The sixth-seeded Swiss pair lost to Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram of Israel 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the second round on Court 18 at Wimbledon, where the somewhat disruptive wind and shadow at first seemed to favor Federer and Wawrinka.
"I thought we played an excellent first set. Conditions were tough. They were breezy, a lot of shadow on the courts. But that didn't disrupt our great playing," said Federer, who is still in contention for a medal in singles.
The Israelis lost serve three times in the 28-minute opening set, winning just 46 per cent of their service points.
They did not give Federer and Wawrinka another break point chance in the two sets to follow. They edged the Swiss in the tie-break, and needed just one break of serve in the third to claim victory after one hour and 39 minutes.
Erlich stated afterwards that he was most impressed with the patience and maturity they showed, after what he called a “shocking” first set.
Erlich and Ram, the 2008 Australian Open champions, will next face top-seeded Americans Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, the reigning bronze medallists.
Federer and Wawrinka had defeated the Bryans in the semi-finals at the 2008 Beijing Games, before going on to defeat Swedes Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson in the gold medal match.
Wawrinka, who will next compete at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, admitted, “I think we play good doubles, but doubles can be really tough. One or two points can change the match, especially on grass courts.”
Date: 1st August 2012, Source: ATP and AP
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