Only five players had ever defeated both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the same tournament: Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko, David Nalbandian, Andy Murray, and Juan Martin Del Potro. Now there is a sixth: David Goffin.
Goffin followed up a 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4 round-robin upset of Nadal by beating Federer 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semis of the Nitto ATP Finals on Saturday afternoon. The previous five players combined to accomplish the feat 11 times–with Djokovic, Davydenko, and Nalbandian doing it on multiple occasions. All 11 times, that player has gone on to win the title. Only once out of those 11 times has a player faced someone other than Nadal or Federer in the eventual final (Davydenko at the 2009 World Tour Finals defeated Del Potro to win the title).
Still with work to do, Goffin awaits either Grigor Dimitrov or Jack Sock in Sunday’s championship match.
The list:
Novak Djokovic (five times)
2015 World Tour Finals
SF: d. Nadal 6-3, 6-3
F: d. Federer 6-3, 6-4
2013 World Tour Finals
RR: d. Federer 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-2
F: d. Nadal 6-3, 6-4
2011 U.S. Open
SF: d. Federer 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5
F: d. Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1
2011 Indian Wells Masters
SF: d. Federer 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
F: d. Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
2007 Montreal Masters
SF: d. Nadal 7-5, 6-3
F: d. Federer 7-6(2) , 2-6, 7-6(2)
Nikolay Davydenko (twice)
2010 Doha
SF: d. Federer 6-4, 6-4
F: d. Nadal 0-6, 7-6(8), 6-4
2009 World Tour Finals
RR: d. Nadal 6-1, 7-6(4)
SF: d. Federer 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
David Nalbandian (twice)
2007 Paris Masters
R3: d. Federer 6-4, 7-6(3)
F: d. Nadal 6-4, 6-0
2007 Madrid Masters
QF: d. Nadal 6-1, 6-2
F: d. Federer 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
Andy Murray
2010 Toronto Masters
SF: d. Nadal 6-3, 6-4
F: d. Federer 7-5, 7-5
Juan Martin Del Potro
2009 U.S. Open
SF: d. Nadal 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
F: d. Federer 3-6, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2
good company
Can’t beat old age
It’s sooooo sweet after seeing a zillion comments trolling Rafa. 😆
Augusta which trolling do you see :)?? Trillions? Are you surfing the web to feed yourself with those?
I mean everyone has his/her own pleasures. I’m not judging. It’s just weird to take pleasure out of trolling.
You see, talking about Fedal friendship and saying how nice would it be to have that respect between their fans is useless as long as some of their fans feed on trolling each one. Sad. I mean… could be orgasmic for some like augusta, but not for most people.
AT 8:57 AM,
Speaking of a pleasure, it’s a real pleasure to look at this picture:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DO_Cvp6X4AANdu6.jpg
👍
Nice picture indeed. But what you were suggesting in your previous comment is a totally different story.
AT 9:47 AM,
Looking at the picture gives me a great pleasure especially after Fedtrolls, who have attacked Rafa since he clinched the YE#1 ranking, have been silenced thanks to Fed’s loss.