Top Seeds Djokovic and Federer to Clash for U.S. Open Title
The Men’s Singles Finals of the 2015 U.S. Open were set Friday, as the top two seeds advanced to Sunday’s final in Flushing Meadows. After a six-year hiatus, the second-seeded Roger Federer returns for a shot at his sixth title in Flushing, as he will face the top-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
On Friday, Federer needed a little over 90 minutes to dispatch of his fellow countryman, the fifth-seeded Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. At 34 years of age, Federer becomes the oldest Grand Slam semifinalist since Jonas Bjorkman reached the final four at Wimbledon in 2006, is also the oldest Open Era Grand Slam finalist since Andre Agassi, then 35, reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2005.
“I used to be famous for not being consistent,” said Federer. “So for me, I never thought I could bring it in practice and in matches, week in and week out, every year. I never thought that was really something that I could do. I knew I could be surprising. I felt like I could beat anybody at any day, but I knew I had something in me that I like the big occasions, I like playing against the best and testing myself there and not shying away from that.”
Federer now leads Wawrinka 17-3 in head-to-head matchups, with a 5-1 mark in majors.
“He's moving really well, for sure,” said Wawrinka of his fellow countryman. “As I said before playing him, I saw him in Cincinnati, and I think he's quite fast on the court. He's reading the game well, and so he's trying really to stay on the line, not to go back. He’s staying really aggressive, he's serving really well, also. He's serving better than I’ve ever seen him serve.”
The top-seeded Djokovic earned his spot in the finals Friday after a 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 victory over defending champion Marin Cilic. The win marked Djokovic’s 14th over Cilic in 14 career meetings, bringing Cilic’s 12-match win streak at the U.S. Open to an end.
“I just wanted to concentrate on what I needed to do on the court and come out with the right intensity, make him move, and get as many returns back in play,” said Djokovic. “All in all, it was, from my side, a very solid match, and I take that as a confidence booster for the final.”
Post-match, Cilic revealed that he was nursing an injured ankle, an injury suffered during his quarterfinals match against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
“I'm not 100 percent, obviously, and even the last match against Jo [Wilfried Tsonga], I wasn't feeling 100 percent,” said Cilic. “The foot was causing me some trouble with movement, but, you know, Novak was able to expose me much more today. Even coming before the match and thinking, if was going to play or not … I decided to play as it's a Grand Slam tournament. It's deep in the tournament, and I decided to go on the court and give it my best.”
Lifetime, Federer has a slight 21-20 record over Djokovic in 41 career meetings. On hard courts, Federer has a 16-14 advantage over Djokovic.
“Novak has been more straightforward … that’s what I like about our rivalry,” said Federer. “I don't know how it is for him, but I feel like he doesn't need to adjust his game much, either. I think it's just a straight shootout, and I think that's the cool thing about our rivalry. It's very athletic.”
“He's always going to perform on a high level,” Djokovic said of Federer. “Rarely does he drop his level. He always makes you play your best. I know he's also being very aggressive coming to the net lately, mixing it up, and trying to shorten out points. I think he also improved his speed. His defensive game is better than it was. Maybe he is healthier, as everybody is working hard to improve their game and give themselves the highest level possible.”
