U.S. Open: Muy Bueno!

By Paul Gotham

Think about the last 2,200 days of your life. Think of the accomplishments you have enjoyed. What personal triumphs have you experienced?

Got ’em all?

Now, consider what Roger Federer has NOT done in the last 2,200 days: lose a match at the U.S. Open. Yes, that’s right for six years Roger Federer (40 matches) has gone without a loss at Flushing Meadows. That is until today.

Juan Martin Del Potro overcame a sluggish start to defeat Roger Federer in the Men’s Finals 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. With that match ends an Open that will be remembered for a Cinderella, The Shot, memorable rallies, an unfortunate meltdown, the return of a legend, and an improbable champion.

17-year-old Melanie Oudin captured the imagination of fans during the first week of competition. The Georgia native was so unassuming that she overstayed her welcome. After knocking off  Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, then Elena Dementieva (4 seed), Maria Sharapova, and finally Nadia Petrova (13 seed), Oudin found no room at the inn.  The Marriott Corporation might want to consider sponsoring Oudin in the future as a gesture of good faith. That is if the teenager will accept.

Roger Federer suffered his first loss in more than a half a decade, but the champ did not go down without a fight.  He took Novak Djokovic in straight sets to advance to the finals. The semi-final match was closer than the 3-0 score. Included in the match is what will now be known as tennis’s version of The Shot.

Djokovic scratched his head plenty of times during his match with Federer, but he also brought the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium to their feet. After defeating Radek Stepanek, Djokovic engaged in a little banter with the legend, John McEnroe. Needing very little prodding, Mac left the press box and joined Djokovic for a rally or two. It was great to see Mac roam the court again.  I have new found respect Djokovic who reached back to a tennis great from the past for a special moment. It is a great thing when current players show admiration for players of the past who have made the game what it is.

Unfortunately, the ghost of McEnroe meltdowns past reared its ugly head in the person of Serena Williams.  It is mildly surprising that Williams was allowed to participate in the doubles’ finals. Her post-match lacked sincerity. I wonder if Williams and Charlie Weis have the same publicity adviser – both seem reluctant to take personal responsibility for actions.

In the end, the Open became a coming out party for Del Potro. If nothing else, the youngster proved his semi-final victory over Rafael Nadal was not a fluke.  Some will argue that the 20-year old caught Federer on a bad day. Statistically, Federer struggled. He committed 11 double faults and 62 unforced errors. But many of Federer’s mistakes came as the result of Del Potro’s pressure. The native of Aregentina showed resolve facing a one set deficit and having his serve broken in the first game of the second set.  Federer came within two points of a two-set lead before Del Potro responded.

At 6’6″ Del Potro possesses an uncommon blend of power and finesse. Unlike big players of the past, he moves around the court well.  Del Potro’s serve might not be as strong as Goran Ivanisevic’s, but the new champion moves around the court better than the 2001 Wimbledon champ. Ivanisevic could be exposed for poor footwork at times. Del Potro is only 20 and will only get better. Barring injury Del Potro could be a regular at the championship ceremonies.

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