Federer eyes Sampras record

ROGER FEDERER has turned to the history books and other sports in his search for new objectives following a fourth consecutive US Open win.

The Swiss world number one defeated Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday night for his 27th consecutive match victory on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows.

David Nalbandian was the last man to beat him there at the fourth round stage in 2003.

His supremacy on grass is even more long reaching, having this summer landed a fifth Wimbledon title in succession with his defeat of world number two Rafael Nadal at the All England Club.

Federer’s New York victory at the weekend made him the first person since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win four in a row at the championships and gave him the 12th Grand Slam title of his career, all of them coming in the last 18 Grand Slams contested.

That moved him past Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg on the all-time Grand Slam winners list and into second place alongside Roy Emerson, leaving Federer now just two slams short of Pete Sampras’s record haul of 14.

Now regarded by some, and at the age of 26, as already the greatest player in the history of the sport and having beaten all comers on every surface but Nadal’s claycourt domain, Federer admitted Sampras’s record was utmost in his ambitions.

“I think about it a lot now, honestly,” Federer said on Sunday night after he had picked up a cheque for US$2.4m (€1.75m) from the United States Tennis Association — $1.4m (€1m) for winning the men’s title plus a $1m (€750,000) bonus for winning the US Open Series, the league table based on cumulative results from the summer hardcourt season in North America that ran up to the final grand slam of the year.

“I feel these two and a half weeks were so draining. I’m exhausted. It’s a great relief to finally have a good night’s sleep without thinking about the upcoming five setter I have to play. So to come so close (to the record)

already at my age is fantastic, and I

really hope to break it.”

Asked how many slams he thought he would win by the time he retired, Federer, said with a smile: I really don’t know. I hope more than Pete.”

Djokovic, the defeated 20-year-old Serbian finalist, certainly believes his conqueror is on a par with the American.

“I think Sampras and Federer have this thing in common,” Djokovic said. “They are very similar in that they are mentally very strong in the important moments; they always play their best. They’re ice-cold faces, just going for the shot. That’s why they’re (the) two best players for me.”

Federer played Sampras competitively only once, when the rising Swiss prodigy ended the American’s amazing 31-match streak at Wimbledon in 2001, denying the seven-time champion in the fourth round and ending his bid for a record-equalling fifth straight title.

Now the duo are set to meet again at the end of the year in a series of exhibition matches in the Far East with Federer also revealing a spring meeting in New York.

“We are going to play exhibitions in Seoul, Korea, Kuala Lumpur, and also Macau at the end of the year after Shanghai, three of them in a row.

“The idea came along obviously to do it in the States as well. We’re going to play March 10th at Madison Square Garden. I’m really looking forward to that. We’ll first see how the first three matches go,” Federer said before adding with a wry smile: “Hopefully I don’t have to come from behind?”

And if comparisons with tennis legends no longer apply, Federer can turn to his friend Tiger Woods for a bit of gentle rivalry. Just as the tennis star is chasing Sampras, so the world number one golfer is in pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles.

Woods, who was in Federer’s guest box for last year’s US Open final, is five in arrears of Nicklaus and after sealing a come-from-behind victory in the BMW Championship at Cog Hill near Chicago with a final round 63, the world’s best golfer claimed Federer was the most dominant athlete in sports.

When told of the compliment, Federer said: “Well, it’s very kind. Of course, you know, I love getting compliments from Tiger because they do mean something to me. It’s great to see him winning, as well. It’s always the best if we win at the same time.

“I hope he can keep his great run up and beat Jack Nicklaus’ record. I’m chasing down Sampras. For me it’s a lot of fun, being compared with Tiger.”