A BLOG DEDICATED TO MEN'S TENNIS AND THE WORLD TOUR. OCCASIONAL NEWS FROM BOTH THE CHALLENGER AND CHAMPIONS TOURS.
BASEL, Switzerland — Roger Federer has pulled out of the Paris Masters starting Monday to rest before the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Federer says “it’s the only right decision for me” as “it’s just too much” to play in Paris.
The top-ranked Swiss spoke after losing a 2-hour, 44-minute final against Juan Martin del Potro at the Swiss Indoors.
Federer won the Paris trophy last year. He will defend his London title the following week.
by ATP Staff
Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal from the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris as well as the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London on Thursday due to a left knee injury.
Nadal said, “It’s disappointing for me to miss the last two tournaments of the season in Paris and London, but it doesn’t come as a surprise. I will hopefully resume my tennis practice soon since I am making good progress with my recovery from injury. I am not ready to compete in time for these events so I will continue my recovery in Mallorca and work hard to be back as soon as possible.”
Brad Drewett, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said: “We wish Rafa all the best as he continues his rehabilitation from injury. Rafa is an incredible champion and it goes without saying that he has been missed on the ATP World Tour over the past few months. We look forward to welcoming him back on the tour very soon.”
Nadal has not played since 28 June, when he lost to Czech Lukas Rosol6-7(9), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the Wimbledon second round.
by ATP Staff
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic surged into the final of the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Saturday as he recorded his 10th win in 11 meetings with Tomas Berdych, beating the fourth-seeded Czech 6-3, 6-4. Berdych’s only victory against Djokovic came two years ago in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
Djokovic will face World No. 3 Andy Murrayin Sunday’s final, the player he lost to in last month’s US Open final.
“I don’t like the word ‘revenge.’ I never like revenge,” said Djokovic. “I just play tennis and I try to win every match that I play. He’s a bit more aggressive [since losing theWimbledon final]. It’s obvious on the court. He goes more for his forehand, which wasn’t his strength in the past. Now this year he’s improved that stroke and he’s more confident on the court, has more self belief. He’s got the results. He won a Grand Slam.”
The 25-year-old Djokovic extended his winning streak to nine matches, having won the China Open title (d. Tsonga) last week in Beijing. He let slip a 5-1 lead against Berdych in the first set as the Czech threatened to get back on level terms, but closed out the first set at the second time of asking. An early break in the second set then secured victory for Djokovic in 85 minutes.
“Obviously it’s a big challenge when you play a Top 10 player,” said Djokovic. “Tomas is in great form the past couple of months. He’s always a difficult player to play against on any surface because he has a very powerful serve and great forehand. I played tactically right. I was putting a lot of returns into the court, putting a lot of pressure on his serve. On the other hand, I was serving well when I needed to.”
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The Serb, who is through to the Shanghai final for the first time after semi-final exits in 2009 (l. to Davydenko) and 2010 (l. to Federer), is chasing his 13th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title of the season. He added to his haul earlier in the year with victory at the Sony Open Tennis(d. Murray) in Miami and the Rogers Cup (d. Gasquet) in Toronto.
The 27-year-old Berdych has boosted his chances of qualifying for theBarclays ATP World Tour Finals this week, reaching his seventh tour-level semi-final of the year. The Czech has a 53-19 record in 2012 and will continue his bid to clinch one of the four remaining berths at the year-end championships at the If Stockholm Open next week.
“He’s a great player,” said Berdych. “I think just the game that he plays; it’s not the one that suits my game that much. I like to play quite aggressive. But this doesn’t hurt him that much. So it’s much more difficult for me to play him. He’s the second player in the world, chasing for the first place. It’s really tough to find the way and have a positive record with him.”
World No. 3 Andy Murray will challenge for a third successive Shanghai Rolex Masterscrown on Sunday after a dominant, aggressive display saw him dismiss Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals.
The Scot has a perfect 12-0 record in Shanghai, having won the title in 2010 (d. Federer) and 2011 (d. Ferrer). In his bid for a hat-trick of titles, Murray will face World No. 2 Novak Djokovic in a re-match of theUS Open final, which the Dunblane native won in five sets. Murray also beat the Serb in the semi-finals of the London 2012 Olympics, but trails 7-8 overall in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.
