When Roger Federer tamed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in straight sets in the French Open, he not only booked his quarterfinal berth but also equalled John McEnroe’s 11 straight-set Grand Slam victories in a row.
Federer has dominated men’s tennis with a vice-like grip and his 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-4 win against Youzhny once again underlined how facile the win was.
An elated Federer later said
I’ve got enough shirts for five-set matches in the bag. I only used one today, which was good.
During the match, Federer also tied another McEnroe record - of most consecutive sets won in Grand Slam — when he stretched his tally to 35.
Federer, in fact, has not dropped a single set in any major tournament after last year’s US Open final.
The world number one player, however, was in no mood to celebrate and said his focus was on the title at Roland Garros.
He said
It is something which is quite special, I would say. But I’m focused on Roland Garros and I want to win my matches. And if I can win in three sets, so much the better — but I’m not looking for these types of records.
