Players: David Nalbandian and Roger Federer
- David Nalbandian. The best player to never win a Grand Slam
David Nalbandian was born in 1982 in Córdoba, Argentina and was one of the most talented players of his generation, displaying very smooth technique and a deadly two-handed backhand. After a very successful junior career, he made a name for himself in 2002, reaching the Wimbledon final at the age of 20, losing to Lleyton Hewitt (6-1, 6-3, 6-2).
The following year, Nalbandian lost to Andy Roddick (6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-3) in the semi-finals of the US Open, and in 2004, the Argentine reached the final four at Roland Garros (lost to Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 7-06, 6-3, 7-06). He won the highlight of his career at the 2005 Masters Cup, defeating Roger Federer in the final (6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6). The following year, Nalbandian became one of the few players to reach the semifinals at each Grand Slam when he reached the semifinals at the Australian Open (lost by Markos Baghdatis 3–6, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4).
C:considered by many to be one of the greatest players to never win Grand Slam title, Nalbandian struggled with injuries for most of the 2007 season. Ranked No. 8 at the start of the year, he dropped to No. 25 in October when he became only the third player in the Open Era to beat the world’s top three players consecutively as he defeated Nadal, Djokovic and Federer to win the Madrid Masters.
- Roger Federer. a Swiss maestro who already had 12 Grand Slam titles
Roger FedererThe Swiss maestro, then 26, had been world No. 1 without a break since February 2, 2004. He had already won 12 Grand Slams which included Australian Open 2004, 2006, 2007, Wimbledon 2003, 2004, 2007, 2005, 2005, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007. In 2006, his best year on tour, he won 12 titles, including three Grand Slams, a Masters Cup and four Masters titles. He recorded a record 92 wins against five losses, four of which came against his only serious rival at the time, Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard was the main reason that Federer had not yet won the French Open. the Swiss lost to him in the semifinals in 2005 (6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3) and in the final in 2006 (1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6). Federer began 2007 by winning the Australian Open without dropping a set, defeating Fernando Gonzalez (7-6, 6-4, 6-4) in the final. He then had a strange Indian Wells/Miami swing where he lost to the same player, Guillermo Canas, an Argentine who was returning to the tour after being banned for using a banned substance.
Returning to form in the spring, Federer won in Hamburg, defeating his Spanish foe for the first time on clay in the final (2–6, 6–2, 6–0), but Nadal once again beat him in the final at the French Open. (6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4). The Swiss avenged the left-hander at Wimbledon, where he won the final after a five-set battle (7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2), and he secured his No. 1 ranking with a win at Flushing Meadows, defeating Novak Djokovic 7-6, 6-4 in the final (7-6, 6-4).
The placeBercy, France
The Paris-Bercy Indoor Open was founded in 1986. Held each year in early November, it was usually the last major tournament on the tour before the Masters Cup and Davis Cup Final. One of the most prestigious indoor events in the world, it became part of the Super 9 category (formerly known as the Masters Series) in 1990. Past champions of this event include legends such as Boris Becker (1986, 1989, 1992), Andre Agassi (1994, 1999, 1999) and 1999. Safin (2000, 2002, 2004).
The factsNalbandian wins in straight sets
The round of 16 clash between Federer and Nalbandian at the 2007 Paris Masters has been highly anticipated since the draw was announced. The Argentine had just defeated Federer in the Madrid Open final (1-6, 6-3, 6-4) on his way to the title, and he was in the spotlight in the final week of the regular season. Had he won in Paris, the Argentine could still have qualified for the Masters Cup, while Federer looked to avenge his loss in Madrid. loss
In the early rounds, Nalbandyan had already made a strong impression, defeating Nicolas Almagro and Carlos Moya in straight sets. Meanwhile, Federer, who received a first-round bye as a seed, played just one match, needing three sets to beat Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic (6-3, 4-6, 6-3).
Nalbandian got off to a great start, opening 5-2. Federer was able to save five set points but was unable to stop his opponent from winning the first set 6-4.
In the second set, the Argentine served for the match at 5-4, but the Swiss fought back and pushed him to a tiebreak. It wasn’t enough to wrong-foot the hot-shooting Nalbandian, who won the tiebreak 7-3 to complete a 6-4, 7-6 victory and advance to the quarter-finals. Nalbandian was now one of the few players to tie Federer head-to-head (8-8). Mathematically, he could still qualify for the year-end Masters Cup, which would have been unthinkable two weeks ago when he was 25th in the ATP rankings.
“Of course it’s disappointing to lose to a guy twice in a few weeks, especially indoors, one of my favorite surfaces, but we knew David’s qualities.Federer said after the match.
What next?? Nalbandyan wins in Paris, but just misses the Masters Cup
Davit Nalbandyan will win the title of Paris champion after defeating Rafael Nadal 6:4, 6:0 in the final. Despite this incredible run, he would not qualify for the year-end Masters Cup, a tournament he won in 2005, finishing the year as world No. 9. in October 2013
The two players would meet three more times before Nalbandian retired, and Federer would win each time.
Federer would become the first player to surpass Pete Sampras’ record of 14 majors and eventually finish his career with 20 Grand Slams when he hangs up his rackets in September 2022 at the age of 40.