Looking ahead to the clash with Djokovic, Murray said, “I’ve known him for 14, 15 years now. We’ve obviously had some incredibly tough matches which can maybe test a friendship. But we’ve always been I think pretty respectful of each other.”
The 25-year-old Murray improved to a 10-8 career lead over Federer as he defeated the Swiss in one hour and 38 minutes. Breaks were exchanged at the start of the match before Federer gave away his serve in the fifth game, committing three successive double faults.
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The top-seeded Federer fended off seven break points at the start of the second set in a game that was briefly interrupted by rain. The Swiss’ reprieve was shortlived, though, as Murray hit a return winner to break serve in the fifth game. Rain suspended play again with Murray poised to serve for the match at 5-4, but at the resumption the Scot was clinical in his dismissal of Federer.
“He didn’t serve that well for him tonight, so I was able to be very aggressive on his second serve,” explained Murray. “He maybe slowed down his first serve a little bit, so I was able to take a few more chances. Obviously that helped. I went for it, like I did the past few times I played against him, and it worked tonight. When you’re beating the best player of all time probably, it’s obviously going to be special.”
Murray has a 53-12 match record on the season, highlighted by winning his first Grand Slam title at the US Open and clinching the gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics (d. Federer). He was also runner-up to Federer in the Wimbledon final. He is looking to win his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title of the season and the ninth of his career.
By reaching the quarter-finals this week, Federer guaranteed he will top the South African Airways ATP Rankings for a 300th week on Monday. The Swiss is locked in battle with Djokovic to finish as the year-end World No. 1 and will continue his quest at the Swiss Indoors Basel.
“It was a bit up and down, too up and down for my taste,” said Federer. “To probably beat him tonight, I played okay at times, but overall Andy was just the better player and he deserved to win at the end really.
“It’s been an OK week overall. I played all right. I didn’t play great. But I did come here and reach the 300 weeks. I guess I have to be happy with that. I wish I could have played better tonight against Andy and pushed him further, even though it was somewhat close. I know as well that it could have gone the other way as well, it could have been even more one sided. I tried hard, and that’s all I could do tonight.”
by ATP Staff
The German city of Düsseldorf will host an ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament in the week before Roland Garros after leading promoter Ion Tiriac and the recently retired player Rainer Schuettler joined forces to acquire the tournament membership. The Power Horse Cup, to be staged at the Rochusclub, will be held Sunday May 19 to Saturday May 25.
Pan-European broadcaster Eurosport will be the official domestic and international media partner for a minimum of three years and will televise matches daily during the clay-court event. It is the first time that Eurosport will be the host broadcaster of an ATP World Tour tournament. Live HD coverage will be available on Eurosport and Eurosport2 in 59 countries and the partnership also gives Eurosport digital rights to all matches.
Power Horse Cup Tournament Director Dietloff von Arnim said: “We’re glad the great tradition of ATP tournaments in Düsseldorf can be continued with the staging of the 2013 Power Horse Cup… We’re also proud that we’ve gained Eurosport as the host broadcaster. It guarantees excellent coverage for fans and sponsors alike – not only in Germany but in the whole of Europe.”
Former World No. 5 and Australian Open finalist Schuettler said: “For me, it is great to come from the tennis playing side to now getting involved in tournament organisation. Dietloff von Arnim will organise the event, so we have great experience in this partnership. I am looking forward in the years to come to build a great event there.”
by ATP Staff
Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga both boosted their chances of qualifying for the eight-man Barclays ATP World Tour Finalswith third-round wins at the Shanghai Rolex Masters Thursday. But Serb Janko Tipsarevic, who is ninth in the Race To London, suffered a costly loss.
In advancing to the Shanghai quarter-finals for the first time with a 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4 win over American Sam Querrey, sixth-placed Berdych moved to 3,900 points, 1,090 points clear of Tipsarevic, who was beaten 6-2, 6-1 by German veteran Tommy Haas.
