It’s been more than a day since Roger Federer proved once again that he still has it besting Scot Andy Murray in straight sets to make tennis history becoming the first men’s singles player to win five straight at two different grand slams.

That the remarkable 27 year-old Swiss Maestro was able to reel off five in a row at Wimbledon (2003-07) and here in New York at the U.S. Open (2004-08) is even more unbelievable and speaks to just how special a player he really is. With so many questioning if he could win a slam in what’s been a challenging year by his extremely high standards dropping a semi down under to eventual champ Novak Djokovic and then losing twice to Nadal (routed at French) including the epic five setter at Wimbledon, a determined Federer elevated his level besting the world’s No.3 player in four sets and then turning back the clock to take apart the new No.4 first-time slam finalist Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 becoming the first to win five in a row since Bill Tilden.

This was a great story seeing Roger rise up to claim No.13 of what he promises won’t be his last drawing plenty of cheers and laughter from a very supportive Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd Monday. It puts him only one behind Pete Sampras’ slam record 14. As difficult as the road ahead should prove with archrival Nadal, Djokovic and now Murray adding his name to the list of serious contenders, I believe Federer will win the required two majors passing Sampras who ironically enough he edged in a three set exhibition at Madison Square Garden earlier this year.

Feds is still extremely hungry and has something left. The serve is still there as he demonstrated against Djokovic blasting 20 aces. The forehand is still one of the best in the game and when many including myself questioned why it was misfiring more than usual particularly in that five set fourth round struggle versus a game Igor Andreev, he rediscovered the winning formula fixing his movement taking the right steps and ripping that inside out forehand we’ve grown so accustomed to seeing for many huge winners.

There also was the rebirth of that Sampras-esque backhand which was always the more underappreciated shot of Pistol Pete as well as Roger which sometimes could go off. But there he was cracking it crosscourt and going down the line with verve when he needed it most.

Federer has been able to put together this amazing run over the past five years by playing mostly from the baseline even though he’s more than capable of attacking at the net finishing points there like he did effectively to get past Andreev in a smart tactical adjustment. After that win allowed him to begin to see the finish line where he usually performs so well which might explain the unheard of 18 consecutive slam semi appearances, the Swiss spoke of how his Beijing Olympic doubles experience winning gold alongside countryman Stanislas Wawrinka helped add more confidence at the net. This can only be seen as positive moving forward because in the future, he might need to volley more if he wants to add to his legacy.

Is he the greatest? Tough to say. We never got to see a Sampras in his prime challenge Federer with those images still clear of Roger striking that perfect backhand return winner up the line before dropping to his knees ending Pistol Pete’s dominance on Centre Court at the All England Club. In catching a special on Sampras over at The Tennis Channel, I watched still mesmerized by some of the unreal rallies he was able to win beating the greatest returner in the game fellow American Andre Agassi during their 1995 U.S. Open Final.

People forget how great a ball striker Sampras really was moving just as fluidly as Roger does. But he also had an even better serve able to dominate opponents dialing it up a notch or two for those big aces to climb out of triple break point. Then there was the textbook volleying with that deft touch which was what made him such a special once in a lifetime player. That he was one of our own along with Andre who himself after not putting in the work went on to win eight majors made it that more meaningful. The greatest tennis rivalry featured a couple of Americans who carried every bit of respect that Federer and Nadal have for each other today.

The biggest difference is it was so much easier to promote our stars as Nike portrayed with those classic tennis commercials with Pete and Andre taking to the streets of Manhattan bringing the net with them.

Who didn’t love it? This was as good as it got for tennis fans here. Our sport needs that again. It would help if Andy Roddick could just find that extra gear and beat a Djokovic instead of what he says firing up the Serb in a quarter defeat. It would also be nice if James Blake didn’t always fizzle out though he had an excuse this year worn down from all the travel which included a fourth place finish in Beijing before best friend Mardy Fish dismissed him in Round Three.

So, where’s the next American star? Donald Young showed flashes in a highly entertaining first round night match versus Blake which went the distance. Big server Sam Querrey gave Nadal all he could handle in a fourth round encounter which went four before the new world No.1 prevailed. He certainly shows promise. With a little more seasoning, you have to believe the promising 20 year-old Californian will be on the upswing the next couple of years.

For now, there’s Federer and Nadal with Djokovic and Murray right behind as they’ve separated themselves from the pack. That’s why it should be interesting to see what happens at this year’s Masters Cup and takes home the hardware.

No matter what happens the rest of the way, Federer again proved why he’s arguably one of the greatest players to ever pick up a racket. We’ll never really know how he’d have fared against a Rod Laver or Sampras. But what he has accomplished against some pretty stiff competition speaks volumes for how driven he really is.

Nobody can ever question him again.

It comes from the one and only Roger Federer following some more tennis history becoming the first male singles player to win five straight at two different grand slams after defeating Scot Andy Murray in yesterday’s U.S. Open Final 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.

The elegant 27 year-old Swiss Maestro silenced many doubters with a terrific run at the final grand slam event of the season atoning for dropping the last two finals to world No.1 Rafael Nadal including that all-time Wimbledon classic. It resulted in his fifth Open in a row becoming the first man to accomplish this remarkable feat since Bill Tilden back in the 1920’s.

The exciting victory in front of many pro-Federer supporters who adopted the graceful champion even moving him to say he “felt like a New Yorker” was his 13th career grand slam title- moving him within one of Pistol Pete Sampras’ record 14.

A man who just the other day after a well earned four set semifinal triumph over world No.3 Novak Djokovic indicated that he didn’t care who the opponent was between Murray or Nadal and “just wanted the trophy” knew again what to say after making some more tennis history. When asked by CBS veteran broadcaster Dick Enberg about whether No.13 was lucky or unlucky, a grinning Roger pointedly remarked:

“One thing’s for sure. I’m not going to stop at 13. That would be terrible.”

He sure knows how to play to a crowd who saluted him with laughter and thunderous cheers paying tribute to arguably the greatest male tennis player in the history of the sport. Something a classy runner-up Murray alluded to getting lots of applause from the crowd. For the 21 year-old Scot who officially moved up to a career high No.4 in the world making his first slam final, he was the first British man in the U.S. Open Final since Fred Perry won it back in 1936 also winning Wimbledon which marks the last time a man from their country won a major.

