World number One Novak Djokovic and second ranked Roger Federer will meet for the sixth time this year in the final of the U.S. Open 2015, in a repeat of the Wimbledon final. It will be their 42nd career meeting, the second longest rivalry which the Swiss leads by a slender 21-20 margin. The longest rivalry also features Djokovic who trails Rafael Nadal 21-23. The two were barely made to sweat as they brushed aside their opponents without dropping a set on Arthur Ashe stadium on Friday.

The 2011 champion Djokovic put in a flawless performance as he defeated the defending champion Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-0,6-1,6-2 and joined the legendary Rod Laver and Roger Federer to reach the final of every grand slam in a calendar year. He also improved to 14-0 against Cilic and is now 62-5 for the year, having won six titles in 2015. Djokovic won a fifth Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami double for an unprecedented third time, won clay court titles in Monte Carlo and Rome before winning his third Wimbledon title on July 12, 2015. He has a 9-8 record in grand slam finals and has claimed 54 career titles.

Roger Federer was equally impressive as he avenged his French Open quarter-final loss to fellow countryman Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4,6-3,6-1 in just one hour and thirty two minutes. Federer saved a break point in the second game of the first set and broke Wawrinka’s serve in the next game. At 3-2, he went down 0-40 on serve but staved off all three break points before sealing the game with an ace.

He went on to break serve twice in both the second and third set. In six matches so far he has dropped only 52 games and is on a 28 set streak since turning 34 on August 8. He improved his head to head record against Wawrinka to 17-3 and is now 51-7 for the year having won five tournaments in Brisbane where he reached the 1000 win milestone, an unprecented seventh title in both Dubai and Cincinnati, the inaugural Istanbul Open and an eighth title in Halle. He has a 17-9 record in grand slam finals and has 87 career titles.

Djokovic and Federer have played five times this year, Federer won in Dubai and Cincinnati, while Djokovic won in Indian Wells, Rome and at Wimbledon. At age 34, Federer is the oldest Open Era grand slam finalist, since Andre Agassi reached the final here at the Flushing Meadows in New York, in 2005 at the age of 35. The Swiss is the oldest semi-finalist in a major since Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman reached the last four in 2006.

Prediction :- Third time lucky for Federer after loosing to the Serb in the 2014 & 2015 Wimbledon final. Federer in four tight sets.

Meanwhile Serena Williams’ bid to complete a calendar slam in 2015 was cut short by an inspired Roberta Vinci of Italy who came from behind to upset the World No.1, 2-6,6-4,6-4 after fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta upset the second seeded Simona Halep of Romania 6-1,6-3 in the ladies semi-final which were postponed on account of heavy rains on Day 11 of the Championships.

The 43rd ranked Vinci who had never won a set in four previous meetings against the American is now 27-20 for the year. Pennetta ranked 26th is 23-15. The 33 year Pennetta leads the career head to head 5-4; the last time the two met was at the U.S. Open 2013 which Pennetta won in straight sets against the 32 year old Vinci. Pennetta has 10 career titles and Vinci has collected nine titles on the WTA tour. It is the first ever all Italian grand slam final in Open Era.

Prediction :- Penneta in three sets.

– Rasesh Mehta [Rasesh Mehta is an analyst with the Tennis Galaxy.You can reach him at the email: sportzcosmos@gmail.com]