He dropped all of seven games in the first round of the US Open, allowing the owner of a record 16 Grand Slam titles to feel pretty good about things.
“It’s the perfect start, sure. I played Monday; had two days off. I had another easy one physically today, and here I am in the third round feeling like I’m completely in the tournament,’’ said Federer, a five-time US Open champion and the only man left in the field who has won it.
“I got a sense for how the court speed is again. I got the sense of the crowd and the wind now, as well. I played one night, one day. I have all the answers after two matches.’’
In other words: Let everyone else sweat it out.
Like Kei Nishikori, the 147th-ranked qualifier, who fought cramps in his racket-holding right hand and elsewhere while taking a minute shy of five hours to wrap up a 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 victory over 11th-seeded Marin Cilic.
“It was very humid. It wasn’t easy to get the oxygen,’’ said Cilic, an Australian Open semifinalist in January.
His was one of a handful of upsets. Beatrice Capra, an 18-year-old from Ellicott City, Md., ousted No. 18 Aravane Rezai, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3; No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska lost to Peng Shuai; and No. 22 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez fell to Patty Schnyder.
Novak Djokovic’s straight-set victory over Philipp Petzschner was interrupted briefly in the eighth game while police escorted out three spectators after a fight in the upper deck of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
US Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier says it was a “disagreement over verbiage.’’ Djokovic, the No. 3 seed, and Petzschner stopped playing and looked up into the stands while New York police handcuffed the fans and led them out. Nobody was hurt. Widmaier said: “It was a hot night in New York. Things happen.’’
