himself another chance to break back when he ended a long rally with a forehand winner, only for Seppi to then work his own forehand to good effect into the corner of the court to Federer’s forehand side and draw an error. A Federer forehand error then gave Seppi set point and the Italian took it with a service winner.
Seppi saved break points early in the second set , and then broke Federer at 1-1 with a backhand volley, a putaway winner. Federer then broke straight back, his roar and pumped fist a sign of how tough this match, which on paper looked so smooth for the Swiss, felt.
Seppi broke again to lead 5-4 as he tracked down a Federer forehand to his backhand side, got his racket on it and sent it dropping into the court for a winner. Perhaps it was his day after all. Federer, though, got his own stroke of luck as he broke back immediately, his forehand clipping the net and trickling over on break point.
In the second set tie-breaker. Federer led 5-3 but Seppi got back the mini break as his forehand return to Federer’s forehand had too much pace and Federer errored. A beautiful volley and a passing shot winner and Seppi was 6-5 up, holding another set point. A huge return from the Italian’s backhand forced a net rushing Federer into error and Seppi was leading two sets to love.
Federer broke at 1-1 in the third, and began to impose himself, finally, holding serve all the way to 5-4 and then serving out to love. His authority now back on this match-up, it seemed like he was back in control.
Federer carried over that momentum into the fourth set, holding break point in the first game. But Seppi peppered the backhand with his reliable forehand and got the error and then held serve.
Federer kept to his aggressive game plan, believing his strategy would get him the win whatever his form, even chipping and charging at 2-2 30-30 on the return. Seppi’s passing shot was too good though and he held serve.
The match moved into a fourth set tiebreaker as Seppi refused to yield to history. History that threatened to repeat itself. Three times Federer got the mini-break in the tie-break only to be broken back by a stubborn Seppi. At 5-5, Seppi got a look at a second serve and he made it count as he pounded it with his forehand, getting Federer off balance. That forehand would end the point a few shots later, a crosscourt winner that painted the line. Seppi was a now a point within his first ever win over Federer.
Federer did not relent match point down. He stayed true to his plan, and could not have done any more than he did. He attacked the return, sending Seppi scurrying to his backhand side, and moved into the net, volleying to Seppi’s forehand corner, the Italian seemingly off balance. Seppi ran down the shot regardless, swung at the ball and hit a passing shot. Federer let it go and it landed in, sending him out of the tournament.
Federer said after the match he knew it was landing in as soon as he let it go. How soon will he let this loss go? Quickly. There was nothing to read into it, he said post match. A bad day, nothing more. His worst at the Ozzie Open since 2003 when he lost in the quarter-finals.
A great day for Seppi, though. One that ended with a slice of luck. One he earned. He got himself to match point after all against a player who he had lost ten consecutive matches to. He did it, he said, because he was more experienced now. More experienced than the Seppi who in 2012 at Roland Garros let a 2 sets to love against Novak Djokovic slip through his fingers. He was more in control of his emotions now. He just wanted to enjoy the game.
Perseverance, hard work, a great attitude and a touch of calm got Seppi there, to his first win over Federer, the biggest win, he said of his career. The luck was just the icing on the cake that, finally, after all this time, helped him over the line.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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