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| Day 14 - Roger Federer (SUI) [1] vs. Novak Djokovic (SRB) [3] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | Top-seed Roger Federer defeated third-seed Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4, to win his fourth consecutive US Open championship and 12th Grand Slam overall. Federer is now just two majors behind Pete Sampras on the all-time list. All three sets were extremely tight, but Federer was in danger of losing each of the first two sets and giving Djokovic a huge shot of momentum in his first Grand Slam final. However, Federer, though he never looked entirely comfortable against the Serb (to whom he lost in their most recent encounter just a month ago in Montreal), was exceedingly stingy on big points, showing his champion’s mettle. Federer was mentally stronger on those crucial points, and his experience in finals was evident. | | | | Djokovic looked relaxed early on, like he had nothing to lose against the world No. 1 and three-time US Open champion. He showed off his tremendous shotmaking, big serve and retrieving ability, qualities that have pushed him to the top of the men’s game. In the first two sets, he outplayed Federer. Yet the Serb also showed his inexperience and inability to master his nerves when it counted most: in big opportunities to snatch both of the first two sets. Had he made good on any of those opportunities, this match may have turned out very different. Of course, hypotheticals are pretty useless when it comes to playing Roger Federer..
| | | | |  | | | | | At the end of the first set, in which there had been virtually no daylight between the players, Djokovic broke Federer’s serve to go up 6-5. He then raced to a 40-love advantage on his serve. Federer won all three of those set points and saved two more in the same game, drawing even to set up a tiebreak. | | | | Djokovic not only lost all five of those set points (on his serve) in the first set, he gave up two more in the second set, when Federer was serving at 4-5. Having already failed to capitalize on an early break of Federer’s serve in the second set, Djokovic couldn’t get steady himself in the second tiebreak. | | | | |  | | | | | Federer, who’s almost always money on big points, converted on 3-of-5 crucial break-point opportunities. Djokovic was only successful on 2-of-9 he earned on Federer’s serve. | | | | Djokovic was 0-for-7 on set points, five of which were on his serve in the first set. That’s a whole lot of opportunities and a lot of disappointment from being unable to convert. The Serb played well in the final set, but he could never recover from those missed opportunities. | | | | |  | | | | | Federer’s inexorable run toward history continues, and he could conceivably break Sampras’ record in 2008—at either Wimbledon or the US Open. | | | | Despite the disappointing loss, Djokovic, at just 20, has to come away from the US Open very confident, having reached his first-ever Grand Slam final and having had very real chances to defeat Federer in the final. Djokovic will enter the 2008 season as a contender in every Grand Slam, and he has now made it a triumvirate at the top, as opposed to just a duo of Federer and Nadal. | | | | |  | | | | | Liza Minelli sang “New York, New York” in jazz-club style and makeup, and she even managed to jazz up “God Bless America.” Crowding the stands were plenty of celebrities, including Dustin Hoffman and Roger’s fashion consultant and confidant, Anna Wintour. | | | | A surprise in Djokovic’s player box was Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick’s former squeeze, showing off a new haircut. Since Sharapova lost in the first week, her presence at the final among Djokovic’s team is sure to jumpstart the rumor mills. Mixed in among the Serb’s family and friends, who were all decked out in replicas of Novak’s red, white and blue adidas shirt, was none other than a fisherman-hatted Robert DeNiro. | | | | |
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