The loss of the Rogers Cup title at Toronto to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has not hampered Roger Federer's confidence as the Swiss ace looks at clinching another title, before the start of the US Open, at the Cincinnati Masters.
The Swiss maestro, who celebrated his 33rd birthday last week, thinks that his 7-5, 7-6 (2) final defeat to Tsonga was a disappointment but it also gives him insights about his current state of form.
"I'm overall pretty happy that I made the finals in my first tournament back on hard courts," Federer said. "I had a few tough matches which clearly gave me a lot of information."
Federer lost his third title of the season after reaching in seven finals. He has started putting the puzzle pieces back together as he gears up for the final US Open tune-up, the Cincinnati Masters, where he is seeded second.
"I know what I need to work on the next few days and next few weeks, which is good to know what I need to do other than feeling lost," he added. "I wish I could have played a bit better in the final, but the facts were that it was tough for me.
However, Federer is optimistic about his US Open chances.
"There were things I could have done better, but overall it was a positive week. I go away from this feeling good about my chances and also at the US Open and for the rest of the season," Federer said. "It's another good tournament for me, which I'm happy about."
The Swiss legend will look to claim his sixth trophy at the Cincinnati Masters this year. He lost in the quarterfinals to Rafael Nadal last year. This would be a tune-up tournament for US Open which starts from 25 August and goes all the way till 8 September.
Federer won five consecutive US Open Grand Slams from the year 2004 to 2008. His shocking fourth round exit to Tommy Robredo from last year's US Open has raised concerns about his game.
However, Federer's previous tournaments in June and July this year have been better. He won two titles, made four other finals and improved his world ranking from no. 8 to no. 3. The last Grand Slam of the year could be a turning point in his career.
Even after heated debate that Federer should retire following his previous defeats at the Grand Slams, the 17-time Grand Slam winner doesn't seem to be done, with several targets still to achieve.
