Roger Federer breaks out trick shot at US Open
As if a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 first round victory wasn’t enough for Roger Federer, the Swiss was at it again with his between-the-legs shot against Brian Dabul on centre court last night.
Dragged beyond the baseline by the Argentinian late in the second set, the second seed was facing the stands when, with the magic touch that only Federer seems to possess, he deftly swatted the crosscourt winner to leave Dabul with nothing to do but stand and stare as the ball passed by him, and wonder about just how he might challenge the five-time US Open champion.
And as had been the case when Federer completed a similar between-the-legs shot against Novak Djokovic at the 2009 US Open, even the man himself was impressed with his shot-making prowess.
"I've only hit a few in my life and to do two on centre court in night sessions is amazing," Federer said post-match.
While that shot will head straight to the Roger Federer highlights reel for posterity, the straightforward nature of his opening victory must also be pleasing for last year’s runner-up, who has found his touch at the right time for another tilt at the title in Flushing Meadows.
After falling over the line in five sets in his opening match at Wimbledon this year, where Alejandro Falla at one stage looked a genuine chance of completing what would have been the biggest upset in living memory at the All England Club, defending champion Federer eventually bowed out to Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals.
While some observers chose that moment to prophesise the 16-time Grand Slam champion’s demise, in the weeks since Federer set about regaining his winning edge, with the appointment of Pete Sampras’ former coach Paul Annacone on a trial and then a full-time coaching basis on the cusp of the US Open one such move.
Whether it’s the addition of Annacone to his camp or just the fact it’s hard to keep Federer down for long, his two competitive hit-outs heading into the US Open couldn’t have gone better for the 29-year-old, who was runner-up to world No. 4 Andy Murray at the Rogers Cup in Toronto before taking the title at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 the following week.
Make no mistake about it. Trick shot or not, Federer is in fine touch in New York, and it will take something special from one of his next six opponents to prevent the second seed claiming Grand Slam title No. 17 this September.
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