Fresh from a heart-breaking loss at the All-England Tennis Club, the abrupt end to Roger Federer’s US Open on Tuesday raised questions whether the 38-year-old can deliver on a record-extending 21st Grand Slam title.
Federer had hoped to shake off the agony of his most recent Wimbledon final, where the top prize slipped through his fingers and into the arms of frequent rival Novak Djokovic after he failed to convert two championship points.
However, unseeded Grigor Dimitrov thwarted the effort in Flushing Meadows in a five-set marathon, leaving a puzzled crowd to wonder if the Swiss would ever again hoist a Grand Slam trophy.
Photo: AFP
“I don’t have the crystal ball. Do you?” the third seed said after a reporter asked if he expected to win another Grand Slam title at his age. “We never know. I hope so, of course. I think still that it’s been a positive season. Disappointing now, but I’ll get back up. I’ll be all right.”
For Federer, nothing is out of the question — and not without precedent: The oldest man to win the US Open title was Bill Larned, who was 38 years, 8 months and 3 days old when he triumphed.
Of course, that was in 1911.
In four months, he plans to renew his effort to add to his Grand Slam coffers at the Australian Open, where he last year collected his last title.
“[I have] got to take the losses. They’re part of the game,” Federer said. “Looking forward to family time... Life’s all right.”
WOMEN’S SINGLES
AFP, NEW YORK
Serena Williams on Tuesday said that tennis had “come a really long way” as she moved to within a victory of a 10th US Open final, 20 years after winning her first Grand Slam title in New York.
Williams, who turns 38 later this month, charged into the last four at Flushing Meadows with a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of China’s Wang Qiang that took just 44 minutes.
The American is hunting a 24th Grand Slam singles title to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record and next faces Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina in today’s semi-finals.
Williams collected her 100th US Open win against Wang, leaving her one shy of the mark belonging to Chris Evert — a record she could eclipse by lifting a seventh title here.
“I think the sport has come a really long way. It’s been really satisfying to see sport for women, the premier sport for women,” said Williams, who beat Martina Hingis in the 1999 final in New York. “It’s the best work in the world that a woman can do, in my mind. I’m a little biased obviously. I feel like we fought so hard for so many years for so many different things. I feel like we still obviously have a ways to go, but a lot of that fighting through decades has come through.”
Williams conceded just 15 points, and a mere four in the second set, as she blew 18th seed Wang away to reach the last four for the 13th time in 19 US Open appearances.
Wang conceded that she had no answer to the power supplied by Williams, who told reporters that her approach remains the same.
“I don’t try to up any intimidation factor. I am who I am. I’ve always been the person that goes out there and roars and screams, and complains and cries and fights,” Williams said. “I’m extremely passionate about what I do. Most people that love their jobs are passionate about what they do. That’s just me.”
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