Federer flies into US Open fourth round

There was no slow start for Roger Federer on Friday, as the Swiss soared into the Round of 16 at the US Open. After conceding the opening set in both his first and second round victories, Federer ensured those initial struggles were an anomaly. He ousted Daniel Evans 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to open Day 5 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"Sometimes you just have to trust your team and your warm-up, everything you've done for so long," Federer told Brad Gilbert of ESPN. "Maybe also Danny wasn't feeling it today. He played yesterday so maybe that was a competitive advantage for me. But I was able to play beautiful tennis today under a beautiful sky.

"I definitely think the court is playing much faster than at night and even indoors. That's the key to winning here and staying around, to adjust to wind, heat and humidity. It makes the ball travel differently and I was able to manage it well."

Federer was the stronger player from the baseline, with his forehand ripping through the court in perfect, sunny conditions. He triumphed after a mere one hour and 19 minutes, hitting 48 winners, including 10 aces. Moreover, Federer won 80 per cent of first serve points and 70 per cent on his second delivery.

"I had spoken to the team and we just said. We’re not going to overplay in the beginning. Take care of your serves. If he can smash winners, that's too good," Federer said in his post-match press conference. "Over time, I got very comfortable and very confident. It's a good feeling to have after the last couple of matches."

The five-time champion (2004-08) is into the Round of 16 for the 18th consecutive year. He has not missed the second week of the US Open since his debut appearance in 2000. Federer improved to 88-13 overall at Flushing Meadows.

"I think what matters the most for me is that I am in the fourth round, after those two slow starts. Give myself another opportunity to do better, and I did," Federer said. "You almost tend to forget what happened and you move forward."

Evans admitted that he was outgunned and outclassed. "Obviously I didn't play my best today, but he got on top of me early and it was difficult. I guess he has every shot, so it's not ideal to have an opponent that has every shot.

"I think he won 92%, I saw on the board, of his first serves, and that's not good for me. So I just couldn't get in his games, and getting up on the serve, he returned well when I got my serve in. But no free points was tough, as well."

Federer was on the front foot from the start, breaking for 4-2 behind a sublime drop volley winner and a blasted backhand pass. Showtime Federer was in full flow, leaping for a spinning overhead smash in the next game. And he would streak to an early lead in the second set, breaking to love in the fourth game.

It was a clinical performance from the Basel native. A wayward approach from Evans gave Federer a break to open the third set, and while the Brit would draw level in the next game, it wasn't enough. The 38-year-old did not allow his opponent to establish any rhythm, eventually crossing the finish line with a service winner.

Federer, who qualified for a 17th ATP Finals with a first-round victory over Sumit Nagal, also prevailed in four sets in a second-round win over Damir Dzumhur. Against Evans, he improved to 3-0 in their ATP Head to Head, defeating the Brit at three of the four Grand Slams. He also triumphed at Wimbledon in 2016 and earlier this year at the Australian Open.

The World No. 3 will next face 15th seed David Goffin, who beat 2017 semi-finalist Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9), 7-5. The Belgian hit 52 winners and won 76 per cent (19/25) of his trips to the net.

Goffin trails Federer 1-8 in their ATP Head to Head series. Goffin recorded his lone victory two years ago during the semi-finals of the 2017 ATP Finals.

Date: 31 August 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer again overcomes slow start, beats Dzumhur in US Open 2nd round

Third seed Roger Federer shook off a slow start against Damir Dzumhur in their second-round clash on Wednesday at the US Open, rounding into form to produce a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

The Swiss, competing in his 100th US Open match (87-13), remained flawless in second-round matches in New York (19-0). Federer was made to work once again, having also dropped the opening set in his first-round clash on Monday against Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal. The five-time US Open champion hadn't won from a set down in consecutive matches since 2014 Dubai (d. Djokovic and Berdych).

"I have been in that position many times where you go through a little phase where you don't start so well. When it happens like this back-to-back matches, it's just a bit frustrating more than anything, especially when the level is that low and there is that many errors and the energy is not kind of there," said Federer. "But I'm not concerned. It's all good and I just need to take the positives out of it, because once I lose that first set I do get better, which is a good thing."

