Roger Federer met Stanislas Wawrinka in the semi-final of the US Open at Flushing Meadows looking to book a place against Novak Djokovic in the final of the showpiece.
Federer started positively and he took an all-important break on the way to winning the first set 6-4.
Things did not get any better for Wawrinka in the second offering, as Federer continued to dominate on his service and soon completed a resounding 6-3 victory to establish the prospect of wrapping things up in straight sets.
Federer rarely offered much in the way of chances to Wawrinka, who ultimately had no answers to the veteran's precision as he succumbed to a masterclass 6-1 showing in the third and final set.
Relive all of the action from the contest with our game-by-game coverage below.
Morning all and thank you for joining us tonight as Roger Federer takes on Stanislas Wawrinka for a place in the final of the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
Novak Djokovic has just secured his place in the conclusion of the showpiece having beaten current title holder Marin Cilic in straight sets on Ashe.
This semi sees two old Swiss friends go up against each other in a national rivalry that has spanned 11 years. Federer holds the upper hand in historical terms, after collecting 16 victories over Wawrinka in their last 19 games against each other.
Roger has been completely dominant on his service throughout this tournament, where he has notched 82% first serve points at Flushing Meadows. Wawrinka won the last meeting between these men at Roland Garros earlier this year. However, the story is a little different on hard courts like these, where Federer has won their past 11 meetings.
The pair are just running through their final warmups as we await the start of the clash. We will be bringing you all of the action as it comes... Wawrinka to serve!
Wawrinka gets punished early on when Federer pounces on a return to send a huge winner down into the corner. Stan bounces straight back, though, to move into a 30-15 lead off some telling service work. Federer guesses correctly on a smash but can only find the net, allowing Wawrinka to take an opening hold when Roger fails on the forehand.
Roger gets into a spot of bother with some average return work that flies wide, but replies on the rush to fire deep into the corner on a serve and volley. The world number two goes again, this time to send a poor attempted winner beyond the baseline. It goes all wrong for Roger when he spoons a laughable effort into the crowd, although Wawrinka cannot take the break point. Federer serves up a memorable ace before eventually taking the hold.
BREAK! Not much offered up by Stan back on his own service at first glance, as he rattles along to a 30-0 lead. Wawrinka tries to steer one into his opponent, but comes up short at the net. Stan's next rally sees him spoon beyond the baseline to bring the scores level, before cutting wide to give Federer a chance at the break. Roger sees it out when Wawrinka chucks another one deep. The veteran has the advantage, then...
Federer completes a fantastic hold to take a 3-1 advantage in the first set. It is all over pretty quick with the help of a telling service winner at the end of the fourth.
Despite being a break down, Wawrinka comes back into the frame with some dominant service games. He climbs back at 3-2 after five following some brutal forehand and backhand work. Roger played his part too, coming unstuck on both the back and fore during that mini battle.
Stan moves into a commanding position off Federer's serve as he looks to battle down the court and stifle the net at 40-0. Federer offers some resistance with an ace at 40-15, and he continues to make a recovery with some standout serve and volley play. From three break points up, Stan somehow loses the game as Federer cuts him in half with a marvellous backhand down the line followed by a game-holding ace.
Federer has a slight sniff at the break, only for Wawrinka to hold firm with the assistance of a couple of sloppy errors from Roger. Stan seals the hold with the most memorable of drop shots over the net to finish off a stunning rally between the two players.
Roger jumps on the defensive on his own serve to force Stan into cutting deep, but his old buddy responds with the wildest of point-scoring backhands across the court. Stunning serve and volley tactics open the game up for Federer, and he soon takes another game with a defensive play on the rally. Rockets from the back of the court from the veteran!
Needless overhitting sees Stan fall behind at the start of the ninth, and he again comes unstuck this time at the net with a tame cut. The scores move level when Wawrinka hits his smash winner to perfection, before following it up to move ahead with some defensive placement on the return. The big man holds when Roger scoops beyond without too much pressure on him. Federer is now serving for the first set, though!
SET! Roger looks to apply some pressure on Stan with a charge to the middle, and he comes up trumps when his opponent pulls wide. Some experienced work on first and second serve establish set point, which the number two seed takes despite having produced a double fault on the way to taking advantage of this contest.
