Shock Among Upsets: Federer Win Streak Ends at 41

They are already calling it the tennis upset of the year: World #1 and defending champion Roger Federer of Switzerland has been beaten in straight sets 7-5, 6-2 by Argentine Guillermo Cañas at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Well, California. Federer had not lost an ATP Tour match since August 16 2006 at the Cincinatti Master Series event when he lost to Andy Murray 7-5, 6-4. Federer had won the tournament the last three years in a row and had numerous other streaks on the line in Indian Wells. Cañas has now won 11 of 13 matches played this year, having come back from a 2-year suspension (later reduced to 15 months) in June 2005 when he was ranked #8 in the world following a positive drug test for a banned substance on February 21, 2005. Federer called for the trainer twice in the match, for an unspecified foot injury.

Amazingly, after losing for the first time in over 6 months, Federer later went back on the court and won a doubles match with his countryman Yves Allegro over Spaniards David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo 6-4, 7-6(2).

In a bizarre twist, the other person in the draw who had also won the tournament more than once, the odious Lleyton Hewitt (2002 and 2003 champion) lost to Serbian Janko Tipsarevic 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2. In addition, Marat Safin(23), Dominic Hrbaty(24), Tomas Berdych(11), Mardy Fish(21), Marcos Baghdatis(17), Jurgen Melzer(27), Tommy Robredo(7), Dmitry Tursunov(20) and Radek Stepanek(25) were all seeds who lost in a blisteringly hot day.