SPORTS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014 Federer poised to step out of darkness in NY NEW YORK: Twelve months after crashing to his worst Swiss never doubted his ability to remain a force in the said Djokovic. “I’m not feeling very comfortable on believe that the Scot’s work is done. Now down at defeat in New York in a decade, Roger Federer heads to sport and he goes into his 15th US Open with his unwa- the court. Obviously I want to peak in New York. I nine in the world, the 27-year-old has not got the 2014 US Open poised to become the oldest Grand vering confidence justified. expect more from myself, but I have to keep on beyond the quarter-finals of any tournament since Slam champion in more than 40 years. In an astonishing There were hints of a revival at Wimbledon in July going. A Grand Slam is coming up, and that’s where his morale-sapping semi-final loss to Nadal at the reversal of fortunes, the 33-year-old, written off as a relic where he was defeated in five sets by world number I want to do well.” French Open where the Spaniard allowed him just of the game when he slipped to a fourth round loss to one Novak Djokovic. Since then, he has been runner-up Despite his recent troubles, Djokovic, whose six games. Tommy Robredo in 2013, is perfectly positioned to win at Toronto and champion in Cincinnati. “I come in with second Wimbledon title took his majors haul to With 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro still a staggering 18th major at the season’s concluding great confidence,” said Federer, chasing a record sixth seven, will still be the big favourite in New York sidelined by injury, the much-vaunted next genera- Grand Slam event which starts Monday. Buoyed by title in New York and where he will be playing in a 64th having reached the final in the last four years. tion will get another opportunity to shine. Canada’s claiming a sixth Cincinnati title and his 80th career consecutive Grand Slam. “I know my game is where I Furthermore, his record at all the majors is impres- Milos Raonic, the world number six, was a semi- crown, the Swiss is revelling in the twilight of his career want it to be. It’s about just keeping that level up right sive-the last time he failed to make at least the finalist at Wimbledon and Cincinnati where he was just a year after it was being consumed by darkness. now.” Meanwhile, his fellow members of the “Big Four” quarter-finals of a Grand Slam was at the 2009 swept aside in straight sets on both occasions by That last-16 loss to Robredo meant it was the first are slipping and sliding. Djokovic, the 2011 champion, French Open. Federer who made him look the one-dimensional year since 2002 that he had failed to make a Grand Slam heads into the tournament with two dispiriting third The odds on Djokovic and Federer meeting in big-server many in the game believe him to be. final. The defeat also marked the first time in 10 years round losses in Toronto and Cincinnati with the 27-year- the September 8 final were shortened on Monday Fellow 23-year-old Grigor Dimitrov, the world num- that he hadn’t made at least the last-eight at Flushing old Serb, recently married, having to bat back accusa- when defending champion Rafael Nadal was ber eight, has three titles to his name in 2014 but Meadows. Suddenly, his five consecutive US Open titles tions that he is distracted by impending fatherhood. forced to withdraw with a right wrist injury. lost out to Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals. from 2004-2008 appeared a detail in history and his Andy Murray, the 2012 champion, has not More frustratingly, the Bulgarian boyfriend of Maria 17th and most recent major success-the 2012 ‘Not clicking’ reached a final of any description since his historic Sharapova, has yet to win a match in three visits to Wimbledon title-looked certain to be his last. But the “Just many, many, many things are not clicking,” 2013 Wimbledon triumph, prompting many to the US Open. — AFP Supreme Serena targets 18th major at US Open NEW YORK: World number one Serena show your legacy through the sport,” she said. Williams is firing on all cylinders as she seeks Just who else might emerge to challenge to stretch her tally of Grand Slam singles titles Williams is unclear. Australian Open champi- to 18 at the US Open. The familiar hardcourts on Li Na of China is an injury absentee, while of Flushing Meadows, where Williams has lift- Czech Petra Kvitova has been an early casual- ed the trophy the past two years and a total ty in the two tournaments she has played of five times, is just the place to end her 2014 since winning Wimbledon. Eugenie Bouchard, Grand Slam drought. The American superstar who reached the semi-finals at the Australian hasn’t made it past the fourth round of a and French Opens before becoming the first major this year. But she has won two of her Canadian woman to reach a Grand Slam final five 2014 titles in the buildup to the Open, at Wimbledon, has failed to impress since her signalling she won’t surrender her crown crushing loss to Kvitova at the All England without a fight. Club. Her straight-sets win over Ana Ivanovic in the final at Cincinnati showed Williams at her Azarenka injury cloud dominant best. “At some point of the match, I Victoria Azarenka, beaten by Williams in actually felt quite embarrassed walking from each of the past two US Open finals, goes into one side to the other for returns,” Ivanovic the fortnight under an injury cloud. The said of the near-hopelessness of returning Belarusian, owner of two Australian Open Williams’ serve. It was a long way from titles, has been limited to just six events in Ivanovic’s fourth-round victory over Williams 2014. She battled a foot injury for much of at the Australian Open, where the American the year and withdrew from her title defense was hindered by back pain. Back trouble, and at Cincinnati with a right knee injury. the virus that left her weak and woozy in dou- Russian veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova, who bles after her shock third-round singles exit at won the US Open in 2004, arrives in New York Wimbledon, are all in the past, Williams said. having snapped a four-year WTA title drought “I’m in some of the best shape I’ve been at Washington in August. Australian in,” she said. “I can play long points and be Samantha Stosur-whose 2011 US Open tri- ready to go again. I feel really fit - 32 is the umph makes her the last woman to beat WINSTON SALEM: Sam Querrey of the USA returns a shot to Pere Riba of Spain during the Winston-Salem Open at Wake Forest University on new 22, right?” An actual 22-year-old, Simona Williams in a final at Flushing Meadows-has August 18, 2014 in North Carolina. — AFP Halep, will be among those trying to topple had a largely forgettable season. Williams in New York. The Romanian has been Also among the former champions in the knocking at the door of a first Grand Slam field, Venus Williams has failed to shine in Querrey beats Riba in 1st title this year, finishing runner-up to Maria Grand Slams this year, but won her 45th Sharapova at Roland Garros. Halep also career title at Dubai and reached the final at reached the quarter-finals of the Australian the US Open tune-up in Montreal-where she Open and the semi-finals at Wimbledon as fell to Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska. round of Winston-Salem she climbed to number two in the world. That Canadian run included a her first vic- Williams will also be challenged by more tory over younger sister Serena since 2009, familiar foes, including Sharapova. adding intrigue to the possibility of a clash WINSTON-SALEM: Sam Querrey didn’t play his California natives, in a second-round match yes- humidity made for a really difficult match,” said Sharapova’s appetite is only greater after she between the sisters in New York. Ivanovic, the best tennis Monday - except when it counted. terday at the Wake Forest Tennis Center. Earlier, Goffin, who lost to Melzer in four sets in the missed last year’s US Open with a shoulder 2008 French Open champion, has never been Querrey got two key services breaks to beat Belgian qualifier David Goffin defeated defend- opening round of the French Open last May. injury that brought her season to a premature past the US Open quarter-finals. But the for- Spain’s Pere Riba 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in the first round of ing champion Jurgen Melzer of Austria 6-3, 6-4 “After the first set, I think he was really frustrated. close. She sealed yet another return from mer world number one is enjoying a resur- the Winston-Salem Open, the final tuneup before Monday to extend his winning streak to 23 con- He started making some mistakes. I took my injury by capturing her fifth career Grand gence this season and will be back in the top next week’s US Open. “My year’s been pretty secutive matches.