Federer Beats Djokovic to Reach Final

By admin on September 13, 2009

Roger Federer swept past Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5, on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the finals of the United States Open, a tournament he has won five straight times.

The fourth-seeded Djokovic, 22, who had defeated Federer in two of their three past meetings this year, was competitive throughout the match, but rarely did Federer crack at important points. In the third set, for instance, with both players tied at four games apiece, Federer fought off two break points to win the game.

And rarely did it seem that Djokovic had an answer for Federer’s superior shotmaking. Though they were even in unforced errors — they each had 33 — Federer had 49 winning shots to 31 for Djokovic. Federer’s serve, which reached 132 miles an hour, yielded to only three break points, of which Djokovic was able to win only one.

For the third straight year, Djokovic has been eliminated at the Open by Federer. In the 2007 final, Federer won in straight sets. Their semifinal encounter last year ended in a Federer victory in four sets.

Federer, 28, now advances to the championship match, which begins on Monday not before 4 p.m. at Arthur Ashe Stadium, against Juan Martin del Potro, who beat Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, earlier in the afternoon. If Federer wins, he could extend his record of victories in Grand Slam tournaments to 16.

Unlike Friday’s and Saturday’s persistent rains, which forced postponement of the men’s final, the forecast is for sunny skies and 80 degree temperatures.

Third Set: Federer 6, Djokovic 5

If Federer took his foot off the gas pedal in this next game, it was very subtle and obscured by his opponent’s errors. Dokovic built a 40-15 lead, then double-faulted, and blundered, backhanding a short shot into the net to fall back to deuce. Another uneasy deuce. Then Federer smacked an easy forehand service return into the net. This was starting to feel shaky.. Both players stumbling a bit. Federer confirmed this by racing to net with an inadequate approach shot. When Djokovic sliced a backhand cross-court, Federer literally stumbled and lost his racket. The ball bounced out. Djokovic held on –- but seemed to stop trying as vigorously, allowing a service ace to pass with barely a nod.

Third Set: Federer 5, Djokovic 4

By the time Djokovic stepped to the baseline to begin another effort to change the equation, he had lost his serve only twice but had faced seven break points. Federer had been broken only once with only a single break point opportunity for Djokovic. The numbers mattered less than the case they built that this was not a struggle going Djokovic’s way. In just a few seconds, he was down a break point himself, and Federer had a chance to break and serve out the match. Djokovic saved the game with a stern serve that Federer jostled and sent wide. Djokovic won the game when Federer’s backhand sailed wide. The crowd stirred. Was this a turnaround’s beginning?

When Federer served an apparent ace, Djokovic kept his challenge string alive. The ball was judged out by a machine. Then a second shot went long and the crowd began to shriek. It was only 15-30, but Federer had faced so few break points. So, unaware perhaps that he was not invincible, Federer double faulted. Two break points when there been only one in two previous sets. Federer saved the first with an overhead smash, Djokovic gave away the second with an errant forehand. Back to an uneasy deuce. Two points later, Djokovic slapped a forehand service return into the net and went to his chair with a decided air of dejection.

Third Set: Federer 4, Djokovic 3

When he’s nervous –- or thinking -– Djokovic is capable of bouncing the ball up to 20 times before serving. As he built a 30-love lead, he started bouncing longer. He bounced it 11 times and served an ace to go up, 40-15. Maybe this was what he needed. After more bounces, he sent a rocket serve to the corner of Federer’s service box and saw it return wide of the court. That tied the set at 3-3, but it didn’t convince anybody that Djokovic was about to stage a rally. He wasn’t. Federer won his serve at 40-15. Time was running low.

Third Set: Federer 3, Djokovic 2

In the fourth game of the set, Djokovic resisted challenging a call that gave Federer a single point. He chattered with a smile at a spectator’s suggestion that he call for Hawk-Eye’s intercession and won his serve handily – without electronic assistance. Still, the momentum never seemed to swing his way. Had the match gone into robotic overdrive? Federer launched an ace into the ad court to go up, 40-15, then Djokovic followed the pattern and drove a backhand into the net.

