Eight years on, Federer has Del Potro record to set straight

TIL Desk Sports/ Eight years after losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open final, Roger Federer locks horns again with the giant Argentine in New York still convinced he should have won the match which ended his five- year reign as champion.

Del Potro was just 20 years old when he downed the Swiss legend 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 but Federer believes that he was the dominant force in that 2009 showdown.

“The only time when he was really better, in my opinion, was the fifth set. Obviously that was good enough to beat me that day,” said Federer on Monday after seeing off Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 to set-up Wednesday’s quarter-final with Del Potro.

“I felt like that I left that match with a lot of regrets. Probably feels like one of those matches I would like to play over again.”Feel like I would probably win it somehow because I should have been up maybe two sets to love.”

Federer leads Del Potro 16-5 in their head-to-head record although his win in Miami this year represented the first time the pair had met in four years. Despite his disappointment at losing the 2009 championship match, Federer admits that having also defeated Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals, Del Potro was overall a worthy winner.