Tracy Austin

Roger Federer ended the 2009 Grand Slam season the same way he started: losing in five sets in the championship. That's where the comparisons between the two matches end.

While Federer was visibly shaken and distraught after losing the Australian Open title to Rafael Nadal, with tears preventing him from getting through his post-match comments, he seemed much more at peace with his upset loss against Juan Martin del Potro in New York. Of course, the summer Federer has enjoyed would go a long way to easing any player's disappointment.

The Swiss star has experienced tremendous personal and professional highs this year. In addition to getting married and welcoming healthy twin daughters into the world, Federer also reached the finals of each of the four Grand Slams, winning two in spectacular fashion. By earning victory where Pete Sampras never could, Federer achieved a career Grand Slam with his French Open title. He then eclipsed Sampras' cumulative Grand Slam record with a thrilling, marathon victory over Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon championship match. While he was just as motivated to win the U.S. Open as he was those other tournaments, those successes temper the frustration of this defeat.

Any doubts he had after last year's tribulations were erased as he solidified his claim to the title of the greatest of all time. This U.S. Open failure does nothing to diminish those achievements.

What also makes the loss easier to handle is that it came against an opponent playing some of his best tennis ever. The tallest man ever to win a Grand Slam singles title, the 6'6'' del Potro showed off his big game at the U.S. Open. Not many people gave him a chance because of who Federer is, what he's accomplished and how well he played en route to the final. Add to that the fact that it was del Potro's first Grand Slam final, that he had never beaten Federer and that he was ripe for a letdown after beating Nadal, a result he described as the biggest win of his career, and the odds were solidly in Federer's favor.

But every great young gun has to have a breakthrough at some point, and this was del Potro's time. It was a life-changing moment and a dream come true for the emotional Argentine.

Although it had to be in his mind that he was playing the five-time defending champion, del Potro never succumbed to nerves late in this high-pressure match. Instead, it was Federer who unraveled as the match progressed. While Federer was giving away points, del Potro was battling for every advantage. When he was two points away from defeat, the Argentine displayed tremendous resolve, rallying with two big serves to get himself out of trouble.

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By extending the match and pushing Federer to the limit, del Potro really got in the Swiss player's head and made him come undone. It's rare to see the normally unflappable Federer lose his temper, but he did as he became more and more frustrated in the match.

Just as he did in knocking off No. 3 Nadal in the semifinals (becoming the first to beat both the Spaniard and the Swiss player in the same Grand Slam), del Potro threw Federer off his game. Del Potro's power and placement forced a rash of unforced errors from Federer (62 in total).

While del Potro's backhand was always highlighted as his best shot, it was his forehand that defeated Federer. His backhand was more consistent and, with his serve, helped him set up points, but his hard, flat, accurate forehand was his lethal weapon.

It's this strength that will help del Potro attain similar success on other surfaces. His talent plus the confidence garnered from this victory will carry him far.

Final thoughts
Del Potro's success means there are five and possibly six strong contenders for the 2010 Australian Open title: Federer, Andy Murray, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, del Potro and Andy Roddick. While it was whispered that Federer was past his prime in 2008, he's still playing at the top of his game. Nadal is only 23 years old and has already proven he is a championship-caliber player if his body holds up.

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