Roger Federer advances to 2008 U.S. Open championship.
September 6, 2008
Roger Federer beat Novak Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 to move one victory from a fifth consecutive U.S. Open championship and 13th Grand Slam title overall on Saturday.
“One more match is all I need,” Federer said in an on-court interview.
It was his 33rd straight win at Flushing Meadows and put him in his 13th final in the past 14 major tournaments.
The one gap in that span was the Australian Open in January, when Djokovic upset Federer in the semifinals en route to the title. Perhaps that gave Federer extra motivation on Saturday, as he enjoyed a stellar start and a fantastic finish to their semifinal.
Even he knew he sensed his magic had returned.
“I definitely had moments during today where I thought, ‘This is how I would like to play every time,’” Federer said. “It was a very nice feeling to get that feeling back.”
Federer, who finished with 20 aces and only one double fault despite a swirling wind, will meet No. 1 Rafael Nadal or No. 6 Andy Murray in Sunday’s final. Nadal-Murray was in a rain delay in the third set; Murray won the first two, and Nadal was up a break in the third.
Federer was asked whom he’d rather face. A reasonable question, given that Nadal routed him in the French Open final, edged him 9-7 in the fifth set of the Wimbledon final, and supplanted him atop the rankings last month after Federer’s record 237-week stay at No. 1.
“Who do I prefer? I prefer the trophy, that’s what I prefer,” Federer said, drawing a roar of approval from the fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
And then came an answer that might surprise some.
“I guess I’ve got to say Rafa,” Federer continued, “because we’ve had such great battles over the years. Wimbledon was unbelievable, so I hope we can do it again here.”
Instead of back-to-back semifinals on Ashe, worries about impending rain from Tropical Storm Hanna prompted tournament officials to shift Nadal-Murray to Louis Armstrong Stadium and start it while Federer-Djokovic was in progress.
When that court shift was announced in Ashe, there was pronounced booing from fans who bought tickets believing they would see both semifinals. Thousands of fans rose from their seats and ran from one court to the other, spurring security guards to yell, “Slow down!”
“I definitely had moments during today where I thought, ‘This is how I would like to play every time,’” said Federer, who had 20 aces and only one double-fault despite swirling wind. “It was a very nice feeling to get that feeling back.”
The fans cheered for both the No. 2 Federer, from Switzerland, and the No. 3 Djokovic, from Serbia, but there was more support for the reigning champion.
“A feel a little bit New Yorker right now,” Federer said. “I definitely appreciate the efforts from the fans, supporting me and pushing me forward.”
Maybe that’s because they remembered what happened Thursday night. After beating Andy Roddick, Djokovic drew merciless boos by lashing out at the American, taking him to task for making light of the Serb’s series of medical issues earlier in the week.
“It’s been a very exhausting tournament, mentally and physically, for me,” said Djokovic, who didn’t want to discuss what happened the other night.
Maybe the fans simply figured Federer needed an extra push during what, by his so-special standards, has been a sub-par season.
He has 12 losses, more than in any entire year from 2004-07.
He has only two titles, from minor events, his lowest total entering a U.S. Open since 2002.
He faces the possibility of going through an entire year without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002. Remember, he won three of the four major championships in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
There was this hanging in the balance, too: Had Djokovic won Saturday and gone on to take the title, he would have surpassed Federer in the rankings, dropping the longtime No. 1 all the way to No. 3.
“This was a big match,” said Federer, who is chasing Pete Sampras’ record of 14 career major championships. “I knew it from when I saw the draw.”
He began flawlessly. Federer compiled seven winners and no unforced errors as he raced to a 4-1 lead. And race he did, wasting not a second between points, quickly stepping up to the baseline when it was his turn to serve.
It was as though Federer knew that those gray clouds could stop things at any moment and he wanted to get as far ahead as fast as possible.
Looking more confident and supremely competent than he had all tournament, Federer smacked a 130 mph serve to set up a forehand winner and end the first set. By then, Federer had won 20 of 24 points on his serve and accumulated 13 winners and three unforced errors.
What about Djokovic?
His game and his demeanor were far duller than usual.
“It was important stay grounded,” Federer said. “I knew the tough times were going to arrive.”
The real Djokovic showed up in the second set, striking shots more crisply, pressuring Federer more consistently. When Federer served while trailing 6-5, Djokovic earned three set points, three chances to pull even.
On the first, Djokovic sailed a forehand long. On the second, Federer wrong-footed Djokovic with a cross-court forehand winner.
A year ago in the U.S. Open final, Djokovic led 6-5 in each of the opening two sets. In the first, he held five set points. In the second, he held two. He capitalized on zero, prompting this postmatch one-liner: “My next book is going to be called, ‘Seven Set Points.”‘
But Djokovic is no longer as inexperienced, nor Federer as invincible. This time, Djokovic seized his third set point, returning a 121 mph serve and watching as Federer stepped up for what should have been an easy shot and rushed a forehand long.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
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