Starting the season ranked 30th, Roger Federer made significant progress in the first half of 2001, winning the first ATP title in Milan in February and playing in the quarter-final in Miami, Monte Carlo, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Roger’s first Major quarter-final came in Paris, and he added the second a few weeks later after an excellent performance at the All England Club. In a mouth-watering fourth-round clash, Federer stunned the seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras in epic five sets, advancing into the last eight and losing to Tim Henman in four tight sets.
Roger struggled with a groin injury between Gstaad and the US Open that summer, reaching only one final by the end of the season and missing the Masters Cup berth. Eager to change that in 2002, Federer kicked off the season with the Sydney crown and reached the first Masters 1000 final in Miami.
In the quarter-final of the season’s second Masters 1000 event, Roger took down Andrei Pavel 6-1, 6-1 in under an hour, playing on a high level to remain on the title course. Speaking about his season’s goals, Federer highlighted a place in the top-10 and among the elite eight players at the Masters Cup in Shanghai, eager to make his debut at the premium ATP event at 21.
Roger Federer wanted to enter the top-10 and reach the Masters Cup in 2002.
“I would love to reach the top-10 as soon as possible; that’s always special for any player. I have been around the top-15 for quite some time now and would love to take the next step.
The result here will only help me in that quest, and it should be a good match tomorrow as well, facing Lleyton Hewitt or Marat Safin. I would love to reach Shanghai at the end of the season. Last year, I was a little bit unfortunate with my injury at Wimbledon.
Who knows, I might not have made it anyway, but I was disappointed with the way I played at the end of the season. I was in the final in Basel, but that was the only good result in the closing months. I can achieve all the goals this year if I stay healthy,” Roger Federer said.