(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Queens, NY—"Champions know that if you stop getting better, you're getting worse"—Jose Higueras, former coach of Roger Federer.
Like a great wine, Roger Federer keeps on improving. Whether it's adding few more mph to his first serve or making sure his backhand slice leaves his opponents with a millisecond of reaction time, Federer's skill-set has grown throughout the years.
But within the context of improving, the inevitable often occurs: The younger generation of upbeat contenders improves as well.
Gracefully bulling his way through the record books, Federer aligned himself with another grand opportunity in New York today: the chance to pick up his 16th Major championship.
Contesting the title match on a Monday for the second straight year, the five-time champion faced his sixth different opponent in the year's final Major—Juan Martin del Potro.
One of the tallest competitors on tour, del Potro became overwhelmed by the proposition of winning his "favorite tournament." After dismissing Rafael Nadal in three slap-shot sets on Sunday, del Potro decided to venture back into Ashe Stadium ('cause he loves the place so darn much) and take in the Federer-Novak Djokovic encounter.
All the scouting in the world wouldn't save the lanky Argentine from what was about to take place in the largest tennis pantheon on the planet—playing a man who was contesting in his 21st Grand Slam final was a hard scenario to replicate.
From the moment the first ball was struck, it was evident how this match was going to be played: youthful exuberance vs. the sleek experience of the Swiss.
As the two men walked through the corridor of champions, the deafening sound of the center court crowed bounced off the evident tension present between the two finalists.
Apart from both men sporting all-black attire, the demeanor of each man could not have been more different.
Federer began in scintillating form, eclipsing his fine start against Djokovic yesterday. His serve was finding the corners, and his return of serve was biting through the court.
By contrast, del Potro landed only two of his 10 first serves and found himself down an early break of serve on the strength of a corner-to-corner forehand passing shot by Federer. A roar by the crowd (and del Potro for that matter) resulted in the first set running away from the Argentine in 40 minutes.
Del Potro's straight-set, woodshed defeat to Federer in Australia seemed to be on replay. Federer's flatter ball was definitely giving the Argentine all sorts of adversity.
On top of dealing with Federer's rising form, del Potro was not exuding a winning attitude. If you want to beat Federer, you must make him believe that the belief is present. Del Potro failed to achieve this vital component during the opening set.
Federer wouldn't hesitate in taking advantage of his demoralized opponent, and after the first set was captured 6-3, it became apparent that the only man in recent history to have a realistic chance of defeating the Swiss was a Mallorcan who was set home on Sunday.
The beginning of the second set provided little to no refuge for the Argentine. He continued to question his tactics and technique, and the joy which he had received in reaching his first Slam final was extinguished.
The three-man cheering section in del Potro's player box remained stoic and concerned.
Del Potro's dream of becoming the second Argentinean man after Guillermo Vilas to capture the Open was slipping away rapidly.
But with the knowledge of having gone the distance with Federer in Paris still burning through his lanky 6'6" frame, del Potro began one of the most improbable comebacks in Grand Slam history.
After going down an early break of serve in set two, del Potro changed gears and began to spin his first serve in the box—abandoning his 130 mph bombs.
When looking back at this final, the spin serves of del Potro ultimately got him back in contention. Federer has always struggled against slower serves, a la Rafael Nadal, David Nalbandian, and Guillermo Canas, and del Potro's altering serve speeds will perhaps stay in Federer's mind long after this tournament.
Federer's return-of-serve mindset has historically revolved around reacting and not initiating. Del Potro's change of pace completely threw Federer off his game plan and propelled del Potro to capturing the second set in a tiebreaker.
Federer regained momentary order in the third set by breaking del Potro (early on) and closing the door on a two-sets-to-one lead.
The fourth set provided heated moments between the two, which was highlighted by a few suspect line calls, as well as domination by del Potro's forehand.
Going down right to the wire, the fourth set ultimately decided the winner of the contest. Del Potro continued to whack away from the baseline, and in an odd but unexpected way, Federer allowed him to do so.
This affair in many ways mirrored Federer's five-set loss to Rafael Nadal in Australia this year. After reaching the fifth set Down Under, Federer wilted under the pressure (or disinterest) and ended up regretting his decision in a tearful manner.
Federer's elite game often leaves him astonished that he has to fight, and today was another classic example of his opponent sticking around, allowing him to question his fight.
With the fifth set essentially being a washout (shades of Oz), del Potro finally achieved his dream of winning the US Open and in the process ended Federer's 40-match winning streak in New York.
"I achieved one of my goals today (winning the US Open), and I now hope to be like you, Roger, in the future," del Potro said during the trophy ceremony.
The four-hour and six-minute victory by del Potro proved that anything is possible in the tennis world. If you doubt that statement, look no further than the crowning achievement of del Potro's first Grand Slam title—he is the first player in the dominate Federer-Nadal era to defeat both champions in a Major event.
This piece began with a quote from Jose Higueras, and in a fitting fashion, let's end it with a quote from your 2009 US Open champion.
"Maybe Roger feel the nervous, because with his six straight tournaments, of course it's difficult. But I did my things. I have respect for what my coach say before the match. That's the reason of my victory," said del Potro.
It seems as though with all the accolades Federer has achieved throughout his illustrious career, nerves are an apparent roadblock from time to time.
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