Troubled preparation to blame for my exit, says Federer

ROGER Federer (pic) blamed troubled preparations for his US Open quarter-final exit, saying he had spent most of the time leading up to the year’s final Grand Slam worrying about his back instead of focusing on training.

The 36-year-old Swiss, who was chasing a 20th major title and was hoping to play world No. 1 Rafael Nadal for the first time in Flushing Meadows in the last four, lost 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 in a thrilling encounter on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Federer, who skipped the US Open warm-up tournaments because of back pain, said he was fit to play but the damage had been done before the action start- ed in New York.

“The best player won today, by far, and I don’t have a problem with that,” he told a news conference.

“I don’t want to take anything from Juan Martin but when you get injured before a tournament, you are not focused on training or on how to play during the tournament.

“It was a bit the case for me before the US Open. Then I had to play a couple of five setters and you start to hurt a little bit everywhere.”

Federer believes that as a result, he was unable to recapture the form he displayed in his victorious campaigns at the Australian Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.

“I never had the feeling I had reached the level I wanted. I forced myself to think that but I never had quite the same rhythm as during the Australian Open, Wimbledon, Indian Wells or Miami,” he explained.

“I’ve been forced to kind of protect my service games. I was never really safe and I knew that there would always be one or two service games where I would be in danger.”

Federer said the turning point in the match came when he wasted four set points in the third as he was looking to go 2-1 up in the match.

“There were set points. It could have been worse and been match points but yes, it was a turning point,” he said with a smile.

“I did not play badly in the first set but I was weak at the end of it and that set costs me the match at the end of the day,” added Federer, who was broken at 5-5.

“That put me in a position where I needed some luck, where the margins were really tight.”

Del Potro now faces Nadal in the semi-finals and Federer believes the Argentine is more likely to beat the Spaniard.

“I feel I have no place in the semis and he will have a better chance to beat Rafa, to be honest,” he said. — Reuters