Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, most would tell you, is a talented tennis player.  In the Australian Open in 2008, he marked a surprising debut by defeating Andy Murray in the opening round.  While that loss was surprising, at least to Andy Murray, Murray would not become the player he is today until the US Open in 2008.

What was surprising was Tsonga’s march to the final where he beat Rafael Nadal along the way, stunning the world number 2 player.  Roger Federer had a chance to play the talented Frenchman except that a little bug did something to him that most players had not, which was weaken Federer.

Although Federer was suffering from mono, he managed to play well enough to get to the semifinals where Djokovic beat Federer and went on to beat Tsonga in the finals for his first and only Slam.

Tsonga then had some knee issues and was away the tour for a few months, but finished the year strong with a title in the Paris Masters and a solid spot in the top 10.

Most people figured Tsonga might give Federer a little challenge, but that he wouldn’t bother Federer.  They’d only played once, on clay, in Madrid, a tournament Federer won.  That match wasn’t particularly close.

Madrid was a coming out party for Federer.  He had lost to Wawrinka at Monte Carlo, then Djokovic at Rome.  Most people had said Roger’s best years were behind him.  But somehow, he got to the finals of Madrid, and in a match that everyone expected Federer to lose, but hoped he’d win, Federer played a smart match and beat Nadal.

That tournament buoyed Roger’s hope, and some even predicted that he might win the French.  Little did everyone suspect that Nadal wouldn’t be there to greet him in the finals, and instead, an upstart Swede would meet him there doing what no man had ever done to Nadal–beat him.  Roger took that title, then proceeded across the channel to take the title that he had owned until Nadal snatched it from him last year.

Roger was on a roll.  The Grand Slam record that seemed elusive only a few months ago was replaced by proclamations that Roger was the greatest ever.

Shortly after Wimbledon, Roger took time off, ostensibly to train.  A few weeks later, Roger announced that he and his wife, Mirka, were the proud parents of twins.  The best player in the world was now a daddy.  But was he ready to play tennis again?

Tsonga served notice a won the first set in a tiebreak, the certainty of a Federer win was not so clear.  Tsonga called for a trainer early in the second set, and it looked like his game had gone away.  Federer took the second set, 6-1, and was steam rolling in the second set, 5-1, when Tsonga suddenly found his game again and Federer lost his.

Tsonga held for 5-2.  Then, he broke Federer.

OK, maybe you break Federer once, but surely Federer can serve it out given a second chance.

At 5-4, Federer served for the match again.

And again Tsonga broke, this time to 5-all.

What is going on, Roger?  You were up two breaks!  How did you just lose serve twice? You’re number one in the world.

Tsonga held again, and now Federer was serving to get in a tiebreak.

0-15 became 0-30.  0-30 became 0-40.  Roger was melting down.

Federer was about to go down a third break and lose the match.

You were up 5-1, Roger!

Somehow Federer mustered enough focus and pulled out the game and pushed it to a tiebreak.  Surely, that scare would get Roger back into the right mindset.  Surely, the rust had shaken off.  Time to seal the deal, Roger.

But his recovery was only temporary.  Federer would fall back in the tiebreak, three match points down, and serving to stay in the match, Roger would show what he was made of.

Double fault.

Game, set, match, Tsonga.

How did it slip away?  Was this the Roger Federer that people said was the GOAT?  The best player of all time?  The new number 1 player in the world?

And so the anticipated matchup between Andy Murray and Roger Federer is no more, and Murray will now play Tsonga.

We thought this Roger, the inconsistent Roger that would go up breaks, then give them back and lose, was gone, demons exorcised by Federer’s precise training.

Players have had meltdowns like this before, but one hardly expects it of the world’s number 1 player.

At least, Roger has two children that are perfectly happy to see daddy, win or lose.  That may offer some solace in an otherwise inexplicable match.