Serena Williams left the grounds at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center within 30 minutes of her crushing semifinal loss to unseeded Roberta Vinci. But Roger Federer made up for her quick (and understandable) exit. Federer vaulted into his first US Open final in six years, utterly dominating his countryman, French Open champion Stan Wawrinka 6-4 6-3 6-1. Federer hasn’t dropped a set in the tournament and will arrive at Sunday’s 3:30pm final “fresh as a daisy”, in the words of announcer John McEnroe. He’ll face his chief rival Novak Djokovic there.
Unlike Williams, Federer hung around Flushing Meadows for more than an hour after his win. He chatted with fans, friends and media, the smile rarely leaving his face. He’s enjoying it, he said. But what about Djokovic, the world No. 1 who awaits? (Federer beat him in Cincinnati last month for a title.) Djokovic is “very, very tough and consistent” and it’s going “to be a great match,” Federer said. “And I will be ready for it.”
