Sunday, September 14 2008 -- After having accumulated 12 defeats in August 2008 alone, many thought that Roger Federer was gone in the world of Tennis. Federer, after being diagnosed with a condition called mononucleosis, also received letters, flowers and gifts from fans and friends who wanted to extend their sympathies.

However, it turns out that Federer was alright and he proved that after winning his 5th consecutive US Open Championship, giving him a total of 13 Grand Slam titles in his career, just one title short of Pete Sampras’ record.

Federer was fighting for the 2008 US Open Championship against the young sixth-seeded Andy Murray. It wasn’t a tough game for former world number 1 Roger Federer. He easily beat Murray, ending the match with a bittersweet 6-2, 7-5, and 6-2. Though Federer received quite a scare in the second set, after Murray missed Federer’s backhand, things were going uphill for Federer, to Murray’s disappointment. According to Murray, the hardest thing about playing against Federer was that he hardly made any mistakes and he switched from defensive play to offensive play in a snap. Although there were some issues regarding one of Federer’s shots that should have been called out, it wouldn’t have helped Murray boost his performance nor his score, only his confidence.

Roger Federer always had a record of being able to win any major championships against any player, except for Rafael Nadal. In August 2008 alone, most of his losses were against this Spaniard tennis player. Winning the 2008 US Open was a great feeling for Federer. It was his 5th consecutive US Open championship and his 13th Grand Slam title. Though Murray lost, he was the only player to recognize that Federer had a great year despite what other people would say otherwise.