‘Four Musketeers’ Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon reunite in Paris


Halle, Germany(ATP, Grass)	Final: Lleyton Hewitt def. Roger FedererSemifinal 1: R. Federer def. P. PetzschnerSemifinal 2: Lleyton Hewitt def. Benjamin BeckerBrackets: Singles \| Doubles
London (Queen's Club), Great Britain(ATP, Grass)	Final: Sam Querrey def. Mardy FishSemifinal 1: Mardy Fish def. Feliciano LopezSemifinal 2: Sam Querrey def. Rainer SchuettlerBrackets: Singles \| Doubles
Birmingham, Great Britain(WTA, Grass)	Final: Li Na def. Maria SharapovaSemifinal 1: Li Na def. Aravane RezaiSemifinal 2: Maria Sharapova def. Alison RiskeBrackets: Singles \| Doubles



Before Sunday, Federer's last loss to Hewitt came in the 2003 Davis Cup semifinals. (Getty Images)

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All Good Things Must Come to an End
From 2004 to 2007, Roger Federer won 315 matches and lost just 24. In the 2 1/2 seasons since, he’s lost 35 times, most recently to Lleyton Hewitt in the Halle final. It seems Federer’s era of invincibility has passed. So why does every defeat still seem like a monumental happening?

For one thing, the guy hasn’t exactly fallen off the map, even if he’s not winning everything in sight. But it’s also because the players who have defeated Federer are breaking massive losing streaks against the GOAT to do so. Hewitt had lost his previous 15 matches against Federer before Sunday’s breakthrough. It’s just the latest such streak to have ended recently:

—Robin Soderling was 0-12 against Federer before defeating him at Roland Garros.
—Tomas Berdych lost his last eight matches against Federer before beating him in Miami.
—Marcos Baghdatis was 0-6 against Federer before defeating him in Indian Wells.
—Nikolay Davydenko was 0-12 against Federer before defeating him at the 2009 ATP World Tour Finals.
—Juan Martin del Potro was 0-6 against Federer before defeating him at the 2009 U.S. Open.

That all these turnarounds occurred within 10 months is quite surprising. But it’s just as surprising that Federer dominated each of these top players for so long. He’s always had motivation to thwart them at the majors, but he didn’t let up at smaller events like the Paris Masters or Doha, either.

Was Federer less motivated to beat Davydenko for the thirteenth consecutive time last November in London? Maybe; maybe not. But I bet Davydenko treated the match like he would a Grand Slam final. I expect others who haven't solved the Swiss (like David Ferrer, who's 0-10 against Federer) to do the same the next time they play. More comeuppance might be coming.


Eastbourne, Great Britain (ATP, Grass)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles
s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands (ATP, Grass)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles
Eastbourne, Great Britain (WTA, Grass)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles
s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands (WTA, Grass)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles

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Ed McGrogan is an assistant editor for TENNIS.com.

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