Federer feels nerves as US Open tuneup get serious

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Roger Federer feels a healthy sense of nerves as the defending champion heads into the Cincinnati Masters with hopes of improving upon a poor opening showing last week in the pre-US Open campaign.

Four days after losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Montreal third round, Federer said Monday that if he didn't feel some tension before the last major event before the August 29 start of the major, something would be wrong.

"I think the defending champion should always feel a bit of pressure," said the third seed.

"There are a lot points you're trying to defend. You don't want to lose in the first round kind of thing. It obviously goes with the business. But I'm happy I feel that. If I would feel a 'Who cares, let's see how it goes kind of attitude,' I think that would be completely wrong.

Federer said that he was "in the right place" as play started in Cincinnati: "I'm excited, nervous of what's to come this week. That's kind of how I feel before every tournament."

While he won't be broadcasting any insecurities to outsiders, the 30-year-old would certainly agree that he could use another major title after winning the last of his Grand Slam honours with a fourth Australian Open trophy in January 2010.

A four-time champion at the Ohio event, where he has won the last two editions the Swiss player is only concentrating on his first challenge as he meets Juan Del Potro in the opening round. The South American, ranked 19th, lost his first six meetings with Federer before turning the tables in dramatic fashion with the 2009 US Open title, where he beat the favourite in five sets.

Del Potro then took a victory at the year-end final before injuring his right wrist at the 2010 Australian Open and missing much of last season. He booked an early Cincinnati victory over Andreas Seppi 4-1, retired, as the new dual ATP-WTA tournament made an early Sunday start.

"It's the past," Federer said of his two losses to the former top-five player, "He's gone through a rough patch. He hasn't played at all, almost, after that London match, so ... he's probably got what, 15 matches since? I've played like 80, I would just assume."

"It's been different roads, but here we are. In the first round it's obviously unusual to play such a good player, but we're going to try to be as ready as we can be."

The event will be another test for current ATP dominator Novak Djokovic, who won his ninth title of the season at the weekend in Montreal over Mardy Fish.

The Serb world number one has become the first man on the ATP to win five Masters 1000 titles in the same season and owns victories in 53 of his 54 matches this season. There seems to be no room for doubt in the game of Djokovic, whose only loss this season came in a Roland Garros semi-final against Federer.

"It's about having a positive attitude on the court every day, waking up every day wanting to improve, wanting to win, being determined, being professional," Djokovic said. "It's that desire and motivation that keeps me going.

"Every match I play, I try to win, regardless which match is it, or whoever is across the net. I'm sure that there are going to be bad days. Now I'm playing the best tennis of my life. This year by far has been the best in my career.

"I'm enjoying it. That confidence that I'm carrying helps me a lot."

Play at the expanded tennis centre, which has spread to overtake a country golf course, got into full swing on Monday, with Italian Fabio Fognini putting out Serb 14th seed Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-1, and Spain's Fernando Verdasco defeating injured Brazilian Tomaz Bellucci 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

In women's matches, German Sabine Lisicki went down to Israeli Shahar Peer 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), while Czechs Lucia Safarova and Petra Cetkovska both advanced.