Roger Federer's failure in solving the Novak Djokovic riddle at US Open – Tennis Special
For two years in a row, Roger Federer has wasted two match points to lose to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals at the fourth and last Grand Slam of the season, the US Open Championships.
Flushing Meadows is Federer’s second favourite place, where he has won the second highest number of his Grand Slam titles. The Swiss Maestro reached the title match for six consecutive years from 2004 to 2009, winning on the first
five occasions to take his US Open winning tally to five.
Federer was just two points away from winning his sixth straight Flushing Meadows title but he lost to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in five sets 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-7(4), 2-6 in the 2009 final.
The Swiss legend was considered unbeatable at the US Open by many tennis followers. The fast hard courts of Flushing Meadows suit Federer’s aggressive style of play. The Basel resident used to play with his opponents like toys
at the US Open. Such was the level of his dominance that he defeated the then world number five, Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, with two bagels in the 2004 final.
However, after losing that final to Del Potro, Federer faced more heart break. He cruised to the semi-finals in 2010. The Swiss Maestro met Djokovic there, the player whom he had beaten in the 2007 final and then 2008-09 semi-finals.
When Djokovic served to stay in the match at 4-5 in the fifth set, he went down 15-40 and provided Federer two match points. The Serbian played some unbelievably risky shots at that moment to put them away and went on to hold his serve, levelling the score
at 5-5. Suddenly the scenario changed, as Djokovic broke Federer in the next game and served out the match at 6-5.
Talking to the reporters after the match, Djokovic said, “If it comes in, it comes in, it’s a risk. I was gambling. If it’s out, you’ve lost. I was lucky today.”
On the other hand, Federer stated, "I feel somewhat empty at the end. You tried everything. Obviously you feel like you left something out there if you lose a match and had match point."
History repeated itself in 2011 but this time Federer received two match points on his own serve, as he went up 40-15 at 5-4 in the fifth set. Though, Djokovic responded in the same way once again, whipping a fore hand shot past
Federer for a winner to save the first match point. He continued to play like that and went on to win three games in a row, beating Federer 7-5 in the final set.
The Swiss Maestro was more disappointed this time, as he had wasted two sets to love lead. He commented, “He was mentally out of it, already, and just gets the lucky shot. Snaps one shot, and then the whole thing changes. I should
have won here, it was just one of those matches, I set it all up perfect but I couldn’t finish it,” he said. “The sport, it’s very cruel and tough sometimes.”
Federer is expected to meet Djokovic in the title match this time, as they have the top two positions in the ATP Rankings. The Swiss Maestro would try his best that he stops Djokovic from completing hat-trick of completing lucky
wins against him.
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