Third Set: Federer 2, Djokovic 1

Can a single shot break a heart or stall a resurgence? Federer’s down-the-line backhand to win his serve at the start of the third set might qualify. It was a rifle shot at the end of a brief rally, and if Djokovic had any hopes of starting a small backfire to halt Federer’s scorched earth surge, they must have melted there. Nevertheless, Djokovic refused to buckle, winning his serve at love. Still, not enough of a show-stopper to distract the Swiss. As he left the court for the changeover at 2-1, Federer exuded nonchalance. A deadening blow at any opponent’s ego as he fights fatigue, confusion, and now, slight indifference by Federer.

Federer Wins Second Set, 7-5

Federer’s composure stood him in good stead as he worked his way to two break points on Djokovic’s serve in the 12th game. On the first, he took his eye off the ball, on the second, Djokovic prevailed, and the two were back to deuce. Federer lost a challenge to trail, then popped a forehand into the far corner for a winner to bring the game back to deuce. Two points more and he would have the set. Time to run: In a swirling point that pulled both men to one side and then the net, Federer retrieved a long low chip volley and sent it over the net and into Djokovic’s blind spot. He clipped the ball into the net. Federer then took the break point (his seventh of the match) and surged into a two-set lead.

By this time in the match, nearly two hours, both had hit 22 unforced errors, but Federer had smashed 32 winners to Djokovic’s 19. You can follow the match statistics at the U.S. Open Web site.

Second Set: Federer 6, Djokovic 5

A standing ovation for a five-volley exchange point blank at the net was Djokovic’s reward for holding on as Federer pummeled him and won the point. It took Federer to 40-love on his serve but Djokovic retained his composure and drilled a forehand down the line. On the next point, Djokovic won another challenge and got the chair umpire to order the point replayed. It didn’t do anything for Djokovic’s score that he lost the next point, but he was winning plaudits from an audience he had once alienated with cross comments about another player. Now, he was gaining hearts and minds but not overtaking Federer. It must have been disconcerting and his expression on the changeover suggested consternation. What to do?

Second Set: Federer 5, Djokovic 4

Djokovic is bidding to become the Open’s most successful challenger of line calls. He chalked up another victory at the end of the eighth game, squatting in triumph for a moment with a big grin on his face. The result of his challenge: He won his serve rather than being forced to face another deuce point. It pulled him even with his opponent, never a bad idea. It seemed also to energize Federer who came out shooting with both hands. He won his serve at love, took a 5-4 lead, and sat in his chair to listen to the Star War’s theme song as an introduction to a toe-tapping rendition of “Be My Girl” on the public address system.

Second Set: Federer 4, Djokovic 3

Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do, Roger Federer finds a way around you. In this case, Djokovic had maneuvered his way to net with a series of approach shots that sent Federer racing from side to side. Then the Swiss put his topspin backhand into gear and sent a shot rising and falling in a perfect arc over Djokovic’s frustrated form. No matter that Djokovic scrambled back and won another point or two. Federer ran to net and pumped a topspin forehand into the far corner, passing Djokovic at the baseline while he raced to retrieve it. On the next point, Djokovic scrambled from behind the baseline nearly to net to scoop up a short spinner laid down by Federer. Not good enough. Federer tapped it into the opposite court.. Djokovic’s shoulders sagged – and he lost the next point, too, the victim of another robust Federer forehand that Djokovic could not control.

Second Set Score: Federer 3, Djokovic 2

Federer has said he often raises his game to match his opponent’s effort. If an opponent starts coming to net, Federer will retaliate. In the fifth game of the set, Djokovic began smashing his service returns at Federer’s feet. At least twice, Federer could not move his feet in time. This called for retaliation, according to the Federer Doctrine. He slammed forehands deep to the line and won his serve handily if not at love.

Second Set: Federer 2, Djokovic 1

If any game could have given Djokovic a feeling of satisfaction, it was the second game of the second set. Federer had caught and pulled ahead to take the first set. Then he won his serve to start the second. A disheartened Djokovic could have unraveled. He hung on and played a fine game of controlled shot-making, forcing Federer into a string of unforced and forced errors. Still, when Federer stood up at the baseline to serve again, the story didn’t change. He polished off the game with a rousing rush to net behind an angled forehand that Djokovic sent sky high. Federer brought it to earth, wrong-footing his opponent and dancing back into the lead.