Tsonga strengthened his grip on the all-important eighth position in the Race To London with a 6-2, 7-6(2) win over CypriotMarcos Baghdatis. The runner-up at last year’s season finale, Tsonga now has 3,295 points, 485 points more than Tipsarevic.
There was mixed news for players with an outside chance of qualifying for London. Croat Marin Cilic (15th), moved to 2,150 points after reaching the quarter-finals with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Fernando Verdasco. But American John Isner (14th) missed his chance to push his claim with a three-set loss to Czech Radek Stepanek. Stanislas Wawrinka (16th) let slip a one-set lead against Roger Federer to bow out in the third round.
by ATP Staff
Top seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan suffered a shock opening-round defeat at the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Wednesday as they were ousted by Eric Butorac and Philipp Petzschner 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 in 62 minutes.
The Americans saw their 11-match winning streak come to an end. They came into Shanghai having won the US Open title (d. Paes/Stepanek), earned a point for the United States in its Davis Cup semi-final clash with Spain and triumphed at last week’s China Open in Beijing (d. Berlocq/Istomin). It is their earliest tournament defeat since losing in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open in May (l. to Qureshi/Rojer).
Butorac and Petzschner are playing their second ATP World Tour event together; they had beaten Thomaz Bellucci and Bernard Tomic for the loss of just one game in the first round.
Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins won just their second match at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament when the British duo defeatedFabio Fognini and Martin Klizan 5-7, 6-4, 10-5 in 80 minutes. Fleming and Hutchins are contesting their fifth tournament at this level (2-4 record).
First-time pairing Jurgen Melzer and Milos Raonic broke serve five times as they dismissed Chinese wild cards Yu Chang and Zhe Li 6-1, 6-4. Earlier in the day, Raonic had lost a 2hr., 40min., singles second-round match to Marcos Baghdatis in three tie-break sets.
Pablo Andujar and Feliciano Lopez won an all-Spanish clash 6-3, 6-4 overDavid Marrero and Fernando Verdasco in 64 minutes. Andujar and Lopez won 40 of their 47 service points. Meanwhile, Marin Cilic and Marcelo Melo advanced to the second round with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-4 victory overCarlos Berlocq and Andreas Seppi.
by ATP Staff
Eighth seed Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese player to reach the semi-finals of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, upsetting No. 2 seedTomas Berdych 7-5, 6-4 on Friday in Tokyo.
Squaring off for the fourth time, Nishikori created 13 break point opportunities against the big-serving Berdych, breaking the Czech four times. The 21 year old had no trouble closing out the World No. 6 to advance in one hour and 58 minutes. Nishikori improved to 3-1 versus the recent US Open semi-finalist, avenging an earlier season loss at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.
The 17th-ranked Nishikori is into the semi-finals of an Asian-swing event for the second straight week following his last four showing in Kuala Lumpur, where he lost to eventual champion Juan Monaco. Nishikori is aiming to advance to his first final in 2012, with his most recent title match appearance coming last year in Basel (l. to Federer). He is looking to win his first title since capturing the Delray Beach crown in 2008 as a qualifier.
On Saturday, Nishikori will take on Marcos Baghdatis, who dismissed qualifier Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 6-4 in his quarter-final match. Baghdatis capitalised on three of his six break point chances and saved all three break points he faced to beat Tursunov for the second time this season in one hour and 21 minutes. The Cypriot also won their meeting at the Apia International Sydney.
“Dmitry is a tricky player,” said Baghdatis. “He can find a way to come back with his big shots, big serves and big returns. I felt pressure in the whole match. I’m very happy because when there was pressure, I served really well and took my chances at the beginning of the match and the beginning of the second set.”
With the victory, Baghdatis recorded 30 wins in a season for the fourth time. The World No. 46 will contest his first semi-final since February, when he lost in the Zagreb semi-finals to Lukas Lacko. Baghdatis is looking to win his fifth ATP World Tour trophy, with his latest triumph coming in 2010 at Sydney. His most recent final appearance was in Kuala Lumpur last year.
by ATP Staff
Reigning Tokyo champion Andy Murray needed just 57 minutes to book his place in the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships quarter-finals, overwhelming Lukas Lacko 6-1, 6-2 under a closed roof in Ariake Coliseum on Wednesday.
