Fast Times Now: Federer in 2008 U.S. Open

The U.S. Open started Monday. Roger Federer played his first round last night. He got past the first round with no problems. I really hope he gets his head in the game, or out of it in this case, because he needs to focus on this grand slam and not others. Nadal beating him at Wimbledon messed him up.

There was article about Roger Federer in the USA Today on August 25th. I thought it was interesting.

At U.S. Open, Federer badly in need of just one grand
By Douglas Robson, Special for USA TODAY

NEW YORK — For Roger Federer, a season of illness, inconsistency and indignity reaches its last important juncture at the U.S. Open, which begins Monday.

A fifth consecutive title here could salvage his season. A loss, and the silken Swiss would go home without a Grand Slam tournament title for the first time since 2002 — bolstering the notion that Spaniard Rafael Nadal is here to stay.

After a failure in Australia, an embarrassing loss in Paris, the end of his hegemony in London and a failure to grab singles gold in Beijing, second-ranked Federer arrives with questions swirling about what is wrong with his game, his head and his once impenetrable aura.

Federer, who won so often and so easily during his 237-week run atop the rankings that he often eschewed coaches and seemed indifferent to conditions, admitted Saturday that a little love from the crowd could help. "I think I need the support a little bit this year," he said during a news conference.

Nadal, who took over the No. 1 ranking Aug. 18, has a chance to stamp his season as one for the ages after his wins at Paris and Wimbledon and the gold medal he captured in the Olympics in Beijing eight days ago.

Nadal said he felt great "satisfaction" to finally reach No. 1, but he said his approach to the year's final major is business as usual.

"When you want to win, the goal is still the same and the pressure is still the same," he said Saturday.

No one is counting the four-time defending champion out, especially on the U.S. Open's fast DecoTurf II hard courts, which play into Federer's offensive skills and movement. And by most standards, his season has been exceptional.

"I know pretty much every player except for one that would take his bad year," No. 9 Andy Roddick said. "So I think you have to use a little bit of perspective. He's created a bit of a monster for himself."

But since contracting mononucleosis at the start of the year, Federer, 27, has been a step behind his main rivals. He lost to eventual Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in Melbourne and suffered his most lopsided Grand Slam loss to Nadal at Roland Garros in Paris. The 22-year-old Spaniard then denied Federer a sixth consecutive Wimbledon.