0C8DDF21-4D04-4020-ADEE-084850E98A3F
By Richard Pagliaro
© Michael O'Kane
(September 11, 2010) Arthur Ashe Stadium was rocking in rumbling roars in anticipation of the first Roger vs. Rafa US Open final as Roger Federer stood one point away from the creating the most electrifying encounter in recent US Open history. Fearlessly firing his forehand with ambition, Novak Djokovic stood up to the five-time champion and more than 20,000 screaming fans in pulling the plug on the Big Apple buzz with audacious shotmaking.
In a dramatic duel that saw tension escalate with each brilliant baseline exchange, Djokovic fought off two match points with successive scorching forehand winners in the 10th game of the final set then withstood a break point in the 12th game to subdue five-time champion Federer, 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 and advance to his second US Open final since 2007.
When Federer's final forehand sailed wide, Djokovic stood wide-eyed on the court as if frozen in utter disbelief of completing his comeback and snapping Federer's streak of six straight US Open finals. Thrusting his arms in triumph, Djokovic crossed himself, pressed his palms together as if in prayer then knelt down and kissed the court.
"It's really hard to describe the feeling I have right now; 10 minutes ago I was a point from losing this match and now I managed to come back," said Djokovic. "It's one of those matches you will always remember in your career. I'm just so happy to be in the final."
Federer has been one of the premier front-runners in Open Era history, but this match marked the third time this year the Swiss stylist failed to create closure when holding match points on hard court. Federer blew match points in suffering his first career loss to Marcos Baghdatis in Indian Wells and squandered a match point against Tomas Berdych in Miami. He reflected on his inability to find the finish line in the post-match press conference.
"I lost a couple more with match points this year, so they all pretty much feel the same. They feel somewhat empty at the end because you have tried everything and maybe it was luck," said Federer looking out at a room packed with media from beneath the brim of his blue baseball cap. "Maybe it was he played well. Maybe you didn't pick the right shot; maybe he did. Can't turn back time, but look obviously (he) had to come up with a couple of good shots on match point so I don't feel I have many regrets in that regard."
It is Djokovic's second US Open final in the past four years, but he won't have much time to celebrate. The 2007 runner-up will face World No. 1 Nadal in Sunday's 4 p.m. final. Can Djokovic come down from the emotional peak of beating Federer and get back up again for Nadal?
"It's still far for me to say that I can put myself as a champion here becuase I have Nadal across my net, who is extremely motivated and playing great tennis this year and serving really well," Djokovic said. "So definitely he's going to give his best, and we are gonna have a lot of long rallies. Physically, it's gonna be very requiring on court, to be fit in order to have some chances. It would be such a big success and achievement beating Roger in semis and then Nadal in finals. I cannot even describe it."
The top-seeded Spaniard stormed into his first Flushing Meadows final, overwhelming 12th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in a two hour, 13-minute semifinal that started the day of play on Ashe Stadium.
Continuing his quest to complete the career Grand Slam and become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open in succession, Nadal may well be reveling in the fact he made quick work of Youzhny while Djokovic, who has been dogged by breathing issues, survived a physically-demanding five-setter with Federer.
"Having three sets match and two hours, or a little bit more, of the match always is great, no? I gonna be in perfect conditions tomorrow, so that's very positive," Nadal said. "We will see what happen."
Given the fact Nadal has not surrendered a set so far, has only dropped serve twice in this tournament, owns a 14-7 career edge over Djokovic and Djokovic is coming off a grueling semifinal with little turnaround time in facing the monumental task of trying to beat the world's top two players in succession with about 20 hours of rest and recovery time you might think the final could be as closely contested as an arm-wrestling match between the Incredible Hulk and Olivier Rochus.
The final is not a foregone conclusion though. Djokovic has won seven of 10 hard-court meetings with Nadal, including three in a row without dropping a set. Nadal's last hard-court win over Djokovic was a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 triumph in the semifinals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
It might sound borderline blasphemous to even suggest it, but could Djokovic, whose two-handed backhand is a more effective hard-court shot than Federer's one-handed backhand, actually be better equipped to challenge Nadal on the US Open Deco Turf than 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer?
"When he's playing well, probably (he) is the player who can play at high level for moments, no? Because he can have winners from every part of the court. He serve, when he's serving well, help him a lot, because he can have very good serves," Nadal said of Djokovic. "He's a very difficult opponent for me, especially I had a lot of loses against him in this kind of surface. I have victories, too, but I have loses."
Djokovic's recent US Open have been littered with a littany of loss all at the hands of Federer, who served as Djokovic's personal roadblock in beating him three consecutive years in Flushing Meadows, including a straight-sets win in the 2007 final. Learning from those losses, when his moment of truth came today, Djokovic seized it.
"I had to take the chances when I was down match points," Djokovic said. "Every match we played was close and that's why he's the best player to ever play this game. He plays his best tennis in the most important moments...I just knew I had to be patient and not lose my emotions too much because that was the case in the past with him."
Down 15-30, Federer pulled out the slice forehand for the first time all day and moved forward behind that shot, slicing a sharp-angled backhand crosscourt to draw even. A scrambling Djokovic dug out a difficult running forehand to elicit the error and it was deuce. Two points later, Federer fired his 10th ace to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth set.
Deadlocked at deuce at 3-all, Djokovic was in control of the point and hit a backhand that landed on the line. The shot was incorrectly called out, chair umpire Enric Moline overruled, the point was replayed and Federer hit a service winner. On the second deuce, Federer fied a backhand down the line to open the court followed by an inside-out forehand winner for ad. Djokovic was beyond ball boy territory, nine feet off the court when he made a spectaculaar get. Federer netted an open-court forehand to face another deuce.
After a fourth deuce, Federer held when Djokovic netted a return for 4-3.
In the eighth game, Federer was racing off the doubles alley aiming for an open area down the line. If he connected on the shot it would have been a sure winner and given Federer double-break point, but he flattened a backhand into the net near the Mercedes symbol and Djokovic dug out a difficult hold for 4-all.
More than two hours into the match, Djokovic, a man whose past questionable conditioning, breathing issues and willingness to tap out in major matches has haunted him, showed resilience in his spirt and spring in his step.
Storming the net, Djokovic deflected a series of reflex volleys then leaped to snap off an overhead winner for break point. He broke for 2-1 and quickly consolidated for 3-1.
A distracted Federer sprayed a backhand long as Djokovic earned double break point at 15-40. Federer fought off the first two break points, but did not move his feet and laced a backhand into the net to hand Djokovic a third break point. Cutting quickly to his right, Djokovic drilled a forehand pass down the line that ricocheted off Federer's Wilson racquet and he trotted to the side line raising a clenched fist toward his parents, who leaped out of their seats in support, holding a 4-1 fourth-set lead.
Despite serving just 48% in the fourth set, Djokovic permitted only five points on serve to seize the set in 31 minutes.
The fight for the final would go the distance.