New York fans have never seen Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal play one another in the U.S. Open.
And now it’s possible they never will.
When the draw came out, the two arch-rivals seemed destined for their first matchup in Flushing Meadows, a quarterfinal showdown which would have had an electric atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday night.
But while Nadal was still playing his fourth-round match in Ashe against Phillip Kohlschreiber, Federer shocked the tennis world by losing to Tommy Robredo — a man he had held a 10-0 career record against — 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4, after the match was moved to the cozier Louis Armstrong Stadium from Ashe because rain altered the schedule.
Robredo closed out arguably the biggest win of his career with a service winner and a sunken Federer walked off the court, his head down as he waved to the fans.
“I kind of feel like I beat myself, you know, without taking any credit away from Tommy,” Federer said. “Clearly he was making sure he was making many balls. It was up to me to make the difference and I couldn’t.
“I kind of self-destructed, which is very disappointing, especially on a quicker court.”
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