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US OPEN TENNIS

ROGER FEDERER

Federer starts bid for sixth US Open title

Switzerland's Roger Federer gets his bid to become the oldest US Open winner in 45 years underway on Tuesday but the five-time champion will be overshadowed by Andy Murray's clash with enfant terrible Nick Kyrgios.

Federer starts bid for sixth US Open title
Photo: AFP

Federer, the second seed who won five years in succession at Flushing Meadows from 2004-2008, starts against Leonardo Mayer, the 34th-ranked Argentine.
   
The 34-year-old Federer won the pair's only other meeting in Shanghai last year but had to save five match points in the process.
   
Federer has not been back to a US Open final since losing the 2009 title match to Juan Martin del Potro and was a semi-final loser in 2014.
   
But he made the Wimbledon final again in July and a victory over Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati Masters final last month only served to boost his belief that he can add to his 17 majors, the last of which came at the All
England Club in 2012.
   
“I feel like I have a good chance but I really can't think further than my first-round opponent right now,” said Federer.
   
“My focus needs to be not trying to win the tournament right away. That would be thinking too far ahead.
   
“I haven't been in the final in this tournament as of late. I came close but close is not good enough.”
   
Murray, the 2012 champion, begins his campaign against controversial Australian Kyrgios, the world number 37.
   
Kyrgios is playing under the shadow of a suspension following his now-infamous, lurid tirade against Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka in Montreal.
   
Kyrgios was picked up by courtside microphones claiming that compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis had slept with WTA player Donna Vekic, the girlfriend of Wawrinka.
   
The Australian was widely condemned for the outburst but Murray has pleaded for patience.
   
“He's a young guy,” said Murray of his 20-year-old opponent who he has defeated three times in three meetings.

“He made a mistake,” he said.

“All the guys here when they were 19 or 20 made mistakes.”

Murray said it was unfortunate the incident happened and it was wrong.

But he added: “I don't think he's a bad guy. He's an unbelievably talented guy with a lot of potential.”

   
Wawrinka, the fifth seed who made the semifinals in 2013, starts against Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.    

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ROGER FEDERER

Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?

Roger Federer is talking optimistically about returning to his "highest level" after knee surgery, but does tennis have to start adjusting to a future without the Swiss star?

Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?
Is it the end of the line for Roger? Photo: Martin BUREAU / AFP

The 20-time Grand Slam winner announced on Wednesday that he would be sidelined until 2021 after his second operation in a matter of months.

Federer remains upbeat, tweeting: “I plan to take the necessary time to be 100 percent ready to play at my highest level.”

In some ways 2020 is a good season to miss after the coronavirus ravaged the tennis schedule. Writing Federer off in the past has proved dangerous.

He returned from a six-month injury lay-off to claim the Australian Open in 2017, winning his eighth Wimbledon crown later that year.

But he will be 40 in 2021 and is now heading into uncharted territory.

Despite his groaning trophy cabinet, there are two factors that will motivate Federer to keep going — the risk of losing his grip on the men's Grand Slam title record and a missing Olympics singles gold medal.

Rafael Nadal has 19 majors, just one shy of Federer's mark and Djokovic has 17.

Spain's Nadal will be fancied to draw level with Federer at the French Open, rescheduled for September, while few would bet against Djokovic winning in New York weeks earlier.

In April, Federer said he was “devastated” when Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II. Last year he fell agonisingly short at the All England Club, failing to convert two championship points on his own serve against Djokovic.

The Wimbledon grass probably remains his best chance of adding to his Grand Slam collection — he has not won the US Open since 2008 and his only title at Roland Garros came in 2009.

Even though Federer has slipped from the very pinnacle of the game, he is still a major threat to Nadal and Djokovic.

'Golden' ambitions

Last year, the world number four had a 53-10 win-loss record and he reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January in his only tournament this year.

Federer, who is still six ATP titles short of Jimmy Connors' all-time record of 109, has one glaring omission from his CV — the Olympic title.

The Swiss won doubles gold in Beijing in 2008 with compatriot Stan Wawrinka but lost in the singles final to Andy Murray in London four years later.

The postponed Tokyo Games will almost certainly be Federer's last opportunity to complete a career “golden” Grand Slam — he will turn 40 on the day of the closing ceremony next year.

Tennis will feel the loss of the elegant Federer keenly when he walks off the court for the last time.

Djokovic and Nadal have been the dominant forces in recent years but the Swiss remains the biggest draw and last month topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-earning athletes.

His last appearance on court was in front of nearly 52,000 fans — touted by organisers as a world record for tennis — at a charity match against Nadal in Cape Town in February.

Federer is nearly always the crowd favourite wherever he plays and has proved a perfect ambassador for the sport since he won his first Grand Slam title in 2003.

He certainly expects to be back and competitive next year.

“I will be missing my fans and the tour dearly but I will look forward to seeing everyone back on tour at the start of the 2021 season,” he tweeted.

The avalanche of support from his adoring fans showed they would miss him too, but they will have to get used to a time when he is gone for good.

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