Roger Federer is going to take on Gael Monfils of France in the Round of 8 in the ongoing US Open. There are no prizes for guessing who the favourite in that contest is.
The Swiss maestro is in a fine shape at the moment. He is steam rolling over opponents and if he doesn’t bring any complacency in his game going into the quarters, it would be hard for Monfils to clinch even one set against him.
People would say that Monfils is a very unpredictable character and you never know what sort of performance he comes up with on any given day. He has created upsets before and more importantly, what he did to Grigor Dimitrov in the Round of 16, he shouldn’t be written off. The latest william hill tennis odds suggest Federer should breeze through.
All these arguments are fine, but, if someone has to put his hard earned money on one of the two players, it’s got to be Federer not because of his reputation, but, because of the zone he appears to be in.
Against Roberto Bautista Agut in his previous match, Federer hardly would have put a foot wrong. He just dismantled the Spaniard. It was vintage Federer. He was calm, collected, very sure about what he was trying to do. He had the measure of the opponent and when he starts to play that way, it’s a danger sign for you if you have to face him.
The Swiss veteran however had words of praise for Monfils when he was asked about the Frenchman in his interview yesterday.
He was quoted as saying, “Gael is a fine, fine player. So easily, he can make it to top 10. Yes, he’s had his problems in the past on and off the field, but, when he is in flow, he is threatening.”