Roger Federer Records 50th Match Win At Roland Garros

Written by: Staff on 28th May 2012

Roger Federer Records 50th Match Win At Roland Garros

epa03239489 Roger Federer of Switzerland serves to Tobias Kamke of Germany during their first round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 28 May 2012. EPA/CHRISTOPHE KARABA |

(Original Story: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2012/05/22/Roland-Garros-Monday-Federer-Into-Second-Round.aspx)

Roger Federer equalled Jimmy Connors’ record for most Grand Slam match wins (233) on Monday when the third seed and 2009 champion defeated Tobias Kamke of Germany 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 at Roland Garros.

Federer, who is competing at his 50th major championship, is now 233-35 lifetime at the Grand Slams. It was also the 50th victory of his career at Roland Garros (50-12). He fought back from a 2-4 deficit in the second set, but hit 38 winners and seven aces overall. When attacking the net, he won 20 of 29 points.

“It’s a big record, because that was longevity,” said Federer. “Jimmy is obviously one of the greats of all time, and was around for 20 years. I love the big tournaments. I have been so successful for such a long time and to already tie that record, which is 30 years old is pretty incredible, so I’m very happy.”

Connors’ record of tour-level titles may well remain beyond Federer’s grasp. But the 16-time major champion can dream. “He had 109 career victories, I’m at 74 now,” explained Federer. “Is it possible for me to equal Connors’ titles? 110, that would be a round figure. That would be incredible. But that’s a dream. I go year after year, and we’ll see.”

The Swiss superstar is looking to become the first man aged 30 or over to win a major title since Andre Agassi won the 2003 Australian Open aged 32 years, 272 days. Federer beat Soderling for the 2009 title and is also a four-time runner-up.

Federer will next meet Romania’s Adrian Ungur, who hit 46 winners past David Nalbandian of Argentina in a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Elsewhere, 20th-seeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers beat Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, while Italian Andreas Seppi, the No. 22 seed, hit 13 aces and 49 winners to knock out former World No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko, the 2005 and 2007 semi-finalist, 6-3, 7-6(5), 7-5. David Goffin upset No. 23 seed Radek Stepanek, rallying past the Czech 6-2, 4-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win his Grand Slam main draw debut.

South African Kevin Anderson, the No 31 seed, finally clinched a second-round berth mid-afternoon after he saved four match points to beat Portugal’s Rui Machado 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 4-6, 6-1, 11-9. The match resumed at 7-7 in the deciding set.

Former World No. 1 and wild card entry Lleyton Hewitt, playing his first match since toe surgery in February, lost to Slovenian Blaz Kavcic 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3. Kavcic reached the second round for the third consecutive year, while today’s match was just Hewitt’s seventh in 2012.

Hewitt’s countryman Bernard Tomic, the 25th seed, fared better, recording his first-ever win at Roland Garros with a 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-3 win over Austrian qualifier Andreas Haider-Maurer. He will next play Colombian Santiago Giraldo, who he beat at the recent Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.

Paul-Henri Mathieu overcame a two-sets-to-love deficit to defeat Bjorn Phau 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-0. The 30-year-old Frenchman was playing at his first Grand Slam event since the 2010 US Open and is through to the second round in Paris for the seventh time.

Topics: 10sballs.com, French Open 2012, Jimmy Connors, roger, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Sports, Tennis News, Tobias Kanke