NEW YORK -- Roger Federer hit a shot so unbelievable that his U.S. Open opponent wanted to Instagram it.
The highlight of Federer’s 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 win over Nick Kyrgios in the third round was a third-set flick around the side net post that topped out at about a foot off the ground.
The winner caused the talented-but-unpredictable Aussie Kyrgios to raise his eyebrows, pop his eyes and drop his jaw.
“I was trying to tell him that the shot wasn’t that good,” Kyrgios said later, smiling. “I’m probably going to place it on Instagram.”
Federer, on course for a quarterfinal showdown with Novak Djokovic, put it among the most spectacular shots of his career.
“Yeah, I mean, it was definitely one of the more unique ones,” he said. “You don’t get an opportunity to hit around the net post very often, because in practice, you -- I mean, you can’t really train them.”
The other memorable ones? Federer reeled them off.
- Basel 2002: Winner off Andy Roddick overhead
- Dubai 2005: Flick lob over Andre Agassi
- U.S. Open 2009: Tweener past Novak Djokovic
“I definitely think it was a special one, no doubt about it,” Federer said of the Kyrgios shot. “I do believe the smash off the smash against Roddick was special just because it was way back in the court, as well. And then there was one more in Dubai against Agassi on break point. I was able to flick a ball. I still don’t know how I did it today. It went for a lob over him. I don’t know. It was just a massive point on top of it, and it was against Andre. And then the one through the legs here against Novak, just because of the magnitude of the shot, as well. I think it was 6-5, love-30. It was just also a big-time moment in the game, which obviously always matters, as well.”
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............Serious?@rogerfederer delivers the shot of the tournament!
Sit back and enjoy...#USOpen pic.twitter.com/6GEdG2CcpW
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😲 @NickKyrgios#USOpen pic.twitter.com/VxEniN4qri
