• US Open, Day 13

Immense Djokovic downs Federer in five-set epic

Novak Djokovic showed the heart of a champion to beat Roger Federer in five sets © Getty Images

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Novak Djokovic confirmed his status as the world's No. 1 player with a stunning fightback to beat Roger Federer in a five-set epic and book his place in the final of the US Open.

Federer came out bristling with intent and dominated the contest for two sets. The Swiss seemed certain to book his place in the Flushing Meadows final for the seventh time when racing into a two-set lead, but he started making errors in the third, which coincided with Djokovic finding his range, and the Serb rallied to level. Federer stood tall in the fifth, but Djokovic showed tremendous resolve as he saved two match points before claiming a 6-7(7) 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-5 win.

The players started with three love service holds and the contest resembled two giant boxers trying to dominate the other behind a fearsome jab.

There was not a single break point carved out in the opening set and it was clear from early in the opener that it was destined for a tiebreak.

Federer worked an early mini-break but handed it back immediately. The Swiss spent some time in the first set forcing Djokovic behind the baseline and the tactic earned him a second mini-break with a crunching backhand down the line.

Djokovic looked fragile at times during his battling win over Janko Tipsarevic and he showed mental frailty when double faulting to hand Federer a 5-2 advantage. It seemed the disease was contagious as Federer threw in a double of his own.

Federer shook off the setback and powered in a huge, swinging first serve to secure three set points at 6-3. Djokovic held his two serves and then found a massive serve to level at 6-6. A brilliant forehand from Federer took him to 7-6 and led to the first "come on" of the match from the Swiss.

Two points later the Swiss produced another huge forehand that wrong-footed Djokovic, setting up a fifth set point and he converted in style.

Only three times from their 23 previous meetings had the player who lost the first set gone on to win the match and Federer carried the momentum gained from the opening set into the second as a massive backhand down the line earned two break points. Djokovic fought them off but then netted a routine forehand to hand a third break point. Federer did not pass up the gift as a massive forehand earned the first break of the match.

Djokovic struggled to find an answer to the Federer onslaught and attempted to chip and charge, but that tactic was short lived as Federer produced an exquisite pass.

Federer looked in complete control but a short delay on account of a spectator falling ill led to a shift in momentum and Djokovic broke back to level at 3-3.

Djokovic, though, made the cardinal sin of surrendering his serve the game after breaking back. And it was a shocking way to give the break back, as a string of errors flew off his racket - the worst of which was a forehand on break point that landed two feet over the baseline - and Federer held serve to move two sets to the good.

The world No. 1 has shown a steely resolve in his stellar run this year and dug deep to break the Federer serve at the start of the third set. It was an epic game, with Djokovic striking the ball crisper than he had at any previous stage in the contest.

It was always unlikely that Federer would be able to sustain such a high level for the whole match and his dip coincided with Djokovic hitting top form as the Serb claimed the third set.

Federer squandered a two-set lead for the first time in his career against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Wimbledon in June and that will have been in his mind as he lost his serve at the start of the fourth set, with a brilliant backhand from Djokovic forcing him to net a low volley.

The foot movement of Federer, so good in the first two sets, was slovenly in the fourth and Djokovic, who made just two unforced errors in the fourth set, secured a second break when a backhand from the Swiss barely hit halfway up the net - allowing him to take the match into a fifth set.

Federer cleared his head at the start of the fifth and started to find his radar from the back of the court. A love service hold served notice to Djokovic but the Serb stood up to the pressure and held serve thanks to some supreme net play.

The two had moved on from boxers feeling each other out behind to jab to prizefighters slugging it out in the street. Blow and counterblow rained in.

Federer's serve was back to the level of the first two sets in the fifth, it piled pressure on the Serb and he flinched. Two poor forehands and a costly double fault handed Federer the break at 5-3.

The drama was not done, as Djokovic saved two match points, the first with one of the finest forehand returns seen this fortnight, and a double fault from Federer handed the world No. 1 the break back.

Federer squandered match points at the same stage against the same player 12 months and history repeated itself. Djokovic held serve and then broke for 6-5 with some brutal hitting. The Serb stepped out of his chair after the changeover and kept his cool to book his place in the final for the second successive year.

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