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Ernests Gulbis Ends Roger Federer’s 9-Year Streak, Advances To Quarterfinals

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Val Powell

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On Sunday, Latvian tennis pro Ernests Gulbis defeated Roger Federer and advanced to the quarterfinals. Gulbis also ended Federer’s 9-year streak of joining the final 8 at Roland Garros.

After their match, which lasted 3 hours and 42 minutes, Gulbis said “I’ve been playing very well in France. I won tournaments in Marseille and Nice (in 2014). Hopefully Paris is the next one.”

Federer felt regretful after losing, but also praised his opponent. “Gulbis did a good job of hanging around, and clearly coming back in that second set was crucial for him. I just with I could have played a bit better overall,” he said.

The match ended with a tally of 6-4 (5), 7-6 (3), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. During their match, Gulbis had fewer unforced errors, and hit more winners and aces than Federer. Federer finished the match having 42 winners and 59 unforced errors, while Gulbis had 53 winners and 53 unforced errors.

Gulbis has been waiting for a win like this for a long time. He has improved his game and has gone from the top 130 to the top 20. However, he has never gone beyond the third round in all of the four major tournaments that he joined, and he was defeated by players who are beyond the top 50.

Gulbis said that beating Federer is his biggest win in the entirety of his career. “Sorry I had to win. I know how everyone likes Roger. It was a tough match, but this is sport.”

In 2013, Federer suffered back problems, which resulted in his worst season in 10 years. Despite the loss, he remains confident that he will be able to defend his grass-court title in Germany next week. He is also aspiring for his eighth title at Wimbledon, which will start on June 23. “I’m very excited about my chances for Wimbledon,” he said.

Gulbis will face Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinal round.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

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