Federer happy to remain under radar

In the mood: Roger Federer is aiming for a record 17th Grand Slam but faces a tricky second-round tie against Dudi Sela at Flushing Meadows tonight
Simon Cambers13 April 2012

Roger Federer has won the US Open five times since 2004 but rarely could he have felt less at home here at the US Open.

The 16-time Grand Slam winner has entered the tournament with his lowest profile for seven years.

World No1 Novak Djokovic is the man of the moment, having compiled a 58-2 record this season, and Federer finds himself as only fourth favourite with many bookies to take the title.

The Swiss brushed aside Colombia's Santiago Giraldo in straight sets in the first round but complained that the hard courts here were the slowest he could remember. Tonight he will take on world No93 Dudi Sela hoping to find the environment more to his liking.

A victory would give Federer a 225th grand slam win, moving him to second highest on the all-time list, one clear of Andre Agassi, and closer to Jimmy Connors's 233 wins, which the 30-year-old should surpass next year.

While the likes of Djokovic and Rafael Nadal battle over ranking spots, these are the milestones which excite Federer, who is playing fewer low-level events to concentrate his efforts on winning a record 17th Grand Slam title.

"I've played many Slam events in a row already," he said. "I'm healthy. It's just another way of saying, 'Roger, you've been doing many right things throughout your career.' It gives me satisfaction and points me in the right direction."

About tonight's second-round opponent, Federer said: "Dudi's a talented little guy. He works really well with his height. That's why you have to be careful you don't underestimate him."

Both Andy Roddick and Spain's David Ferrer have underestimated the 5ft 9ins Israeli in the past and Sela showed his fighting qualities in his first-round match at Flushing Meadows when he battled back from to two sets down to defeat Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci.

While the Swiss was last night preparing for his second-round clash, Andy Murray began his campaign with a stuttering victory over India's Somdev Devvarman.

The 24-year-old admitted to having felt the pressure of a nation on his shoulders in the build-up to a match in which he overcame his nerves to win in straight sets.

"Try being a British player going into a Grand Slam, it's not easy," he said.

"There's obviously pressure playing in these events to start with. There's obviously going to be a bit of nerves.

"But I'm happy with that. There's something wrong with you if you're going into a Slam not nervous."

Next up for Murray, tomorrow, is Dutchman Robin Haase, who beat the Scot in their only previous meeting and is in form after winning the ATP World Tour title in Kitzbuhel last month.

Fellow Brit Laura Robson didn't fare as well as Murray. The 17-year-old was beaten 6-2, 6-3 by Spanish No30 seed Anabel Medina Garrigues in the second round. "This was my first time qualifying for a Grand Slam, I won a round, so there are a lot of positives," she said.

Former champion Maria Sharapova followed up her battling win over Heather Watson by hammering Anastasiya Yakimova, of Belarus, 6-1, 6-1.

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