Federer's magical play on full display in win over Djokovic at U.S. Open
Photo credit: Getty Images | Swiss tennis player Roger Federer returns against Swedish player Robin Soderling during their quarterfinal match at the U.S. Open.
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A couple of points in Roger Federer's straight-sets semifinal victory over Novak Djokovic Sunday were perfectly illustrative of the Federer wizardry that has landed him in his sixth consecutive U.S. Open final Monday.
For the record, Federer won, 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5, and Djokovic, the No. 4 seed from Serbia, played well. But at 5-5 in the third set, with Federer serving, Djokovic swatted four consecutive volleys that all were returned, rapid-fire, by Federer. On the last one, Djokovic, aware that he was a sitting duck at the net, turned his back on Federer, bent over and offered his rear as a target.
Then, with Djokovic serving at 5-6 in the third, hoping to at least get to a tiebreaker, he double faulted to 0-30 and, after apparently lifting the perfect lob beyond the sprinting Federer, had to watch as Federer ran it down and, back to the net, flicked a between-the-legs winner into the left corner.
"There was nothing else I could do," Federer said. And, besides, he practices such a shot a lot, though he admitted "it never works. Greatest shot I ever hit in my life."
He quickly completed his 40th consecutive match victory at the Open, dating to 2004, and put himself in a major tournament final for the 17th time in the last 18 events, where he will face 20-year-old Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, against whom he has a career 6-0 record.
It was del Potro, climbing steadily in the rankings to No. 6, who took Federer to five sets in this year's French Open semifinal. Del Potro, Djokovic said, "definitely" has a chance Monday. Federer is "definitely not unbeatable.
"But he's most consistent, he's most concentrated, mentally strongest guy on the tour, and his movement is unbelievable."
He has seen the magic.
