Not so jolly Roger hit by Canas jinx again

14 April 2012

Two years ago at the Crandon Park Tennis Centre, journeyman pro Michael Llodra bizarrely squeezed his 6ft 3in frame into the locker of the in-form Ivan Ljubicic in the vain hope that some of the Croat's magic might rub off on him.

On Tuesday evening, it would not have been surprising for Guillermo Canas to have returned to his own locker and find half of the men's tour waiting to climb inside.

The Argentine marathon man has discovered a formula for beating Roger Federer it seems. Twice in the past fortnight, Canas has driven the world No 1 to distraction by running down balls that others would have long since considered out of their reach.

Scroll down for more

Beat you again: Federer and Canas clench fists after the latter's victory

It is the device that Rafael Nadal has used to frustrate Federer, one that takes a special stamina and defensive dexterity.

Naturally, after Canas's 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 Sony Ericsson Open fourth-round win, there were whispered reminders that the 29-year-old was banned for 15 months when a steroid was found present in a sample he produced.

Unfortunately for Canas, he will forever have to suffer such slurs even though he was cleared last autumn of deliberately ingesting the drug.

Reaching Federer's whipped forehands or devilishly sliced backhands is only one part of the secret of removing the Swiss Meister's cloak of invincibility, however.

Being able to hoist a time-buying lob, curl a forehand so deep that Federer dare not advance to the net or whip the ball down at his ankles when he does come in is an art form few have mastered — and no foreign substances can plant that in the body.

The frustrated Federer pressed too hard for perfect placement and missed often enough for Canas to be able to stay in touch.

He rode out periods of the Masters Series match during which he was Federer's plaything, a puppet on the Wimbledon champion's string, to be dragged hither and thither as the master saw fit.

But by chasing every ball, even those he had no hope of catching, Canas sent a message back across the net that he was ready to pounce should Federer's control waiver.

It did. In both tiebreaks, Hispanic hysteria in the crowd induced more errors in the 10-time Grand Slam champion and Canas had achieved what many considered impossible outside of the claycourt season.

If there is an irony and a consolation for Federer in failures at the two springtime Masters Series events on American hardcourts, it is that he will be physically fresh for the European claycourt events that culminate in the one Grand Slam title he has yet to win — the French Open.

Scroll down for more

Bad day: Federer has much to ponder from his second straight defeat to Canas

He will also be smarting from embarrassment. It is three years since he played successive events and failed to make at least the quarter-finals in either tournament.

Federer said: "He's a great competitor. He scrambles back so many balls, doesn't miss very much and he moves the ball around very well.

"I played so much better than a couple of weeks ago against him and I was really expecting to win tonight. It's a match I should never have lost. I was in control for almost all the match.

"It happens and it's not the first time, but I'll be OK for the claycourt season. That obviously is the huge goal for me. Since the Australian Open, everything has been planned so that I play well at the French Open, so you've got to expect a loss here and there."

What Federer was not expecting in an atmosphere that crackled like a Davis Cup tie was the disrespect shown to the Swiss flag. The small band of Swiss fans were catcalled whenever they were shown on the giant screens that overlook Stadium Court.

Federer added: "That wasn't so funny actually. I enjoy the atmosphere as long as they don't boo the Swiss guys or my Swiss flag."

Such is the ranking points buffer that separates him from the rest of the men's tour, led by Rafael Nadal, his position remains unthreatened by a month of failure.

He will also be able to pass off two defeats to the same player as a freak of nature rather than any sign that his sublime tennis is beginning to suffer even a hint of decline.

Canas, who had to qualify for both Indian Wells and Miami, agreed with that assessment. If the other players were hoping for an insight into his tactical mastery of Federer, they were quickly disappointed.

Canas said: "Really, I don't know what my secret is. I'm just surprised that I played very well. To beat the world No 1 two weeks in a row is amazing, like a dream. I just tried to enjoy it, enjoy the moment.

"I just tried to fight him for every point. And I think I have luck on my side because I played very well in both of the matches."

The Argentine has been the long-time nemesis of Tim Henman, whom he beat again in the first round of this tournament.

At least from now on, Henman will not be the only player who will dread seeing the name of Guillermo Canas alongside his in the draw.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in