Federer chasing more US Open glory, 10 years on

Inspired opponents, injuries, a bit of luck, whatever it is, events have conspired to prevent him from adding to his titles at Flushing Meadows.

Since that 2008, triumph, in fact, he has reached the final only twice, in 2009, when he was beaten in five sets by Juan Martin Del Potro, and in 2015, when he was beaten by Novak Djokovic.

There have been three other semi-final appearances and in two of them, in 2010 and 2011, he even had match point only to be edged out, both times, by Novak Djokovic.

After winning the Australian Open in January, for his 20th grand slam title, Federer skipped the French Open to prepare for Wimbledon, only to be beaten by Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals.

An early struggle

The US Open, then, may just hold more significance than ever to Federer this year,  than ever, and the way he played in beating Nick Kyrgios 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 in the third round on Saturday suggests he means business again.

“Today I think he didn't come up with the goods when he really had to, and I was good, I think, by making him hit that extra shot,” Federer said. “Things worked well for me today.

“I just struggled early on. I struggled with the backhand, hit too many errors there. Maybe it was part to do with the light, I'm not sure. I thought Nick was inspired. He knew what he wanted to do. I didn't quite, off the baseline, get the right balance going."

One game, at 3-3, was pivotal to the outcome of the first set and the entire match as Federer held serve from 0-40 and then saved a fourth break point to stay on serve. He broke for 5-4 and served out the set and from then on it was plain sailing.

One of the more unique shots

“It was important to somehow get out of it and stay within 4-3 and probably look at a tiebreaker,” he said. “But I was able to break earlier, which was clearly great because I had no sniff on any of his service games in the first three or four. I didn't get discouraged and I think that was also the key today.”

As he so often does, Federer served more aces than the bigger server, finishing with 16 to Kyrgios’s 13. And in a third set that could be a showreel in itself, Federer applied the coup de grace, chasing down an angled drop shot and reaching the ball inches off the ground and then sending it round the net on the angle.

Federer has hit plenty of remarkable shots in his time but this one was right up there. “It was definitely one of the more unique ones,” he said. “You don't get an opportunity to hit around the net post very often - these shots can only really happen on a big court where you play with the single posts in the doubles alley.

“I have hit a few throughout my career, and, sure, they are always fun, just because sometimes you can sort of aim for them it because you realise you have an option more, which you just never have. As you're hitting it, you're like, Oh, I can just shove it down the line and just flat. That's what happened today.”

A big fan of John Millman

Federer’s next opponent is John Millman, and Australian who is into the last 16 of a slam for the first time, an effort that will secure him a big pay-day and put him inside the world’s top 50, a career-first.

Victory in that one could set up another US Open clash with Djokovic but while Millman may be a new name for most, Federer knows all about him.

“I’m a big fan of John,” he said. “Not that many people know him but he’s a real hard-working guy out there, and those are the guys who have all the respect from us top players, in the locker-rooms. 

“He came to Switzerland to train with me before the grass-court season, so we know each other quite well, super-friendly guy. I’m very happy for him that he’s gotten so far but now I’ll try to stop him.”

It would be a big surprise should Federer not reach the quarter-finals, and then maybe he can start thinking about closing in on that title.