NEW YORK - Andy Roddick cranked up his serve and shouted, "Too big!" Moments later, he moved into the U.S. Open final to face someone who has been too much for him in the past: Roger Federer.
Roddick picked up the pace despite Mikhail Youzhny's best efforts, winning Saturday's semifinal 6-7 (5), 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-3 and drawing several emphatic claps from coach Jimmy Connors.
"I'm going to go enjoy this for about five minutes," said Roddick, the 2003 champion. "I'm going to eat and try to get some sleep and come out and try to win a U.S. Open tomorrow."
Hours earlier, Federer charged into his sixth consecutive Grand Slam final, overwhelming Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.
After that match, the two-time defending Open champion did not seem overly concerned about his next opponent.
"It's going to be tough, even though I have great records against both of them," Federer said.
Precise with his shots, Federer was equally accurate with his stats: He's 10-1 vs. Roddick and 7-0 vs. Youzhny.
Roddick dominated with his serve, winning 43 of 50 points toward the end. He closed the seventh game in the final set with boomers over 130 mph, prompting him to call out to Youzhny.
Youzhny tried several tactics to slow down Roddick. The Russian took his time getting ready to receive serves and bounced around when Roddick got set.
Federer won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year and is trying for his third consecutive U.S. Open title. He is the first man in the Open era, which began in 1968, to reach six Slam finals in a row.
"I thought I played really well today," Federer said.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2013 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Back
