NEW YORK — All victories count the same, and Roger Federer has two of them. In that sense, mission accomplished. He is through to the third round of the U.S. Open after a four-set victory (3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4) over Damir Dzumhur.
But Roger Federer doesn’t usually lose sets in the early rounds at a Grand Slam. He most certainly doesn’t usually lose sets in the early rounds at a Grand Slam to players ranked well outside the top 75 in the world. Yet here we are.
For the second straight match at Arthur Ash Stadium, Federer got off to a disturbingly slow start, giving his home-away-from-home crowd a dose of nervousness they neither expected nor desired.