20-time Major champion Roger Federer was only fined twice at Majors in more than two decades. The Swiss was sanctioned for insulting in the duel against Juan Martín Del Potro in that epic 2009 US Open final, in the first match he lost in New York since 2003.
Roger was fined $3,000 for using an audible obscenity in the third set of the 2020 Australian Open quarterfinal against Tennys Sandgren. In one of the most exciting matches of the entire season, Roger defeated Tennys 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in three hours and 31 minutes.
The veteran weathered all odds and advanced to his 15th semi-final in Melbourne after fending off no fewer than seven match points. The Swiss star received a code breach when a line judge reported it to chair umpire Marijana Veljovic, who in turn issued the warning.
Federer won the first set before losing ground in the second after suffering a groin injury. The crowd favorite played well below his usual level in the third set, when he received an off-court medical timeout. Frustrated by it all, the Swiss threw in some swear words and received a warning from Veljovic.
The 20-time Major winner spent some time talking to her and continued during the break between two games. As the painkillers kicked in, Federer recovered enough in the fourth set to stay in touch and prolong his chances. Roger somehow saved those seven match points in game 10 and at 3-6 in the tie break to endure an impossible task and force a decider.
With momentum on his side, the Swiss took home victory and produced a marvelous comeback that he has only managed once in the past, at Cincinnati 2003, against world number 114 Scott Draper.
Ljubo opens up on King Roger
Ivan Ljubicic has revealed that 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is an avid chess player.
“He likes to play kind of bullets to kill time and distract himself. I know more (than Roger) or less but I prefer not to talk about it. He would not enjoy me talking about it,” said Ljubicic. “He got hooked by seeing how fanatic I was about it.
He had the basics and I honestly don’t know if he still does it because we haven’t spent a lot of time together in 14 months since he had surgery but yeah he also knows the general ideas of what’s happening in the chess world,” he added.
