Federer still has '1' thing on his mind
NEW YORK - Roger Federer was slumped against a backdrop on Arthur Ashe Stadium yesterday, laughing with Rafael Nadal, the man who only six days ago pickpocketed the No. 1 world ranking that Federer had held for a record 237 weeks.
There wasn't much banter between the two - Nadal says that while Federer has become a great buddy, communication is still difficult for the Spaniard - but there were plenty of chuckles as they clowned with the crowd during Kids' Day, the carnival/concert that set the stage for this year's US Open, the final major on the 2008 calendar.
Only two days earlier, Federer had struggled on this very court as he tried to shake the jet lag from Beijing with a practice session against Luis Flores, a newly minted pro from Mexico who just finished his collegiate career at Georgia and is ranked No. 468 in the world. Against Flores, Federer slammed forehands long and dumped low volleys into the net. He even growled when he shanked his signature backhand wide.
It was hard to reconcile this Federer with the one who has won the last four Opens and earlier this year was thought to have a chance to enter this one with the possibility of breaking Pete Sampras's men's record of 14 major victories.
It's even harder to reconcile the fact that when Federer took over the No. 1 ranking from Andy Roddick on Feb. 2, 2004, George Bush and Dick Cheney were just months away from battling John Kerry and John Edwards for the White House. Now it's Nadal's turn, and no matter what happens over the next two weeks, Federer can't recoup No. 1 any time soon.
Despite all that, Federer was smiling.
"Look, it's not as if he didn't earn it," he said. "He played really, really great, won the French, Wimbledon, and the Olympics.
"But I'm the defending champion here, I'm feeling confident, and I'm going to make one last push at the Open. I'm going to try hard to get [the No. 1 ranking] back."
It has been a decade since Sampras lost sleep and literally pulled his hair out in an almost manic determination to end the year with a record sixth No. 1 world ranking. While Federer admits he may have compromised his chances at the Olympics by chasing ranking points in Toronto and Cincinnati last month (two ATP tournaments in which he was upset in the early rounds), he is not losing any sleep over his results this year.
He has won only two minor tournaments, and lost in the semifinals of the Australian Open to Novak Djokovic, the finals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon to Nadal, and the quarterfinals of the Olympics to James Blake, his first loss to Blake in nine meetings.
"I had a tough beginning to the season," said Federer, who suffered from mononucleosis at the end of last year. "So maybe I've been playing a little bit of catchup all the way through the season. It took away maybe 20 days of practice, maybe even a Slam [the Australian].
"But I think it's just a matter of winning a lot of matches in a row now and I really feel like it's going to happen here at the US Open. Once I hope to make it to the quarters or semis, then I think I have enough matches and enough confidence to go all the way."
Six years ago, Federer was criticized for having enormous talent but an inability to perform at the majors. He didn't reach a quarterfinal until the eighth major of his career. There were some who questioned his motivation and desire. He seemed to panic in the big moments.
Clearly, over the last five years, he has answered not only himself, but everyone who ever doubted him.
"It's tough to play perfect for five years in a row," said Roddick, who fell to Federer in the Wimbledon finals of 2004 and '05 and the US Open final in 2006 but beat him in the quarterfinals in Miami in March. "When you've made 17 straight semifinals in Slams, or whatever it is now, and if you're not thinking about it, being asked about it every day, it's bound to go into your head a little bit.
"But, I think one big result and it turns right around for him. I know pretty much every player except for one would take his bad year. So I think you have to use a little perspective. He's created a monster for himself." 