US Open: Against Painful Memories - Federer and the Art of Forgetting
After the final drama by Wimbledon, Roger Federer starts his next attempt at the 21st Grand Slam title at the US Open. But the Swiss first had to learn to forget.
by SID
last edit: Aug 24, 2019, 08:23 pm
These two darn match balls just couldn't get Roger Federer out of his head. The tennis maestro tried to forget the painful defeat in the Wimbledon final in the mountains of his Swiss homeland. He hiked, rode a mountain bike and celebrated his 38th birthday with the family, surrounded by beautiful nature. But then these two missed chances to win over Novak Djokovic haunted Federer's thoughts again.
"When I started training again, I had flashbacks - of the good and bad moments. It was difficult," said the Grand Slam record champion, unusually brooding, told the Lucerne newspaper. For ten days the old master did not touch a racket, skipped the Masters in Montreal, but the next setback followed immediately.
Already in the round of 16 at the Masters in Cincinnati, he failed due to the Russian Andrei Rublew, and in just 62 minutes he even suffered the fastest defeat on the ATP tour in 16 years. A bad omen for the US Open, in which the Swiss will start against Indian Sumit Nagal on Monday? Not for Federer.
Fdederer satisfied with his game
"I know it's going to be tough. I won't come here as the overwhelming favorite, like maybe in 2006 or 2007," he said, but not without emphasizing: "I played well at the Grand Slams last. I am satisfied with my game. " The early defeat in Cincinnati "could even be a good thing, who knows". Because Federer used the unexpected free time, traveled to New York sooner than planned and prepared meticulously.
"I feel physically and mentally well recovered since Wimbledon," said Federer, the anger about the missed opportunities has evaporated. Because it is clear to him anyway: "I can't turn back time." Rather, he wants to let time stand still again at the last Grand Slam of the year. At 38, he was one of the "eternal" top favorites alongside defending champion Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
"Novak is a power on hard court, Rafa will also be very difficult to beat," predicted Federer before he added with a smile: "And I'm always good for a surprise."
Sole record holder in New York?
With his sixth triumph in Flushing Meadows, Federer would become the sole record winner in the Open Era (since 1968), but his most successful days in New York were several years ago. From 2004 to 2009 he was six times in a row in the final, five times he won. Since then, however, he has only reached another final. It was 2015, even then against Djokovic and even then with unused chances. He left 19 out of 23 break opportunities and lost in four sets.
But instead of being drifted by the demons of the past, Federer can simply look at the good omens. When he was last eliminated in the round of 16 in the dress rehearsal in Cincinnati, as this year, he was not to be beaten afterwards at the US Open. That was eleven years ago - but time doesn't matter at Federer anyway.