Federer wins 12th Slam title
Tennis: Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrating after winning
the men’s finals against Novak Djokovic of Serbia. AP
|
TENNIS: Roger Federer captured his 12th Grand Slam crown
Sunday by winning his fourth US Open in a row, moving three major titles
shy of surpassing the all-time record of 14 Slam wins set by Pete
Sampras.
The Swiss world number one defeated Serbian Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7/4),
7-6 (7/2), 6-4 after denying the Slam final debutante on five set-point
chances in the first set and two more in the second, having been a break
down in each set.
"I played well when I had too," Federer said. "I've played better
matches no doubt. A big moment. A lot of pressure for both of us. He
made it hard for me in the beginning. All in all, I'm happy with my
performance."
Federer, 26, matched Roy Emerson for second on the career Slam title
list behind Sampras, surpassing 11-time Slam winners Bjorn Borg and Rod
Laver and moving closer to beating Sampras - a goal that more and more
occupies his mind.
"I think about it a lot now," Federer said. "To come so close already
at my age is so fantastic and I really hope to break it. Don't know (how
many). I hope more than Pete."
Shaking off a case of nerves, Federer took advantage of his record
10th Slam final in a row to improve to 12-2 in Slam finals, winning
three Slams in a year for the third time in four years, losing only the
2006 and 2007 French Opens.
"It's just hard. It really works you," Federer said of the pressure
of a Slam final. "You're like. 'I hope I didn't come all this way to
lose.' In the end to win is happiness, relief, all together, it's the
best feeling."
Third seed Djokovic netted a backhand volley to surrender the only
break of the last set on Federer's second match point, ending the fight
after two hours 26 minutes, his last of 40 unforced errors handing
Federer a 51st career title.
"Straight sets is a bit brutal for Novak to be honest. He deserved
better than that," Federer said. "I told him at the net, 'Keep it up.'
He's going to have many more battles like that."
Federer won his fifth Wimbledon in a row in July, six months after
taking his third Australian Open in four years, and stretched his US
Open title streak to the longest since Bill Tilden won six in a row from
1920 to 1925.
Together with Justine Henin's victory in Saturday's women's final, it
marked the first time since 1996 that both US Open singles titles went
to top seeds.
The last time Federer lost a US Open match was a fourth-round defeat
in the 2003 US Open at the hands of Argentina's David Nalbandian - a run
that eclipses the old 27-match US Open Open-era record run of Ivan Lendl
from 1985 to 1988.
Federer, in his record 188th week in a row atop the rankings, won a
record 2.4 million dollars for the triumph thanks to a one
million-dollar bonus from his results in US Open tuneup events.
NEW YORK, Monday, AFP |