Federer Wins First Set, 7-6

Federer seemed to decide not to leave anything to chance on his serve, pummeling the ball and winning his serve easily to set up the tiebreaker at 6-6. Here is where the luck of a few great points can make all the difference. That happened first when Federer smashed a forehand so deep that Djokovic couldn’t prevent himself from sending up an easy floater that Federer put away. The Swiss set up a similar point on his next serve and tapped it across the net for a 2-1 lead.

The points were not scintillating. First a Federer forehand flew wide, then a Djokovic backhand found the net, and then another passed over the baseline. Federer moved to 4-2 and seemed ready to run for the tape and take the first set.

That’s when Federer poured on the pressure, flicking a backhand crosscourt that Djokovic started to run for and gave up immediately. A screaming forehand service return bounded over Djokovic’s racket and Federer was at set point. One more netcord broke the trajectory of Djokovic’s service return and Federer rolled to the net and pushed a drop shot into the forecourt. Finesse at last.

Score: Djokovic 6, Federer 5

The key point, at 30-30 was won by Federer with a superb inside-out forehand that Djokovic could only dream of reaching. Down a break point, Djokovic had to keep focused on the point and not the match, since he was in danger of falling behind for the first time in the match. He held on, and Federer managed to slam a topspin backhand into the net, giving Djokovic new life. But not for long. In a seven-or-eight shot rally, Federer forced Djokovic to hit into the net. Then, when an apparent serve was called out, Djokovic challenged yet again. The replay showed the serve in, but the chair umpire refused to allow the ace to stand. Djokovic protested that Federer had had no chance to return the serve, thus it should stand as Djokovic’s point. To no avail. The next point was the best of the match thus far, spanning nearly 25 shots and displaying both players at their best. Finally, Federer sailed a backhand long. The next point was a contender for another highlight reel. After multiple exchanges, including one in which Federer returned a ball around the side of the netpost, Federer won it.

But Djokovic remained calm, stroked carefully, and Federer finally pushed a forehand long. Djokovic’s emotional reserves must have gained a new surge of energy.

Score: Djokovic 5, Federer 4

The first part of a Djokovic nightmare (or maybe a bad dream) unfolded and presented itself. Federer climbed back into the match by getting back on serve with little effort and a modest amount of help from Djokovic’s errors. The Serb held off the second part (a Federer surge into the lead) by winning his serve, even while struggling. This kind of limited success could help him win the set even if Federer holds in the next game.

Score: Djokovic 4, Federer 3

Game Change? With no discernable change in tactics, Federer surged back with strong ground strokes and suddenly Djokovic couldn’t find the range. He doubled faulted to lose his serve at love. The loss so soon after breaking Federer can only have a debilitating effect on Djokovic. What he does with the specter of Federer pulling even or ahead of him will say a lot about his chances in this match.

Score: Djokovic 4, Federer 2

Djokovic might have been looking to take a few extra breaths by challenging two calls in one game. He won both and started breathing a little easier. Federer, who won the first service point by jamming Djokovic once again, started missing and fell behind, 15-30. Pinned against the baseline, Federer sent another ball long and faced two break points. Djokovic decided to take a miniature risk: He slammed a forehand into the deuce corner of the court and was rewarded when Federer hit an easy unforced forehand into the net.. Service break by risk and challenge.

Score: Djokovic 3, Federer 2

Federer won his serve at ease by mixing up the trajectories, snapping one serve to Djokovic’s backhand, another up the T. When it came Djokovic’s turn to serve, his groundstrokes began to betray an uncertainty. Still, at this early stage, nobody had a rhythm. But Djokovic’s dance steps were far less convincing. When Federer allowed himself to be drawn into net by a drop shot, then hit an off-balance overhead smash, Djokovic swung a bit wildly at the shot and sent it far off court. Nevertheless, Djokovic fought back, using Federer’s power to send two winners back past the Swiss, who sailed a third shot long to lose the game.

Score: Djokovic 2, Federer 1

Watching his first service game, Federer seems to rely on a modest tactical maneuver: He senses that he gets points by hitting into Djokovic’s body. If he continues to exploit Djokovic’s discomfort in that zone, he may find a weakness grows into something greater. Djokovic, bouncing the ball in a rhythmic ritual, serves to the corners with success. Nevertheless, neither player shows any glaring weakness.

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