Federer looks back at best in straight-sets win at US Open
Roger Federer defeated Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the third round at Flushing Meadows on a rainy Saturday night.
"I think," Lopez said, "he's OK."
The most telling statistic was that the No. 3-seeded Federer was guilty of 16 unforced errors, which is not merely a remarkably low total on its own merits but also significant when viewed through the prism provided by his matches earlier in the week. He averaged 62 errors in each of those outings, against 19-year-old American Frances Tiafoe and 35-year-old Russian Mikhail Youzhny.
That was the first time in the 36-year-old Federer's career that he opened a Grand Slam tournament with two consecutive matches that lasted five sets.
More relevant numbers: Federer was broken eight times total in those matches, but only once against Lopez.
"I'm really pleased with the performance," Federer declared. "It's exactly, I guess, maybe what I needed going into the next round."
Federer improved to 13-0 against Lopez and 33-1 in night matches at Flushing Meadows, so perhaps the lopsided nature of this shouldn't be all that surprising. Still, Federer had acknowledged after edging a cramping Youzhny that a lack of proper practice leading up to the U.S. Open on account of tweaking his back in August meant that his timing was off.
"I needed to get over the fear of the back issue, especially in that first match, the first set. Then I think the wobble I had in the second round was due to my preparation. I think now I'm just trusting my movement better. My serve is there. My mind is there. I can finally focus on playing tennis and not so much about the past," Federer said. "So it's nice to be in the present in my mind, looking ahead, thinking tactics."
"The fact that he won two long matches, best-of-five, fighting, struggling a little bit more than normal in the early rounds - I think it was good preparation for him coming into this third round," Lopez said. "He seems to be fit and fast and serving well."
Next for Federer is a match against 33rd-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber, who beat John Millman 7-5, 6-2, 6-4. Federer's head-to-head record against Kohlschreiber is 11-0.