Though Andy had a tough call go against him which would’ve given him a break for 3-2 in the second set, he didn’t complain as Federer gave a vintage performance swinging freely from both sides rocketing that inside out forehand wherever he wanted playing the kind of match we’ve grown accustomed to seeing.

Congrats to Roger on winning No.13 and proving many including yours truly who picked Djokovic to beat him and Nadal! It was great to see.

We’ll have more later on what was another memorable Open here in NYC including American Serena Williams rising up to a strong challenge from Serb Jelena Jankovic to claim her third Open title in an ultra competitive two sets 6-4, 7-5. She also became No.1 in the world again for the first time in five years.

All in all, a great couple of weeks for tennis fans.

He heard all the talk all tournament long. The gasps from a very supportive New York crowd who have been pulling for him to make some more history.

Roger Federer wasn’t the same player anymore. How could he be when he’d not won a major so far this year even falling on his favorite Centre Court in an epic five setter to chief rival Rafael Nadal?

Before this season, the Swiss Maestro entered ranked as the world’s top player for a fourth consecutive year having won all 12 of his grand slams spanning the past five years (2003-07) taking five straight at the All England Club while reeling off four in a row here in New York along with three more down under. One of the most remarkable runs in the sport of tennis.

Maybe the way he made most of those championships look spoiled us as he inched closer to Pete Sampras’ slam record 14. That’s when discussion began about just how many Federer could win. It wasn’t whether he’d match Sampras and win the three required to become the most successful male singles tennis player of all-time. Just a question of when.

That’s when things got more interesting that first month in Australia when Novak Djokovic got the better of him in straight sets in the semis en route to his first career major over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It later came out that Roger wasn’t totally right coming back from mono.

He still wasn’t 100 percent losing more than usual before the French Open. Even surprise first-time U.S. Open quarterfinalist Mardy Fish served him off the court in two sets and Andy Roddick finally snapped his losing streak. Federer still ran through his first six opponents in Roland Garros for a third rematch against the king of clay Nadal. The last two times, he took a set off the Spaniard but this time wound up getting smoked in such humiliating fashion like no one had ever seen.

Just like that, murmurs started that Federer was being gained on quickly by Nadal. Up till that point, all their grand slam finals had been very competitive including Roger’s tying fifth straight at Wimbledon matching legend Bjorn Borg in which he dug deep in a fifth set to keep the Spaniard from celebrating a French and Wimbledon in the same year. But this time, most predicted the changing of the guard with the torch being passed. What they got was arguably the greatest tennis match given the circumstances. Though Federer fought valiantly back from two sets down, he still came up just a little short allowing Nadal to finally do the unthinkable conquering him on his favorite court.

Even if he didn’t have the No.1 ranking at that juncture, he’d become the first male player to sweep the French and Wimbledon in the same year since Borg and deserved the top spot. Eventually, Federer’s slump continued losing earlier than expected in hardcourt events while Nadal won one and finished runner-up to Djokovic. Finally, he was No.1 and carried that new pressure into this year’s final slam here in Flushing Meadows.

Perhaps this boded well for Federer who still came in as the four-time rating champion because for once, the pressure was off. Sure. Many expected the recently turned 27 year-old to go deep into the tournament. However, even in this space, we took Djokovic to beat him and then defeat Nadal for his second slam of the season.

There was the former top ranked player struggling two rounds earlier to get by feisty Russian baseliner Igor Andreev changing tactics by going to the net to pull out a very hard fought five setter advancing to the quarters versus surprise qualifier Gilles Muller, whose name last rang to prominence in these parts when he upset Andy Roddick in 2005. Even against the rejuvenated lefty from Luxembourg, Federer had to come up with his best to oust him in straights taking two close tiebreakers emerging into the semis where he awaited the Djokovic-Roddick winner.

Djokovic had already been pushed needing a very close four to edge young Croat Marin Cilic and then with conditioning becoming a factor showed resolve besting Tommy Robredo in five to setup his now well documented encounter with Roddick where pre-match banter fired the 21 year-old No.3 ranked Serb up inspiring him to a hard fought four set triumph.

The final rematch was set between the two best hardcourters. With steady rain in Saturday’s forecast due to Tropical Storm Hanna, U.S. Open officials moved the much anticipated first semi to 11 AM at Ashe Stadium. Would that give an edge to someone? It didn’t really matter as both had to prepare for the earlier start unaware if they’d even complete their match while pondering what would happen with the other semi between Nadal and soon to be new No.4 Andy Murray.

Federer is six years older than Djokovic but nobody strikes a bigger ball than the fiery Serbian who ticked off fans with his comments the other night adding fuel to the fire. There’s little doubt that his time is coming which was precisely why I took him to capture his first U.S. Open adding it to the Australian.

That said, there was the champ bringing his ‘A’ game. Especially on his much overlooked serve where he served 20 aces to his opponent’s six with many of them proving large. There also was the trademark footwork along with the great defense shifting to offense playing a very crisply finishing with 51 winners while committing 28 unforced errors. This came against a bigger guy who was crushing the ball as hard as he could trying his best to dictate rallies. Instead, it was Djokovic who had eight less winners (43) while making 19 more errors (47).

At a set apiece late in the third set, Federer wouldn’t allow Djokovic to gain the upperhand. Trailing 4-5, he easily held serve to stay alive putting the pressure squarely back on Novak, who came unraveled at 30-all letting a fan bother him. Though he still got into the point, he missed an easy forehand netting it showing the frustration by motioning with his arms at the crowd as if to say, ‘Thanks a lot.’

When Federer’s at his best, he has that uncanny ability to seize the momentum a la Sampras. With the crowd urging him on, he played an excellent point drawing Djokovic in and then ripping a hard backhand which the Serb couldn’t handle volleying it way out for the key break. He then followed up by easily serving out the third set pulling within one more of a fifth consecutive U.S. Open final.

“I had moments out there where I really felt, ‘This is how I normally play on hard court’—half-volleys, passing shots, good serving, putting the pressure on, playing with the wind, using it to my advantage,” he would later say.

“I definitely had moments during today where I thought, ‘This is how I would like to play every time.’ So it was a very nice feeling, actually, to get that feeling back.”

At that point, a weary Djokovic was almost out of fuel. He stayed on serve the first couple of games but it was just a matter of time before Federer got him. Sensing that his tired opponent was going for broke trying to end rallies quicker, the experienced Swiss champ wisely used his defense to keep points alive and let Djokovic self destruct handing him the fifth game for a 3-2 lead.

