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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Classless fedfans cheering on service faults all night
Roger has been as bad on crucial points in the later part of his career as he was untouchable on crucial points during his peak.
Eva is fab fab as an umpire. She has performed better than both Roger & Novak 🙂
53 UE for Roger and 35 for Novak
IDEMIOOOOO!!!!
#Shhh… Antijinxings@work
Novak is a very smart and clever actor.
Most likely he deliberately lost some games and sets in earlier rounds to make his opponents think he was not in very good form.
Strike when the opponent is not ready for it.
It does not make logical sense that Novak would be so upset losing a set to the player at the level of Agut or Feli. He knows well they are not at his level.
That is the clever deceptive act in “Art of War”
No
I reached the same conclusion a few games into the match. Bluff and double bluff.
Federer going down fighting.
Roger well break now!
Are we going to see Wimby 2014 final again played out. Djoko was up 5 2 there too.
Djokovic made the classic mistake is thinking it was over.
It’s not
Total points won:
Djokovic – 142
Federer – 142
2014 Wimby written all over
I cant believe how tight Djoker is
Awesome pick from Ricky and all those who picked Nole especially those who picked him in four!!
Happy to be wrong.
Rafa is the GOAT!!!
i tried to tell everyone
Ricky,
So did I. But I was laughed at.
LMFAO
But now there is another contender.
Yeah, you did it again. But in the end, the laugh is on you! Making fun of people who are giving their opinions and then end up being right, is nothing to be proud of at all.
Well I believe you implied I was “absurd” for having an opinion on GOAT.
Somewhat pot and kettle methinks but that is ok,
However like Nole, I don’t get bent out of shape about it (unlike some).
LMFAO!!!!
IDEMOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
I am not being a typical fed fan when I say this because I think Novak is a beast and deserved it but honestly Federer really disappointed me tonight and I think he could’ve switched the result around. Honestly his break point conversion was totally awful. Just horrible. Honestly.
I think that was one of the keys of the match. What was the final stat? Something like 3 BP’s converted out of 17 or more?
I think it was three out of 23.
Yes, I just heard the final stat for BP’s converted for Fed. Out of all those chances. That along with Novak’s ROS and great defensive skills were the keys of the match.
I said it all week long. Novak is the best player this year. I don’t mind some of the hype because Fed was playing so well. But you cannot discount a guy who has played so well consistently throughout the year.
Nole came within one match from winning the calendar slam.
That could be said of Fed twice in 2006 and 2007. All thanks to Rafa and Stan. Its always the FO that they faltered Not even the great Serena Williams could do it (thats a bit surprising to me though).
But Serena won twenty-six straight matches before checking out. With Federer and Djokovic, the Roland Garros final losses came after just thirteen match wins. Who is to say what tricks the mind could have played on them had they ever arrived in New York in search of a calendar slam?
Serena also won a non-calendar slam twice. Federer twice came within one match of achieving that, Nadal is next on twenty-five wins, while Djokovic is on fourteen and counting.
Kudos to the Serb for becoming just the second man after Federer to win three slams in a calendar year on more than one occasion, though. He also joins a select club of players to have won three of the slams at least twice? With Fed old, Nadal gone, Andy not managing his anger, Stan hot and cold, Sleevie Wonder and Nishikori semi-permanently hobbled, Del Potro permanently so, and the remainder simply not up to the task or too young yet, Djoker must have a good chance to catch and surpass Borg, Laver and even Emerson before long. After that, watch out Sampras and Nadal.
Good point lucky.. Of course. Fed came within one match twice during the weak era.
The fedfan crowd was classless but Nole outclassed them all.
Brad Gilbert is a terrible predictor and probably couch as well.
He’s no Lazy Boy that’s for sure.
So Djoko evens it up by stopping Roger three times like he stopped Rafa three times 🙂
Glad he won. That crowd sucked.
#rafole