What Andy Murray did to Roger Federer in 2006 which no other player could for two years

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Roger Federer had a number of incredible years on the ATP Tour, but many fans feel as though his prime fell within the mid-2000s.

From 2004 to 2007, Federer clinched 11 of his 20 Grand Slam titles, while also finishing as the runner-up at Roland Garros twice.

The Swiss Maestro dominated at Wimbledon and the US Open before the 2010s, winning both tournaments five consecutive times.

He enjoyed arguably his best year on the tour in 2006, when he secured three majors, four Masters crowns, as well as the ATP Finals.

Federer finished 2006 with an astonishing win-loss record of 92-5, and while four of the defeats were to his rival, Rafael Nadal, the other was handed to him by a 19-year-old Andy Murray.

Andy Murray’s win over Roger Federer at the 2006 Cincinnati Open

Murray was on his first full trip around the tour that year and had just recorded his best Masters campaign at the Canadian Open, where he reached the semifinals.

The Briton then entered the Cincinnati Open and got off to a solid start by coming back from a set down to beat Tim Henman in his opening match.

In his second clash at the 2006 Cincinnati Open, Murray was faced with the world number one, Federer, for the second time in his career.

The two stars first met in the 2005 Thailand Open final, in which Federer got the better of Murray to hoist the title.

This time around, however, the teenager managed to triumph over the best player in the world, beating him 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the round of 16.

His win ultimately marked the only time between 2005 and 2006 that Federer was beaten in straight sets.

Roger Federer said ‘nothing really worked against Andy Murray

When facing the media after the loss to Murray, Federer said: “I’m disappointed that the match didn’t go the way I wanted it to.

“Nothing really worked. It’s kind of hard, you know. You just have to look at the stats, and they show that I didn’t play well. So it’s just a pity from that standpoint.

“But otherwise, I thought he played pretty well, you know. Got to give him credit, you know, for closing out the match when he had to, because he missed plenty of chances, you know.

“He should have closed me out way easier than 5 and 4, so I’m pretty happy with the score.”

In the years that followed, Federer went on to win the head-to-head with Murray, with the rivalry finishing 14-11 in favour of the 20-time major champion.