Federer eases into quarters
Roger Federer continued his stroll through the U.S. Open, a cakewalk toward a long-anticipated showdown with top-seeded Rafael Nadal.
But his next step will be his toughest, a Wednesday quarterfinal against the man who ended his Flushing Meadows dominance back in 2009 — No. 24 Juan Martin del Potro.
Federer routed Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 Monday in Arthur Ashe Stadium, a beating so comprehensive that the closest thing to drama was the Swiss trotting off the court after the second set for a three-minute medical break.
“[I] just needed a bit of a rub on my back, my bottom, and I didn’t want to do it on court,’’ Federer said in a TV interview. “I just felt something, my muscle being tight at the back, my quad, I guess.
“I just ran straight to the physio. I was done in three minutes and back again. I just didn’t want Philipp to wait. It was more precaution. It’s all good, no problems there. I’m not worried about it.”
Federer sure didn’t seem worried about Kohlschreiber, never facing break point and improving to 12-0 in their meetings. But Federer sure has cause for concern Wednesday, and — if he meets him — against Nadal.
The Swiss star is 14-23 all-time against Nadal, including 3-6 in Grand Slam finals. And Wednesday’s foe del Potro snapped his string of five consecutive U.S. Open titles in 2009. Federer has only made one final here since.
While the tennis world may be salivating at a Federer-Nadal matchup, del Potro surely has other ideas. Staving off illness in the second set and a pair of match points in the fourth, he pulled off a 1-6, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 rally against Dominic Thiem, splaying his arms wide and thrusting his head back as he soaked in the roar of the packed Grandstand.
“I was thinking to retire in the middle of the second set because I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move well. Dominic was dominating so easy,’’ del Potro said. “But when we start the third, I broke his serve very quick and won the set in 20 minutes. Then the history change a lot.”
Monday was a microcosm of del Potro’s history. Multiple wrist surgeries put his career in danger, but he always fought his way through. And despite an illness and fever, he persevered against Thiem.