After serving out of trouble to consolidate the break, Federer went for the kill grabbing the moment when Djokovic misfired again to get the insurance. With his opponent defeated, Federer served it out at love and left the court with that huge winner’s grin you’ve grown accustomed to seeing.

He had displayed a lot more emotion following his fourth round win over Andreev pumping his fists and screaming, “Yeah” at the top of his lungs. The New York crowd definitely loved seeing that kinda emotion from a classy champion who usually doesn’t let it all out for everyone to see.

“I feel a little bit New Yorker right now,” Federer acknowledged. “I definitely appreciate the efforts from the fans, supporting me and pushing me forward.”

Nobody can ever question his hunger as it’s never wavered despite the disappointments of the last three slams. Now, here he is in a third straight slam final looking for more history trying to match Bill Tilden and win five straight U.S. Open championships.

With Nadal trailing Murray by two sets 2-6, 6-7 (5), 3-2 with the conclusion later today and the final awaiting tomorrow, he’ll now patiently await the winner looking to capture grand slam No.13 which would be only one behind Sampras.

When asked who he preferred, a man who always seems to know what to say in these moments gave the appropriate answer to loud cheers:

“Who do I prefer?” a smiling Federer said before answering:

“I prefer the trophy. That’s what I prefer.”

What else would you expect?

Last night following his hard earned four set quarterfinal win over Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic went a little too far during a postmatch interview with USA Network’s Michael Barkan dissing his elder competitor for sarcastic remarks made regarding the No.3 seeded Serb’s health following a Round of 16 win.

Apparently, the 21 year-old Australian Open champion and 2007 U.S. Open runner-up took the reference of his “16 injuries” to heart and indicated on court that he didn’t have that many injuries to beat Roddick. Not surprisingly, the very talented player was booed by the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd who for the most part were in the former 2003 Open champion’s corner. It’s been five years since the 26 year-old American won his only grand slam which also sadly signifies the last one won by a homegrown male singles’ player.

After getting the treatment from a large Roddick contingent while only minimal Nole supporters applauded his efforts, Djokovic didn’t help himself much going on step further about the criticism:

“They (the crowd) are already against me because they think I am faking everything, so sorry.”

Not a wise move which just increased the disdain and most likely added supporters to four-time rating champ Roger Federer for their semifinal. The classy 27 year-old Swiss Maestro has never gotten into this kind of situation and should have overwhelming support whenever the 2007 Final rematch takes place. They’re calling for heavy rain on Super Saturday which could push the women’s final between revitalized American Serena Williams and No.2 Serbian Jelena Jankovic along with the two men’s semis between the now top four ranked players in the world with Andy Murray taking over No.4 to Sunday.

Djokovic has come under the radar due to all the injury timeouts he’s used even getting ripped by the normally calm Tommy Robredo, who fell in five sets to him a couple of rounds earlier.

“I never made medical timeout because I wanted to distract the opponent or make the result look worse. I just took the medicals to help me out,” Djokovic answered late last night.

“Maybe the people think that I’m exaggerating with these things, but it’s nothing bad. I twist my ankle, I feel bad. I get the pain in the back. I just want to make it right. Andy was always nice to me when I got to the tour, so this was just a clear misunderstanding.”

It was just a year ago that Djokovic was a fan favorite with New Yorkers who enjoyed his dead on player impersonations while serving. Sometimes, that didn’t sit too well with some of his peers which explains why he’s cut it out of his matches this year.

“It’s different,” he said. “Once you win the Grand Slam title and win a couple more major events, you get more attention from everybody, and it’s logical. I don’t want to make any impersonations any more. It’s not that I don’t want to. This is something that people will get wrong. And this is exactly the reason, and this is exactly the situation I don’t want to be in — fighting with people, with the press, and this is absolutely not me.”

Perhaps one of the ATP’s top players who enjoys getting a laugh or two should heed the advice of Roddick.

“It was completely meant in jest,” he explained. “I figure if you’re going to joke and imitate other people and do the whole deal, then you should take it.

“If someone wants to focus in on that and use it, then by all means, but especially in Novak’s case, if you’re going to dish out all the stuff, then be able to take it with a smile, is the only part that I don’t quite agree with.”

Misunderstandings happen all the time. Especially in sports. As long as they’re on the same page, that’s good for future meetings. Though you just know some of the old school guys such as John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors who was in attendance last night watching his former pupil wouldn’t mind seeing some of that bad blood which could give a sometimes bland sport a little extra juice a la those classic meetings between the former American stars. We don’t see many heated tennis rivalries anymore. And the ones that are a la Federer-Nadal lack that sorta substance due to the level of respect each has for each other.

Djokovic shouldn’t expect too much support the rest of this weekend no matter what happens.

It’s not often you get a chance to redeem yourself at a place which shall soon act like a second home. That’s exactly the kind of opportunity 26 year-old Andy Roddick was presented with late in the fourth set of his men’s U.S. Open quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic at Ashe Stadium Thursday night.

He had been handled easily during the first pair of sets both owned by the 21 year-old No.3 ranked Serb who apparently used some post-match Roddick comments regarding his injuries to break the best server in the sport an unheard of four times for a 6-2, 6-3 lead. Prior, he had only been broken three times all tournament.

“That’s not nice, anyhow, to say in front of this crowd that I have 16 injuries and that I’m faking,” a furious Djokovic later acknowledged to Michael Barkan drawing boos once the match was over.

But here was the five years older popular No.8 ranked American refusing to go down easily getting an early break and cruising 6-3 capturing the third set to get back in the match giving the New York bipartisan crowd hopes of a big comeback.

With the former 2003 U.S. Open champion finally in a groove with his serve, he began dictating play taking it to his opponent reversing what had been dished out the first two sets. At three apiece on serve, Roddick took the first three points on Djokovic’s serve setting up triple break point. However, the feisty 2008 Australian Open winner wouldn’t give in right away ratcheting up his serve to fight off all three including the second with a perfectly placed inside out forehand crosscourt near the line.

