Losses Here, There, Everywhere for Federer

Is the "King" abdicating?

An image of frustrations...

Last year, Roger Federer lost just 9 matches against 68 wins, taking 8 titles including 3 Grand Slam trophies, the Tennis Masters Cup and 2 ATP Masters Series shields. This year, four and a half months of the 2008 ATP Season has already passed, he has just managed to win a relatively minor clay tournament in Estoril - losing 7 battles already along the way.

1. Australian Open SF (vs Novak Djokovic) - 5-7, 3-6, 6-7 (5)
2. Dubai Tennis Championships 1R (vs Andy Murray) - 7-6 (6), 3-6, 4-6
3. Indian Wells Masters SF (vs Mardy Fish) - 3-6, 2-6
4. Key Biscayne Masters QF (vs Andy Roddick) - 6-7 (4), 6-4, 3-6
5. Monte Carlo Masters F (vs Rafael Nadal) - 5-7 5-7
6. Rome Masters (vs Radek Stepanek) - 6-7 (4), 6-7 (7)
7. Hamburg Masters (vs Rafael Nadal) - 5-7, 6-7 (3), 3-6

Who will take over?

Are we crowning a new "King"?

A picture-perfect moment...

Rafael Nadal has been ranked #2 for a record 148 consecutive weeks, and has now won 108 of his last 110 matches on clay, including 81 straight from 2005-2007. He made a hat-trick in four different clay tournaments - Monte Carlo (2005-2008), Barcelona (2005-2008), Rome (2005-2007), and Roland Garros (2005-2007). He will try to tie Bjorn Borg's record of four-successive French Open victories next week. He was won 11 AMS shields, at least two each year, since 2005. He has denied Federer a career Grand Slam three times already and sports a 10-6 lifetime win-loss record against the current #1.

Is Rafa the sole heir to the throne?



The Djoker steals the limelight.

A shot filled with ecstasy...

He might not be the King nor the Ace, but this Joker from Serbia is a Jack of all trades. Novak Djokovic currently leads the ATP Champions' Race by grabbing his first career Grand Slam at Melbourne and 2 more AMS shields in Indian Wells and Rome. Last year, he made a great improvement climbing up from #16 to #3 in the world with AMS triumphs in Miami and Montreal plus a finals appearance in the US Open. Last week, for the first time in 147 weeks, Nadal's grip of the second-spot was in clear threat. He surely adds a little more spice to the epic rivalry Federer and Nadal has already established - making it a three-way fight.

But does he have what it takes to be the next-big-thing in men's tennis?


These questions will be answered as the next wave of ATP events unfolds with Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Toronto and Cincinnati Masters, the Olympics and the US Open taking centerstage from May to September 2008.