Roger Federer US Open 2011: Why Juan Monaco Will Give Federer Fits

Roger Federer is in for a bumpy ride on Monday night at the US Open.

The No. 3 seed will be squaring off against No. 36-seeded Juan Monaco in the first test of the tournament for the five-time champion.

Federer has barely broken a sweat in his first three matches and enters the fourth round in great shape physically.

So does Monaco according to Geoff MacDonald of the New York Times:

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I think Juan Monaco has the conditioning to go after Roger Federer Monday. If he can win one of the first two sets, I think he could lower Federer’s level just enough to make this a tight four setter, or even an upset.

If Monaco were to win, he would break Federer’s remarkable streak of 29 straight quarterfinals in Grand Slams. He is playing with passion and confidence, and he could test Federer in this gripping fourth-round encounter.

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The key is getting Federer rattled early by stealing the first set. He hasn’t faced any sort of adversity thus far and falling behind early could unravel one of the all-time greats.

There is a lot on the line for Federer. In addition to the 29-straight quarterfinals wins in Grand Slams, he’s also fighting to win his first major of the calendar season. If he fails, it will be the first time since 2002 that Federer failed to win at least one of the four major Grand Slams.

With so many incredible records on the line…his nerves will be skyrocketing with every error.

Monaco really likes to attack the net and that can give the powerful Federer some problems. Forcing Federer to run up and down as much as possible is in the best interests of Monaco.

While I do believe that the experience and determination of Federer will eventually prevail, Monaco will not be going down without a fight and this match won’t be decided until the fifth set.

It’s going to be a long night for Federer.