Dzumhur hadn’t taken a set off Federer in their two previous ATP Head to Head meetings, but was unawed by competing in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Swiss looked out of sorts in the early stages of the match, hitting eight winners to 17 unforced errors as Dzumhur raised his level in crucial moments.

"He was my idol. He was a person out of the court and on the court I was following. He was definitely, for me, the best player in tennis history," Dzumhur told before his latest clash against Federer. “I just think that I have to get in the match to try to play good, to try to do what I was doing in practice. If I play a really good game, I can always make trouble for any player."

After pondering his form at the changeover, Federer came out in full flight to start the second set. Pinning Dzumhur to the baseline with increased pace on both wings, the Swiss leapt in the air after rifling a forehand winner to hold serve for a 4-1 lead. Three games later, a double fault from the Bosnian levelled the match after one hour of play.

The third-set scoreline didn’t reflect the numerous challenges posed to Federer throughout. Dzumhur held at least one game point in five of the nine games, but Federer continued to come up with the goods - a backhand passing shot in the second game, a cheeky drop shot in the fourth game and a forehand winner in the seventh game - to keep bringing the score back to deuce. The Swiss took a commanding lead with an ace, marking his 43rd total winner of the match.

Federer scored an early break at 1-1 in the fourth set and the slight advantage was all he needed. A strong first serve from the Swiss wrapped up the match after two hours and 21 minutes.

Next up for Federer is No. 25 seed Lucas Pouille of France or Brit Daniel Evans. Federer is 2-0 against both men in their respective ATP Head to Head rivalries and hasn't dropped a set to either player.

"I can't reinvent myself from today to the third round," said Federer. "Tomorrow I will not practice over an hour, because I believe that all the hard work I have put in since Wimbledon and before. I have had a good season so far and I’m ready for the next round."

Date: 29 August 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer overcomes slow start in US Open first round

Roger Federer did not get off to an ideal start to his pursuit of a sixth US Open title on Monday evening. But the third seed won, and that's what counts.

The five-time champion rallied past Sumit Nagal 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in two hours and 30 minutes, guaranteeing a record-extending 17th qualification for the ATP Finals, the season finale at which he has triumphed six times.

"I think trying to forget the first set is never easy I guess in a first round, under the lights. People expect a different result. I expect something else," Federer said. "I just wanted to pick up my game really, start to play better. I was able to do that. That was a relief, going up 3-Love in the second set, realising that it is on my racquet."

Federer has now won his first-round match in 62 straight major appearances, improving his US Open record to 86-13 as he begins chasing his first trophy in New York since 2008.

His opponent, Nagal, certainly took advantage of the opportunity in the biggest match of his career to date. The World No. 190 walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium Monday evening for his first Grand Slam main draw match without having ever earned a tour-level victory. But the 22-year-old showed little fear against Federer, who made 19 unforced errors in losing the first set.

"I wasn't serving consistently enough. I was hitting double faults that usually I don't do. Also I was just hitting too many unforced errors. I was in two minds, I guess," Federer said. "I was able to clear that a little bit. Maybe it's not a bad thing to go through a match like this. It was very similar at Wimbledon when I dropped the first set there as well in the first round. At the end you look at the last three sets, and they were good. That's encouraging."

But Nagal did not prove to have the weaponry to take the racquet out of Federer's hands. And once the Swiss found his range, he was a train rolling downhill on opening night at the year's final major.

After staving off three deuces in the first game of the second set, the 38-year-old battled hard to gain an advantage, converting his fourth break point of the next game to take the lead. Federer quickly extended his lead to 5-0, before clinching the 42-minute set when Nagal launched a forehand long.

Federer would break immediately in the next two sets, putting constant pressure on the qualifier.

Nagal showed his fighting spirit in the fourth set, breaking back for 2-2 with an inside out forehand passing shot that blew past Federer at net. But this year's Dubai, Miami and Halle champion earned another break in the next game when the Indian missed an inside-out forehand wide, and he never looked back. Federer overcame four break points - including a 0/40 deficit - as he served for the match to move on.

