By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, September 1, 2018
Roger Federer fired 51 winners dismissing Nick Kyrgios, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5, charging into his 17th US Open fourth round.
Photo credit: US Open Instagram
NEW YORK—A wide-eyed Nick Kyrgios had already seen enough.
A focused Roger Federer had more magic to show.
US Open: Federer Disputes Kyrgios
Streaking forward pursuing a tricky drop shot, Federer flicked an audacous forehand winner around the net post in response bring many of the packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd to their feet in admiration.
The most jaw-dropping shot of this US Open summed up this blockbuster.
Even when Kyrgios created cheeky combinations, Federer turned the unpredictable Aussie into his own personal punch line.
Shifting spins and angles brilliantly, Federer carved up Kyrgios, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5, charging into his 17th US Open fourth round.
"Of course I'm happy that it was three," Federer told ESPN's Darren Cahill afterward. "I thought I played very well. At the beginning it was hard to get any sort of rhythm and he had more chances so I think the first set was key.
"Look I enjoy playing against Nick. He comes up with different kind of shot-making so that keeps you always on the edge and it's quite entertaining for the opponent. So I enjoyed it."
The second-seeded Swiss has not surrendered a set in the tournament, raising his 2018 record to 36-5, including a 24-3 mark on hard courts. Federer continues his quest for his first US Open title in a decade.
The Australian Open champ will try to continue his roll against Aussie John Millman, who reached his first Flushing Meadows fourth round with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Mikhail Kukushkin in a match that featured 14 service breaks.
That jaw-dropping forehand flick left Kyrgios muttering "that's sick!"
"It was almost unreal," Kyrgios said the stunning shot. "Almost got to the point where I wanted him to start making shots like that, and I finally got it. I was pretty happy with myself."
Hall of Famer John McEnroe recently told Tennis Now Kyrgios is the most gifted player he's seen since Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Battling hip and elbow issues as well as a tendency for adopting an apathetic attitude when the going gets tough, Kyrgios suffered his seventh straight loss to a Top 10 opponent dropping to 1-7 vs. the elite this season.
Playing for his first trip to the US Open fourth round, the man in the modified faux-hawk knows how to make first impressions.
Kyrgios tried Federer's own SABR return on the first point of the match, unloaded a 136 mph missile on his first serve of the match, seemed to imitate the 20-time Grand Slam champion's serve on one point and spent some of this afternoon overplaying the drop shot and getting burned by Federer's response.
"He came out firing a lot of aces and feeling good," Federer said. "I was struggling with my backhand early on finding rhythm."
The stressed Swiss miss a couple of backhands then saw Kyrgios blast a forehand return past him for triple break point in the seventh game. Federer withstood all three then denied a fourth break point with a forehand down the line.
Standing tall during a demanding six-deuce game, Federer found the right solutions holding for 4-3.
That game proved to be pivotal, sparking a seven-game surge that effectively put the match away.
"I think if he breaks there, I think he'll probably run away and win that first set," Federer said. "That's why I think that game was particularly crucial.
"That's how it is against the big servers. You have to try to somehow squeeze out a game like that and stay in the lead rather than being down. Today, luck was on my side."
Two days ago, Kyrgios said the key stroke to Federer's all-court brilliance was his backhand chip return.
That analysis proved prophetic.
Knowing Kyrgios can be lazy with his legs in the front court, Federer drew him forward passing the airborne Aussie down the line for set point. Kyrgios created a sharp forehand angle to save it only to net a forehand for a second set point.
Improvisation is a Federer asset, while impulse-control is a Kyrgios challenge.
Trying a second serve-and-volley, he paid the price as Federer chipped a clean backhand return down the line to snatch a one-set lead despite being outplayed for much of the set.
Transition skills and superior touch were key today: Federer won 21 of 25 trips to net repeatedly torching his opponent with touch, while Kyrgios, whose footwork was not nearly as clean, won just 14 of 30 net trips.
The No. 30 seed offered one word to sum up his collapse: "pressure."
"Got to the business end of the first set, crucial moment," Kyrgios said after falling to Federer for the third time in four meetings. "Played a terrible service game. Didn't make any first serves. Just it was tough. I knew how important that first set was.
"He loosened up straightaway after that. He started playing some shots that we all know, you know, he can make. All the pressure was off him. He's an unbelievable frontrunner. When he gets in front, there's not much you can do."
Barking at himself "first serve! first serve!" during the ensuing changoever, Kyrgios returned to court tormented by touch.
A slick drop shot earned break point and when Kyrgios splattered a shot into net Federer had a one set, 2-0 lead.
Exploiting his opponent's flat-footed stance behind the baseline, the Swiss pulled off an audacious backhand drop shot slathered with side-spin for 3-0.
A match that was so tense at the start looked as loose as an exhibition.
When stressed-out, Kyrgios can resort to drop shots or trick shots to try to spark life into his game. But a disgruntled Kyrgios bungled a couple of drop shot attempts gifting Federer his third break in a row.
Slashing a pair of aces, Federer soared to a two-sets to love lead after an hour.
Launching a wild wide forehand, Kyrgios faced break point in the 11th game of the third set.
Teasing the power player with yet another chip backhand, Federer drew a netted backhand breaking for 6-5.
The five-time US Open champion sealed the one hour, 44-minute win in style swatting his 16th ace.