Pillar to post: Federer ranks shot among most memorable

Roger Federer’s shot heard round the US Open yesterday – a jaw-dropping forehand around the post in a straight-sets win over Nick Kyrgios – ranks as one of his most memorable, the Swiss great said.“It was definitely one of the more unique ones,” said Federer, who raced forward and wide on a sharply angled shot from Kyrgios, stretched and flicked a forehand around the post on Arthur Ashe Stadium.Kyrgios’s eyes widened in astonishment as the ball landed in his court and could be heard opining at the ensuing changeover “That’s got to be the greatest shot in tennis.”Federer said it was all instinct – it’s not a shot that can be practised.“You don’t get an opportunity to hit around the net post very often, because in practice the net is out further and the court is more narrow.“For a shot like this to happen in a practice, you will will be running into a fence and you will hit it into the net.“These shots can only really happen on a big court where you play with the singles posts in the doubles alley.”Kyrgios, already two sets down and deflated after squandering a rare chance to break Federer in the first, quipped that he should post some pictures on Instagram.“I was trying to tell him that the shot wasn’t that good,” he said. “No, it was almost unreal.”Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, said the shot ranked right up there with some of the most memorable of his career, in a group with his smash off a smash by Andy Roddick at Basel in 2002 and a lob flicked over Andre Agassi on break point in Dubai in 2005.Another one for the scrapbook: a between the legs effort against Novak Djokovic at the US Open in 2009. “I think it was 6-5, Love-30, it was just a big-time moment in the game, which obviously always matters as well,” Federer said.Nick Kyrgios believes he can learn from Roger Federer if he’s to salvage a controversial career which has seen little return on the bags of talent at his disposal.Now, having lost for the third time to Federer, Kyrgios believes the great Swiss can steer him on the right path.“I think we’re two very different characters,” said Kyrgios.“But I think, you know, just the way he goes about things, I could take a leaf out of his book. “The way he behaves on court, his demeanour. He’s the ultimate role model to anyone who wants to play.”Saturday’s defeat left Kyrgios still unable to improve on his best Grand Slam performances – runs to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2014 and last-eight in Australia in 2015.At Roland Garros and the US Open, he has never reached the second week. He still has time on his side, but he knows that the clock is ticking.“I wouldn’t say I’m satisfied with my career. I think there is a lot more to be done and there is a lot more to be explored,” he said.“In my career, I have been around for about four years now. I have barely done anything. I think I can do a lot more.”Federer was 21 when he won his first Slam at Wimbledon in 2003 and admitted he’s happy to be regarded as a role model, if not necessarily for Kyrgios.US legend John McEnroe suggested the Swiss could perform a powerful mentoring role for the combustible Kyrgios.“To play fair and play tough,” said Federer on Saturday when asked what he can offer to young players.“If I can be any sort of inspiration for guys coming up on the tour, that would be great, you know, in whatever shape and form that is.”Federer did have one piece of advice for Kyrgios – sometimes it’s the conservative approach that pays off and not the flashy crowd-pleasers.“Clearly when you play that way and you lose, it’s always, like, you feel like he’s so much to blame, but that’s just how he plays,” said Federer.