The key proved to be Federer's pressure. Once he cut down his errors after the first set, he kept on top of Nagal, winning 33/50 net points compared to 7/17 for the qualifier.

"He loves putting pressure on the other guy," Nagal said. "He's always making you think of what he's going to do, and that's how I felt. Players I have played, I never had this feeling. But what he was doing so good was he was mixing it so well that you have no idea where the ball is coming back. So you always have to react to it."

Federer had lost a set in his first-round match at the US Open just once since 2003 (2017 vs. Tiafoe). The 20-time Grand Slam champion has not fallen in the opening round at a Grand Slam since 2003 Roland Garros.

Damir Dzumhur, who beat French qualifier Elliot Benchetrit 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-0, awaits in the next round. Federer will take confidence knowing he defeated the three-time ATP Tour champion in straight sets at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2015.

Date: 27 August 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer: "US Open is going to be a tough tournament to win"

Roger Federer has won the US Open five times, but all of those victories in Flushing Meadows came in consecutive years from 2004 - 08. Nevertheless, the 38-year-old arrives in New York confident as he begins his pursuit of a 21st Grand Slam title.

“We were talking on the practice court yesterday or two days ago, this is probably the best I've felt in years coming into the US Open again, which is encouraging,” Federer said.

The Swiss superstar has long enjoyed success at the season’s final major, advancing to at least the fourth round in his past 17 appearances, dating back to 2001. But since his string of championships here, Federer has made the final just twice, in 2009 and 2015.

“It hasn't always been easy here,” Federer said. “Two years ago I came in with a back issue a little bit, I had a struggle early on with five-setters. I remember Tiafoe and others. That set the tone the tournament was going to be tough. Last year I struggled with the heat against Millman. 2016 I missed it entirely.

“I mean, look, I have no explanation why it didn't go as well as it did. I think I was a bit unlucky with health for sure, also. That was part of it.”

Although Federer has a strong 85-13 record at this tournament, he has not lifted the trophy in New York in 11 years. The World No. 3 doesn’t feel an itch to rejoin the winners’ circle here just because of that compared to his usual desire to triumph, though.

“I'm not putting extra pressure on myself. I know it's going to be tough. I'm not coming in as the overwhelming favourite like maybe I did back in 2006 or 2007. I'm very much aware of how I need to approach this tournament mentally,” Federer said. “What I'm very proud of is I've had a very consistent last year and a half, two years, ever since my back locked up on me in Montreal. I struggled here as well, struggled for quite a while.

“I've been playing well. Playing well in Slams recently, which has been great. I think also the win over Rafa in the semis of Wimbledon was big for me. Also the finals, the way I played that in Wimbledon, is going to give me some extra confidence.”

Federer was desperately close to claiming his ninth Wimbledon title, earning two championship points against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. But the Serbian was able to capitalise on a missed forehand from the Swiss and a passing shot from his own racquet to stay in the match, before emerging victorious after a final-set tie-break at 12-all.

“I struggled a little bit the first couple days. At the same time I was caravaning with my kids. I didn't have that much time thinking about all the missed opportunities. I was setting up tables and organising my life for my four children, driving around the beautiful countryside in Switzerland,” Federer said. “Sometimes you have flashbacks, things like, ‘Oh, I could have done that, should have done that.’ The next day you're having a glass of wine with your wife thinking, ‘The semis was pretty good, even the finals was pretty good.’ You go in phases.

“We put up a great fight. Somebody had to win. Novak was the better man on the day. He was tough. I don't know. I've been there before, had some tough losses along the way. So many great wins, as well. I was just more upset rather than being sad. I think being upset made me get over that finals much easier than being sad, dwelling over it too much.”

In his only tournament since Wimbledon, Federer was upset in the third round of the Western and Southern Open by Andrey Rublev. The last three times Federer lost that early in Cincinnati (2008 R16, ‘06 R32 and ‘04 R1), he went on to lift the US Open trophy.

