By Chris Oddo | Friday September 11, 2015
Roger Federer was in masterclass mode from start to finish in taking down Stan Wawrinka in straight sets.
Photo Source: Maddie Meyer/Getty
When asked about how he learned to beat Roger Federer earlier in the week by ESPN’s Chris Evert, Stan Wawrinka started his explanation with some valuable insight on how tough it was to learn to beat him. “His game is, I would say, the worst in the big four for me, for my game to play,” Wawrinka said. “He’s mixing a lot, he’s playing really fast, serve and volley, he’s doing many, many things that I never really like.”
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That was apparent on Friday as Federer devilishly extracted the punch from Wawrinka’s lethal game and rode roughshod over his compatriot to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Federer’s triumph lands him in his first US Open final since 2009.
“I’ve tried very hard in the last six years, I tell you, to get back into another final,” Federer said on court after his win. “I’ve come close a few times.”
Federer, who held match points against Novak Djokovic in two different semifinals during his five-year US Open final drought, will face his archrival in Sunday’s final. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic handed defending champion Marin Cilic a lopsided defeat to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams in the same season for the first time in his career.
“Well he’s had a tremendous year,” said Federer of Djokovic. “There’s a lot on the line always when we play each other… He could get his third of the year, in terms of Slams, I could get my first again in some time. Obviously he’s the best mover on the hard courts for some time now, and he’s just been so consistent on any surface. That’s what has made him world No. 1 for a long time now. He’s been really tough to beat, plus he’s tough mentally. He doesn’t give you anything. I like that challenge and I’ll be ready for it.
Federer had his hands full with the Wawrinka challenge in the first set. After saving a break point in the first game with a body serve, Federer would break in the next game for 2-1. But Wawrinka, who was hitting with incredible pace in the early going, threatened to break back when he had Federer in a 0-40 hole in the sixth game. After an ace, a backhand volley winner and a serve-and-volley winner to get to deuce, Federer took the final two points to seal the hold.
Federer, who would not see another break point all evening, also wiggled out of a 0-30 hole to hold for 5-3, before serving out the set two games later.
Whether it was the occasion or the complexity of the Federer attack, Wawrinka’s struggles seemed to multiply in the second set. Rather than attack the second serve, he dropped back and looked to engage in rallies, but the strategy never took hold. Federer used Wawrinka’s passive approach to claim the net, winning seven of seven net points and dropping only two points on serve in the second set.
Wawrinka rallied from 0-40 down and saved five break points in total to take a 3-2 lead in the set, but a game later he seemed frazzled and was broken to love. Two games later, Federer ended a run that saw him claim 16 of 17 points with another break to take the set.
“When he gets the lead, when he gets the break, then he's relaxed,” Wawrinka said. “The way he's playing he's reading better, moving better, so everything is going faster, that's for sure.” With wind in his sails, Federer jammed on the accelerator to race to victory. He won 21 of 32 points in the third set and didn’t drop a first-serve point while breaking on both break points he saw.
At the one hour and 32-minute mark, Federer hammered an ace down the T to book a spot in his 27th career Grand Slam final. The victory improves Federer’s record over Wawrinka to 17-3 and boosts his all-time US Open record to 78-10. Only one Open Era Player (Pete Sampras, 71-9) has a higher US Open winning percentage, but Federer could become the tournament’s all-time leader in that category, as well as its all-time title leader, with a win in the final.
Since losing the Wimbledon final in four sets to Djokovic, Federer has won 28 consecutive sets in Cincinnati and New York, dropping serve just twice in the process.
“He came back Cincinnati at a completely different level,” Wawrinka said. “Here also. If you look at the first part he was playing good, make final Wimbledon, but the rest was amazing.”
Numbers, Tweets
Federer moved within one win of Andre Agassi (79) for second place on the all-time win list with 78.
Federer ties Jimmy Connors at second on the all-time US Open final list with 7. Sampras and Ivan Lendl each have eight to their name.