But before he could find his way out of trouble, a determined Roddick pushed on outhitting him to setup a fourth break point. Certainly, this would be the one which would not only get him that one elusive break he needed but be enough to get him even and take the fourth set. Or so everyone watching thought including USA Network/CBS tennis commentator John McEnroe. When he played a perfect point working a now easily flustered Djokovic side to side before nailing a rocket backhand up the line out of his reach for a winner, Roddick finally had that break and was only a couple of service holds away from giving everyone what they came to see. A fifth and final set.

The perfect way for USA’s 25 years of outstanding Open coverage to bow out for good. When he backed it up with four consecutive aces to go up 5-3, there seemed to be little doubt where such a high stakes match was headed. Following a Djokovic hold, Roddick easily took the first couple of points to go up 30-Love. Two more points from destiny and a pro-Andy crowd rocking like it once had for him when he cameback from a couple of sets and match point down versus David Nalbandian before winning the whole thing. Only instead of the inevitable Hollywood finish we were looking for, those two big points never came.

What followed was shocking. After an errant forehand, Roddick double faulted twice to suddenly give Djokovic three straight and his first break point since the second set. It was the only look the big Serb needed as he got an out wide serve back and then after Roddick approached, Djokovic came up with a perfect topspin backhand lob which was out of reach landing a foot inside the baseline.

“You know what? I honestly don’t feel like they were super-tight doubles,” Roddick said. “I had been playing pretty high-risk, high-reward tennis to get back and I probably wasn’t about to stop.”

Just like that, it was five all. Back on serve. Both players would hold one final time to force the fourth set to a tiebreaker. It would be well played. When it looked like he might be done already trailing by a minibreak, Roddick came up with the goods smacking another backhand winner to get it back on serve 4-5.

Here came the two biggest serves of the night. It was on his racket. Exactly where he preferred it to be. The first serve landed deep in the box and couldn’t be handled by Djokovic clocked at 142. Five-all. One more serve for a chance to setup set point. If he could get this one, just maybe not being able to serve it out moments earlier wouldn’t comeback to haunt him.

Here was the point of the match which Djokovic returned to get into and there was Roddick striking the ball as hard as he could trying his best to get it by his opponent hitting every shot well. Inside out forehands. Backhands better than he’d ever struck for most of his career. But on each one, Djokovic hustled and reached out for getting them back. Finally, he decided to change it up going for a slice backhand drop. Only problem was this one didn’t make it over the net handing the guy on the other side the one big break he needed.

“A bad shot,” Roddick admitted after falling 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5).

One big Djokovic serve later, his forehand reply sailed five feet long allowing last year’s runner-up to escape and emphatically point to his chest pounding it almost in anger over the Davis Cup atmosphere and definitely over those comments referencing his health which were really said tongue in cheek by one of the good sports in the game despite what’s at the end of the day a still disappointing career with only one grand slam. The one in which he hugged that trophy after blasting Juan Carlos Ferrero off the court following that comeback versus Nalbandian, who a round earlier that year knocked out Roger Federer. The same guy who hasn’t lost since here in Flushing Meadows.

“It was completely meant in jest,” a disappointed Roddick lamented following one of his toughest defeats when you really felt he had a chance to go all the way much like that special run.

“I should know better. But listen, I joke all the time. I don’t think anyone in their right mind takes me serious.”

To show what kind of character guy he is, he still sought out Djokovic in private clearing up the confusion.

“He made a joke and it was a misunderstanding, so I don’t blame it on him,” Djokovic later indicated an hour later after that postmatch circus which drew the ire. “Maybe I exaggerated and reacted bad in that moment. I apologize.”

What he won’t have to apologize for was summoning up what he needed to finish off a game Roddick who looked poised to do what Tommy Robredo did a round earlier taking it the distance. With already having worked awfully hard to win in four sets over future Croat star Marin Cilic and then overcoming the elements to outlast Robredo, no way Djokovic wanted any part of another extra set. Perhaps he got some help from an unlikely source but he wasn’t saying afterwards.

Instead, he’ll advance to a rematch of last year’s final in which he blew leads in the first two sets tossing away set points before losing in straights to four-time defending champion Federer. He can take solace knowing he exacted revenge ousting the 12-time grand slam winner down under in this same round also in straights even if the Swiss Maestro wasn’t 100 percent battling mono. What tennis player is totally healthy by the end of a challenging two week major?

With the women’s semis scheduled for later today, Djokovic knows he could get another break due to the weather forecast which calls for rain all day tomorrow on Super Saturday. The Open organizers have already started making arrangements with networks to shift the women’s final to Sunday and the men’s to Monday.

That certainly couldn’t hurt his chances. Especially with a very focused Federer waiting looking to pay him back and prove he still has what it takes to win for a fifth straight time and take the final major of what’s been labeled a disappointing season. This despite runner-up in Roland Garros again, losing his Wimbledon crown in epic fashion and a now record 18 straight semifinal appearances in slams.

As for Roddick, he referenced Djokovic’s sarcasm which as recently as last year included dead on impersonations which those same New Yorkers which jeered him loved.

“I figure if you’re going to joke and imitate other people and do the whole deal, then you should take it. Listen, if someone makes fun of me I’m most likely going to laugh,” Roddick pointed out. “I’m sorry he took it that way. … I don’t think I was over the line. It wasn’t my intention, and, you know, I’m sorry he felt that way. Maybe I did him a favor tonight.”

Probably. And in the process, hurt himself though in the end, it was the vaunted serve and that huge point late in the breaker which send him packing.

It might not be the end result he wanted with having sought busy Davis Cup captain and CBS/ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe’s advice along with coming in with the hottest fiancee anyone’s ever seen in breathtaking SI swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker. So, it’s not all bad for Roddick.

Far from it. But we bet he wished he had those couple of serves over.

John McEnroe often talks about how sometimes, a player sees a couple of top favorites struggling to win their matches and can draw extra motivation from it. Perhaps that’s how Andy Roddick felt waiting around a little longer than expected after four-time defending U.S. Open champ Roger Federer was taken the distance by hard slugging Russian Igor Andreev before coming up with the goods in a very exciting 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 Round of 16 victory to advance into the quarterfinals.

On a day which began later than expected due to another top contender Novak Djokovic needing to overcome physical elements in the heat as well as his gritty Spanish opponent Tommy Robredo 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, the 12-time Swiss slam champion was forced to dig deep as well into his bag of tricks reaching for something unfamiliar in recent times- the net. With his forehand going off for an untimely number of miscues with almost half of his 60 errors, Federer decided to switch tactics and come into the net more than usual.

