2015 U.S. Open Championship Match Free Picks: Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic: Just as they did at Wimbledon a couple of months ago, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will meet in the championship match at a major, this time at the U.S. Open. Shockingly, neither player has been dominant at Flushing Meadows, at least recently. Federer is a five-time U.S. Open champion, but his last title came six years ago. Meanwhile, Djokovic will be playing in the title match for the sixth time, but he has won just one of his previous five championship matches at the U.S. Open.
Heading into Sunday’s final, Federer holds a narrow 21-20 lead in the series, including a win in the title match at Cincinnati. However, Djokovic holds a 7-6 advantage in major tournaments, including a 7-4 edge in championship matches thanks to his victory at Wimbledon.
Both players have had a relatively easy path to the finals, and Federer has yet to drop a set as he tries to add to extend his record for career majors to 18. Djokovic has lost two sets along the way, but he is currently 26-1 in matches at majors this season and will be playing in his fourth final with a chance to claim three of the four major titles with a win.
Federer Wins If:
For Federer to capture his sixth U.S. Open title, he needs to continue to serve at an elite level and finish off points quickly and efficiently. He has unveiled a more aggressive style this season with excellent results, but Djokovic is one of the best defensive artists and best service returners in tennis. If Federer has to expend a ton of energy just to hold serve, he isn’t going to have enough energy to stand toe-to-toe with Djokovic for the entire match. If he can instead take care of business when he serves, Federer could have enough left in the tank to break Djokovic enough times to take the match. If he can win the opening game 6-3 or 6-4, he could stay fresh enough to take the title.
Djokovic Wins If:
Djokovic had the perfect blueprint for beating Federer at Wimbledon, and he needs to repeat the same tactics Sunday. No approach on the part of Federer can change the fact that Djokovic is younger and has better endurance. If he is able to make Federer work for every game, especially the games Federer serves, he is going to continually improve his chances as the match goes on. As was the case at Wimbledon, it doesn’t matter if he loses the first set, as long as Federer has to expend a bunch of energy to do it. If this match turns into a five-set grinder, Djokovic is going to emerge victorious.
Bottom Line:
It is easy to assume that Federer is poised to knock off Djokovic after besting him in Cincinnati and looking so dominant in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows. However, styles make matches, and Djokovic’s endless stamina and excellent defensive tactics are the perfect weapons for defeating Federer. At Wimbledon, Federer was able to push Djokovic to tiebreakers in the first two sets, but he simply ran out of gas. Federer isn’t getting any younger, and outlasting Djokovic isn’t going to be an easier Sunday than it was at Wimbledon. Throw in the fact that the surface at Flushing Meadows is a bit slower than the surface in Cincinnati, and Djokovic’s strategy to prolong the match should be much more effective. Expect a near-replay of the Wimbledon final with Federer grabbing the upper hand early only to flame out down the stretch.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic Win in 5 Sets
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