What has Stan got in his locker? He starts well only to fade when Roger goes on the attack from deep. The veteran takes two vital forehand winners to go ahead, but cannot complete the break point at 40-30 as Wawrinka comes back to claim deuce. Federer splices his next return beyond under pressure, leaving Stan to finally see out an important hold.
Wow... There you have it, three aces in a row for Federer and game two is over within a minute. Stunning stuff.
Wawrinka is growing into this contest on his own service, and this time he is the one to move unchallenged to an easy hold. His best coming from a beautiful backhand winner from deep.
Some mean serving now starting to take shape out on Ashe. Federer serves up a huge volley winner on his way to completing game five after conceding just one point. This could be heading to a tiebreaker at this rate...
Or not... Federer moves out in front of Stan's service with the help of a huge forehand winner to capitalise from some early errors from the 30-year-old. Stan produces back-to-back aces to give himself a chance, and he brings back deuce when Federer fires long. Parity continues for a while, before Stan finally makes his move to close out a very important hold. Federer will be annoyed, surely?
Roger looks unfazed despite perhaps wasting some decent break points in the last game. He continues unchallenged to 40-0, where he comes unstuck with a poor cut into his own side. He finally takes the hold with yet more trademark serve and volley tactics. We are getting lots of variety from the veteran tonight!
BREAK! Lazy returns see Stan slip 30-0 behind Federer, who then watches Wawrinka throw another poor response beyond the baseline to give his opponent three break points. The break arrives when the 30-year-old goes beyond once more. Poor from Big Stan, really poor...
A massive hold is earned for Federer, who moves 5-3 ahead to assume control of this contest. He will either need to break now or concede and hold serve afterwards in order to wrap up this second set.
SET! Ludicrous return work from Roger sees him assume dominance at 30-0 off his opponent's serve. Stan falls to his own poor timing, leaving Federer to clinch a set-winning break with a return that sees Wawrinka spoon a huge return into the stands. Game over? This has been reletenless execution work from Federer. Wawrinka has not had a look in thus far...
This has been seamless from Federer! The Rolls Royce of tennis is ticking over beautifully... The veteran takes control of his service game to move virtually unchallenged into a 1-0 lead in the third. The highlights might just give you a peep at a wonderful spinning drop over the middle from Stan, though.
Stan does what he can while serving and moves ahead with a service winner and a strong ace. Federer pulls out a cheeky lob to earn a point, but Wawrinka quickly closes out the game with a second service winner.
This man is a machine! Shot after shot after shot from Federer, who grabs another easy hold with quality placement and some admirable gambling on the serve and volley.
BREAK! Mistakes on both sides push the scores to 30 each, where Stan brings an end to a superb deep-court rally with a costly rush into the net to hand Federer break point. The vital break is achieved when Wawrinka sends his final response out of bounds. Is that it?
As you might expect, the robot droid in white tennis clothing marches on to close out yet another hold, this time only giving up one point on his way to making it 4-1 in his favour.
BREAK! That is crazy. Federer reaches the net and wrong-foots Stan with an outlandish drop and cut tight inside the line to make the scores level at 30-30. An unforced error from Stan gives Federer the chance for a second consecutive break, which he achieves with pure class on his defence that sees Wawrinka cut into the net from deep. Terrific from Roger...
GAME, SET & MATCH! It looks as if Stan might just grab his first break of the set, only for Federer to come out all guns blazing to reach parity. Once level, Roger sets his return so deep that all Stan can do is fire into the middle on the forehand. Federer goes for the serve and volley, but gets caught short down the line as deuce is reached. A good second serve eventually sees Stan return long, leaving Roger to clinch the game with an ace. Wonderful, truly brilliant from the five-time US Open champion. Nothing short of remarkable.
Well, there we have it: Federer will meet Djokovic in the final at Flushing Meadows. This will be Roger's first final in six years and he fully deserves it after that performance. He just did not give Stan any chance on his service, and worked brilliantly to counter his fellow countryman when he held serve.
That is going to be all from me tonight, but make sure you rejoin us over the coming days as we will be bringing you live coverage of the finals from both the men's and the women's draws. Goodnight!
Written by
Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
