Roger Federer hit one of the most astonishing winners of his career, and the reaction of his opponent was priceless

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Roger Federer.

• Roger Federer hit one of the most stunning winners of his career against Nick Kyrgios in the third round of the US Open.
• He defied his 37 years to reach an acutely-angled Kyrgios slice and flashed a winner around the post of the net.
• Kyrgios' reaction was priceless. He gasped and mouthed the words "oh my God" in disbelief.

Roger Federer breezed past Nick Kyrgios in the third round of the US Open, and in the process, punished his Australian opponent with one of the most astonishing winners of his career.

Up two sets to love, the 37-year-old Swiss superstar defied his years to reach an acutely-angled Kyrgios slice, flashing a winner around the post of the net to take the game back to deuce.

The winner stunned Kyrgios, who gasped after seeing Federer return the ball, mouthing the words "oh my God." Federer, as he so often does, coolly walked back to the baseline with just a hint of a smile on his face. He eventually won the match 6-4 6-1 7-5.

You can watch the shot in full here:

Photographers also captured Kyrgios's reaction to Federer's genius, while the player's open-mouthed response has also been immortalized in a gif. "It was almost unreal," Kyrgios said after the match, adding: "If anyone else is doing those shots against me, I'm probably not too happy. But it's Roger."

AP

Nick Kyrgios left gobsmacked by Roger Federer.

Federer, who is seeded second at Flushing Meadows, admitted that it was one of the best shots of his career. "I definitely think it was a special one, no doubt about it," he told reporters after his victory.

He added that because match courts are bigger than practice courts, it's the kind of winner that can only be pulled off in the heat of a competitive encounter.

"You can't train for that," he said. "The net is out further and the court is more narrow, so for a shot like this to happen in a practice, you will be running into a fence and you will hit it into the net. These shots can only really happen on a big court."

Federer will go on to play John Millman in the US Open last 16.