Federer and Djokovic meet again at the US Open
Serbian player Novak Djokovic will be desperate to overcome Roger Federer when the pair meet in the US Open semi-finals on Saturday.
Djokovic reached the final of the tournament in 2007, and was knocked out the semi-finals in the last two years. The three exits have had one thing in common: they all came after defeats by Federer.
The Swiss is the tournament's second seed, while Djokovic was seeded third. Federer has not dropped a single set so far in the tournament, while Djokovic has claimed all his sets since a nervy opening display against fellow Serb Viktor Troicki.
"We've had some good matches over the years," Federer told the press after he defeated Swedish fifth seed Robin Soderling on Wednesday. "This is obviously [Djokovic's] best surface, even though he's very good on clay as well. I think the faster hard court favours his play the most... it comes down to who plays better on the day and who makes the right decisions at the right time. And I think it depends a little on the wind, too."
Weather could prove critical
The weather conditions in New York have varied during the week, and there is a chance they will come to affect the outcome of Saturday's match.
While the extreme heat that saw Djokovic struggle against Troicki in the first round has subsided, strong winds have made their presence felt in the past few days.
"These are the worst conditions so far in this tournament," Djokovic said after he overcame Frenchman Gael Monfils in the quarter-finals. The gusty conditions on Wednesday made it especially difficult to predict the path of the ball and to retain accuracy when serving.
Federer, meanwhile, said he has learned to embrace the challenge of playing in strong winds.
"I think by now, I do [enjoy the wind]. I see it as a challenge and as an opportunity to play differently. I used to dislike it so much that I was able to turn it around and take joy out of playing in the wind."
During the match against Soderling, Federer served with remarkable accuracy, causing the Swede plenty of trouble by varying his serve.
As Soderling struggled to serve and place the ball, the five-time US Open winner served 18 aces and noted only two double faults.
History in Federer's favour
Federer's record against Djokovic also gives him the upper hand ahead of the match. Federer has won ten of the pair's 15 meetings. Out of Djokovic's five victories, only one has come in a Grand Slam tournament, in the semi-finals of the 2008 Australian Open.
After progressing from the quarter-finals, Federer said Djokovic is looking for his major break at the US Open, adding that his own game had proven the major obstacle thus far.
While most will expect Federer to prevail again and play Rafael Nadal in the final, should the Spaniard progress, the Serb will do all he can to get in his way.
''I'm sure that the crowd wants [Federer and Nadal] in the finals," Djokovic said. "But I will try to make that not happen.''
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