Del Potro: Day I Lost Fear of Federer

The day Juan Martin del Potro saw Roger Federer unleash his frustration on a chair umpire is the day del Potro lost his fear of Federer.Recalling his run to the 2009 US Open crown when he made history as the first man to knock off Rafael Nadal and Federer in succession in a Grand Slam, del Potro said one moment changed his perception of the Swiss superstar.Watch: Greatest US Open RecordFederer unloaded on chair umpire Jake Garner during the 2009 US Open final claiming the umpire gave del Potro excessive time to challenge a call.See the 20-time Grand Slam champion vent on Garner at 33 seconds of this video:

Del Potro told GQ Magazine he lost the fear factor after seeing the seething Swiss erupt while leading 5-4 in the third set of the US Open final. “I lost the respect, the fear, I had for Roger,” del Potro said. “I admire him a lot, but after the third set, I thought, We are the same! We are fighting for the same trophy. And I was playing really good tennis, and I say, Maybe it’s my only chance to win a title like this.“I changed my mindset. When he was angry with the umpire, I said to myself, Okay, it’s time to play at the same level as him. After that set I played much better than him.”

Two points from defeat, del Potro dug in and defied the odds, fighting back to deny the five-time defending champion’s bid at becoming the first man to win a major six straight times.In a four hour, six-minute final played on a Monday afternoon, del Potro snapped Federer’s 40-match U.S. Open winning streak in scoring the biggest Flushing Meadows upset since a 20-year-old Marat Safin stunningly swept Pete Sampras in the 2000 final.“It was a crazy moment for me, and after, my confidence was in the highest level of my career,” del Potro told GQ Magazine. “And I felt really good with my tennis game and strong physically.”Photo credit: Dan Huerlimann/Beelde Images]]>