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Top seed Daniel Evans advanced to his third semi-final of 2022 with a battling victory on Friday at the San Diego Open.

The Briton's 6-1, 6-3 win against France's Constant Lestienne was far more complicated than the scoreline suggests, with Evans saving 10 of 11 break points in the one-hour, 40-minute contest.

He erased four break points in the opening set and then saved six of seven in set two, including three in a titanic final service game that lasted 14 points — by far the longest of the match. Evans was slightly more effective on second serve than behind his first delivery in the match, winning 63 per cent (17/27) of second-serve points and 62 per cent (21/34) on his first offering.

Striking 23 winners in the victory, Evans improved to 3-1 in tour-level quarter-finals this season and 3-0 against French opposition.

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In 2001, Roger Federer won the only ATP Tour meeting with Pete Sampras, needing five sets to defeat the American in the fourth round of Wimbledon. When Federer claimed the title at the All England Club in 2009, Sampras was in attendance to watch the Swiss surpass his then-record 14 Grand Slam titles.

Now, as Federer bids farewell to his illustrious career at the Laver Cup Friday, Sampras shared a video tribute, weighing in on what the 20-time major champion has meant to him, on- and off-court.

“Not really sure where to begin,” Sampras said. “I’ll just start from the very beginning, when I first played you. You were 19-years-old, an up and coming player, people were talking about you and we had a great battle on the Centre Court of Wimbledon and you took me down, tough five-setter. I just remember walking off the court feeling like I met my match, truly a special player. Little did I know 20 years later that you would have 20 majors, be No. 1 for years, dominate our sport, basically do it all.

Roger Federer (left) and Pete Sampras embrace at the net following their match at Wimbledon in 2001. Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

“I know through those 20 years that you sacrificed, dedicated yourself, you got your body right. I don’t think people saw that side of you because you made the game look so easy. But I know that you’re the ultimate professional when it comes to preparing, pretty extraordinary what you’ve done.

Roger Federer will bring the curtain down on his historic career when he competes for the final time at the Laver Cup on Friday evening in London.

The Swiss star will team with longtime rival Rafael Nadal in a doubles match for Team Europe against Team World pair Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.

With the world set to watch on TV, 17,000 lucky fans will experience the momentous occasion live inside The O2. Ahead of the clash, ATPTour.con spoke to supporters who have travelled from all corners of the globe to witness the action inside the arena.

Gabriel Blum and son Enrique have flown from Brazil to attend the event. Donned in Federer and Nadal gear, both beamed as they spoke about their excitement of watching the Swiss maestro for the final time.

“We have come all the way from Brazil to watch him. I am a big Roger fan and my son is a big Nadal fan,” Gabriel said [below left]. “I remember watching him play against [Pete] Sampras and beating Pete at Wimbledon in 2001 and I thought, this is someone special. I then followed him closely from 2006. From 2016 I kept telling my wife, we need to go to his matches as he won’t play much longer and now here we are in 2022 and he is finishing. I am very excited to watch him one last time.”

“I am super excited to watch Nadal and Federer,” son Enrique enthusiastically added [below right].

Some records are short-lived, some stand the test of time.

Roger Federer has repeatedly taken tennis to new heights during his 25-year career on the ATP Tour. As he prepares for the final tour-level event of his career at this weekend’s Laver Cup, ATPTour.com looks at some of the achievements that appear most likely to keep Federer's name in the record books for some time to come.

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237 Consecutive Weeks At No. 1
Federer’s total of 310 weeks spent at the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings may have been passed by Novak Djokovic in March 2021, but the Swiss’ record of 237 consecutive weeks in top spot is one that even the Serbian maestro has not yet been able to top.

The longest No. 1 reign in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history began on 2 February 2004, when Federer dethroned Andy Roddick from top spot with his triumph at the Australian Open. He then embarked on an unprecedented period of dominance on the ATP Tour, remaining at No. 1 until 17 August 2008, when he was usurped by Rafael Nadal.

Second seed Hubert Hurkacz stepped up his title defence at the Moselle Open with a dominant quarter-final win on Friday.

