Federer's grip on world No1 spot loosened by shock defeat

After losing in his first match in Toronto, Roger Federer's form and confidence are at their lowest for several years Roger Federer's hold both on the world No1 spot and upon his patience loosened with last night's limp, disjointed, depressive-looking 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 loss to Gilles Simon in the Canadian Masters. Coming as it did in his first match since losing his Wimbledon title, it may well have further weakened his self-confidence too. Federer came into the week admitting he needed a good tournament to continue repairs to the emotional damage from the loss of his Wimbledon title more than two weeks ago. His performance against the Frenchman suggested that the fall-out from that extraordinary final may well have been a factor in the upset. Once Simon had survived a crisis at 4-4 in the second set he was able to rally in his... [read full story]