“I'm happy where my game is at. Cincinnati might be a good thing that I lost early, who knows. It's maybe one of those things that sometimes needs to happen, like when I won at the Australian Open, went to Dubai, lost first round in '17, then went on to win Indian Wells and Miami,” Federer said. “Maybe the same thing, played a great Wimbledon. Needed to get knocked down in Cincy, get my act together, train hard. That's what I did. I'm ready for the US Open.

“It's going to be a tough tournament to win, no doubt about it. I feel like I'm part of that group who can do it.”

Date: 23 August 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer: "I'm injury-free and feeling good"

Roger Federer endured one of the most surprising losses of his career on Thursday at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, falling to rising Russian qualifier Andrey Rublev 3-6, 4-6 in just 62 minutes. But after his outstanding season, the seven-time champion sees little reason to ring the alarms in his first tournament since Wimbledon.

"I played 45 matches this year, so I think I should be fine,” said Federer.

Federer looked out of sorts from the start on Stadium Court, missing shots that would normally be clean winners and converting only seven of his 19 trips to the net. Part of his uneasiness in the match had to do with facing a brand new opponent, a rarity for the Swiss at this stage of his career. But Federer praised Rublev's clutch tennis as the main reason for the end result.

"If I play Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, I know more or less what they are going to do or can do. That's different with a player you play for the first time," said Federer. "It's maybe a small advantage to have over us, but regardless, you've still got to hit the corners, hit the lines, keep it going. He did exactly that. He was really perfect today. It was a great performance."

After 21 years on the ATP Tour, Federer has a keen eye for which players have the potential to reach the highest levels of the game. He was impressed by what he saw in the 21-year-old Russian, who only lost four points on serve in the second set and dictated the tempo of most of their baseline exchanges.

"You need an opponent that maybe lets you get by some tougher moments, but he didn't do that," said Federer. "He was super clean. Defence, offence, serving well. Didn't give me anything. He was everywhere. It was tough for me, but an excellent match by him. I was impressed. I think I just have to play better overall to hang with him."

The Swiss will now turn his attention to the US Open, where he looks to win a sixth title and his first since 2008. In a season that has seen him win three titles (Miami, Halle and Dubai) in addition to runner-up finishes in Wimbledon and Indian Wells, he believes an extra few days of rest and recovery could be just as beneficial as match play.

"It’s also very important for me to see that I'm injury-free and I'm feeling good. Regardless of the outcome of this week, I'm happy I came here," said Federer. "I had good practice sessions. I worked very hard coming into Cincinnati and in that little time we had since Wimbledon, so I can maybe also utilise a couple of days off. I’m going to train, do exactly what I need to do for the US Open and that’s it. It’s fairly simple, but I’ve got to work hard."

Date: 16 August 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer eases past Londero in Cincinnati opener

Roger Federer has won more titles at the Western and Southern Open than anyone else with seven. And on Tuesday evening, the Swiss superstar made a good start towards Cincinnati title No. 8.

In his first match as a 38-year-old, rain nor Juan Ignacio Londero could stop Federer, who took a 6-3, 6-4 decision in the second round, winning 83 per cent of his second-serve points in a 61-minute match that was delayed by about an hour during the second set due to a brief downpour.

"I’m very happy. I thought it was tricky with the rain delay and everything, but I’m happy to be back on the courts,” Federer said. “It’s totally different to the grass courts and the clay courts we have seen, so this is the beginning of a long, long hard-court swing. So it’s nice to start off with a win."

This was Federer’s first match since letting two championship points slip in the Wimbledon final against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. The third seed is pursuing his 29th ATP Masters 1000 title.

The World No. 3 got off to a flying start against this year's Cordoba Open champion, breaking to love when the Cincinnati debutant double faulted into the net at 15/40 in his first service game. Federer quickly raced to secure that advantage, holding for 3-0, and he didn't look back from there in the opener. The father of four struck seven aces and lost just five service points in the first set, which took just 22 minutes.