The strategy paid dividends as he won a good share of key points finishing 58-for-84 (69 percent) including fighting off four break chances in one service game where Andreev mustered all he could in a last desperate attempt to get the final set back on serve. One save in particular might just have been the difference between winning and losing as Federer neatly picked up a tough half volley intentionally leaving it short forcing his opponent to hustle for a backhand which he blocked with a forehand reply that cut it almost too fine landing smack on the right line. The No.2 ranked player pumped his fist twice before eventually holding to plenty of support from a pro-Federer Ashe Stadium crowd.

Before that pivotal point, he had had opportunities to go up double break but just couldn’t find the right touch on his bread and butter shot either netting it when he had it lined up or going for too much missing it a foot wide leaving both former Open winners McEnroe and special guest Boris Becker noting a disturbing difference in Federer’s game. Becker would later say after one miss:

“In 2007, he makes that shot.“

But as McEnroe pointed out at the end of the day, as long as he came out winning that final point, Federer could be happy knowing he moved on needing to go five for only the third time in his U.S. Open career and first since that epic five setter played over two days in which he defeated Andre Agassi in very tough windy conditions four years ago. Something a very happy and smiling Federer pointed out later in an on court interview with USA Network’s Michael Barkan.

“I don’t give myself the opportunity that much, you know, because I always win easily,” he explained following a huge double pump of the fists along with an emotional big scream which the New York crowd loved. He’ll next play surprising qualifier Gilles Muller who continued his run to the quarters upsetting No.5 seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10) fighting off seven set points which would’ve forced a fifth set leaving a defeated player tossing his racket.

As for Federer, he properly added of his victory which took more than three and a half hours to complete:

“I was just really pleased with my fighting spirit.”

That same fighting spirit was enough to pull a younger Djokovic through despite a very stiff challenge from Robredo. In all sorts of discomfort due to a turned ankle and breathing issues which stirred up images of his past, the No.3 seeded Serb tried very hard to get it done in four even getting a couple of break points. But Robredo hung tough serving his way out of trouble before finding that one break he needed on a wild Djokovic forehand miss to force the final set.

However, Djokovic steadied himself really stinging the ball and applying the pressure to his opponent whose fall which looked harmless might’ve done more damage tightening his right shoulder early in the deciding set. Afterwards, he misfired on more shots allowing the 21 year-old Australian Open champ to take control. From there, after a hold he got that second break concluding matters which meant he didn’t have to serve it out.

“Just trying to show them, you know, how much effort I put into this match,” Djokovic analyzed of pointing to his heart emphatically, legs and head while looking to his box where family and coach celebrated the hard fought win.

He then properly added:

“Somehow, I managed.”

With his fourth round match delayed due to the previous couple of five setters, a focused Andy Roddick took to Ashe and put on a show for his pro-crowd playing arguably the most efficient tennis of his career by easily dismissing 11th seeded Chilean gunslinger Fernando Gonzalez 6-2, 6-4, 6-1.

Just how utterly dominant was the recently turned 26 year-old with the most beautiful audience fiancee Brooklyn Decker looking on along with “new coach” Patrick McEnroe? The very confident former 2003 Open champion served incredibly well winning 93 percent (37 of 40) on his first serve and a very impressive 73 percent (16 of 22) on his second serve meaning that he only dropped nine total points on serve which explained why he required only an hour and 27 minutes to finish off a beaten Gonzalez who just never looked in it.

Roddick not only served well but played the kind of clean tennis which frustrated his opponent. In sharp contrast, he committed only seven unforced errors to his opponent’s 33. Playing unbelievable defense, several times he hustled down balls keeping rallies alive waiting for an errant Gonzalez miss or working his way back in the rally before finishing it off with one of his 30 winners.

One such big point saw him up 5-4 with a set point on Gonzalez’ serve. On it, the feisty 28 year-old Olympic silver medalist tried to seize control of it by dictating play with his top heavy shots. However, the No.8 seeded American stayed right with him eventually drawing the Chilean into net and then outwaited him before ripping a perfect backhand crosscourt for a winner to finish off the second set in style with a couple of pumps of the fist.

It wouldn’t take long to dispatch Gonzalez in the third set as his more consistent aggressive style which also saw him win 69 percent at the net (20 of 29) proved to be too much to overcome. Though a couple of big backhands produced the only break chance which Roddick quickly erased with some more solid play before holding for 4-1.

Following his fifth break of the match, a very happy Roddick served it out with ease nailing a couple of his eight aces including one out wide before celebrating with a large smile while enjoying the New York spotlight.

“I’ve got to feel good,” he told Barkan of meeting a weary Djokovic this Thursday night in what promises to be a quality quarterfinal. “He’s got about 16 injuries right now.”

Roddick should feel good because while two of the heavy favorites struggled to move on, he made a dangerous foe look routine. We’ll see if it carries over.

Dementieva and Jankovic setup Eastern Europe semi clash: On the women’s side which has seen its share of upsets, there were no surprises Tuesday as both Elena Dementieva and Jelena Jankovic easily advanced to an all Eastern European semifinal showdown on Friday.

The No.5 seeded Russian Dementieva who took Olympic gold in Beijing continued her steady play easily getting past No.15 Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-3. She’s a former finalist here and is aiming for her first grand slam title. The 26 year-old veteran will have to get past No.2 seeded Serbian Jankovic, who for once didn’t need three sets to eliminate experienced 28 year-old Austrian Sabille Bammer 6-1, 6-4.

The winner could likely face either Williams sister. In their 17th ever career meeting later tonight, big sis Venus Williams will battle little sis Serena Williams for a spot in the semis while Russian Dinara Safina takes on Italian Flavia Pennetta earlier today.

With Venus taking three of the last four meetings including an exciting Wimbledon final 7-5, 6-4, the series is all knotted at eight apiece.

Not for long.

When his opponent’s final groundstroke hit the net, Andy Roddick let out an enthusiastic, ‘Yeah’ looking over to his box which included eye candy fiance swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker along with “temporary coach” and David Cup captain Patrick McEnroe along with older brother John Roddick before celebrating his more routine third round victory over 31st seeded Italian Andreas Seppi, 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (4) Sunday at a packed Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows.

