Top-Ranked Federer Loses to Canas for Second Time This Month
By Bob Bensch
March 27 (Bloomberg) -- Guillermo Canas beat Roger Federer at the Sony Ericsson Open today, the second time this month the Argentine has defeated the world's top-ranked tennis player.
Canas, ranked 55th in the world, rallied from a break down in the third set to win 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) in Miami.
``I think I played great tennis today and for me it's just like a dream,'' the 29-year-old Canas said in comments posted on the Association of Tennis Professionals Web site. ``Beating two weeks in a row the No. 1 of the world is amazing.''
Canas, who returned to the tour in September after a 15- month drug ban, also beat Federer at the Pacific Life Open in California on March 12. That loss was Federer's first since August and ended his bid to break Guillermo Vilas's men's professional record of 46 straight wins.
``I guess he played well against me both times and I couldn't put him away unfortunately,'' Federer said.
Federer, 25, said he'll now take a break to concentrate on the clay-court season as he prepares for the French Open in May, when he'll try for his fourth straight Grand Slam title.
The Swiss captured Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year and the Australian Open in January. He has never won the French Open and will begin his preparations at the Monte Carlo Masters Series event starting April 16.
``I'm going to play Monte Carlo, Rome, Hamburg, French Open, Halle, Wimbledon -- all big tournaments in Europe,'' Federer said. ``So I need a break here after this, and then I'm going to start practicing and get to Monaco early and hopefully play well.''
Canas has won 15 of 18 matches this year, including winning a tournament in Brazil last month.
To contact the reporter on this story: Bob Bensch in Trenton, New Jersey at bbensch@bloomberg.net .
Last Updated: March 27, 2007 21:53 EDT |
