08OPEN_BODO_Men.9a: 2004 US OPEN TEMPLATE 7/30/08 5:11 PM Page 16 behind you, especially a crowd here in [the] US Open, is not so easy You know, I made a lot of friends here in [the] States. It s gonna be a big pleasure coming next year for sure. Really looking forward to it. The third man chasing Federer, hard, is Roddick. He may seem like the least likely of the three contenders to emerge as the winner, but there s one factor that might substantially improve his chances: the Olympic Games. Roddick, who virtually bleeds red, white and blue, skipped the Olympics in a calculated move to improve his chances at Flushing Meadows. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic all went to Beijing, and Roddick is counting on it taking a toll. It s a bold and risky strategy, but it s a measure of how badly Roddick wants to win his native major again. You can be sure Roddick will bring two things to the US Open: a humongous serve that he intends to use to full effect, and a rich, emotionally charged love for the event. A few months ago in New York, he told me: I think the last year or so, I ve finally gotten to the point where I might qualify [as a favorite son at the event]. It s a tough crowd in New York, but I think I ve gone through that young upstart thing and then that cocky kid who s supposed to win image. I m somewhere else now, but I still think the support is, well, kind of 50-50. I think people change minds about me weekly, so you never know. But for sure last year I started to get this, You ve been around a while, maybe we ll start to appreciate you vibe. That s nice. I appreciate that. It s hard to imagine that the winner of this year s US Open would be anyone outside that elite quartet of players. Davydenko and Ferrer have a history of stutter-stepping on the last few steps leading to the throne. James Blake, a crowd favorite, has shown flashes of brilliance but insufficient mental and emotional stamina at majors. Nalbandian has made a history of disappointing his fans and playing well only when it s least expected. That leaves Scotland s Andy Murray as the best long-shot pick; it helps his cause that while a win at Wimbledon would make him an instant icon in the United Kingdom, the tournament he says he most wants to win is the US Open. There s no doubt about it: The US Open is the Kingmaker Slam. The compelling issue is whether or not, come September 7, we ll have a new king. G 90 2 0 0 8 U S O P E N FEDERER VS. NADAL: THE RIVALRY Clash of the Titans Pete Sampras, the men s all-time Grand Slam singles champion and five-time US Open champ, has always said that in order to flourish on the grand American sporting stage, tennis needs rivalries. He knows whereof he speaks; his rivalry with Andre Agassi (Sampras finished on top, 20-14) was a high-water mark for the sport. Their three finals at Flushing Meadows all of them won by Sampras were landmark events that riveted a nation that has always reserved a special place in its heart for a US Open clash of the titans. In the past 30 years, we ve seen a host of rivalries produce riveting installments at the US Open: Sampras vs. Agassi, John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg, McEnroe vs. Jimmy Connors, McEnroe vs. Ivan Lendl and Connors vs. Borg. The players most likely to take over the mantle of these men are Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, whose rivalry is already the stuff of legend. But it hasn t gained much traction yet at the US Open. This could be the year that the Roger and Rafa show becomes a hit in New York. Federer and Nadal played their first match against each other on a hard court in Miami in 2004, with Nadal winning, 6-3, 6-3. Federer declared his intentions in their next meeting, 12 months later, on the very same court, winning after trailing by two sets, 6-1 in the fifth. That match ignited the rivalry; two months later, the men met in their first Grand Slam encounter. Nadal won that Roland Garros semifinal, and went on to bag his first Grand Slam tournament title. Federer vs.Nadal Grand Slam Moments 2008 WIMBLEDON England Grass 2008 ROLAND GARROS France Clay 2007 WIMBLEDON England Grass 2007 ROLAND GARROS France Clay 2006 WIMBLEDON England Grass 2006 ROLAND GARROS France Clay 2005 ROLAND GARROS France Clay F Nadal 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(8) 9-7 F Nadal 6-1 6-3 6-0 F Federer 7-6(7) 4-6 7-6(3) 2-6 6-2 F Nadal 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-4 F Federer 6-0 7-6(5) 6-7(2) 6-3 F Nadal 1-6 6-1 6-4 7-6(4) SF Nadal 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-3