Roger Federer won his fourth consecutive US Open in 2007, beating Novak Djokovic in the final. En route to this feat, the Swiss maestro created another incredible record. Squaring off against John Isner in the third round, he went a mindboggling 105 points without committing any unforced errors.
Federer has always been showered with love at the US Open and in the USA in general. This can partly be attributed to his generally affable personality but is majorly due to his impeccable performances on American soil. His initial years playing in the USA were rough, but there was no looking back after he lifted the 2004 US Open. The Swiss was almost invincible when playing in America and holds a multitude of US Open records even today.
An unbelievable record for Roger Federer
Federer came into the 2007 edition of the US Open with a hat-trick of titles in his bag. He had an easy start, dispatching two qualifiers without dropping a set in the first two rounds. Local wildcard Isner was up next for Federer in the third round. The American won the first set, but the defending champion bounced back. Federer set the record of going 105 points without an unforced error to win the next three sets. He then defeated Feliciano Lopez, 2006 runner-up Andy Roddick, and fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko to reach the final. He defeated Djokovic to win a fourth US Open on the trot.
The third-round fixture against Isner became a part of the record books as Federer, quite literally, played perfect tennis. After an initial hiccup, the then-World No.1 came out on top 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 against the Grand Slam debutante. He played 105 consecutive points without committing any unforced errors in a perfect streak that started from the beginning of the second set and ended only in the first game of the fourth set.
Isner won a closely-fought first set, but it was Federer all the way after that. The Swiss offered the American nothing for two sets and the latter had to rely on his big serves and clever placements to win points. Overall, Federer made only 11 unforced errors in the match.
Tsitsipas’s serve stat yesterday reminded me of this.
Roger Federer once went *105 consecutive points* without making an unforced error, Vs John Isner at the 2007 US Open.
That’s the equivalent of over 26 games worth of points 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Rv7FfAdnuu
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) April 30, 2023
Records galore at the US Open
Roger Federer won five consecutive US Open titles, from 2004 to 2008. He reached the final in 2009 as well, only to be upset by Juan Martin del Potro. The 20-time Grand Slam winner may have never won another title at Flushing Meadows after 2008, but he carved his name in bold in the record books. With his five titles on the trot, he holds the record for most consecutive US Open championships won by a male player in the Open Era.
The Swiss also shares the first spot for most US Open titles with Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors, with five titles each. After losing the fourth-round fixture at the 2003 US Open, Federer would not lose a match in the event till the 2009 final. He won 40 consecutive matches, which remains a record for most consecutive matches won in the US Open.
After 2009, Federer reached the US Open final only once, in 2015. The COVID-19 pandemic meant the Swiss legend did not appear at the American Grand Slam after 2019. He may have retired since, but his records at the US Open will remain for a long time.
