• US Open

Djokovic out to spoil the party

ESPN staff
September 9, 2010
Novak Djokovic has come up short against Roger Federer for the last three years at the US Open © Getty Images
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Novak Djokovic has no intention of letting the US Open crowd see a dream final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic faces Federer in the semi-final after his straight-sets win over Gael Monfils in blustery conditions in New York, and now is out to spoil the party for Federer as the No. 2 seed bids to win a record sixth US Open title.

"As the two best players in the world, they are the most dominant in the last five or six years, biggest favourites to get into the finals, and I'm sure that the crowd wants them in the finals," Djokovic said. "But I will try not to make that happen."

Djokovic has lost to Federer the last three years at Flushing Meadows - in the final in 2007 and at the semi-final stage the last two years - but he believes this year could be different.

"I don't want to think about the losses the last three years," he said. "At the moment, I'm feeling very comfortable on the court and hopefully I can continue on. Just maybe experience-wise in my case I feel better now. Physically I feel better than I did last year. I feel stronger, faster on the court."

Federer has only lost to Djokovic once in a major competition - at the 2008 Australian Open final, where Djokovic claimed his only Grand Slam title - and the five-time US Open champion has his sights set on a showdown with rival Nadal. The pair have not met in a Slam final since the Australian Open last year and have never met in the US Open.

"We've played in all the other majors so this one is missing," Federer said of his rivalry with Nadal. "I hope we can do it this year. I think it would be great."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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