Federer Keeps Alive His Half of Dream Final

Federer Keeps Alive His Half of Dream Final: With each vanquished opponent and each defiant shot into the swirling winds of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the matchup long coveted by tennis fans everywhere is steadily taking shape.

So far, not even the blustery conditions at the Billie Jean National Tennis Center have blown away the possibility of No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Roger Federer meeting for the first time at the United States Open.

Both players look sharp, fluid and confident as they steamroll through the draw. Now only four players potentially stand between them and just one of them, Novak Djokovic, has won a Grand Slam event.

For the third consecutive year and the fourth over all, Djokovic’s opponent in the semifinals will be Federer, who on Wednesday night overcame the relentless wind that has played havoc with tennis balls throughout the tournament. Federer beat Robin Soderling, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5, in their quarterfinal match. It was the 13th time in 14 career meetings that Federer has defeated Soderling.