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NEW YORK: For Roger Federer to win his fifth US Open
title in a row, the Swiss second seed must prove he still has what
it takes to beat Novak Djokovic, this time in a semifinal rematch of
last year’s final.
Twelve-time Grand Slam winner
Federer and Serbian third seed Djokovic, the reigning Australian
Open champion, advanced to a Saturday semifinal replay of their 2007
title showdown with impressive quarterfinal triumphs Thursday.
Federer advanced to his 18th
consecutive Grand Slam semifinal and stretched his US Open win
streak to 32 matches by defeating 130th-ranked qualifier Gilles
Muller 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) to end the Luxembourg
left-hander’s dream run.
“I’m happy to keep the
semifinal streak alive. That’s a huge streak for a long time,”
Federer said. “I’m really happy with my mindset going into the
semifinals. I’m happy to take it to the final four one more
time.”
Federer, who last missed a Slam
semifinal at the 2004 French Open, has a 6-2 career record against
Djokovic, including a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 victory in last
year’s final.
“He’s an absolute favorite in
that match,” Djokovic said. “I lost to him last year. For him
it’s a big challenge to go back to number one. For sure it’s
going to be a great match.”
Djokovic eliminated US eighth
seed Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) in Thursday’s other
Arthur Ashe Stadium quarterfinal, the Serbian spurred on by
Roddick’s jokes to the crowd two nights earlier about Djokovic
claiming several injuries.
“Andy said I have 16 injuries.
Obviously I don’t,” Djokovic said, drawing boos from a crowd
dominated by Roddick supporters.
“Like it or not, it’s like
that. They are already against me because they think I’m faking
everything. That was not nice to say in front of this crowd that I
have 16 injuries and I’m faking it.”
It will be the first healthy
meeting of Federer and Djokovic since last year at Flushing Meadows.
Djokovic beat Federer in straight
sets in the Australian Open semifinals on the way to his first Slam
title, but Federer said he was ill, and Djokovic retired against
Federer in an April semifinal on Monte Carlo clay.
Saturday’s other semifinal will
send British sixth seed Andy Murray against Spanish world No. 1
Rafael Nadal, who seeks his third Slam crown in a row after beating
Federer in the French Open and Wimbledon finals.
Federer won the only break of the
match in the ninth game of the second set on a forehand winner.
Muller denied Federer on three break points in the third set on the
way to a tiebreak, then grabbed a 4-1 edge before Federer rallied.
Muller, who twice rallied to win
here after losing the first two sets, upset Russian fifth seed
Nikolay Davydenko in the fourth round to become the second qualifier
in the US Open final eight after France’s Nicolas Escude in 1999.
Djokovic made the most of his
chances to down Roddick, who was two points from forcing a fifth set
until he double faulted twice to give the Serbian his only break
point of the set, which Djokovic converted on a backhand lob winner.
“I doubled twice but I don’t
feel like they were super-tight doubles. I just missed them. I’d
probably go for them again. That’s what got me back in the
match.”
Each man held once more to set up
the tiebreaker, which went to 5-5 before Roddick netted a backhand
volley to give Djokovic match point. The Serbian smacked a service
winner and Roddick wass done after two hours and 34 minutes.
Djokovic broke Roddick in four of
his first eight service games, providing the margin for claiming the
first two sets, but Roddick held serve his next nine chances to set
up the fourth-set drama.
Roddick’s fifth loss in seven
US Open quarterfinals ensured American men would equal their longest
Slam title drought at 21 events, matching a five-year hex that the
late Arthur Ashe ended by winning the 1968 Wimbledon title.
--AFP
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