It seems that indeed the changing of the guards is truly occurring. In Rafael Nadal’s case, it was not a young gun that upended him, but he was dethroned, nevertheless. Is this the beginning on the end of Nadal’s reign on clay? I think so. You cannot beat mother time and clay is such a demanding surface. What Nadal has done so consistently in his career, dominating the clay surface, is an accomplishment that he should cherish (as I am sure he does).

Federer Showing Signs Of Wear And Tear

At thirty-nine-years old, Roger Federer is finally beginning to show signs that perhaps it’s time to call it quits. After two knee surgeries, he is just not getting back to the level of tennis his fans are used to seeing. He took the first set, but perhaps it was the result of nerves hampering his young opponent. Add to that, an opponent that idolizes him.

Embed from Getty Images

Not A Bad First Set From The Canadian

In the sixth game of the first set, the youngster had two break points, but Federer swatted those away with two great first serves. Frazzled by not capitalizing on his opportunities, Auger-Aliassime briefly lost his focus in the next game, which was enough to give Federer the only break of the set. The Canadian had opportunities to break back in the tenth game, but Federer once again squashed his hopes and took the first set.

Auger-Aliassime Found His Game

Embed from Getty Images

In the sixth game of the second set, the youngster had another opportunity and this time he capitalized. He broke serve and took a 4-2 lead. Auger-Aliassime never allowed Federer back into the set. He served well and utilized the slice to keep the balls too low for Federer to handle. The third set was all Auger-Aliassime as errors flew off the racquet on the serve and forehand of the Swiss maestro. Auger-Aliassime got the upset over his idol with the 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.

SOURCE OF IMAGES: Getty Images