Indian Wells 2013: Federer’s quarterfinal loss could cost number two ranking

World number two Roger Federer‘s loss in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open 2013 against rival Rafael Nadal on Thursday could lead to him relinquishing his current ranking by next week. The Swiss star said that he was not surprised that Nadal’s playing extremely well for the past month. Nadal has compiled a 15-1 win loss record since he returned on tour in early February.

“I expected him to be tough here,” said Federer.

“He’s a bit careful at times [in] his movement. That’s totally normal. [He] hasn’t played for some time on hard courts. He’s not going to come back if he’s not well. He’s not going to come back half broken. I expected him to tear through the clay,” he added.

Federer is now 13-4 this season and is still searching for his first title of the season. Should British tennis star Andy Murray reach the final of this tournament, he will lose the number two ranking.