Roger Federer hopes to end decade drought in New York — Top Sports 24

Roger Federer hopes to end decade drought in New York — Top Sports 24

Watch!!! US OPEN TENNIS 2018: Roger Federer hopes to end decade drought in New York

Even,,with,,all,,the,,times,,Roger,,Federer,,held,,the,,U.S.,,Open,,trophy,,,he,,still,,can’t,,forget,,the,,time,,it,,slipped,,through,,his,,fingers.,,He,,had,,won,,five,,titles,,in,,a,,row,,in,,Flushing,,Meadows,,and,,was,,a,,game,,away,,from,,a,,sixth,,in,,2009,,when,,Juan,,Martin,,del,,Potro,,pulled,,out,,a,,fourth-set,,tiebreaker,,,then,,won,,the,,fifth,,set.

“I,,still,,wish,,I,,could,,have,,played,,that,,match,,again,",,Federer,,said,,Friday.

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He’s,,never,,been,,that,,close,,to,,winning,,the,,U.S.,,Open,,since,,,just,,once,,reaching,,the,,final.

That,,would,,have,,been,,hard,,to,,imagine,,then,,,when,,Federer,,would,,steamroll,,into,,New,,York,,at,,the,,tail,,end,,of,,some,,of,,the,,greatest,,seasons,,in,,tennis,,history.,,He,,was,,247-15,,from,,2004-06,,,and,,knew,,he’d,,figure,,things,,out,,across,,seven,,matches,,on,,the,,hard,,courts,,in,,a,,city,,where,,he,,is,,so,,comfortable.

“For,,a,,long,,period,,I,,think,,I,,was,,not,,losing,,much,",,Federer,,said,,,"and,,when,,I,,came,,to,,the,,Open,,,I,,had,,all,,the,,answers,,for,,all,,the,,guys,,,all,,my,,opponents,,,all,,conditions,,,wind,,,you,,know,,,night,,,day.,,I,,really,,embraced,,everything,,about,,New,,York."

Still,,does,,,which,,is,,why,,—,,at,,age,,37,,,and,,a,,full,,decade,,removed,,from,,his,,last,,title,,at,,the,,place,,—,,Federer,,believes,,he,,can,,succeed,,again,,at,,the,,year’s,,final,,Grand,,Slam,,tournament,,and,,collect,,a,,male-record,,21st,,major,,when,,main-draw,,play,,begins,,Monday.,,A,,sixth,,U.S.,,Open,,title,,would,,break,,a,,tie,,with,,Jimmy,,Connors,,and,,Pete,,Sampras,,for,,the,,most,,in,,the,,professional,,era.

“Well,,,I,,mean,,,it,,would,,mean,,the,,world,,to,,me,",,he,,said.

Novak,,Djokovic,,just,,beat,,Federer,,in,,the,,final,,in,,Cincinnati,,,and,,the,,Wimbledon,,champion,,might,,be,,the,,favorite,,in,,New,,York.,,Defending,,champion,,Rafael,,Nadal,,is,,the,,top,,seed,,after,,taking,,back,,the,,No.,,1,,ranking,,that,,Federer,,had,,regained,,earlier,,this,,season,,for,,the,,first,,time,,in,,five,,years.,,And,,del,,Potro,,is,,up,,to,,a,,career-best,,No.,,3,,in,,the,,world,,and,,proved,,again,,he,,could,,handle,,Federer,,at,,the,,U.S.,,Open,,when,,he,,stopped,,him,,last,,year,,in,,the,,quarterfinals.

Yet,,few,,would,,count,,out,,No.,,2,,seed,,Federer,,,even,,as,,erratic,,as,,his,,gifted,,game,,looked,,against,,Djokovic,,on,,Sunday,,in,,Ohio.

“If,,you,,are,,playing,,well,,before,,,is,,easier,,to,,play,,well,,in,,the,,Grand,,Slam,,,no?,,No,,doubt,,of,,that,",,Nadal,,said.,,"At,,the,,same,,time,,it’s,,true,,that,,especially,,a,,few,,players,,are,,able,,to,,increase,,the,,level,,of,,concentration,,,the,,level,,of,,tennis,,,level,,of,,intensity,,in,,some,,places.,,If,,you,,have,,to,,do,,it,,,this,,is,,one,,of,,the,,places."

Federer,,hasn’t,,done,,it,,in,,the,,biggest,,moments,,in,,New,,York,,over,,the,,last,,decade.,,The,,loss,,to,,del,,Potro,,was,,followed,,by,,semifinal,,defeats,,against,,Djokovic,,in,,both,,2010,,and,,2011,,,blowing,,two,,match,,points,,in,,both.,,He,,finally,,got,,back,,to,,the,,final,,again,,in,,2015,,but,,was,,beaten,,by,,Djokovic,,,then,,had,,to,,miss,,the,,2016,,event,,because,,of,,a,,knee,,injury.

He,,won,,the,,Australian,,Open,,and,,Wimbledon,,in,,a,,resurgent,,2017,,but,,tweaked,,his,,back,,while,,reaching,,the,,Montreal,,final,,and,,knew,,his,,body,,and,,his,,game,,weren’t,,in,,shape,,by,,the,,time,,he,,got,,to,,New,,York.

“I,,knew,,from,,the,,get-go,,it,,was,,not,,going,,to,,be,,possible,,for,,me,,to,,win,",,Federer,,said.,,"Everything,,would,,have,,had,,to,,fall,,into,,place."

So,,he,,was,,even,,more,,cautious,,in,,monitoring,,his,,schedule,,this,,year,,,sitting,,out,,the,,clay-court,,season,,again,,and,,pulling,,out,,of,,Toronto,,,making,,Cincinnati,,his,,only,,hard-court,,warmup.,,That’s,,left,,him,,only,,four,,tournaments,,in,,five,,months,,,perhaps,,explaining,,some,,of,,the,,shots,,that,,once,,were,,winners,,but,,were,,sprayed,,around,,the,,court,,against,,Djokovic.

“It’s,,a,,fine,,line,,of,,how,,fit,,do,,you,,need,,to,,be,,and,,how,,much,,tennis,,can,,you,,play,,to,,be,,competitive?",,Hall,,of,,Famer,,Rod,,Laver,,said.,,"And,,if,,you’re,,not,,able,,to,,go,,get,,the,,match,,practice,,,then,,you’ve,,got,,to,,rely,,on,,being,,competitive,,on,,the,,other,,side,,of,,the,,coin,,,which,,is,,how,,fit,,can,,you,,be.,,He,,certainly,,is,,fit,,enough,,but,,mentally,,in,,the,,final,,,I,,could,,tell,,he,,was,,sort,,of,,down.,,You,,could,,tell,,he,,was,,just,,frustrated,,with,,some,,of,,the,,shots,,that,,he,,played."

Federer,,won’t,,second-guess,,his,,scheduling,,,believing,,he’s,,made,,the,,right,,decisions,,for,,his,,preparation.,,Nor,,will,,he,,kick,,himself,,over,,the,,U.S.,,Opens,,lost,,over,,the,,last,,decade.

“I,,won,,the,,U.S.,,Open,,five,,times.,,So,,I,,stand,,here,,pretty,,happy,,,to,,be,,quite,,honest,",,Federer,,said.,,"It’s,,not,,like,,,’God,,,the,,U.S.,,Open,,never,,worked,,out,,for,,me.’,,It,,hasn’t,,the,,last,,couple,,years,,,but,,it’s,,all,,good.",,