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Federer feeling 100 percent fit ahead of US Open

Roger Federer is in confident mood © Getty Images

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Roger Federer claims he is feeling as fit as he ever has going into a Grand Slam, after he took a six-week break following the disappointment of a quarter-final exit at Wimbledon.

Ahead of Monday's first-round match at the US Open, a competition Federer has won on five of the last six occasions, the former world No. 1 was in confident mood. Only Juan Del Potro has beaten him in the last six years at Flushing Meadows, yet Federer remains a player considered to be on the slide by certain critics, who use statistics like his first quarter-final exit at Wimbledon for eight years to heap pressure on the former world No. 1.

Federer's preparation for the US Open has been excellent, returning from a lengthy break to reach the final in Toronto and then clinch his second title of the year in Cincinnati. And after spending the most recent years of his career suffering from glandular fever and back problems, he insists there are no excuses in New York.

"Mentally I'm very fresh," said Federer."I didn't play for six weeks after Wimbledon, I had a good vacation, spent some time in Switzerland with friends and family. From the mental side I have no problems whatsoever.

"Physically I feel the same thing. I feel as good as I can feel prior to a Grand Slam. I have no niggling injuries, no pain anywhere. In Toronto I really had a lot of muscle pain, my arm, my wrist, my chest, my shoulder. Coming back right off the bat after six weeks and playing such tough matches early on was tough on the body.

"I got a little bit lucky in Cincinnati with a walkover against Kohlschreiber. That gave me that extra day of rest, next thing I knew I never looked back and didn't have any physical problems any more. Here I am, I've had good preparation and am ready to go."

Reacting to suggestions that Federer is no longer the player he was after surprise defeats to the likes of Tomas Berdych, the Swiss merely pointed to the statistics.

"I was winning one or two Slams a year and I was on the downslide so you can't really take it too serious really, to be quite honest," quipped Federer. "You can't win 12 tournaments every season. That's clear to me. I spoiled myself by playing so well and you just prepare for the times when it's not winning 12 a season. If it's two or four or six it's still a good season depending on how you're feeling, how you're evolving as a player. I was always making sure I tried to get better.

"I also had some problems. I had mono (glandular fever), I've had a lung infection, I've had a bad back. It's all been on a lower level but maybe at times I should have just taken a rest instead of playing.

"But I'm not scared of taking losses. I wanted to know where I stand and the only place I could find out is at tournaments. Hopefully I'm not losing in the first or second round and if people think 'Oh, he's not the same,' well that's not something new because I knew I was not the same player for a few events.

Federer begins his campaign for a 17th Grand Slam title against Argentina's Brian Dabul on Monday.

ATP World Rankings
1. Rafael Nadal (SPA), 2. Roger Federer (SUI), 3. Novak Djokovic (SRB), 4. Andy Murray (GBR), 5. Robin Soderling (SWE), 6. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS), 7. Tomas Berdych (CZE), 8. Fernando Verdasco (SPA), 9. Andy Roddick (USA), 10. Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)

WTA Tour Rankings
1. Serena Williams (USA), 2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 3. Kim Clijsters (BEL), 4. Venus Williams (USA), 5. Jelena Jankovic (SRB), 6. Sam Stosur (AUS), 7. Francesca Schiavone (ITA), 8. Vera Zvonareva (RUS), 9. Li Na (CHN), 10. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)

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