Federer Wows With 'Vintage Performance'

Roger Federer gave US Open fans a "vintage performance" today after his recent slip from divine to merely fine tennis, Bonnie Ford writes on ESPN. "I had moments out there where I really felt, 'This is how I normally play on hard court,''' Federer said after beating Novak Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinal. "So it was a very nice feeling, actually, to get that feeling back.''

Former top player Todd Martin agreed that Federer has nearly regained form: "I saw the best shot of my life today,'' Martin said of a Federer lob in the third set. "He's one or two important moments away from regaining every bit of confidence he lost." But tropical storm Hanna prevented Federer from knowing if his opponent in the final would be Andy Murray, who was up 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 2-3 over Rafael Nadal before a rain delay. (More Roger Federer stories.)