Federer beats Wawrinka

Roger Federer will meet world number one Novak Djokovic in the US Open final on Sunday.

The world’s two leading players punched their ways to the final spots in like manner, trouncing their opponents in three straight sets. Djokovic defeated defending champion, Marin Cilic, 6-0, 6-1, 6-2.

Federer defeated team mate and compatriot, Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1, stretching his head-to-head advantage to 17-3.

Sunday’s match-up will be the second Grand Slam final played between Djokovic and Federer this year. Both players met in the final at  Wimbledon, with Djokovic prevailing.

Overall, the match  will be Federer and Djokovic’s 42nd meeting, and the World No. 1 will be seeking to avenge not just Wimbledon, but also his straight sets loss in Cincinnati last month.

“I’m very happy, it’s been a great tournament so far,” Federer said in an on-court interview with ESPN. “I tried very hard in the last six years to get to another final, I came close a few times and tonight it worked against Stan, who also played a good tournament.”

The second seed described his current form as “definitely very good, maybe my best.” “I’m serving very well, playing positive tennis. I am going for my shots and I’d love [everything] to work just one more time this year.”

The semi-final marked the Swiss pair’s 20^th career meeting, sixth at a Grand Slam and first at the US Open. Five-time champion Federer extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head lead over Wawrinka to 17-3 and his record at majors against the younger Swiss is now 5-1.

The 34-year-old Federer, who is the oldest Grand Slam semi-finalist since Jonas Bjorkman reached the final four at Wimbledon in 2006, is also the oldest Open Era Grand Slam finalist since Andre Agassi, then 35, reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2005. He’ll next meet top seed Novak Djokovic, over whom he has a 21-20 FedEx ATP Head2Head lead.

Federer said both he and Djokovic don’t need to adjust their games before they battle. “It’s just a straight shootout, and I think that’s the cool thing about our rivalry. It’s very athletic, we both can handle whatever we present to one another and I think our matches [are] very even,” said the 17-time major winner, adding that if the crowd is in his favor, it could give him both energy and momentum. “That could swing the match a little bit, but other than that, obviously Novak is a great player…you’ve got to play well to beat him, there is no question about that.”

Should Federer defeat Djokovic in straight sets on Sunday, it would mark his third Grand Slam title without dropping a set, matching his feats at the 2007 Australian Open and 2006 Wimbledon. He also reached the final of Wimbledon in 2008 without losing a set, but lost that encounter to Rafael Nadal.

*with reports by ATPWorldTour.com