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By Richard Pagliaro
© Western & Southern Financial Group Masters
(August 21, 2010) Eyes riveted on a second serve as if scanning the surface of the ball for a welcome message, Roger Federer attacked net behind a biting slice backhand and suddenly the game's most graceful player looked a little like a suburban house husband slipping on a slick sidewalk while trotting to retrieve the morning newspaper.
Stumbling near the service line, Federer reflexively leaned on the head of his Wilson racquet as if it were a makeshift staff to stop his fall and steady his stride. Regaining his balance, Federer continued to move in and knifed a sharp backhand volley winner to seize the opening set.
That set point served to symbolize the match: even when Federer made a slight mis-step, he kept moving forward with all the clarity of a man going places and armed with a plan to get there.
Playing it forward, Federer won 14 of 20 trips to the net in dismissing Marcos Baghdatis, 6-4, 6-3 in 70 minutes to reach his fourth Western & Southern Financial Group Masters final in the last six years.
"Marcos is a wonderful player and I'm very happy with today's match. Conditions were quick but I played aggressive and it paid off," said Federer, clad in a pink shirt that made him look a little bit like the Matt Dillon characther in The Flamingo Kid.
The defending champion will face 36th-ranked Mardy Fish in Sunday's noon final, which will be televised nationallly by CBS. Federer, who has won 21 of his last 23 Cincinnati matches, is aiming for his fourth Cincinnati crown and his first tournament title since he swept Andy Murray to capture his 16th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January. Federe rhas won five of six meetings with Fish, but Fish won their most recent encounter, 6-3, 6-2, in the 2008 Indian Wells semifinals.
It will be a sleeker Fish Federer faces in the final. Shedding 30 pounds in the offseason, Fish is covering the court quicker and competing better than he has in recent years.
"I expect a different Mardy Fish. I beat him in Halle, 6-3, 6-0," said Federer, slipping in score of their 2004 Halle final during an ESPN interview as if to remind both Fish and viewers of his past success. "He's very talented, he's got great feel (and) he's very coordinated the way he uses his backhand on the run. He's changed his forehand many times. He beat me once very easily in Indian Wells, 6-2, 6-3. Obviously, I remember that match. He played very well and deserved to win that match."
While Federer trails World No. 1 Rafael Nadal by 3,710 points in the rankings, the muscularl Mallorcan looked vulnerable in a week in which he fought off a match point to beat Julien Benneteau, but bowed to Baghdatis in the quarterfinals. Struggling to find consistent depth on his returns, Nadal played like a man not quite up to speed with the fast blue Deco Turf surface, while Federer's fast feet and decisive racquet work around net made the five-time Grand Slam champion sound like a man regaining his confidence and swagger as he gears up for a seventh straight trip to the US Open final.
A recharged Federer spoke like a man who firmly believes he will regain the World No. 1 rank eventually.
"If I keep playing well the next seven or eight months there is definitley a chance I can get back to No. 1," Federer said. "I know I have it in me. I have a lot of fun and I love this game and I'm not going anyhwere."
Except forward.
The question, of course, is can Federer play the type of attacking tennis he showed tonight against Nadal or Toronto champion Andy Murray should he meet either man at the US Open.
Federer took time out for a Mediterranean cruise with wife Mirka and the couples twin daughters following his loss to Tomas Berdych in last month's Wimbledon quarterfinals. Eliminating sport from his psyche (Federer says he didn't watch Wimbledon or the World Cup), Federer returned to practice working with Paul Annacone, who formerly worked with serve-and-volleyers Pete Sampras and Tim Henman, intent on regaining the feel for his once imposing return game.
Over the course of the last year, Federer felt he'd become too conservative on his returns in putting the ball back in play and trying to coax an error. Asserting himself on set point against Baghdatis tonight, Federer says he's aiming to take charge using his fast feet to get to the front court and force the opponent to do something special on the pass.
"I was not returning very well the last year or so," Federer said. "Especially at the end of last year, I was sort of very safe and I was not reading the players as much. The six-week break after Wimbledon gave me a bit of time to work on a few things on the hard courts. It's nice to play forward as opposed to letting the other guy dictate."
In a battle of buddies, Andy Roddick suffered a stunning mental collapse and Fish took full advantage, fighting back for a 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 rain-delayed triumph to surge into the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters final for the first time since 2003.
Continuing his summer-long resurgence, Fish has won 22 of his last 25 matches since June, including a 16-1 tear since July.
Bidding for his third consecutive championship, Fish said he's clear on tomorrow's task.
"Roger's beaten me like 65 times so I think we know what to do," joked Fish, who is 1-5 lifetime vs. Federer, but beat the Swiss stylist en route to the 2008 Indian Wells final.
Fish beat Roddick in last month's Atlanta semifinal and went on to defeat John Isner to claim his second straight title. He won Newport on grass last month before launching the most successful US Open Series streak of his career.
Fish outplayed Roddick for much of the opening set, but could not convert three break points. After a near one-hour rain delay, a distracted Fish returned to the court and flailed three weak forehands to drop the opening set, 6-4.
The 36th-ranked Fish was down 6-4, 5-2 when he reeled off nine of the next 10 games in storming out to a 5-0 third-set lead. Roddick dug out a hard-fought hold after deuce to prevent the humiliation of a bagel, but it was a temporary reprieve. Fish threw down the hammer, blasting a forehand winner down the line to secure a spot in his fourth final of the season.
Two-time tournament champion Roddick was playing for his third Masters Series 1000 final of the season, but could not seal the deal when he served for the match at 5-3 in the second set after a second rain delay.
Today's semifinal between former Boca Raton Prep teammates and former housemates was a rematch of the 2003 Cincy final, in which Roddick saved championship points to subdue Fish, 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(4). Fish was never broken in that final.
Roddick, who has spent much of his career as one of the most convincing closers in tennis, created complications for himself for the second straight day. He failed to serve out the match against second-seeded Novak Djokovic the first time, but recovered on his second attempt for a straight sets win.
The pair spent last week training together near Roddick's home in Austin, Texas and were deadlocked at 3-all in the second-set tie break when Fish threw down an ace for 4-3. A Fish mis-hit trampolined off the court and Roddick's backhand reply sailed long. Barking at himself, Roddick tried to regain control but sent a running forehand beyond the baseline, the fourth straight point he lost on serve, as Fish gained set points at 6-3.
Approaching to the Fish forehand, Roddick was stranded at net as Fish's forehand crosscourt pass found the sideline to seal the second set.
Roddick never recovered in falling behind 5-0 in the third.