Federer, Venus Williams, Roddick win at US Open

By: HOWARD FENDRICH

NEW YORK - The trick shot that was the highlight of Roger Federer’s first-round win at the US Open was most definitely real.

The five-time US Open champion was up at the net Monday night when 96th-ranked Brian Dabul of Argentina lofted a lob. Federer spun around to sprint toward the baseline. A couple of steps before reaching the wall behind the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and with his back to the net, Federer swatted the ball between his legs. The shot landed in a corner beside Dabul, who raised his eyebrows and shrugged.
“Only he can do that,” Dabul said.
It was part of a remarkable 46-4 edge in winners for Federer during his 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory. It also was the highlight at Flushing Meadows on Day 1 of the tournament, when past US Open champions Andy Roddick, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters all advanced, while 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt lost in the first round at New York for the first time.
The sublime bit of shotmaking was nearly identical to a back-to-the-court, through-the-legs passing winner Federer hit against Novak Djokovic in the 2009 US Open semifinals.
More Grand Slam champions were slated to play first-round matches yesterday, including Djokovic, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova during the day, and No. 1-seeded Rafael Nadal at night. The top-seeded woman, 2009 US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki, was to play 2010 NCAA singles champion Chelsey Gullickson in yesterday’s last scheduled match.
Asked if Monday’s shot was better than the one against Djokovic, Federer said he’d need to go to the videotape to be sure.
Williams won titles here in 2000 and 2001, had two runner-up finishes and nothing worse than a fourth-round loss.
She looked pretty impressive Monday, becoming only the fifth woman with 200 Grand Slam match wins by beating Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4, 6-1.
It was Williams’ first match since a June 29 loss at Wimbledon; she missed time because of a sprained left kneecap, and landed awkwardly on that leg early in the second set.
“Thankfully,” Williams said, “after that, she did most of the running.”
Roddick turned 28 on Monday, and after beating Stephane Robert of France 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, was asked what significance he attributes to his age.
“Obviously, I know I’m probably closer to the finish than I am to the start,” he said. “But ... it’s a number. I’m barely older than I was yesterday.”
He is, however, seven years older than he was when he won his lone Grand Slam title at the 2003 US Open.
Clijsters won the US Open each of the past two times she entered, in 2005 and 2009, and she stretched her winning streak in New York to 15 matches Monday despite a brief blip.
The No. 2-seeded Clijsters began her title defense with a 6-0, 7-5 victory over 104th-ranked Greta Arn of Hungary.
It was an afternoon of mostly straightforward results, although two-time French Open runner-up Robin Soderling was stretched to five sets before edging 214th-ranked qualifier Andreas Haider-Maurer, who finished with 34 aces.
The tournament started Monday morning in a mostly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium with last year’s surprise quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin’s 6-3, 6-0 victory over 143rd-ranked qualifier Olga Savchuk of Ukraine.
– Nampa-AP

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