THE TennisReporters.net NEWSLETTER: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, No. 100

Federer tough enough for NY, blitzes Hewitt for US title
Roger: 'The Americans are extremely tough here, the conditions are rough. …
I never thought I'd be sitting here in my career'

By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net

Art Seitz

The champ three times over: Federer takes the US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

FROM THE US OPEN – Roger Federer is only 23, has the most mouth watering all-court game since Bjorn Borg and is a whole lot more regal to watch than the great Swede due to the way he smoothly flows through the currents of matches when he has both oars in the water. But it is not merely being a pretty that keys Federer's success, it is power, precision and a growing willingness to leap over every hurdle that's placed in front of him.

In becoming the first man in the Open era to win his first four Grand Slam finals with a devastatingly simple 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0 victory over '01 US champion Lleyton Hewitt in the US Open final, Federer more than indicated that he has chance to become on of the top 10 player ever. Make that top five. Oh well, maybe he has a shot at Pete Sampras and his 14 Slams crowns. The question is, does he care enough about chasing the greatest accolade in his sport?

"Obviously it would be nice, but the road is long," Federer said said. "There's a lot of hard work you have to do. I'm still all the way at the beginning. I hope I can keep it up as long as I can. But one I get sick and tired of everything – you never know when that day will come. Now, I'm enjoying my life. It's very busy. But travelling the world as No. 1 in tennis is not too bad. I want to stay a little longer."

There was no question coming into the Open that Federer had the on-court talent to win America's Grand Slam on US cement, but whether he could find the gritty spirit necessary to survive the often zany conditions, the sometimes xenophobic crowds and an entire tour that was itching to take him down a notch was questionable. All through the tournament, Federer kept mostly numb on the subject, preferring to discuss his on court weapons rather than his off-court emotional doubts.

But after he upended heavy crowd favorite Andre Agassi in gale force winds in the quarters, the US legend pointedly said that he saw no signs that Federer wasn't rough enough for NYC. The Swiss then dismantled Tim Henman in the semis, a man who used to serve-volley, chip charge him until he was flying backhands above the Alps. And then he made vegemite of Hewitt, a guy who just a year ago had come from two sets down against him in Davis Cup and whom he didn't feel he macho enough to hit through.

Roger: 'The Americans are extremely tough here, the conditions are rough. …
I never thought I'd be sitting here in my career'
"It's America, " Federer said. "I used to have difficulties winning tournaments here. The Americans are extremely tough here, the conditions are rough. Even after winning Wimbledon, I knew it would be difficult to go back to back and win the US Open. If I didn't win it this year, I'd have to work my way all the way back around to get another chance. I never thought I'd be sitting here in my career. It's very special to me."

Hewitt saw it coming back at year's end when Federer whizzed past Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi to win the Tennis Masters Cup. After that, he's responded to nearly every major challenge put in front of him, except for his large burp to Gustavo Kuerten at Roland Garros and his early-round meltdown at the Olympics. He's dropkicked the snarling Hewitt at all three of the majors he's won this year. No one has received a closer look at Federer's mental transformation than Lleyton has.

"If he didn't have confidence with his style of game than he'd miss a lot more than he does," Hewitt said. "He's been so confident the whole year. He believes in his ability and he should. He's picked it up another notch."

He certainly did in the final, utterly embarrassing Hewitt at times. Federer crushed his forehand every which way he desired, was super quick, volleyed with direction and meaning and dared Hewitt to come up with bigger shots in long rallies. Amazingly, the man who made Sampras look like a 110-pound weakling in the '01 final became the first man since Howard Taylor in 1884 to be double-bageled in the US final. Hewitt knew quickly that it wasn't the preppy Richard Sears trying to prevent him from winning his second Open.

Ron Cioffi/TR.net

Lleyton Hewitt won the US Open Series, but not the US Open.

The Aussie hadn't lost a set coming into the contest, but couldn't handle Federer's ever-changing serves, or get enough sniffs on his passing shots – his two greatest strengths. The Swiss converted a remarkable 31 of 35 net approaches. Hewitt tried to overpower Federer's one-handed backhand with his two-hander, but except for the second set when he couldn't get over fast enough with his topspin backhand, Federer hung in there just fine.

Hewitt fought off three set points in the tenth game of the second set, two on forehand approach shots winners, and then evened the set at 5-5 when Federer committed a backhand error. After Hewitt held to love serving with the wind at his back, it appeared the match might turn in the Aussie's favor. But Federer came out of the changeover and raised his level once again, holding easy with the wind and jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak. Hewitt could feel the steamroller about to plaster him on the cement and committed two weak unforced errors to lose the set.

"He made nearly all his first serves, and I got behind the eight ball in the tiebreak. I had to try and get that first point and dictate play. He didn't give me too many free points," Hewitt said.

Federer then cruised through the third set without blinking, winning the match by crushing a forehand down the line that Hewitt didn't bother to chase down. He fell to his back, stared up at the lights in Ashe Stadium and was flat out stunned what he accomplished.

"Against Hewitt in the US Open final, I couldn't have asked for more," Federer said. "I got the start I was dreaming of. To win it in straight sets is fantastic. Honestly, going into the final, I had a strange feeling because of all the talk that nobody has ever won four in a row. So I started wondering. Not even in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I'm going to win the US Open. Once I settle down, at the end of the year, I'll look back thinking, 'How in the world did I do that?' "

In winning his third Slam of '04, the 23-year-old Federer became the first man to pull off the feat since Mats Wilander in 1988. Wilander is a top-10 to top-15 all-time great in many analysts' books, but never quite approached Borg or Sampras' level. It is way to premature to think that Federer will become the best ever, but with his ever-evolving, high variety game where he can seemingly pull out every shot or style that's been invented, one would at least have to give him a New York street fighter's chance.

"He's definitely has a chance at becoming [the best of all time]," said Hewitt, who only managed 12 winners to 40 from the Swiss. "Especially the way he's gone this year, he's always going to have a chance, even going into the French Open. He lost in the third round there to Guga, but it's going to a guy like Guga or someone like that to beat him at a Slam. You like the chances of him to pick up at least one of the four every year for a few years."