Impressive as it was there was nothing particularly noteworthy about Lopez’s straight-sets win over Federico Delbonis but just by walking on court he stole away one of Federer’s many records.
It meant he took his run of consecutive appearances in Grand Slam tournaments to 66, taking him ahead of Federer’s 65.
The way the elegant left-hander, ranked 70, eased past Delbonis suggests a streak that began at the 2001 French Open could continue for the foreseeable future — even if his immediate Wimbledon prospects look in peril with Juan Martin del Potro waiting for him in the second round.
“When I was about to break the record, I thought, wow, I’m going to beat Federer at something,” the 36-year-old Lopez told reporters after his 159th Grand Slam singles match.
“It’s only a number. I’m really proud of my consistency. It’s not about the number of Grand Slams played. It’s about how many years I have been playing at the top level.
“This is the most important thing.” Perhaps surprisingly for a player with such a thoroughbred grasscourt game, Lopez has never been past the quarter-finals at Wimbledon or indeed any other Grand Slam.