Roger Federer is facing a tough loss.
On Monday night, the legendary Swiss athlete — ranked second in the world — uncharacteristically lost at the U.S. Open to John Millman, an Australian ranked 55, according to The Washington Post.
Millman, 29, bested Federer in the fourth round, ESPN reported.
In a press conference after the match, Federer, 37, chalked up the loss in part to the weather. “I just thought it was very hot tonight,” he said. “It was just one of those nights where I guess I felt I couldn’t get air. There was no circulation at all. For some reason, I just struggled in the conditions tonight… John was able to deal with it better.”
Federer has won five U.S. Open titles and 23 Grand Slam titles total. Millman had not previously made it to a Grand Slam quarterfinal, ESPN noted. Federer has never before lost to someone ranked outside the top 50 at the U.S. Open, according to CNN.
Millman will next go up against Novak Djokovic, who is ranked sixth.
Federer continued, “I do believe since the roof is on that there is no air circulation in the stadium. I think that makes it a totally different U.S. Open. Plus conditions, maybe, we’re playing slower this year on top of it. And then you have soaking wet pants, soaking wet everything .. You try to play and everything gets slower as you try to hit winners.”
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Back in May, Federer praised Serena Williams, who beat sister Venus at the U.S. Open, as the best player in the game.
In the WSJ. Magazine‘s June/July issue he said, “She had a totally different upbringing — I came up through Switzerland with the federation, she did it with her dad and her sister. It’s an amazing story unto itself — and then she became one of the greatest, if not the greatest tennis player of all time.”
from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/2CiiXub
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