US Open 2014: Roger Federer Defies Age, Shows Champion's Grit in 5-Set Thriller - UBITENNIS

US Open 2014: Roger Federer Defies Age, Shows Champion's Grit in 5-Set Thriller

By Staff
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TENNIS US OPEN – He was down two sets to none, and even Roger Federer thought the end might be near, that he could be knocked out of the U.S. Open, that his chances for that one last Grand Slam had vanished. Not that he would ever show it on the court. Art Spander for bleacherreport.com

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He was down two sets to none, and even Roger Federer thought the end might be near, that he could be knocked out of the U.S. Open, that his chances for that one last Grand Slam had vanished.

Not that he would ever show it on the court.

There’s something that goes into the makeup of a champion, a blend that’s more mental than physical, a belief that if there’s a way to win, they’ll find that way. And on the other side of the net, the opponent somehow knows the same thing.

“I thought, ‘This is it,'” Federer said in his post-match declaration to a hooting crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “But I’m going to go down fighting. And I stayed in the match and turned it around.”

For the ninth time in a career that has been called the best of any man in the history of tennis, Federer came back from a 2-0 deficit, as he rallied against a skilled but rattled Gael Monfils and roared off with a 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 victory Thursday night in their quarterfinal.

There was serious doubt that the match would reach a fifth set; Monfils had double-match point at 5-4 in the fourth. But as soon as it did, there was no question that even a few days past his 33rd birthday, Federer was going to survive, was going to reach the semis against Marin Cilic and (most likely) was going all the way to the final.

“I got momentum to some degree,” said Federer about a turnaround tennis people would not find surprising, given Roger’s steadiness and success and Monfils’ temperament and on-court theatrics.

“Obviously I started feeling better,” said Federer, and then alluding to Monfils’ squandered opportunity, added, “He’s feeling low.”

Federer is the No. 2 seed, a man long in years for a sport where most in the game begin to fade once they reach 30. But he’s very much in his element. He’s won the Open five times. He’s won Grand Slams a record 17 times. Been there, done that. In contrast, Monfils has never been there, and when it comes to the big ones, he doesn’t have the experience.

Novak Djokovic has replaced Federer at the top of the rankings. He beat Federer at Wimbledon, but it took five sets. And if Federer is no longer the very best, he remains one of them, calling down the echoes, altering his style, going to the net where he once stayed at the baseline.

Still, it isn’t tactics or strategy that makes Federer what he is, and what he was. It’s style. It’s grace. It’s taking advantage of every aspect, keeping your opponent off-balance, keeping yourself in the mix.

He is coached now by Stefan Edberg, one of the greatest employers of the serve and volley, hired by Federer because he knew the sport had changed, become younger and quicker, and he was neither.

In tennis, as in golf, the spectators cheer for the favorite, not the underdog. It’s a matter of familiarity, of personality. The sellout crowd of more than 23,000 cheered for Monfils—tennis people want matches, not mismatches—but it cheered louder and longer for Federer, who’s earned the support and appreciation.

“It was an incredible crowd,” said Federer.

Incredible is the word for Federer in night matches at the Open. He’s lost only one of them in 27 during his career. He came out Thursday night dressed in all black, the prince of darkness. Then, like the hero of a play on Broadway across the East River, Federer rode to the rescue. His own rescue.

“What was I thinking?” Federer asked rhetorically when questioned about dropping the first two sets. “I thought the finish line was far off.”

Federer admitted, however, that when Monfils whacked a service return by him at 30-40, he thought the match was over.

“I hit a great serve,” Federer would say. “He gets to it. No way. But it’s wide. It’s OK. It’s out. One of those moments. Lucky, I guess to some degree.”

His luck is his ability, his persistence. He knew what he could do. He knew what Monfils couldn’t do. In the fifth set of a French Open quarterfinal against Andy Murray this June, Monfils collapsed, losing 6-0. There are no secrets in sports.

“My game got better as the match went on,” said Federer. “I’m happy.”

He should be. Those who watch the U.S. Open should be. Roger Federer may not be what he used to be, but he performs like the champion he still is.

Article from bleacherreport.com

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