VIDEO | Roger Federer smashes ball into stands as petrified fan protects face
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Experience has been defined in a number of different ways over the ages, and one of the more prominent descriptions has been keeping calm in the face of adversity. But 37-year-old Roger Federer denied that trait when he was seen hitting the ball into the stands in anger after it came off the net.
Despite the magnanimity of this French Open match, the outcome was pretty much known to one and all. Rafael Nadal has been the undisputed champion on the red soil even when Federer was at the peak of his career, and there was no way he would let an ageing and depreciating champion win this time.
The same happened as Federer was broken in the very second game of the first set and again in the sixth. Nadal won the first set 6-3 and the second set 6-4 as the match was heading to the inevitable. Before the game, Nadal led 13-2 on clay against Federer and it was the sinking feeling for the Swiss ace that he was probably playing his last French Open without improving those figures.
However, while he wasn’t annoyed by getting outplayed by the greatest player the clay court has ever seen, it was the vicissitudes that eventually got on his nerves. The incident happened in the third set with Federer serving after both him and Nadal won their first service games. Nadal was leading 40-15 standing on the brink of breaking Federer yet again when his backhand return saw the ball bouncing off the top of the net.
Federer, who was rushing on at the net to get a volley on it was taken aback by the sudden bounce. He was broken in the third game and the former World No.1 was seen taking out the ball from his pocket and hitting it into the stands in utter frustration. A fan, who was sitting in the lowest stand was even seen hiding his face in fear of the ball hitting him. Federer did receive a warning from the umpire for his misconduct and is sure to receive a fine as well.
