Federer falls to Auger-Aliassime in Halle
The Canadian beat the former world No 1 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 for a notable victory
Roger Federer lost in Halle to Felix Auger-Aliassime as the young Canadian picked up a famous win – coming through 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.
The 20-year-old is exactly 19 years the junior of the former world No 1 – the duo share an August 8 birthday.
Federer, however, was born in 1981 – and Auger-Aliassime was born in 2000, two years after the Swiss started his professional career.
It was the first meeting for this pair – and the first time Federer has faced someone born in the 2000s.
Seeded fifth, Federer has never before lost at this stage in Halle. He was seeking his 18th quarter-final there in as many appearances, and had lost in the last eight only in his first appearance, back in 2000, to Michael Chang.
And after withdrawing from Roland-Garros due to his ongoing knee issues following surgery, he was hoping for a good run this year in preparation for his beloved Wimbledon.
Auger-Aliassime has had an up-and-down spell recently, with a first-round exit at Roland-Garros. He had engaged Toni Nadal as a coach, and had been expected to improve his game on clay.