“This is probably the most intimidating court in the world if you’ve never been on it before,” the just turned 26 year-old No.8 seeded American told CBS court reporter Mary Joe Fernandez afterwards to delightful laughter from the New York crowd which enjoyed what they saw.

There stood the former 2003 U.S. Open champion five years removed from his greatest career achievement where he won his only major by grinding from a couple of sets down fighting off match point against David Nalbandian in the semis before using that powerful serve to crush Juan Carlos Ferrero in a lopsided final. It’s the picture which followed after that last ace down the tee where you see a younger Roddick looking like a kid in a candy store with that ear to ear grin as if to say, ‘I really did it.’

That he did and at the time was ranked No.1 in the world and deservedly so. A lot has happened since then for the man who’s still America’s brightest hope when it comes to winning the final tennis grand slam of the year. It wasn’t long ago when he was the biggest threat on grass to Roger Federer pushing him a close fought four sets a few years ago before losing despite one of the best matches of his career. There was also that little run he had with former coach Jimmy Connors a couple of years prior when he went all the way to the final and once again made Federer sweat before falling in four.

Fast forward to the present and now Roddick’s fighting to get back in the top five as the men’s field gets even more competitive. A couple of nights prior, he had to overcome a young up and comer in Latvian Ernests Gulbis who hit the ball even bigger frequently pushing Roddick around for a ridiculous 79 winners- 37 more than the kid from Austin, Texas whose passion always comes out when he plays New York City.

Though the other birthday boy who turned 20 while Andy became 26 had him down a set and 5-3 a couple of points away from deep trouble, Gulbis never could finish off the determined American who used his guile and experience to stay in there. No way could his opponent who entered with a career mark two under .500 keep up this frenetic pace.

Finally, nerves crept in and he began misfiring from the baseline losing concentration while Roddick locked in grabbing the last four games of the set to square the match reeling off seven straight en route to a double break third set turning the tide. He’d pull out a tighter fourth set getting that final break to advance past a tough second round opponent.

“Tonight was probably one of those ones I won on effort,” he would later say Friday night after playing smart efficient tennis committing just 21 unforced errors to his opponent’s 60.

“He was definitely outplaying me for the first two sets. I felt like a little kid out here playing against him,” Roddick quipped before adding:

“And then the clock struck 12, and I started playing, well, as a 26-year-old.”

Laughter ensued from the remainder of a supportive crowd which stayed until 1:30 in the morning showing him the kind of love we’ve seen with our favorite New York sports stars with frequent chants of, “Let’s Go An—dy” and “An—dy Ro—dd—ick.”

Roddick’s always worn his emotion on his sleeves. When things don’t go well as they weren’t for nearly two sets, he’ll do something like smash his racket into smithereens before regaining his composure urged on by legions of supporters who he properly credited for keeping him focused.

“You guys kept me in there when I was losing my head,” a heartfelt Roddick told them to loud cheers. When asked by USA’s Michael Barkan if he had what it took to go all the way, he indicated:

“If this crowd comes with me the whole way, who knows?”

No question Roddick is fully aware how much the overwhelming support of the New York crowd can help him in his quest to win a second U.S. Open. It’s certainly been a challenging year which has seen him ousted in the third round down under, pulling out of the French due to a shoulder injury before a disappointing second round exit at another big slam he was once considered a large threat in Wimbledon.

Unlike many, he opted to skip the Beijing Summer Olympics and play a couple of tuneups which didn’t produce any titles falling to rising Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro in an LA final while losing in the quarters to 93rd ranked Serb Viktor Troicki at the nation’s capital a couple of weeks ago.

Perhaps the extra week off allowed him to enter the Open fresher than he’s been. Now 26, health is a concern for Roddick who still is one of the hardest hitters on the ATP Tour. For that reason alone, you can’t discount the Omaha, Nebraska native. Especially on the hard courts at Ashe.

Even if all the focus is on new No.1 Rafael Nadal, slumping four-time rating champ Roger Federer and even rising No.3 Serb Novak Djokovic, Roddick still has a puncher’s chance and might just get to go through two of the three with a potential quarter showdown against Djokovic and Federer as a projected semifinalist.

For now, Roddick awaits the winner between No.11 seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and lefty Finn Jarkko Nieminen. If he continues to play steady and hit the ball firm as he indicated earlier today, he’s better than either and should setup that intriguing quarterfinal match against Djokovic provided he gets past dangerous 19 year-old Croat Marin Cilic tonight.

Despite winning in straight sets to make the Round of 16, Roddick is fully aware that he must step it up even more if he’s to make that serious push for a second grand slam under the bright lights.

This is his season. It’s the biggest reason he pushes on.

-The amazing Mets continued their clutch stretch play thanks to a two out ninth inning rally coming from a run down against shaky Florida closer Kevin Gregg. After he retired the first couple, ex-Marlin Luis Castillo kept it alive with a two strike single followed by a David Wright base hit. Gregg then hit the dangerous Carlos Delgado with the first offering loading the bases for Carlos Beltran. As unclutch a big name star in this town with only the chronicles of Alex Rodriguez worse, the $119 million center fielder drove the first pitch he saw over the right field wall for a go-ahead grand slam which WFAN play-by-play man Howie Rose nearly orgasmed to.

Did we just say that? Well, I was in the car and he did. Sometimes, you get the impression the Met announcers think this is some sorta miracle that the NL’s highest payroll is winning these kind of big games and now up two games over the reeling Phillies with a month to go. Granted. The Mets have had their share of injuries but you want to talk about over the top. Rose and Co. have lost their minds. If they sugarcoated anymore, you’d think they were adding even more sugar to a batch of cookies.

Take nothing away from Jerry Manuel’s club’s resiliency. They deserve to be where they are atop the NL East. But why shouldn’t they be? The Phillies are very flawed as proven with that eighth inning implosion in which Delgado tied it with a homer followed by a couple of more big hits including by David Murphy. They just don’t have enough pitching and their big hitters come up pretty soft in big spots. Paging Chase Utley and Pat Burrell. Jimmy Rollins is no better. Ryan Howard’s hit or miss literally. Honestly, the two guys I’d fear in a big spot are outfield overachievers Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino as they always seem to be in the middle of a comeback.

