Julien Benneteau shocked the crowd at the Ahoy stadium when he defeated Roger Federer in the Rotterdam World Tennis tournament Friday.
Defending champion Roger Federer made a shocking exit from the Rotterdam World Tennis tournament Friday when Julien Benneteau defeated the world number 2 in straight sets. The crowd at the Ahoy stadium was shocked to see that their favorite player didn't even last three sets and was demolished in the second set itself. The quarter finals match score read 6-3, 7-5.
"It is one of the biggest wins, for sure," the 39-ranked Frenchman said. "To play against Roger, Friday night, full house, it's a dream and I played like in a dream."
The defeat also ended Federer's chances of becoming the only man to win the tournament three times. Earlier, Federer lifted the trophy in 2002 and 2012.
"I'm very disappointed, I have some regrets about this match," said Federer, who came back from two sets to love down to beat Benneteau in the third round of Wimbledon last year.
However, the 31-year-old tennis star admitted that the Frenchman was the better player of the day and created more chances than him. Federer also stated that while the loss was a tough one, it happens to the greatest players at some point in time. He said he knew his game was up and all over when he was broken five times in the match.
"He made it difficult and generated pressure. That made you try to serve harder. When I had some chances I didn't take them. I was maybe a point or two away from taking it into a third set and then the clock resets."
Benneteau will now play fifth-seeded compatriot Gilles Simon for a place in the finals.
