Genius to heartbreak: The 10 most memorable points of Federer’s career

The 2003 Wimbledon final marked Federer’s first grand slam victory, and the first time he had such a huge audience watching on TV. In the first-set tiebreaker, with the score knotted at two apiece, Federer displayed all his brilliance in one point: a half-volley from the baseline, wide-angled groundstrokes and a finish with a brilliant forehand down the line.

Playing somewhat against the crowd – perhaps for the only time in his career - who were behind the sentimental favorite Agassi, Federer unleashed a ridiculously powerful forehand from well behind the baseline in the early going (around the 28 second mark in the video above). The veteran American looked stunned. Agassi would later say of the match: “When I faced Roger Federer in the 2005 US Open final, there was no safe place to put a ball on the court. Roger’s serve, return, movements and net game were incredible; his versatility was so strong that he might have had five things individually better than everybody else on the Tour.”

Federer, just months after a heart-wrenching defeat at the hands of Rafael Nadal in the 2009 Australian Open final, was desperate to claim a French title to complete the career grand slam. When Nadal was shocked by Robin Söderling in the fourth round, Federer knew this could well be his best chance to win in Paris. But he faced a huge – literally – hurdle in the 6ft7in Del Potro and his relentless ground game. But Federer utilized his varied arsenal to sneak by with a five-set triumph. In the second game of the match, Federer somehow tracked down a forehand and curved the ball down the line for a winner. The Swiss maestro then went on to demolish surprise finalist Söderling in the final to win his only French Open title.

A year after