The U.S. Open title is coming down to the top two players in the world–Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Sunday’s championship match pits the game’s best against each other at this stage of a second major in succession.
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will be meeting for the 42nd time in their careers when they battle for the U.S. Open title on Sunday afternoon.
The head-to-head series could not be any closer, to the extent that it may be all tied up again by the time this one ends. Federer holds a 21-20 edge after beating Djokovic 7-6(1), 6-3 in this summer’s Cincinnati final. Djokovic, however, has won three of their five 2015 encounters–including a 7-6(1), 6-7(10), 6-4, 6-3 victory in the Wimbledon championship match. The Serb is 7-6 at his rival’s expense in Grand Slams despite losing four of their first five such showdowns.
Since toppling Djokovic in Cincinnati, an on-fire Federer has not looked back. Playing without question the best tennis in the world right now, Federer has not lost a set so far this fortnight. The 34-year-old Swiss punched his ticket to the title match by disposing of Leonardo Mayer, Steve Darcis, Philipp Kohlschreiber, John Isner, Richard Gasquet, and Stan Wawrinka. Only Isner pushed him to a pair of tiebreakers and nobody else even came within 7-5 in any set.
An aggressive Federer is striking winners from all over the court and he has continued to execute the Sneak Attack By Roger (SABR) tactic–although to what extent depends on the opponent. The world No. 2 never did it against Isner for obvious reasons, but he fared well with it on occasion versus Djokovic in Cincinnati.
“For me, if it makes sense–which I think it does–I’ll use it in the finals,” Federer commented. “I used it to great effect against [Djokovic] in the tough situation at 4-1 in the ‘breaker in Cincy. We will see if the occasion presents itself. It’s got to be the right point, right frame of mind, the right place to do it. I hope I’ll have the opportunity to do it.”
Djokovic has an opportunity to win his third major title of the year and effectively come within one match–besting Serena Williams, who was two matches away–of capturing the calendar-year Grand Slam. The top seed previously triumphed at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon to go along with his runner-up showing at Roland Garros. So far in New York he has defeated Joao Souza, Andreas Haider-Maurer, Andreas Seppi, Roberto Bautista Agut, Feliciano Lopez, and Marin Cilic–dropping sets to Bautista Agut and Lopez in the process.
“I came here with a wish and a mission: to reach the finals and fight for the trophy,” Djokovic assured. “So I got myself in that position. It’s already a great result. But I want to get that final step on Sunday and get my hands on that trophy. Obviously I’m not the only one who wants that. [A] Swiss player will be on (the) opposite side of the net. We will definitely want to have the same kind of mission.”
When the world’s two best players with the same goal collide, the result should be another instant classic. Federer is showcasing the better form, but can he sustain his incredible level from start to finish in a best-of-five situation? He has not been able to do that against Djokovic in recent times–and he will once again come painfully close.
Pick: Djokovic in 5
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Djokovic breaks Fed. If he holds his serve that effectively decides the match.
NID
Federer just cannot convert BPs. He is horrible at it.
Cna you believe some 28 BP in this match
Gee whiz, Novak wins the third set! Imagine that! I guess he didn’t choke after all!
Said the person that couldn’t even make a pick lol.
From the person who posted that truly rude and tasteless comment when I did make my pick! I saw what you wrote! No class! You did everything to make me feel stupid for my original pick of Novak in four or five sets!
So how does it feel to be wrong now!
I say I had the balls to make a pick LOL
NNY..the scant respect shown to Djokovic by some people on this site is stifling. Djokovic is not world No 1 for nothing.
It is very clear..Roger has a huge huge mental block in slams against both Novak and Rafa. This match says it all. Some 16 BP chances and only 5 converted.
Tell me about it! Did you see what was said after I made my prediction of Novak in four or five sets? I was laughed at! Then when I decided that I couldn’t make a pick and didn’t go with my original belief, I am getting trashed for that, too!
Shameful!
I have said all along that Novak is the one who has been the best player this year. Then there was all this hype over Fed. It’s okay to support him playing so well, but to just have so little respect for the #1 player, the one who has been in every slam final this year, is just pathetic.
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Yeah, it takes a lot of balls to take cheap shots all week at someone who doesn’t agree with you. Now that’s funny! LOL! What a joke! I stood up for Novak all week long. You couldn’t shut up about how right you were about Fed. No one knows anything but you.
#NID
Indeed! LOL
I believe you didn’t back him to win though.
Revisionism helps some.
Fed missed golden chance..
Vaamos Nole!!! *Does the Rafa lawnmover* 🙂
Idemoooooo!!!!
Nole loosen up please
Shut the N.Y. Crowd up Nole!!!
And me too LOL!!!
It will be precisely same scenario like Wimbledon.
The scar just will not heal in grand slam matches again Rafa/Novak.
Walk in the park playing all others, but mission impossible again these two. Wait until both retire for Roger to win another slam 🙂
Yes huge huge mental block against both Rafa and Novak. It was only Rafa earlier..2011 onwards it is against Novak too, esp after losing that 2011 semi in USO to Novak holding 2 match points.
No
Aha!!
Novak breaks Fed in the first game of the fourth set. It’s not over until the last point is played. Fed won 3 of 17 break points. I think that was the stat from the ESPN commies. That’s the story of this match.
Everybody who believed Federer could win was unanimous it would have to be in 4 sets.
I reckoned without Djokovic’s awesome defensive skills being brought to bear. He carefully hid his light under the bushel leading up to the final.
I remember saying a few times here that Novak brings his best in the semis and the finals of slams. That’s exactly what he did.
Everybody who believed in Djokovic was banking on him saving his best till the final.
That said expect more drama in 4th set. Novak wmay lose serve again 🙂
Forehand errors thus far:
Djokovic, 9
Federer, 23
abhirf here is your stat
But there has not been a single tantrum from Nole this match
I clocked that too. I would have bet my house on him losing the plot. Instead he regrouped and dug deep.
Fed will break here
Fed will break here now
Chokovic
NID
Almost every BP miss by Federer is a FH error..that too wayward