After dropping seven games in his opening match against Dominic Thiem, the Pole was even more efficient in a 6-3, 6-2 victory against France's Arthur Rinderknech in the Metz quarter-finals. The defending champion needed just over an hour to secure victory, saving the only break point against him at 1-2 in the second set before he won the final five games of the match, including the last 14 points in a row.

Hurkacz has dropped one place to No. 11 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings this week, but can move ahead of Jannik Sinner and back into the Top 10 by reaching the Metz final. He can also overtake Alexander Zverev for eighth place in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin by retaining his title.

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Hurkacz will face Lorenzo Sonego in Saturday's semi-finals. The Italian has won all six sets he's played this week, including his 6-4, 6-4 victory against Sebastian Korda on Friday.

Stefanos Tsitsipas extended Team Europe’s lead at the Laver Cup Friday, when he produced a ruthless performance to brush aside Team World’s Diego Schwartzman 6-2, 6-1 in London.

In front of a packed crowd at The O2, the Greek looked in control from the first point, overpowering the Argentine with his brutal forehand to move Team Europe into a 2-0 lead against Team World.

Tsitsipas struck 17 winners and committed just six unforced errors to seal victory after 77 minutes. The World No. 6 has now won all three matches he has played at the three-day event, while he has improved to 4-2 in his ATP Head2Head series against Schwartzman.

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The big focus of this year's Laver Cup has been the impending retirement of all-time great Roger Federer. But that has not has been the only noteworthy happening in London.

It has also been a reunion for the 'Big Four' of Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. The four superstars have become one of the most iconic quartets in any sport, and they took to the court for a practice session on Thursday at The O2.

Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images for Laver Cup
Federer will play his final ATP Tour match on Friday evening alongside friend and rival Nadal, with whom he also played at the Laver Cup in 2017. That year they defeated Team World's Sam Querrey and Jack Sock. This edition, they will play Sock and Frances Tiafoe.

Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images
There were smiles all around as the Big Four enjoyed each other's company the night before the action begins. Besides catching up, they posed for photos on the River Thames. Entering the Laver Cup, the stars have combined for 4,043 tour-level wins.

Photo Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Not only have the Big Four done a lot of winning, they have done so on the biggest stages in tennis. Nadal (22), Djokovic (21), Federer (20) and Murray (3) have lifted 66 Grand Slam trophies and 329 tour-level crowns. Although they will not add to that tally this weekend, the friends and rivals will try to send Federer out on a high with a Laver Cup triumph.

One of the things that sets Carlos Alcaraz apart is the fact that he has always been an open book when discussing his hopes and dreams in the world of tennis, even though they are loftier than most. The Spaniard, who used to shout from the rooftops that his desire was to be the No. 1 player in the world, achieved his goal on 12 September when he won the US Open.

But being the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is not enough. Now that he has reached the top of the mountain, Alcaraz intends to stay there.

However, that is not his only goal for this season; he also has his sights set on the Nitto ATP Finals, the tournament that brings together the best players of 2022 in Turin, from 13 to 20 November.

“One of my goals is to finish [the year] as No. 1,” said Alcaraz, who has equalled Carlos Moyà’s two-week stint at the top of the pile. “Now that I’ve got there, my goal is to stay as many days, weeks and months as possible. We’re going to work for that.”

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On a day of upsets at the San Diego Open, second seed Jenson Brooksby bucked the trend to advance to the quarter-finals in his debut at the ATP 250. Opening his campaign on Thursday, Brooksby downed Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in a battle of California natives.

After a single break decided each of the opening two sets, Brooksby broke serve three times in the decider to win the afternoon match. The World No. 50 opened up a 3-0 lead in the final set before McDonald broke back for 2-3, but Brooksby snapped back with eight straight points to move ahead 5-2 then broke again to seal the victory.

"I thought it was definitely a solid match. First match, it's always good to get through," Brooksby said after the win. "I was feeling really confident with my training since the US Open, back home in Sacramento. We headed here, it's a short flight and it's always nice to play in your home state."