Londero shrugged off his early nerves and held in his five service games after getting broken to start the encounter. And he successfully slowed down the Federer train before rain suspended play at 2-2, 15/15 on the Argentine's serve at the second set.

But in search of his first Top 10 win and Masters 1000 victory, Londero could not maintain his momentum. When the players returned to the court, Federer broke serve immediately thanks to a Londero double fault, and that was the only advantage he needed. The Swiss saved the only break point he faced in the next game with a half volley drop shot winner.

"Conditions are fast. We barely had any rallies in the first set. It was just bang-bang tennis," Federer said. "He had a good forehand. He hides it well with the grip, and because I have never played him before, it's hard to see the release happening. I think he actually can play very well on the faster hard court. He moves well, can take the ball early. He has the option to go back, but maybe here it's just a tad too fast."

Despite missing out on a match point on the World No. 55's serve, Federer served out his victory, finishing it off with a jamming body serve that went unreturned.

"I liked what I saw. I think he's going to have a good career. He's a good fighter. I saw especially a good fight from him against Rafa at the French Open. And even though he was down two sets to love and a break and you think, 'Well, you know, it's over', he kept believing and kept fighting. This is a quality I respect a lot in a player. That's why I knew it was going to be tough maybe today."

Date: 14 August 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer: "There are flashbacks of Wimbledon final"

Most people would be despondent after not converting two championship points to lose a Wimbledon final. Roger Federer went caravaning with his family the next day.

That isn’t to say the Swiss is immune to the magnitude of what happened against Novak Djokovic in London. He admitted to having “flashbacks” when he began training for this week’s Western & Southern Open. But after 21 years on tour, Federer has learned to treat matches as individual moments. After a family vacation and some relatively light training sessions, he’s only looking forward as he seeks an eighth crown in Cincinnati.

“You look back for a few days while you decompress what happened. There are flashbacks of the final, both the good moments and bad moments, when you go back to the practice court,” said Federer. “Those usually go away after the first couple of sessions and then it’s just getting ready for Cincinnati.

“We went caravaning the day after my Wimbledon and enjoyed Switzerland. I relaxed for a bit and then started practising, fitness first and then tennis after. It’s more about coming in fresh for this tournament and not killing myself during the practices.”

Cincinnati is Federer’s most successful ATP Masters 1000 event. He’s made it to the championship match in his past three trips and reached at least the quarter-finals in his past eight appearances. The friendly Midwest atmosphere suits Federer’s relaxed approach and makes him feel at home from the moment he steps on the grounds of the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

“It’s peaceful, quiet and easy-going. We have enough tournaments in big cities, so it’s a nice way for me to start the summer,” said Federer. “You also have these great fans who come here for the game and nothing else. It reminds me of Indian Wells in that sense, so that’s one thing which is cool about this event.”

Although Federer will be focused on his own game, he’ll also have an eye on Andy Murray’s singles comeback this week. The Swiss famously won the 2017 Australian Open in his first event after missing eight months to recover from left knee surgery. Federer admitted to feeling optimistic before his first match that year in Melbourne and believes expectations are often set before even walking out on court.

“You do have a sense of how things will go before your first match,” said Federer. “Are you crushing everybody in the practice sets or losing more often than not? How’s the pain and your movement? It’s obviously not something you can tell other players or the press, but you know if there’s a chance to have a big run or if you’re just happy being back on Tour and maybe winning a match or two.”

More than two years after that run in Melbourne, Federer continues to defy the odds. At an age where almost all of his peers that he started on Tour with have retired, the 38-year-old sits firmly at No. 3 in the ATP Rankings and could climb even higher by the end of the season. He’s not willing to put a timeline on how long he will keep playing, but with a 38-5 record and three ATP Tour titles to his name already this season, there’s little reason to stop.

“I’ve been consistent across all the surfaces. I haven’t had a back issue in two years and was obviously happy with how my knee recovered in 2016,” said Federer. “I don’t know how long I’m going to be playing, but I’m very happy with my level of play and it shows in the results.”

Date: 12 August 2019, Source: ATP

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