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Roger Federer, like every other sporting legend, was susceptible to the occasional bad day. Despite being one of the all-time greats of the game, the Swiss Maestro was bested by unlikely opponents during his career.
Although rankings offer a fairly accurate picture of a player's level, they can never be a foolproof parameter. There are many occasions where a player with a low ranking topples a higher-ranked player, causing a stir amongst fans.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the lowest-ranked players who defeated Roger Federer.
#1 Second round loss to World No. 175 Thanasi Kokkinakis
Roger Federer, who was ranked No. 1 in the world, was ousted by the 175th ranked Thanasi Kokkinakis 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the second round of the Miami Open in 2018.
Kokkinakis, who received a wildcard for the tournament, stunned Federer and the loss cost the Swiss the No. 1 ranking. Kokkinakis became the lowest-ranked player to defeat a World No. 1 in Miami since 2003. Francisco Clavet, who was ranked at No. 178, defeated the then World No.1 Lleyton Hewitt in Miami in 2003.
During the post-match interview, the Swiss stated that he wasn't feeling the ball and that the third set could have gone either way.
"Honestly, in the third set anything could have happened, the ball, I wasn’t feeling. With my movement, things weren’t absolutely working," Federer said.
#2 World No. 116 Evgeny Donskoy stunned Federer in Dubai
Qualifier Evgeny Donskoy stunned seven-time champion Federer in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in 2017 in three sets 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5).
The World No.116 outclassed the freshly crowned Australian Open champion after saving three match points. During his post-match interview, Donskoy admitted that he even surprised himself after defeating the Swiss legend.
"Surprised everyone I think today. Whoever win against Roger surprises himself, I think," the Russian admitted.
#3 World No. 302 Tommy Haas beat the Swiss Maestro
Germany's Tommy Haas beat Federer in the second round of the 2017 Stuttgart Open. The German veteran had fallen to 302 in the rankings at the time of their clash.
After losing the first set, the former World No. 2 clawed his way back into the match and defeated the 20 time Grand Slam champion in three sets, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4.
Federer and Haas faced off against each other 17 times on the tour, with the Swiss leading their head-to-head by 13 to 4. Haas, who played his last tennis match in 2017 and retired in 2018, had the last hurrah against the legend.
#4 World No. 114 Federico Delbonis defeated Federer at Hamburg
Argentine Federico Delbonis shocked the Swiss legend during the semifinals in Hamburg in 2013. The 114th ranked Delbonis toppled the World No. 5 Federer in straight sets 7-6(7) 7-6(4).
The Argentine qualifier, who was definitely not expected to make it through to the final, stated in his post-match interview that he made the most of each moment and just had fun on the court.
"My key was to enjoy the match and enjoy playing this kind of player, because he's the best of all-time," Delbonis stated.
Delbonis and Federer faced each other again at the 2018 Indian Wells Masters, where the Swiss maestro exacted his revenge in straight sets.
#5 Wimbledon loss to World No. 116 Sergiy Stakhovsky
Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky caused arguably one of the biggest upsets in tennis history at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. The 116th ranked player outshone the defending champion in their second-round clash, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5).
The loss ended Federer's 36 straight Grand Slam quarterfinals streak. This was the Swiss legend's earliest Grand Slam exit in a decade, after his first-round exit at the 2003 French Open at the hands of Luis Horna.
In the post-match interview, the Ukrainian joked that he would narrate the story to his grandkids.
"Right now, I can definitely tell my grandkids [that] I kicked the butt of Roger Federer," Stakhovsky joked.
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