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The roof over Arthur Ashe at the US Open is still a year away, but the structure in place will help the top guys, according to Roger Federer.
The Swiss opened his US Open yesterday blowing out Leonardo Mayer. With the shade covering and the beams, Federer says there will be less wind allowing for top players to play even better.
“Probably more so the top players,” Federer answered when asked who the roof will help the most, “because you know what to expect and you’re not going to have to fight the wind as much. If you don’t have to fight the wind you can play closer to the lines and make it better tennis. So probably it might be better for the top guys, my opinion. Then we will see with the conditions next year when it’s fully sort of covered and it will be interesting to see how it’s going to play indoors really when it’s going to rain. And also just I do feel like it’s quite loud, you know. Maybe in American sports it’s quite common that the fans do talk during games or matches. I feel like the roof might bring that back down, so, you know, you hear the crowd speaking more, which before I don’t remember hearing ever.”
Federer comes into the US Open off a seventh Cincinnati title and he lost just five games to a man he almost lost to last fall.
“Of course I’m very pleased with the first-round performance, but not really more than that,” Federer said. “I will take it match by match, of course. I’m not thinking too far ahead, as I know some people are. I’m just happy that the last, I don’t know, one-and-a-half years I have been again very, very consistent. I’m able to play good matches consistently.
“I’m playing the right way, and also in a way that’s fun for me. If I decide to have long rallies and stay back, I can do that. If I decide to move forward and step it up, I can do that, too. That helps if you have those two games. It’s great to have against any opponent out there, because not every opponent plays the same way. Same for my second-round opponent. I have no clue how he’s going to play me. At least on a faster court I know that probably I’m going to make him hit tough shots and I’m going to keep attacking and see if he can come up with passing shots or shots on the back foot and all these things which are not easy to do consistently.”
Tomorrow, Federer will face Steve Darcis in the second round.
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