2010 U.S. Open Tennis: Roger Federer Still on Course With All-Swiss Final

Tennis in the wind is a funny game. Toss the ball too high, and it moves more. Hit the ball high, and it sails or stops and drops. Come to the net more and there are more chances since side line shots are more difficult to make and the tendency is to hit down the center of the court with much more margin for error. So it went for Roger Federer as he beat yet another player, fifth seeded Robin Soderling.

In horse racing, the conditions of the field often dictate the result. There are good mudders, who are great when the conditions are sloppy making the track a mess. And there are those who are better in good weather. Federer seems to be good in all conditions, but best by far when facing adverse conditions. No other highly ranked player seems to come close.  

So it was last night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, with the wind swirling and the ball seeming to have a mind of its own. When efficiency counts the most, Federer rises above the crowd. And, with the most efficient ground strokes and serve, this match was not close after the first few games.

While it is tempting to provide excuses to Soderling, whose seemingly mocking smile gradually moved to a soulful grimace, the most important point was not the umpire's call that gave a point to Federer despite what looked like a close case for replaying the point. It was also not the weakness in Soderling's serve or the power of Federer's outstanding return game. It was the first of the drop shots in the first set that forced Soderling into a move that may have been more costly physically than any other during the tournament.

After the successful drop shot by Federer, Soderling seemed to expend much more effort and did not seem entirely steady on his feet. It looked like he was physically taken, and perhaps sore in some way, from that point on.

It is one thing to be a power player whose game is reduced in order to get the ball in play. It is entirely another to face quick returns with the ball starting its rise in conditions like yesterday. In the end, the more telling statistic may have been the continuing success Federer is having with his service game. He is second in number of aces, and remains one of the best service placement players in the history of the game.

John McEnroe noted that while other players seem to trudge (my word, not his) around the court, Federer seems to float above it. Like some supernatural power, Federer is rarely out of any point. He is constantly recalibrating, moving the ball with ease, and forcing the action.

An interesting fact is that the most successful moments in the game for Soderling were at the net. Indeed, the larger and less agile Soderling seemed to have Federer's number frequently when playing the net.

While this fact will almost certainly not be lost on Federer's next opponents, Novak Djokovic and if Federer wins, either Stanislas Wawrinka or Rafael Nadal in my opinion, it is worth noting that only Wawrinka has the net game to take Federer to task from that location. Both Djokovic and Nadal do not have the net game to stymie Federer there. And, based on the matches played so far, only a great net game will steal this tournament from Federer's near monopoly on the U.S. Open championship. 

As long as Wawrinka's thigh does not present a problem in his matches against Mikhail Youzhny and Nadal, Wawrinka could upset both players. With an All-Swiss Finals still in their grasp, that little extra could mean a lot to both Wawrinka and Federer. 

Wawrinka has beaten his countryman before.