Roger Federer Says He’s Feeling Better: My Mind Is There, My Serve Is There, I Trust My Movement

Following a brisk win over Feliciano Lopez last night at the US Open, Roger Federer says the back injury he’s been nursing and doubts about his movement are finally in the past.

“I needed to get over the fear of the back issue, especially in that first match, the first set,” Federer said Saturday. “Then I think the wobble I had in the second round was due to my preparation. I think now I’m just trusting my movement better. My serve is there. My mind is there. I can finally focus on playing tennis and not so much, you know, about the past. So it’s nice to be in the present in my mind, looking ahead, thinking tactics.

“I’m happy where I am right now. I think we did the right thing by taking a slow approach in the preparation week. I think forcing it too early would have been. I would have maybe had a setback and I couldn’t have played at all. Who knows what would have happened.

“I’m really excited how I feel after two five-setters. They weren’t even that tough, to be quite honest because there was a lot of 6-1, 6-2 sets. I play pretty fast. I’m confident, you know, in my physical shape. I’ve done well in five-setters lately. I’m happy that today was straight.”

Next for Federer, who is 17-0 in Grand Slams this year, is another 0’fer. He now leads Mikhail Youzhny 17-0 and Feliciano Lopez 13-0, and will now try to build his edge over Philipp Kohlschreiber to 12-0 on Monday.

“I think now I’m just trusting my movement better,” Federer said. “My serve is there. My mind is there. I can finally focus on playing tennis and not so much, you know, about the past. So it’s nice to be in the present in my mind, looking ahead, thinking tactics.”

And down the road, a date with Rafael Nadal on Friday?

“We’ll see if it gets done or not. I’m curious to see myself,” Federer said of the possibility.