Federer toasts U.S. triumph that rescues season

NEW YORK (Reuters) - After Roger Federer proved that reports of his demise as a grand slam champion were greatly exaggerated, the Swiss sipped champagne with friends and family to celebrate his fifth successive U.S. Open title.

"I played great, I felt like I was invincible for awhile again," the 27-year-old Federer said after his 6-2 7-5 6-2 thumping of young Briton Andy Murray in Monday's men's final.

"That's exactly how you want to finish a tournament."

Federer desperately wanted to finish his season on a high -- especially since his quest to add a 13th grand slam title in his collection had been thwarted until he arrived in New York.

"I would have been disappointed, losing today and having three finals and one semis in the slams," he told reporters.

"You feel like you missed an entire year, being so close but yet so far, because semis and finals don't help me a whole lot anymore in my career.

"It's all about the wins, and that's why this is huge. This is massive, and I'm very happy about this grand slam obviously. It's a different type of flavor, this one to me, no doubt."

Weakened at the start of the season by a bout of mononucleosis, Federer was eliminated in the semi-finals at the Australian Open and later in the season piled up losses to motley crew of players including Mardy Fish, Radek Stepanek, Gilles Simon and Ivo Karlovic.

Federer absorbed a drubbing by Rafael Nadal in the French Open final and lost a sensational five-set Wimbledon final to the Spaniard after clawing back from two sets down in his drive for a sixth consecutive title at the All England Club.

A semi-finals and two finals in three grand slams would normally rate as a great achievement, but not for Federer, who had reigned as number one for a record 237 weeks before being deposed by Nadal last month.

Suggestions that time might be catching up with the Swiss maestro, who had stalled within two slam titles of the record 14 held by American Pete Sampras, started to gather momentum.

Federer never lost faith in himself.

"I don't think it got to me but I was aware of it," he said.

CRAZY PEOPLE

"I'm a bit disappointed. Sometimes to a point a bit annoyed, because all sorts of crazy people started writing to me and trying to reach me, telling me I need some help either mentally or physically. People come out of a closet and think they can start helping me now. It's just a pain.

"For me, this sort of puts them to rest a little bit, and calms down the phones at my parents' a little bit, which I'm happy about."

Federer acknowledged he had not played up to his standards. "I didn't feel like I was moving all that great for the last couple of months," said the second seed, who had won only two low-key tournaments in 2008 until Monday.

"I think my coordination was missing a little bit. Here as the tournament went on, I started to feel like I was moving better and better."

After struggling to find his top gear, Federer began to hit on all cylinders in the semi-finals against Novak Djokovic. He then ruined the grand slam final debut of 21-year-old Murray with a masterful performance.

Embraced by the Flushing Meadows fans, perhaps moved to support a great champion suddenly seen to be vulnerable, Federer fed off the support and affection shown right from opening night when he drew the biggest ovation at Arthur Ashe Stadium in a ceremony honoring winners of the last 40 years.

"Getting the reception I got really touched me," he said.

"It's incredible the amount of people in New York that just come up and recognize me and wish me luck. Cab drivers screaming out, I'm still the guy, and 'you can do it!' It's great."

The victory also made Federer the first man to win five U.S. titles in a row since American Bill Tilden in 1924.

His run in New York after previously stringing together five straight Wimbledon titles from 2003 to 2007 made him the only player to have won five in a row at two different slams.

"It's nice to compare five Wimbledons to five U.S. Opens, no doubt," he said. "Not many guys (actually) nobody can do that."

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)