Federer hit with rare code violation in angry run-in with umpire
Roger Federer has shocked fans with an angry outburst at the ATP Finals in London.
Federer suffered a shock straight-sets defeat to Kei Nishikori on Sunday (local time), severely denting his bid for the 100th title of his illustrious career.
The Swiss, who has won the season-ending event a record six times, produced an uncharacteristically error-prone and fractious display in the round-robin match as the Japanese seventh seed prevailed 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
The result means Federer is now in danger of failing to qualify for the semi-finals for just the second time in 16 appearances at the event.
“I felt we both struggled, you know, throughout the first set,” he said. “You could tell it was sort of a first round. I had my chances maybe a bit more than he did.
“Then I started to feel better in the second set. I think we both did. The level went up. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep the lead that I got early. That was important, I think, at the end. That was the key of the match.”
Federer, 37, has beaten Nishikori in Shanghai and Paris in recent weeks but despite having the backing of a full house at the O2 Arena, he never really settled into a groove.
The normally cool Swiss picked up a rare code violation for ball abuse in the 12th game after Nishikori produced a staggering backhand winner down the line.
He then took aim at the chair umpire after the match.
“He thought I was angry,” Federer said afterwards, when asked what he had said to umpire Damian Steiner.
“I wasn’t. Now I’m angry because I lost, but … He knows me very well apparently, or he thought so.”
The rare outburst left fans rather shocked.
Can’t remember the last time I saw Federer get a code violation. It’s a bit like seeing John McEnroe hugging an umpire… #bbctennis
— Edward Ditchfield (@EdwardCrusoe) November 11, 2018
Federer handed a code violation for thumping a ball into the crowd. Walks over to the umpire chair seemingly in a bit of a huff… can’t really have too many complaints, though.
— George Bellshaw (@BellshawGeorge) November 11, 2018
Where it went wrong
The Swiss great made 20 unforced errors in the first set and Nishikori capitalised, forcing a tie-break in which he raced to a 6/1 lead before sealing it 7/4.
Federer, showing real urgency, broke Nishikori immediately at the start of the second set but it proved a false dawn as he lost his own serve immediately
Nishikori broke again in the sixth game and kept his nerve, serving out for victory.
Overall the statistics make grim reading for Federer, who made a total of 34 unforced errors against 19 winners.
Federer denied that cutting back on his schedule increased the pressure on him to do well at the tournaments he did play.
“I don’t think, per se, I’m playing worse because of it,” he said. “I think I’ve had that pressure, not going out early, most of my career.”
with AFP