US Open - Men: Federer eases through

Eurosport - Tue, 01 Sep 09:32:00 2009

World number one Roger Federer began his quest for a sixth consecutive US Open title by defeating US teen Devin Britton 6-1 6-3 7-5 in his first-round match.

TENNIS Roger Federer US Open first round 2009 - 0

The Swiss superstar advanced in 88 minutes to a second-round match against Germany's 65th-ranked Simon Greul, who outlasted 182nd-ranked Ecuadoran qualifier Giovanni Lapentti 6-3 4-6 3-6 6-0 7-6 (9).

Federer won 12 of the first 13 points, holding serve twice on his way to a 3-0 lead after only five minutes.

Britton, an 18-year-old US wild card who lost his only prior top-level match last month at Indianapolis, was outclassed from the start.

The 1,370th-ranked US college champion dropped the first set in 18 minutes, battled back in the second and broke Federer in the seventh game of the final set only to have Federer break back twice, claiming the match with the second on a crosscourt forehand winner.

Federer completed a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in June and set an all-time record with his 15th Slam title in July at Wimbledon.

Federer, a semi-finalist in each of the past 21 Grand Slam events, has won 61 career titles and nearly 50 million dollars in prize money, taking trophies at Madrid and Cincinnati this year in addition to his two Slam crowns.

After reclaiming the top ranking from Rafael Nadal with his Wimbledon title, Federer can keep the top spot by reaching the US Open's round of 16. An earlier exit opens the door for Nadal or Britain's Andy Murray to become number one.

Top seed Federer improved to 48-7 this year and 46-4 in career US Open matches. Federer has not lost a match on the Flushing Meadows hard courts since 2003, when David Nalbandian beat him in the fourth round.

Not since 1920s American star Bill Tilden ran off the modern-day Slam record of six wins in a row from 1920 through 1925 at the US event has any player dominated a major tennis championship the way Federer has owned the US Open.

Only four defending Slam champions have lost in the first round in the Open era, injured Australian Pat Rafter in 1999 being the only one at a US Open.

American Andy Roddick blasted his way past Bjorn Phau of Germany 6-1 6-4 6-2 in the final match of the opening day.

The fifth-seeded Roddick, who pushed Federer to an epic 30-game fifth set in the Wimbledon final, hardly had to break a sweat against the 84th-ranked Phau.

Banging in more than 80 percent of his sizzling first serves and showing off improved fitness with spectacular retrievals and diving volleys, Roddick breezed to victory in 95 minutes.

Roddick, the last player to win the US Open crown before Federer began his five-year reign, will next play 81st-ranked Marc Gicquel of France, who beat Russian Dmitry Tursunov.

20th seed Tommy Haas look vulnerable at one stage against Alejandro Falla but an injury to his Colombian opponent helped him dig out a 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7) 6-2 victory.

Big serving American John Isner powered his way past 28th seed Victor Hanescu 6-1 7-6 (14) 7-6 (5) with the Romanian failing to convert with any of his 10 set points in the second set.

2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt enjoyed a comfortable 6-0 6-3 6-4 victory over Thiago Alves, while James Blake enjoyed a comfortable 6-1 6-4 7-5 victory over Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain.

Mikhail Youzhny got one over on Paul-Henri Mathieu once again as he beat the 26th seed 2-6 7-5 6-0 6-2 in a repeat of the 2002 Davis Cup deciding rubber.

Robin Soderling, the French Open runner-up, and Spaniard Tommy Robredo both safely negotiated their way into round two with four set wins over Albert Montanes and Donald Young respectively.

Russian eighth seed Nikolay Davydenko advanced by defeating 222nd-ranked German qualifier Dieter Kindlmann 6-3 6-4 7-5.

Davydenko, who matched his best Grand Slam showings with 2006 and 2007 runs to the US Open semi-finals, will next face 70th-ranked Czech Jan Hernych, who outlasted Germany's Rainer Schuettler 1-6 7-6 (5) 6-4 2-6 6-3.

Watch the US Open day two LIVE from 4.45pm on Tuesday on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin Media 521); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe.

Seán Fay / AFP

Comment 32 - 51 of 51

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  1. Hey guys....
    I gave you so much money to praise me on­ eurosport....
    I havent found anything about me since­ morning.....
    anyways,
    I am gonna lose in the third­ round....
    Ivo Karlovic or Taylor dent will screw my­ @#$%....
    I am British Pig Murray.....

    From britishpigmurray, on Tue 1 Sep 9:40PM

  2. mun c, the truth is you're an idiot

    From samynorhane, on Tue 1 Sep 8:28PM

  3. Guys,take it easy,What tennis needs,rivals,and rivals­ with different styles too.Take Sampras and Agassi,the­ attacking serve volley-er against the relentless­ bass-liner.Its great to have Federer with his silky­ smooth attacking game,and Nadal with his tenacious­ defending and power.Im sure Fed is a little envious of­ Rafas clay court record,and Rafa freely admits that­ Rogers level of tennis is the highest ever.They respect­ each other as rivals,and as men.I am one of Federers­ fans,but would not begrudge Nadal anything he has­ achieved on a tennis court,if Nadal wins the US ,even­ against Fed,there will be applause in my house.Good­ luck to both of them.

    From carlos480bc, on Tue 1 Sep 5:37PM

  4. #44 - J and J, do you know what is seeded players?!

    From Vítor, on Tue 1 Sep 4:24PM

  5. Just because I'm a Fed fan doesn't mean I go to­ each article about Nadal saying that Fed's the­ greatest and Nadal sucks. It's their speciality,­ they got their articles, we've got ours. So hard to­ get?