As for the fading Marlins, they’ve always been a flawed team due to the lack of fundamentals in the field and at the plate. Have you ever in your life seen a more undisciplined free swinging team which struck out more than Fredi Gonzalez’ bunch? Unless the ultra talented Hanley Ramirez matures and Dan Uggla (soon to be renamed Uggly for his dreadful 2nd half and fielding), they’ll continue to fail in big spots. As for their pen, Gonzalez deserves plenty of criticism for sticking with Gregg when he’s continually choked away leads blowing game after game to put them seven out. How in the world did he not send out ex-Met Matt Lindstrom for the ninth when he needed only five pitches to record the final out of the eighth? Just call it a case of bad managing 101. When your team desperately needs a game as much as his did, you don’t always stay conventional and remain loyal to struggling performers.

Precisely why managing by the book is vastly overrated.

Not surprisingly, the Marlins nearly tied it with a two out rally of their own scoring twice off Luis Ayala before he finally got Wes Helms to bounce out to short stranding the tying run at third and winning run at second. Does this mean the luster is finally off the ex-Nat pickup as temporary closer for the Mets? Who knows? Manuel is mixing and matching doing the best he can because he doesn’t got much no thanks to Omar Minaya. If the Mets do fall short, it won’t be for lack of heart cause they got plenty of that. But due to a pen which makes every Amazin fan squeamish.

Still, they should have enough to win the division. Especially with Jose Reyes playing well while Wright and Delgado rake. With plenty of contributions from unsung heroes such as Damion Easley, Murphy and even light hitting defensive catcher Brian Schneider who amazingly enough has gotten a couple of more big hits than A-Rod the past two months, they should score enough runs to support a superior staff led by Johan Santana, Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey. Now if only they could get Pedro back on track.

-I know it’s a few days late but what you saw from Joe Girardi’s Yankees those first couple of crucial games against the Red Sox was really how it’s been all year. They just never come up with the big hit or even the big pitches. It’s easy to point the finger at last year’s MVP along with Jason Giambi, who at least saved them the humiliation of a sweep driving in all three Thursday. However, it’s awfully hard not to get on Andy Pettite for his poor showing in such a big spot. To be outpitched by old and older knuckler Tim Wakefield is embarrassing. Even if a banged up Sox club didn’t hit every ball hard, there’s no excuse. Aside from that, who didn’t like that money showing by that pen in a Boston seven-run eighth featuring a Dustin Pedroia grand slam turning a close game into a laugher? Not like they couldn’t have used Kyle Farnsworth there?!?!?!?!?! Oh. That’s right. He was traded for the useless Pudge Rodriguez who looks about ready for retirement.

So, is there anyone out there who doesn’t believe the former Texas catcher didn’t cheat his way to an MVP season in 1999 and was still producing fairly well just a few years ago? I’ve always liked Pudge and he does belong in Cooperstown when it’s done but it’s very hard for me not to think he did something out of the ordinary to manufacture those numbers.

-Whoever would’ve believed that Carl “DL” Pavano would actually be 2-0 after two outings even outpitching Yankee killer A.J. Burnett last night?

-It’s not often you see Andy Roddick outslugged from the baseline but finding a way to persevere and pull out a well earned four set win over the other birthday boy six years younger talented Latvian Ernests Gulbis. Especially when the now 26 year-old American was dangerously close to being down two sets just a couple of points before reeling off the next seven games to assume control. Who knows. Maybe this big win gets the former 2003 U.S. Open champ going for a run and possible quarterfinal against No.3 ranked Serb Novak Djokovic. Who wouldn’t want to see that come down with probably Roger Federer waiting in the wings for the semis? In a year where the final tennis grand slam doesn’t have quite as much appeal on the women’s side with former champ Maria Sharapova sidelined and French Open winner Ana Ivanovic losing in the second round to a little known Frenchwoman, they sure could use the best players on the men’s side to go far.

-I don’t care about who Djokovic “hooked up” with at the Olympics in Beijing. What I want to know is why hasn’t he asked countrywoman Ivanovic out yet? At least it might better explain her poor second half bad thumb and all.

-When Osi Umenyiora went down during last week’s meaningless exhibition versus Brett Favre and the Jets, of course it was said not to be that serious due to the first MRI coming back negative. But anyone who saw the way the Giant sack leader landed had to know better. By the next day not surprisingly, he was done for the year putting a damper on Big Blue’s Super Bowl defense. There ya had it again. Just another reason there are too many NFL preseason games. How many times have you seen a big name star go down before the first real snap? Football more than any other sport can be brutal to its fans. This was just the latest example. Does it all end for the Giants now? Not really cause even if Michael Strahan doesn’t have his “heart in it,” they can move Mathias Kiwanuka back to his original position and get plenty from rising pass rusher Justin Tuck. I still think Steve Spagnuolo finds a way to keep his attacking D a step ahead. Especially with a secondary which should be improved with promising rookie Kenny Phillips. As much as we look at the D, the offense doesn’t have any injuries and should put up points. This is now Eli Manning’s team and time. I expect him to step up.

If there’s an area to be concerned over, it’s the kicking game where they don’t know if NFC championship hero Lawrence Tynes will be ready for next week’s opener versus the Redskins. Given how poorly Josh Huston has performed, they better get Tynes back sooner rather than later.

-It ain’t often they do something right but kudos to the Knicks for acquiring Patrick Ewing, Jr. from the Rockets in exchange for <gulp> all-time draft bust Frederic Weis. Where’s Ed Tapscott these days anyway?

-Is Chad Johnson plain crazy having his name legally changed to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco or just taken too many hits to the head? Here’s the link.

-Mike Lupica’s correct that the Yanks salvaging that final game versus Boston felt more like “saving face” than saving their season. However, the Daily News know it all columnist is quite wrong if he actually believes the best way for them to field a World Series contender in their new Stadium next year is to spend, spend, spend. That change in philosophy is what turned a once modern day dynasty into a colossal disappointment with little to no chemistry continuing to head the wrong way.

-Only in the NL West could the defending NL champion Rockies who improved to eight under .500 (64-72) thanks to a pair of Garrett Atkins homers and five RBI’s in a 9-4 road win over the Padres still be within six of the first place Diamondbacks. Who says history can’t repeat?

-I liked Barack Obama’s speech 45 years to the day after Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech in accepting the Democratic Presidential nomination in Denver. However, what the heck were they thinking turning it into that fake Washington cathedral stage?!?!?!?!?!

-And finally, here’s a cool sports video on YouTube I just can’t get enough of of Olympic triple world record gold medalist Jamaican runner Usain “Lightning” Bolt featuring hilarious commentary.

