Roger Federer Reacts To 'Unfortunate' Borna Coric Defeat, Wimbledon Goal Crashes Down

Roger Federer felt he played well but it was not enough as he failed to defend his Halle Open title against Croatia's Borna Coric in Sunday's final.

Federer came back from a set down to take the final to a third set, but was stunned by Coric who eventually triumphed 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 to win only his second title as well as his first on the grass surface.

The Swiss legend only recently returned to the top of the ATP rankings after winning the Mercedes Cup a week earlier, but his loss now sees him lose 200 points as he fell 50 points behind the new No. 1 in Rafael Nadal, as the two seem to be playing hot potato with the top spot.

Federer said he was "a bit unfortunate" to lose considering how he played but is not too disheartened by the defeat as he went on to praise Coric for the level of his tennis.

"I actually thought I played maybe my best match of the week today. It just didn’t go my way," Federer said after the match, as per the Express. "So, it’s a bit unfortunate there. But I’m definitely going to leave with my head high, thinking it’s been a good run."

"Credit to him to play really, really quality tennis at the very end of that first set and then in the third as well, he never really dropped his level and that was it. It was an unfortunate match for me but credit to Borna to really come out and play a tough match today."

While not the ideal way he would have liked to have ended his preparations for Wimbledon, having won his last 20 matches on grass, the 36-year-old will still be the favorite at SW19 when it commences from July 2 to 15.

However, the loss to Coric had an additional blow. Federer is currently at 98 career titles and a win at Halle would have made it 99. And so, if he won his ninth title at Wimbledon next month, it would have fittingly been his 100th title, at the event that he found most success and glory in.

Federer and Nadal have now gone back and forth with the No. 1 ranking six times in 2018 and it could potentially happen again at Wimbledon next month. As the former is the reigning champion, he must retain his title to keep 2,000 points but if Nadal fails to make it to the fourth round, Federer will regain the ranking once again.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic blew match point against Marin Cilic in the final of the Queen's Club Championships on Sunday in a 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 defeat. The Serbian was looking to win his first title of the year but to no avail.

However, with some improved performances during the recently-concluded clay-court season as well as his first final appearance since his win at Eastbourne last year, Djokovic only looked at the positives ahead of Wimbledon.

"I have to see the positive because I haven't played a final in almost a year," Djokovic said. "This came at the right time because Wimbledon is the most renowned and prestigious tournament in tennis."