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Brooksby finished four-of-eight on break-point chances, while saving six of the eight break points against him. He won 78 per cent (40/51) of his first-serve points in the victory.

As Roger Federer steps into retirement at the Laver Cup following 25 years on the ATP Tour, it’s time to prove how much you know about his legendary tennis career.

He faced his two biggest rivals, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, a total of 90 times – whom did he play more? Of his 20 Grand Slam titles, how many did Federer win at Wimbledon? Did the Swiss ever face his idol, Pete Sampras, before the American finished his Hall of Fame career with triumph at the 2002 US Open?

Take the Federer quiz, share your results and challenge your tennis friends to see who does best!

Roger Federer may be best remembered for his epic rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, against whom he played a combined 90 matches. But throughout his career, the Swiss developed long-standing and respectful rivalries with many other legends of the ATP Tour.

Federer soared to winning records against the likes of Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Juan Martin del Potro, Lleyton Hewitt, Stan Wawrinka, David Nalbandian and Tommy Haas.

ATPTour.com looks back at his rich history against those men.

Federer vs. Murray (14-11)

Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Andy Murray Live

Federer and Murray last squared off in 2015 when they met twice, with Federer winning semi-final showdowns at Wimbledon and the Western & Southern Open. The Swiss won their last five meetings in a row, including the last 10 sets, to turn around a 9-11 record in their ATP Head2Head history.

Lists are typically a highly subjective business, but when the subject is Roger Federer, it’s hard to go wrong. The Swiss champion’s extraordinary body of work extends beyond 1,500 matches, 103 titles and 20 major championships.

Three of these feature Federer’s greatest rival, Rafael Nadal, with three more opposite Novak Djokovic. David Nalbandian, Andy Roddick, Juan Martin del Potro and Stan Wawrinka also make dashing appearances. Four of these matches came on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, Federer’s favourite working space.

And memorable doesn’t mean simply victory; Federer lost some spectacular matches – those heartbreaking defeats were, in some ways, as indelibly moving as his huge wins. That vulnerability is one of the many reasons he’s been so endearing, so enduring to fans, who over the years shared those highs and lows.

Vaunted Victories

2009 Wimbledon final
Roger Federer def. Andy Roddick 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 3-6, 16-14

Photo Credit: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

Stan Wawrinka showed why he earned the nickname ‘Stan The Man’ on Thursday evening in Metz.

Despite letting slip a match point in the second set, the former World No. 3 stunned top seed Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Moselle Open. It was the 37-year-old’s first Top 10 win since the 2020 Rolex Paris Masters against Andrey Rublev.

It all seemed to be going wrong when the Swiss star missed his opportunity to close out the match in the second-set tie-break. At 6/5, both players remained neutral in the rally, striking the ball with margin down the middle of the court. Wawrinka broke that pattern by trying to rip a backhand, which he slightly mishit and pulled wide.

When Medvedev clawed through the tie-break to force a decider, momentum was fully on the former World No. 1’s side. But Wawrinka turned it back in his favour by surging ahead 3-0 in the final set.

“At the end of the tie-break I was a little bit frustrated because I started to hesitate a little bit on my shots," Wawrinka said in his on-court interview. "He is one of the best defensive players, so when you don’t go completely through the ball without thinking too much and it is difficult. I made a few mistakes but I think in general it was a super good level from me. I am super happy with the win.”

Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe spent a combined 279 weeks at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and they lifted 143 tour-level titles between them.

On Thursday, they paid tribute to fellow legend Roger Federer, who will retire after the Laver Cup this week. The three-day event will provide the setting for the Swiss star’s last dance, with the former World No. 1 competing for the final time when he takes to court with Rafael Nadal in doubles on Friday night.

Speaking at Team Europe’s pre-tournament press conference, captain Borg reflected on Federer’s 25-year career.

“What Roger did for tennis, he did so much PR for the sport, in general,” Borg said. “One of the greats, all these guys here, but to promote the sport itself -- no one is bigger than the sport itself -- but what he did for the sport all around the world, it's amazing. We should all be proud.”

Team World captain McEnroe was also quick to share his thoughts on Federer, praising the 103-time tour-level titlist’s longevity and influence on the sport.