-Rafael Nadal took another step closer to the No.1 ranking by defeating veteran German Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-2 to capture the Rogers Cup in Toronto yesterday for his ATP Tour leading seventh title of the year. It also marked his fifth consecutive tournament win and extended his match win streak to 29 straight. The 22 year-old No.2 ranked Spaniard also captured a fourth straight French Open and first ever Wimbledon becoming the first male tennis player to win both since Bjorn Borg in 1980. He defeated Scot Andy Murray in straight sets to reach the final after Murray had upset No.3 ranked Serb Novak Djokovic in the quarters of an upset marred tournament which saw top ranked Roger Federer, No.4 Russian Nikolay Davydenko, No.5 Spaniard David Ferrer and No.6 American Andy Roddick all bounced in the third round.

Nadal was able to avoid the upset bug to capture his first hard court tournament of the season. Though Kiefer raised his level early in the second set getting a few break points in the fifth game, the resilient Nadal fought them off and held serve before breaking the German’s spirit with two breaks to take the last four games for the championship.

If he continues to get solid results on the hard courts, then Nadal has to be considered a serious U.S. Open contender. He now believes he can win on any surface:

“I win on every surface, no? I win on grass, on hard, on indoor, and on clay, too. So if I am playing my best tennis I can win on every surface, no?”

In his career, Nadal’s now won 30 titles, making him the third youngest player to win that many behind Borg and Jimmy Connors.

He now trails Federer by just 300 points in the rankings boasting an impressive 61-7 record in 2008. So, can he finally overtake the 12-time slam winner who’s held the top spot a record 234 weeks in a row?

“Every player wants to be No. 1, no? I would love to be No. 1, but I am No. 2 right now. I’m very happy for be No. 2. Because with my titles, with my points, in a normal situation I, well, would have been No. 1 before. So I think I have to be happy, very happy anyway if I am No. 1 or No. 2. Because if I am No. 2 it’s because in front of me there is amazing player like Roger (Federer).”

Copyright Getty Images

It’s a day later and we’re still in shock over what we saw in the longest Wimbledon men’s final at the All England Club. How could it have been any better between the new King of grass Rafael Nadal, who became the first Spaniard to win the men’s title since Manolo Santana (in attendance) against the five-time rating champion Roger Federer, who was bidding to make it six straight surpassing legend Bjorn Borg (also present) and first to do so since 1886?

The memorable five-setter which Nadal won over Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 concluding at 9:15 British time arguably is the greatest match ever played in the rich tournament’s history invoking memories of Borg’s five-set win over John McEnroe which featured a crazy fourth set tiebreaker won by Mac 18-16 before the Swede cameback to prevail in five hitting that backhand crosscourt pass and kneeling on his knees for his fifth and final title in 1980.

So, was yesterday’s match really better? Tough to say. I never saw the one played 28 years prior but have seen such a great final as unlikely winner Goran Ivanisevic finally winning that elusive Wimbledon over Patrick Rafter in another dramatic five-setter which needed sudden death to decide and featured momentous rain delays. That was pretty great itself. However, this one pitted the two best players against each other slugging the ball like never before seen with the kind of defense to offense transition which is what separates them from everyone else in their sport.

How many times did Federer hit a winner only to see a hustling Nadal lunge over to get the ball back and keep the rally going making the crowd murmur at what they were seeing? Federer also had some great gets as well but it’s rare that the brilliant 26 year-old Swiss 12-time slam winner is outdone on the baseline. Especially on grass where he’d taken 41 in a row at Wimbledon and an unheard of 65 straight on his best surface. It’s a tribute to how great his opponent was yesterday making the necessary adjustments to finally conquer Roger in their third consecutive final.

As Federer sarcastically noted during the trophy ceremony presentation, he “tried everything but went up against the worst possible opponent.”

Anyone else and it would’ve been a record six for a player many consider to be the greatest to ever play the sport. As runner-up also noted, Nadal was “a very worthy champion.”

Sometimes, that’s how it is in a sport which sees changes such as this take place. Was it really the changing of the guard? Yes because no matter what the rankings say which still have Federer some 500+ points ahead of his closest predecessor in the standings, Nadal has won both the French and Wimbledon. He’s surged ahead for now. So while he doesn’t have the No.1 ranking, many will now call him the best player in the world.

Does Rafa still have an awful lot to prove with the hardcourt season around the corner where he’s never fared very well? Absolutely. A quarterfinal or Round of 16 showing at the final grand slam of the year in Flushing at the U.S. Open won’t be enough if he wants to truly be considered the best. It’s time for the kid from Manacor, Mallorca to take that next giant step. He proved he could go deep on a hard court in Melbourne reaching the semis before getting blitzed off the court by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

We’ll find out this summer if Nadal’s finally up to the challenge now that he’s conquered Federer on grass. The best storyline is that the still top ranked player for more than four years is the best player on hard courts with Novak Djokovic a close second and even Andy Roddick still in the mix with James Blake’s name and game resurfacing. Where does Rafa rate? That’ll be determined over the next couple of months during the U.S. Open Series.

We’ll have a better idea in September.

As for Federer, he’s still without a slam this season and hasn’t gone a whole year without at least one since 2002 before all the Wimbledons when he bowed out to then qualifier Mario Ancic. Amazing that you have to go back that far. In fact, he’s always won at least half the majors since 2004. That is impossible now as the best he can do is five-peating in New York which would be quite a feat in itself.

How does he respond to losing in back-to-back finals including on the Centre Court which he had ruled to his biggest rival? There should be plenty of motivation for a proud champion who still wants to accomplish so much. He still trails Pete Sampras by two for the most slams and has hinted to the press, that he plans to stick around another six to 10 years meaning he wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

However, the pursuit of history has become much more difficult with Nadal continuing to improve and a cocky Djokovic fearless despite winning his first major last January in Australia. The challenges promise to get tougher for Federer as his No.1 ranking is now in jeopardy.

Does he bounceback and finish the season strong by winning a couple of Open Series events plus a fifth consecutive Open or does he let such a heartbreaking defeat- one which he called “my toughest ever” affect him negatively? Federer’s always been so strong mentally. That will get severely tested.

It all makes for an intriguing rest of the summer where even non-tennis fans are still talking about how great Sunday was.

It only promises to get even more interesting.