    From dandelionmancipar, on Tue 1 Sep 3:09PM

  6. To comment 37: You know nothing - check out why Federer­ lost first before you write anything based on dry­ statistics.

    To comment 41: I know man, but what can­ you do. Nadal's fans think their hero has a patent­ for winning with Federer and stick their nose wherever­ they can to depreciate Fed's achievements. I­ respect Nadal for what he's doing but his obsessed­ fans drive me crazy. I can see it on how many posts­ there are here about Nadal winning this years US­ Open...c'mon how can he even reach the finals if he­ couldn't reach it while he was at his prime and now­ he's comin back after a long injury timeout.

    From dandelionmancipar, on Tue 1 Sep 3:07PM

  7. My comment 32 about Relaxing and Roddick got 5 thumbs­ down and is almost equal with comment 31 about Jasmin­ who has an agreeing, ageing boyfriend. Something not­ right here...........Too many Fed, Nadal, Murray, Djoko­ fans on line I guess.....

    From Con, on Tue 1 Sep 2:22PM

  8. nu.44 federer will swipe court with hewitt if they meet­ in third round...

    From patrasivan, on Tue 1 Sep 1:51PM

  9. ola azmy,
    fair comment to my comment, though 7 5 final­ set........i guess he didnt wanna sweat...good pont­ about fitness, not to over do it...ps i love roger,­ please dont get me wrong lol

    From sjhill96, on Tue 1 Sep 1:36PM

  10. dandeliion u are an idiot and should chill a bit more­ and enjoy the game and all its players.

    From ralph, on Tue 1 Sep 12:55PM

  11. great post scourge

    From ralph, on Tue 1 Sep 12:52PM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Roger yet again doesn't meet Raffa of Andy in the­ early stages................... Makes you think­ !!!!!!!!!!!

    From J and J, on Tue 1 Sep 12:32PM

  13. Britton really improved in the third set, exhibiting­ some spectacular serve&volley combinations. I­ wonder if Federer has just lost his attention in the­ middle of that set or if Britton played the best tennis­ in his life for 5 minutes. I believe he will go through­ the second round but can't wait to see his­ confrontation with Hewitt shall it happen.

    From risimko, on Tue 1 Sep 11:54AM

  14. Just out of curiocity, the two thumbs down I got for­ this comment, "Guys, relax!!!! It's early days­ yet, and keep an­ eye out for RODDICK! " is it­ because you guys are Fed or Nadal fans or is it because­ you are too hyped up and can't relax lol!!!!!!

    From Con, on Tue 1 Sep 11:50AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    ya..federe ease through..ya federer advance through­ next round...bla bla bla.. BUT STILL FEDERER CAN"T­ WIN THIS YEAR US OPEN TITLE. THATS THE TRUTH,OH YES­ THAT THE TRUTH!!

    From mun c, on Tue 1 Sep 11:17AM

  16. and Federer.
    Take care

    From scourge_werepire, on Tue 1 Sep 11:08AM

  17. federer ease through..so what? i think many seeded­ player ease through too...

    From mun c, on Tue 1 Sep 11:06AM

  18. Ray V, i dont understand where this hate is all coming­ from...Nadal doesnt hate Federer nor does Federer hates­ Nadal...Roger admitted that he and Murray only climbed­ the rankings this summer because of Nadal absence..what­ do you want more???that Roger loses on purpose so that­ your hero can re-take the no.1 spot?that he plays­ poorly(disrespecting his opponents) so that your hero­ can fulfill your dreams??
    Everyone on this forum knows­ that Roger Federer is the emperor on the courts of­ Flushing Meadows, they are the fastest courts on earth,­ they are even faster than Wimbledon after the­ "slow-down", if Nadal hasn´t reached the­ final of this event at his peak, how will he reach it­ when he comes from injury...he wont win this, but i­ dont hate him for that...you hate Federer because he is­ called the GOAT by many having 7-13 against Nadal...you­ think he shouldn't be called the greatest where he­ lost so many times to a guy, fine with me...but you­ sure now that 9 of those wins came on clay, and Nadal­ already has the nickname of "King of Clay"­ and he is already considerer the best clay courter­ ever...tell me again why you hate Federer!! beacause he­ has 15 Slams and talks all the time about it???(ohh­ forgot, the media does it for him). because he is­ always telling the world how fantastic he is and that­ he is the real no.1???(ohh forgot, the media does it­ for him), or perhaps you hate Roger Federer because­ Rafael Nadal said he is the best player ever???
    One­ thing im sure, i dont hate Nadal! he is a great­ competitor and a great inspiration to many people, and­ so is Roger..he inspires me in every way, thats why ii­ like him...but being a fan of Federer doesnt make me­ HATE NADAL...for sure i wish Federer could beat his­ rival more often...they are 1-1 this season and that is­ a great prospect...looking at it with real eyes, with­ was in 2008 that the h-2-h got so unbalanced...
    Hope i­ made my point clear to you, Ray V and to all the people­ that hate both Nadal

    From scourge_werepire, on Tue 1 Sep 11:05AM

  19. dandelionmancipar, comm26
    all the "f"s of­ yours prove your point is weak. have a look again at­ the first match they played on hard court when nadal­ was 17y old and roger no1 and about to win 3 majors­ that year,2004. federers technique is sublime but­ success is a state of mind. nadal managed to get in­ federer"s head since the first time they played­ each other..

    From theodore, on Tue 1 Sep 10:55AM

  20. ROGER: 1 DOWN, 6 TO GO!!

    From Vítor, on Tue 1 Sep 10:44AM
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