There have been moments in Roger Federer’s illustrious tennis career where he has faced adversity. From fierce rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to overcoming injuries, Federer has always risen to the occasion. In those difficult moments, he has exceeded expectations, often coming away with winning a Grand Slam.
His 2018 US Open, however, may prove to be Federer’s most difficult test. With the Men’s Draw being unveiled Thursday, the Swiss did not get a break in terms of easiness as the second seed. If he is going to win his sixth US Open, he will have to defeat a plethora of talented, successful players, eager to knock the Swiss Maestro out of the tournament.
Potential Scares for Federer in First Week
While he should be able to get past his opening round, Federer will most likely have to play Frenchman Benoit Paire in the second round. Federer is 6-0 against Paire over his career. But Paire is known to give top-ranked opponents trouble with his double-handed backhand and crafty drop shots. Just ask Rafael Nadal, who had to overcome Paire’s unconventional game to beat him at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
If Federer is able to overcome Paire, he will have to square off against the pesky, hot-headed Nick Kyrigos in the third round. These two have faced only three times, with the Swiss winning two of those matches. All three of their matches have gone three sets and have featured highlight-reel shotmaking and emotion.
“I’d rather not play five-set matches against Nick because they would last too long and we would probably both grow beards before the end,” Federer said, according to Tennis World USA.
“I’m a fan,” Federer said of Kyrgios. “He plays very relaxedly, just like me when I was young.
The intensity that both players bring to their matches most likely means their third round tilt will be very difficult. While I would give the edge to Federer, don’t be surprised if Kyrigos’s explosive groundstrokes and serve can lead the Aussie to a monumental upset and his first victory over the Swiss superstar.
Major Champions Await Federer in Quarters, Semis, and Final
Arguably the toughest break for Federer in chasing another US Open comes in the quarterfinals. Because of Novak Djokovic’s sixth seed, the luck would have it that he would be placed in Federer’s quarter, setting up a potential epic matchup between the two familiar foes.
It would be the 47th time that Djokovic and Federer have met in their careers, with the Serbian having the head to head edge, leading 24-22. They met recently in Cincinnati, when the Serbian won in straight sets, to make history by winning all nine Masters series events and four Grand Slams.
“I played five finals (here) before, and most of those finals I lost to this great man, Roger … thank you for letting me win here once in Cincinnati,” Djokovic said. “This is a dream come true.”
With Djokovic playing at a high level once again, Federer will need his full arsenal of weapons to be working at top form, from a dominant serve to powerful groundstrokes. Novak’s relentless defense has always caused problems for Federer, making a quarterfinal match against the Serb the biggest obstacle for Roger.
In the semifinals, Federer would have to face Marin Cilic, who was the 2014 US Open winner. Federer has dominated Cilic head to head, winning nine of the ten meetings, including two in Major finals at Wimbledon in 2017 and the Australian Open in 2018. But Cilic’s only win against the Swiss Maestro came at the US Open, in the semifinals en route to his first (and so far only) Major win. His powerful forehand on the hard court can create difficulty for Federer, particularly if Marin is serving well. Their last two matches went five sets so expect a semifinal clash between these two to be a long one.
If Federer survives this difficult test and makes the final, it would most likely be against Spaniard Rafael Nadal, 17-time Grand Slam champion and three-time winner of the US Open. It would be the first meet they would meet in New York over their illustrious careers and storied rivalry. Despite Federer beating Nadal the last time they met, in a five-set thriller down under at the 2017 Australian Open final, the Spaniard still holds the head to head edge over the Swiss superstar 23-15. With Nadal playing at such a high level, coming into the US Open as the #1 seed and winner of the Rogers Cup in Toronto, it would need to take a superstar performance for Federer to win his sixth U.S. Open.
Stellar champions are formed in their ability to prove the doubters wrong and battle adversity. With the challenges that lie ahead for Federer in this tournament, it is going to take miracle performances for the Swiss Maestro to win. He has proven us wrong before (2017 Australian Open case in point) and my guess is he will continue to dazzle the raucous tennis crowds in New York once again. But even the greatness of Roger Federer will be put to the test in this fortnight, as he will have to earn his sixth U.S. Open title by defeating a superb cast of tennis players. Expect the unexpected when it comes to Federer…he will never cease to amaze you.
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