Murray converted all four of his break point chances, taking 63 per cent of his return points to improve his record against the Slovakian to a 2-0 mark. The Scot has won nine matches in a row, including his US Open triumph that culminated with victory overNovak Djokovic in the final.
“I began the match very well, which was nice because it was long day to get on,” said Murray. “I started the match almost perfect. That was important. Once I got the break in the second set, I started to play better.”
The World No. 3 is seeking to retain a title for the first time this season, having captured five trophies in 2011 and three so far this year. He won an Asian swing hat-trick last year, triumphing in Bangkok, Tokyo and Shanghai. Murray will face off against Stanislas Wawrinka next and takes a 7-4 career lead into the pair’s 12th clash, defeating the Swiss No. 2 most recently on his way to winning gold at the London 2012 Olympics.
“He had a good US Open and did well in Cincinnati,” said Murray. “I think hard courts are a good surface for him. I’ve had a lot of tough matches with him over the years, especially on the hard courts. I would expect the same on Friday.”
The seventh-seeded Wawrinka became the first player to move through to the quarter-finals after battling past Jeremy Chardy 7-6(1), 6-7(6), 7-5. Wawrinka hit 19 aces and won 55 of his 59 first serve points, including all 16 in the final set. “I usually serve well, especially indoors when the courts are a bit faster,” said Wawrinka. “It was quite good today. I was changing the rhythm a lot and the speed as well. That helped me to be really aggressive after the serve.”
Fourth seed Juan Monaco raced into the second round dismissing qualifier Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-1. Entering the tournament on the back of his first hard-court triumph in Kuala Lumpur, Monaco carried his recent form against Dimitrov, breaking the Bulgarian five times from seven opportunities. The Argentine saved all four break points he faced to advance in 64 minutes. The World No. 10 improved to a 38-15 season record. Monaco is in contention to qualify for his first season-endingBarclays ATP World Tour Finals, tied for 11th place in the South African Airways ATP Rankings Race To London.
Third-seeded Janko Tipsarevic rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory against 18th-ranked Gilles Simon to open his title quest. Tipsarevic won 70 per cent of his return points in the final set to break the Frenchman four times. With the win, World No. 9 Tipsarevic avenged last week’s loss to Simon in the Bangkok semi-finals. Tipsarevic is aiming to win his first ATP World Tour 500 title, having won his third career crown in Stuttgart earlier this year, his first triumph on clay. Ranked ninth in the Race To London with 2,720 points, Tipsarevic trails eighth-placed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga by 185 points. Tsonga is competing in Beijing.
by Joel Drucker
© Getty ImagesRoger Federer has won the US Open title five times.The US Open has been both extraordinarily kind and agonisingly cruel to Roger Federer. JOEL DRUCKER examines the 10 matches that have defined the Swiss master’s eventful career at Flushing Meadows.
The US Open’s swirling blend of commerce and commotion make it arguably more disruptive than any of tennis’ majors. But winning has a way of calming all wounds, so by the time Federer earned the first of five straight US Open titles in 2004, New York’s noisy nuances had become mere background music. In the ensuing years there have been many highs along with some heartbreaking defeats…
No. 10: Daunting Debut
2000 first round: Federer d. Peter Wessels, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 3-4
On the eve of his US Open debut, Roger Federer was ranked 40 in the world – not bad for a 19 year old. But he’d also lost in the first round of six straight ATP World Tour events. Taking on 89th-ranked DutchmanPeter Wessels in the first round of the 2000 US Open, Federer promptly lost the first two sets, rallied to level the match – and was then the benefactor of fortune. In the eighth game of the fifth set, Wessels retired with a sprained ankle. Federer would lose in the third round to Juan Carlos Ferrero. But Hall of Famer Pancho Segura, former coach of Jimmy Connors, would issue a prophetic comment as he witnessed that defeat: “This kid Federer could well have a Pete Sampras-like career.”
