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Roger Federer French Open 2021
ATP Tennis Players, Roger Federer, Tennis News

WATCH: Federer shows signature class but cannot hold off youngster


Roger Federer failed to reach the quarter-finals in Halle for the first time in his career, falling to a player exactly 19 years his junior.

The Swiss 39-year-old fell to 20-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 3-6, 2-6 as the two men, both born on 8th August 19 years apart, did battle in Germany.

The match was Federer’s first against a player born in the 2000s. In fact, Federer turned pro in 1998, a full two years before the young Canadian was even born.

Auger-Aliassime missed plenty of chances in the opening set, as he failed to convert any of his four break point chances.

By comparison, Federer needed just a single chance to go up a break and take the first 6-4.

The 10-time Halle champion made sure to roll back the years with some elegant play, including this down the line backhand winner.

However, FAA turned it around in the second by surrendering zero break chances, converting one of the five he had himself, going on to secure the set 6-3.

The 20-year-old then raced into a double-break advantage in the third to go up 4-0 before eventually seeing out the match 6-2 in the third.

Felix Auger-Aliassime will face either Jan-Lennard Struff or Marcos Giron for a place in the semi-finals.


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