September Chris Oddo 09/01/2018

Watch: Federer’s Four Finest Shots

NEW YORK—Asking supreme shotmaker Roger Federer to cite the best shot he ever struck is like asking Shakespeare to select his best soliloquy.Federer scraped out a stunning flick forehand pass around the net post during his 6-4, 6-1, 7-5, sweep of Nick Kyrgios to reach the US Open fourth round today.

Are
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…………Serious?@rogerfederer delivers the shot of the tournament!Sit back and enjoy…#USOpen pic.twitter.com/6GEdG2CcpW
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2018

The second-seeded Swiss called it one of his finest shots made possible by the world’s largest Grand Slam stage.“You don’t get an opportunity to hit around the net post very often, because in practice, you can’t really train them,” Federer said. “The net is out further and the court is more narrow, so for a shot like this to happen in a practice, you will be running into a fence and you will hit it into the net.“So these shots can only really happen on a big court where you play with the single posts in the doubles alley. I have hit a few throughout my career, and, sure, they are always fun.”The man whose improvisational skill can make the improbable a reality named his four finest shots.Here they are with Federer’s comments on each.No phone booth, no tights, no cape, no problem.The Swiss wearing swoosh goes airborne for this audacious flying Superman smash off a smash thrilling the home crowd in Basel and leaving Andy Roddick looked disorientated. A dazzled Roddick tossed his racquet toward Federer in mock disgust over that inspired improvisation.“I do believe the smash off the smash against Roddick was special just because it was way back in the court, as well,” Federer said.

Even if Salvadore Dali played tennis, this surreal Federer artistry against Andre Agassi defies imagination.“And then there was one more in Dubai against Agassi on break point,” Federer said. “I was able to flick a ball. I still don’t know how I did it today. It went for a lob over him. I don’t know. It was just a massive point on top of it, and it was against Andre.”

Federer’s finest came in Flushing Meadows.Racing with his back to net, Federer created pure magic with a mind-blowing tweener pass.The 20-time Grand Slam champion calls this breathtaking tweener against Novak Djokovic at the 2009 US Open his most brilliant shot.

“And then the one through the legs here against Novak, just because of the magnitude of the shot, as well,” Federer said. “I think it was 6-5, Love-30, it was just also a big-time moment in the game, which obviously always matters, as well.”Photo credit: @US Open ]]>