“This kid Federer could well have a Pete Sampras-like career”
No. 9: If I Can Make it Here, I’ll Make it Anywhere
2004 quarter-finals: Federer d. Andre Agassi, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
It began on a Wednesday night, the New York crowd cheering passionately for the 34-year-old American icon. After all, who was Federer at this point but a stylish European who’d yet to bite the Big Apple? The two split the first two sets. But one game after Federer had barely squeaked out the third, rain forced a postponement. The next day was extraordinarily disruptive, winds in excess of 25 miles per hour knocking over chairs and courtside umbrella stands. “Hitting the ball in the centre was a great shot,” said Agassi. Locked into battle, forced to constantly adjust his feet and shot selection choices, Federer dropped the fourth, but found just enough to win the fifth. “You would touch the ball, and the ball would fly a long, long way,” said Federer. “So in the end, it was more just trying to wait for the opponent’s mistake.” Liberated in the wake of such blustery anguish, Federer won his next two matches without the loss of a set – and so began his New York reign.
2006 final: Federer d. Andy Roddick 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
Sitting in Federer’s box was new friend Tiger Woods. “He promised to come if I’m in the finals,” said Roger, “and so I had some pressure.” Additional pressure came from his opponent, 2003 US Openchampion Andy Roddick. A big factor in Roddick’s resurgence was his own tiger: new coach Jimmy Connors, who’d often worn a necklace with the word ‘Tig’ on it. At one set apiece, with Roddick serving at 5-6, Federer broke it open, winning seven of the next eight games. Federer out-aced Roddick 17 to 7, struck twice as many winners – 69 to 33 – and made only 19 unforced errors. Federer had been delighted to please his special guest. “That’s something I haven’t felt before,” he said, “a guy who knows how it feels to be invincible at times.”
No. 7: Newcomer At The Dance
2009 final: Juan Martin del Potro d. Federer, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2
Federer sought a record sixth straight US Open title – and his first Slam since the July birth of his twin daughters. Carving up Slam final newcomerJuan Martin del Potro, in the second set Federer served at 5-4, 30-love – two points away from a near-impregnable two sets to love lead. But then, at 30-all, del Potro won a challenge and soon leveled the match. The fifth was nearly a formality, del Potro running away with it, 6-2. Said del Potro, the only the only man to date to have intruded on the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic Slam domination over the past 30 majors, “To win in five against Federer makes it even more special.”
“Seeing them challenge me, beating them in the final, it’s really for me the best feeling”
No. 6: If You Strike A King, You Must Kill Him
2007 final: Federer d. Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4
Twenty-year-old Novak Djokovic was the belle of the ball; his powerful groundstrokes and humorous impressions charming the world. Federer of course was intent on ringing the midnight bell on New York’s Cinderella – and also becoming the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win four straight US men’s singles titles. Djokovic struck boldly. In the first set the Serb served at 6-5, 40-love. But Federer rallied, fighting off a total of five set points in that opening stanza. Djokovic also held two set points in the second, but again Federer emerged the victor – and in time, Roger took the third, 6-4. Said Federer about how he’d repelled a young upstart, “Seeing them challenge me, beating them in the final, it’s really for me the best feeling.”
No. 5: Eyes Wide Shut
2010 semi-final: Novak Djokovic d. Federer, 5-7, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5
For the fourth straight year at the US Open, Federer took on Novak Djokovic. The energy was electric, each player striking powerful groundstrokes into every corner of the court. Federer, hungry to reach the final again following his 2009 loss to del Potro, won a tight first set, 7-5. But Djokovic’s rapid 6-1 second set win gave an indication of strong resistance. Back and forth it went, till in the fifth Federer held two match points on Djokovic’s serve. Djokovic fought them both off boldly – a forehand drive volley winner on the first, a topspin laser of a forehand on the second. Said Djokovic, “I was just closing my eyes and hitting forehands as fast as I can on the match points.” Finally, after three hours and 44 minutes of body blows, Federer netted a forehand and Djokovic had emerged the winner. Said Federer, “It’s a tough loss for me but it’s only going to fuel me with more motivation to practise hard and get back to Grand Slam finals.”
