USA TODAY International Edition
ousted in the fourth round,
Struggles continue after loss to Robredo
Roger Federer said he “beat myself” and “kind of self- destructed.”
It was hard to argue after his earliest exit in the U. S. Open since 2003 — and it’s becoming all too familiar.
Moved from Arthur Ashe Stadium to smaller Louis Armstrong Stadium because of a rain delay — Federer hadn’t played there since 2006 — the Swiss looked out of sorts from the start against No. 19 seed Tommy Robredo.
He misfired forehands. His shot selection was clouded. Most damaging of all, he converted just two of 16 break- point opportunities. Even with the big Labor Day crowd egging him on, he couldn’t find his rhythm.
Robredo, previously 0- 10 vs. Federer, won 7- 6 ( 7- 3), 6- 3, 6- 4 to reach his first quarterfinal in the U. S. Open at 31.
“I struggled throughout, which is not very satisfying, to be honest,” said five- time New York champion Federer, who hit 45 winners but also made 43 unforced errors. “I mean, Tommy did a good job to keep the ball in play and make it difficult for me today.”
After reclaiming the No. 1 ranking for several weeks last year, the 32year- old has played well below his typical lofty levels.
He reached January’s Australian Open semifinals but lost in the quarterfinals in the French Open and suffered a shocking second- round defeat at Wimbledon. He has won one minor title all season.
The loss capped the 17- time major winner’s most disappointing Grand Slam tournament season in more than a decade.
“It’s been a difficult last three months,” said Federer, who adjusted his schedule to get more matches under his belt and experimented with a larger racket after Wimbledon. “I just couldn’t do it,” he added. “It was a frustrating performance today.”
Briefly:
Rafael Nadal defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber 6- 7 ( 4- 7), 6- 4 6- 3 6- 1 and gets Robredo, against whom he is 6- 0. David Ferrer defeated Janko Tipsarevic 7- 6 ( 7- 4), 3- 6, 7- 5, 7- 6 ( 7- 3) to reach his eighth quarterfinal in a row.