temptation?

ORDER OF PLAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2011

STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am

[1] R Nadal (ESP) vs J Del Potro (ARG) - ATP

[3] N Djokovic (SRB) vs [2] R Federer (SUI) - ATP

2010 Best Matches Of The Year

2. Novak Djokovic d. Roger Federer,  5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5, US Open SF

He would not go on to win the US Open, but Novak Djokovic certainly left his mark on Flushing Meadows after saving two match points to defeat Roger Federer in a pulsating five-set semi-final clash, thus denying the Swiss a place in his seventh straight US Open final.

Having lost to Federer in each of the three previous years at the US Open, including in the 2007 final, Djokovic explained afterwards, “I just knew I have to be patient and not lose my emotions too much, because that was the case in the past where I was losing the momentum with him. He uses that nervousness of the opponent. He feels it.”

Indeed, the Serbian showed nerves of steel when, at 4-5 15/40 in the fifth set, he saved two match points with a swinging forehand volley and a down-the-line forehand winner. He went on to win the final three games, trumping Federer in a 22-shot rally to close out the match after three hours and 44 minutes.

The result came one year on from Federer’s defeat in the 2009 US Open final, in which he had been two points from victory against Juan Martin del Potro. The five-time US Open champion ultimately paid the price for committing 66 unforced errors to Djokovic’s 38 and afterwards expressed the disappointment he shared with many tennis fans, that he would not have the chance to reignite his rivalry with Rafael Nadal in the final. “I would have loved to play against him here. I did my hard yards the last six years making it to the finals, and he was unfortunately never there. And now one point away from this happening, obviously it’s a bit of disappointment.”

men in black (this time, all. rs)