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via Imago

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via Imago

When he was active, Roger Federer was not a player who was ever down for the count. In his matches against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Federer fought until the end and came out triumphant many times. However, he did not have the same talent when he was younger. An angry young man before he changed, Federer had a fierce rivalry with a cohort. It did not always end well for him as the Swiss Maestro lost many consecutive matches to the player.  

Developing a calm personality is another change that people can see in the mighty Federer. Prior to becoming a polite individual, Federer had a demeanor that would’ve made his image worse than Nick Kyrgios. But the 20-time grand slam champion understood that changes were required. He did what he needed to become one of the best in history. 

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Roger Federer handed the worst record of his life

Before Nadal and Djokovic became his prominent rivals, Daniel Schnyder was the main enemy of the former number 1. Born in the same area as Federer, Schnyder faced the Swiss Maestro several times on the junior circuit. As they met several times, the two were good friends. But when the two played a match, no one was cordial. “That’s when we no longer knew of friendship,” Schnyder said. “We were both very ambitious, and that showed. It always became very emotional.”

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The two played many matches against each other. Federer lost eight consecutive matches against Schnyder, a feat no one in the world has achieved. As he remembered the smackdown he gave to Federer, Schnyder also discussed why he won so many times in ‘The Roger Federer Effect’.

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I was very solid from the baseline, made few mistakes,” Schnyder said. “He was always the more risky player, even tried to play serve-and-volley, which didn’t pay off at such a young age. With his forehand, he tried to force. But he made too many mistakes, and his backhand was a huge weakness. That’s where I nailed him.”

Read more – Serena Williams’ Ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou Snubs Roger Federer to Pick His Rival in an Important Skill

Defeat after defeat made the 20-time grand slam champion extremely frustrated. “Rogi was frustrated; he hated to lose,” Schnyder explained. While he lost a lot at first, he was able to snag some wins, which tipped the scale in balance. “The balance was narrowly positive for Rogi at the end,” Schnyder said.

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Although he did not continue his tennis career, no one but Schnyder can boast about defeating the Swiss Maestro with such intensity. 

Watch this story Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer

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