Federer stuns with amazing act of sportsmanship
On his way to reclaiming the World No.1 ranking, Roger Federer produced an incredible act of sportsmanship for his opponent.
Federer added yet another record to his vast collection when he became the oldest ATP world No.1 by beating Dutchman Robin Haase 4-6 6-1 6-1 to reach the semi-finals in Rotterdam.
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Needing to reach the last four to overtake great rival Rafael Nadal, Federer showed some early nerves in his quarter-final clash, dropping serve in the ninth game on his way to conceding the first set.
But the 36-year-old Swiss began punishing a physically struggling Haase, storming back to secure a remarkable victory.
And at the start of the third set, Federer showed his absolute class when it looked like he'd served an ace while leading 1-0.
The linesman called it good, and the chair umpire didn't overrule, but Federer knew the ball was out.
He told the umpire and Haase that the ball was out and proceeded to take a second serve, rather than take the point.
"Can you even do that?" one commentator asked.
"That's why he wins the sportsmanship award every year," another added.
Federer went on to win the point anyway and didn't look back from there.
"Reaching number one is one of, if not the ultimate achievement in our sport," Federer said on court after being handed a huge No.1 shaped plaque by former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, the tournament director.
"Sometimes at the beginning you just kind of get there because you played so well, but later you have to fight for it and have to wrestle it back from someone who deserves to be there. When you are older you maybe have to put double the work in. This maybe means the most to me in my career."
Federer, whose glittering career has re-ignited since taking six months off in 2016, has won three of the last five grand slams having gone five years without one.
One of the greatest ever late-career runs by any sportsman or woman means he surpasses Andre Agassi who was the previous oldest man to top the ATP rankings.
American Agassi was 33 when he scaled the summit in 2003, and was one of the first to congratulate Federer.
"Roger Federer continues to raise the bar in our sport. Congratulations on yet another remarkable achievement!!" Agassi said on Twitter.
Federer also set another record with the more than five-year gap between his previous and most recent stints as world No.1 being the longest since ATP rankings began in 1973.
FEDERER'S LATEST RECORDS:
Total weeks as world No. 1:
1 Roger Federer 303
2 Pete Sampras 286
3 Ivan Lendl 270
Oldest No.1s in men's rankings history:
1 Roger Federer, 36, on 19 February 2018
2 Andre Agassi, 33, on 7 September 2003
3 Rafael Nadal, 31, on 18 February 2018
Longest Gap Between Stints as No.1:
1 Roger Federer 5 years, 106 days
2 Andre Agassi 3 years, 142 days (1996-99)
3 Jimmy Connors 3 years, 65 days
Longest Gap Between first and most recent day as No. 1:
1 Roger Federer 14 years, 17 days
2 Rafael Nadal 9 years, 184 days
3 Jimmy Connors 8 years, 339 days
with AAP
