Federer Chases One Slam to Salvage a Season of Dethroning

NEW YORK - This is what passes for a crisis in Roger Federer's world: he lost at the Australian Open, lost at the French Open, lost his five-year Wimbledon reign, lost his Olympic singles hopes and, last month, lost the No. 1 ranking after a record 237 weeks.

The U.S. Open, which Federer has won four consecutive years, is his last chance in 2008 to claim a Grand Slam title and extend his streak of winning at least one major per year to six seasons.

"I'm not going to sit here and cry," Federer said after reaching the fourth round. "I've had an incredible run. Now Rafa's had an incredible year. We'll see who's standing at the end."

Rafael Nadal, who beat Federer in the French Open and Wimbledon finals — the latter a five-set match many call the greatest ever played — arrived in New York with the Olympic gold medal and the top ranking, both taken in the past month.

The Scot Andy Murray and Serbia's Novak Djokovic, who beat Federer in Australia, round out a men's field suddenly crowded at the top after years of one-man rule.

Federer took consolation in Beijing, where he paired with Stanislas Wawrinka to win the Olympic doubles gold for Switzerland. "That medal is hanging in my living room," he said.

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Associated Press writers contributed to this report.

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