No. 4: Taking the Fifth
2008 fourth round: Federer d. Igor Andreev, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
For the first time since 2002, Federer arrived in New York without having won a Grand Slam singles title all year. In the fourth round he came up against Igor Andreev. It didn’t matter that prior to 2008 Andreev had only won two matches at the US Open. It didn’t matter that Andreev was ranked 23rd in the world. It didn’t matter that Federer had won their only previous match. What mattered was that on this day Andreev – streaky, with a massive forehand – had snapped up the first set and the second was deadlocked at 6-6. Even after Federer levelled the match and took the third, Andreev would not go away, sending it into a fifth before Federer at last closed it out after three-and-a-half hours. Saving 13 of 15 break points, coming to net 84 times, Federer was elated. “I expected a tough one,” he said. “You always get ready for five-setters… and the pressure is huge on me, because Igor doesn’t have a whole lot to lose.” Three more victories brought Federer his fifth straightUS Open title.
No. 3: Roger’s Reign Begins
2004 final: Federer d. Lleyton Hewitt, 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0
It was Federer’s first US Open final. Across the net stood Lleyton Hewitt, a gritty past champion who at that point had beaten Federer seven out of 12 times. What to expect? Answer: utter dominance. In 18 amazing minutes, Federer dropped just five points and won the first set 6-0. With trademark tenacity, Hewitt stiffened, but Federer squeaked out the second in a tie-break – and once again poured it on, inflicting another bagel on the Aussie in the third. Barely a year after he’d earned his first major, Federer was already making big history, becoming only the fourth man in the Open era to win three majors in a calendar year. Longstanding tennis legend Jack Kramer watched the action from the USTA President’s box in awe. Said Kramer, “He’s good on defence and so good at the return of serve that he’s forcing the other player mentally to get a little of scaredness.” Though he’d rapidly won his first four Slam finals, Federer repelled any talk of an epic tally. Asked if he could rival Sampras’ record of 14 major victories, the 23-year-old Swiss said, “It’s not a goal for me to beat his record. For me, this is not motivation. This would just kill me.”
“He plays the game in a very special way that I haven’t seen before”
No. 2: Sequel from Hell
2011 semi-final: Novak Djokovic d. Federer, 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5
For the most part, the concept of history repeating itself has been pleasing for Federer fans. But Federer’s 2011 US Open semi versus Novak Djokovic was a sequel of another colour. Once again, Federer won the first set. But this time he also won the second, surely a sign he’d be on the way to his seventh US Openfinal. Not quite. Djokovic handily took the next two sets. At 3-4 in the fifth, Federer broke and soon reached match point at 5-3, 40-15. Alas, his wide serve into the deuce court was what baseball players would call a hanging curve, a 108 mph delivery not quite short or deep enough. Credit Djokovic, though, who saw an opening and crushed a forehand crosscourt winner John McEnroe called, “one of the all-time great shots.” On the next point, a Federer forehand clipped the net and went out. Djokovic went on to win 15 of the next 19 points, beating Federer from double match point down in the semis for the second year in a row. Federer had been denied a Grand Slam singles title in a year for the first time since 2002. Said Roger, “Sometimes in sports it just goes the other way. Maybe you’ve already won so much that it evens it out a bit sometimes. I don’t know.”
2005 final: Federer d. Andre Agassi, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1
To take one US Open title? Yes. To take another? Altogether different. So it was that Federer’s quest to repeat at theUS Open required vaulting a considerable hurdle: Andre Agassi, making one last go. At the age of 35, playing his 20th straight Open, Agassi had New York in his hands – and even more, wielded his racquet with all the power and flair that had earned him eight major titles, including two US Opens. With the match levelled at a set apiece, Agassi led 4-2, 30-love, a storybook close to his career tantalisingly close. Suddenly, Federer snapped the door shut, breaking back. In the third set tie-break, Federer lost the first point, and then ripped through it – seven straight to take a commanding lead. In the fourth, he again seized the day, dropping just one game. Said Agassi, “He’s the best I’ve ever played against. He plays the game in a very special way that I haven’t seen before.” Federer was well aware of what the occasion had meant. “This is probably the most special Grand Slam final in my career,” he said. “To play against Andre in New York, it’s a dream.”
