Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
NEW YORK — Four Roger Federer fans dressed in red shirts with the letters “S-A-B-R” spelled out stood in the upper reaches of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
At one point a camera focused on them and the crowd cheered.
They were supporting their man Federer and hoping he would use the SABR shot against big-serving American John Isner in their fourth-round match at the US Open.
Federer had said entering the match he probably wouldn’t use the “Sneak Attack by Roger” — and in the end he didn’t against a man whose fastest serve clocked in at 140 mph.
But it didn’t make a difference.
This match ended in much the same way his previous three matches did — with a straight sets victory for the five-time US Open champ and 17-time major winner.
No. 2 Federer beat No. 13 Isner, 7-6 (0), 7-6 (6), 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals, where he will face No. 12 Richard Gasquet on Wednesday. Gasquet upset No. 6 Tomas Berdych, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
“[Federer] was too good,” said Isner, the last American man in the draw. “That’s what I was up against, there’s nothing you can do about that. It was still a good experience and I had fun.”
Federer’s half of the draw opened up in a big way earlier Tuesday when No. 3 seed Andy Murray was bounced in four sets by 6-foot-8 South African Kevin Anderson, who won his fourth-set tiebreak 7-0.
Anderson will now meet Federer’s Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals on Wednesday after Wawrinka took out American Donald Young in four sets earlier Wednesday.
“I’m aware of the test ahead,” said Federer, who improved to 28-1 all-time in night matches at the Open. “I had a great match against [Gasquet] in the Davis Cup to clinch it for Switzerland. I’m looking forward to playing against him. I always enjoy the matches.”
He added: “Clearly I feel really good about my chances in the quarters now.”
The Federer-Isner featured only one break of serve, and it came in the final game of the third set when Isner got down 0-40 and then lost when Federer hit a backhand winner on match point. It snapped a streak of 56 straight holds by the 6-foot-10 former Georgia Bulldog.
Isner was 0-for-5 on break point chances against Federer, who won 83 percent of his first-serve points compared with 68 percent for Isner.
The first two sets featured both men holding serve throughout and ended in tiebreaks.
In the first one, Isner lost 7-0, the first time that’s ever happened in 429 career tiebreaks.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever lost a tiebreak 7-0,” Isner said. “At 6-0 it’s hopeless.”
“As long as you win the breaker it doesn’t matter what the score is actually,” Federer said.
In the second-set tiebreak, Isner led 5-3 and served to go up 6-3 but Federer got the mini-break for 5-4.
Federer then held serve on the next two points and ultimately took a two sets to love lead by nailing a backhand passing shot up the line.
“He played those points better and that’s why he is who he is,” Isner said.
Next up for Federer is Gasquet, and he may bring back the SABR for that matchup.