For more than 20 years, Roger Federer lit up the ATP Tour. The Swiss star spent 310 weeks at No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and won 20 Grand Slam titles as he rewrote the record books with his precise and seemingly effortless style.

On Friday, the 41-year-old will strike his final shots when he takes to court in a doubles match at the Laver Cup in London. With the world set to watch, no one will have a better view than longtime rival and friend Rafael Nadal, who will partner Federer in the clash for Team Europe.

“Tomorrow [is] going [to] be a special thing,” Nadal said during Thursday’s pre-tournament press conference. “I think a very difficult, difficult one. [It is] going to be difficult to handle everything, especially for Roger, without a doubt. For me too. In the end, [he is] one of the most important players, if not the most important player in my tennis career and [he is] leaving. This moment will be difficult. Of course I am super excited and grateful to play with him.”

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Nadal soared onto the scene in 2005 at a time when Federer had already won four Grand Slam titles. Despite the Swiss being a dominant force at the time, Nadal immediately troubled Federer, winning six of their first seven meetings. They would go on to play 40 times, pushing each other to their limits in titanic battles. For the Spaniard, his relationship with Federer is very special.

Pop quiz: Which member of the ‘Big Three’ played the fewest ATP Challenger Tour matches?

If you answered Roger Federer, you’d be correct. The Swiss played 23 Challenger-level matches, claiming one title. Rafael Nadal competed in 44 Challenger-level matches, collecting two titles. Novak Djokovic claimed three titles in his 36 Challenger-level matches.

Even the game’s greatest have used the Challenger Tour as a stepping stone towards the ATP Tour. There are no free handouts as every player looks to construct a professional career, working hard from week-to-week at Challengers across the world.

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At the beginning of his illustrious career, Federer entered the Brest Challenger in 1999 as the World No. 66. He was a teenager trying to pave his path towards the highest level of professional tennis. It didn’t take him long.

Roger Federer will team with longtime rival and friend Rafael Nadal on Friday at the Laver Cup in what the former World No. 1 confirmed on Twitter would be his final tour-level match.

The Swiss and Spaniard will take to court against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at The 02 in London following the conclusion of Andy Murray’s match against Alex de Minaur, which will start at 7 p.m. local time.

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“I am not sure if I will be able to handle it all but I will try,” Federer said during Team Europe’s post-tournament press conference. “I’ve had some tough moments in the past, being horribly nervous. All these years. This match feels a whole lot different. Playing with Rafa feels really different.”

Third seed Marcos Giron and seventh seed James Duckworth booked the first two quarter-final places on offer at the San Diego Open with a pair of Wednesday wins. The Wimbledon doubles partners are now set to square off on Friday in what will be their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

Dressed in an all-black kit with a sleeveless shirt, Giron earned a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry to close the day's play on the Barnes Tennis Center's stadium court. Australia's Duckworth secured a 6-3, 7-6(4) result against American Mitchell Krueger earlier in the Grandstand.

"Tomas is a great player. He's Top 100 for a reason," said Giron, who's lived in San Diego for five years. "It's tough, slow conditions and it's physical. I'm really happy to get the win and I'm pumped to keep going forward."

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Playing in his native California, Giron will seek his second tour-level quarter-final of 2022 (Dallas), and the third of his career, against Duckworth. The American broke into the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in May, achieving a career-high of No. 49 after reaching the Rome third round as a lucky loser.

Long bound for the history books, Roger Federer's epic rivalries with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal can now be viewed in their totality as the Swiss pens the final pages of his storied ATP Tour career.

A triumvirate internationally known as the Big Three, the sporting legends have dominated tennis' biggest stages, taking the game to an unprecedented level. The three most decorated players of all time have forged their careers in parallel, with 63 Grand Slam titles between them to date.

On his road to greatness, Federer lifted his game in the presence of his two greatest rivals. He faced Nadal, five years his junior, 40 times. He met Djokovic, six years younger, on 50 occasions.

ATPTour.com takes a look back at some key moments in Federer’s two biggest rivalries on tour.

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