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12/17/08 4:31 AM | Ricky Dimon
Throughout the off-season, TennisTalk will recap Rafael Nadal's and Roger Federer's most memorable moments in 2008. Part 3 for Federer features his only Grand Slam title the season, which came at the U.S. Open.
For mere mortals, a single Grand Slam is the highlight of any year and makes that year unbelievably special. For Roger Federer, one Grand Slam does not a season make.
It does, however, salvage a season. And that's exactly what the U.S. Open title did for Federer's 2008 campaign, which was otherwise disappointing (by Federer standards).
The former world No. 1 lost in the semifinals of the Australian Open, the final of the French Open, the final of Wimbledon, and even the quarterfinals of the Olympics (in singles). Federer also failed to win any Masters Series events.
Heading into the U.S. Open, where he was the four-time defending champion, Federer had dropped recent decisions to Gilles Simon in Canada, Ivo Karlovic in Cincinnati, and James Blake at the Olympics. Rarely is the infallibility of a man who has won an event four straight times called into question at the start of that tournament, but doubts--for good reason--surrounded Federer as the proceedings in Flushing Meadows commenced.
They did not go away quietly, either.
Federer cruised through his first three matches, but he ran into a surprisingly tough Igor Andreev in the fourth round. The Russian battled Federer for three hours and 31 minute before falling 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Gilles Muller also took Federer to two tiebreakers in the quarterfinals, losing 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-6(5).
Those tests seemed to awake the Swiss and propel him to his first major singles win of the year. Federer dispatched Novak Djokovic in the semifinals (6-2 in the fourth) before overwhelming Andy Murray in the title match 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.
"To bounce back straight away after losing the number one ranking, this is the best scenario ever," said Federer, who was overtaken by Rafael Nadal in August. "After Wimbledon, after Paris - I had some rough losses those - to come away with the last Slam, to sit on this for four months, it's unbelievable.
"I felt like I was invincible for a while again," Federer added. "That's how you want to finish a tournament."
That's also how you want to finish a year, especially the kind of year that Federer endured.
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