Federer Falls Just Short of All-Time Win Streak

ByABC News
March 12, 2007, 9:46 AM

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- March 11, 2007— -- Guillermo Canas snapped Roger Federer's 41-match winning streak Sunday, beating the world's top player 7-5, 6-2 in the second round of the Pacific Life Open.

"It was just a normal loss, like I've had about 100 times on tour," Federer said. "That's normal to tennis. I have no problems. He played very well. I missed my chances. I think he played very well and I didn't think I was playing poorly at all. So it's OK."

Federer had arrived at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden having won seven consecutive tournaments and was considered an odds-on favorite to break the record of 46 straight matches won by Guillermo Vilas of Argentina 30 years ago.

"It's no pressure at all because I take it match by match," Federer said of the streak to reporters. "You guys think it takes a win to break the record. I'm concerned about winning my first-round [actually second-round] match against a lucky loser. It just shows you how tough it is.

Canas, an Argentine who got into the tournament as a "lucky loser" from qualifying when Xavier Malisse withdrew, played more like a man who once was No. 8 in the world.

Canas went up 6-5 in the first set with a service break and held to close out the set.

"Today was just a grind for me from the start," Federer said. "I really felt I missed all the big opportunities today, to kind of come back and put the pressure on him. It just didn't seem to go my way."

During the break, Federer removed his shoes and summoned the ATP Tour trainer for the first of two times to attend to an undisclosed problem with his feet.

Federer stayed in the match for a while. But after Federer had a second visit from the trainer, Canas won the final three games of the set and threw open the championship of this $3.3 million tournament.

Federer said there was no problem with his feet, that he always tapes them from toes to ankles and that the tape "was not sticking the way it's supposed to, so I just took it off."

He did say, however, that he was bothered by blisters.