U.S. Open Tennis 2010: Roger Federer Will Forever Be Defined by This Tournament

Roger Federer is a magician on the tennis court and a suave character off of it.

With devastating power and finesse to go along with it, he is truly a total package and makes tennis a joy to watch. And for those of us who are unfortunate enough to not possess his skill, he makes it look so easy that we think we can go out onto any court and hit the shots he hits.

With 16 Grand Slam trophies on his mantle, the Swiss tennis genius is hailed by many as the greatest tennis player to ever live. The Maestro has been to an astounding 22 Grand Slam finals, including an unprecedented span of 10 in a row. The number of records he holds is roughly equal to the number of times he makes us gasp in astonishment during a single match: too many to count.

Yet that title of greatest ever is still not unanimously given to Federer.

This tournament could change that. 

The Shot

Just picture this scene. You're playing your heart out against the No. 2 ranked player in the world during the opening round of the 2010 U.S. Open. As a cherry on top, it's the night match on Centre Court.

You hit a lob shot over the head of your opponent and stand on the baseline, almost certain that you've got this point wrapped up. Yet somehow he starts to chase the ball down and you feel your stomach starting to rise up into your throat and you stare in disbelief as a simple wrist-flick propels the yellow ball from between his legs. 

The ball rockets by you as you stare in disbelief at the winning shot of the point. Then you remember you're playing Roger Federer and you can do nothing but shake your head, not in shock but in amazement.

Such was the experience of Brian Dabul, the latest victim of Federer's magic. 

This shot, which Federer views as one of the best he's ever hit, is so much more than just a shot that won a single point of an opening round match. It represents this entire 2010 U.S. Open for Roger Federer. 

Let's say he missed the shot.

It would have been no big deal, he would've moved on and won the match despite the error, if you could have even called it that. Similarly, if Federer does not manage to take home the winner's check and trophy this year at Flushing Meadows, he will still be known as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. 

But he made the shot and added one extra highlight to his performance against Dabul. In a similar vein, if Federer goes on to win this tournament, it will be a feather in his cap, just one more added line to his resume. Yet this feather, line, or whatever else you may wish to metaphorically call it will be the one that pushes the tennis media over the edge. 

They will have no choice but to unanimously label him as the greatest of all time.

The Legacy

Now, why does this tournament forever define the tennis god known as Roger Federer? The answer has to do with perception. 

His dominance and perceived invincibility seems to be wearing away now. Despite his convincing win last week against Mardy Fish and the rest of the Cincinnati Masters tournament field, critics are saying that the Swiss tennis player's reign of supremacy is coming to a screeching halt. 

While he currently sits just below Rafael Nadal on the tennis ladder, 2010 has seen Federer fall to No. 3 in the world for the first time since 2003. He still has the ability to win any tournament he's entered in, but eventually old age, which comes much sooner in the world of tennis, will indeed catch up with him. 

Some claim that it already has, meaning that this tournament is the perfect opportunity for Federer to put his naysayers to rest. 

Going into last year's U.S. Open, Federer had won 40-straight matches and five-straight titles. But then, in the tournament he routinely dominated, he was ousted by Juan Martin del Potro. Consequently, the questions started.

Now Federer faces a field devoid of some of the biggest names. Andy Roddick, while in the tournament field as the ninth seed, has been sick with mononucleosis. Defending champion del Potro is out with an injury. The time for Federer to grab the title back is now. 

A win would prove the doubters wrong and give him his second Grand Slam title of the year. He would be able to rub the trophy in the face of those who say he's too old and washed up.

He would be able to say he was the greatest ever.