Robin Haase started strong but appeared to vomit into a garbage can during a changeover in the final set of today’s 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 loss to Roger Federer. With the third-round victory at Rotterdam, 36-year-old Roger Federer will become the oldest No. 1. in the history of the ATP, reclaiming the top rank 14 years and 17 days after he first tasted it.
He looked (and, to some extent, played) different then.
Rafael Nadal, who had a resurgence of his own last season, now slips to No. 2, but could very well take over again before the clay season begins. (Rafa will then be defending a huge chunk of 4680 ranking points on his favorite surface after going 17-1 on clay last season.) This graphic offers a sense of Federer’s unusual longevity at the top:
Long live the GOAT.