Roger Federer established himself as one of the players to beat on the ATP Tour in 2001 and 2002, improving his game and scoring the first notable results at Majors and the Masters 1000 series. The Swiss reached his first Major quarter-final at Roland Garros 2001, gathering a boost and repeating that at the All England Club a few weeks later, reports Tennis News.
Winning the junior Wimbledon crown in 1998, Federer found his A-game at the cathedral of tennis in 2001 and advanced into the last eight following a thrilling 7-6, 5-7, 6-5, 6-7, 7-5 triumph over the seven-time champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round.
A teenager prevailed after three hours and 40 minutes, enduring all the obstacles and staying focused until the very last point to emerge at the top and reach the last eight. Federer sealed the deal with a return winner in the 12th game to find himself in the quarters, facing Tim Henman in a battle for the semis.
In the interview with Tennis news, Federer revealed that Pete was his favourite when he was young, while he could not say the same about Andre due to his game style. "For me, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are different players.
Pete was my favourite when I was young, while Andre was not. I do not know, it was more special at Wimbledon than here in Miami, even though I like this place a lot. Wimbledon has a bigger tradition, and I can not compare my Wimbledon match against Sampras with the one I played against Agassi here in Florida," Roger Federer said.
