US OPEN 2007: Men's Semifinals Preview

The 2007 US Open Men' s emifinals are now set. Mad Professah did not write up a Men's quarterfinals preview because Wednesday night's amazing quarterfinal between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer (a reprise of the 2006 US Open Men's Final) is, in all likelihood, the determinant for who will win the 2007 US Open Men's Final. However, there are still two matches that have to be played before the title is decided.

Roger Federer SUI (1) vs. Nikolay Davydenko RUS (4). Federer has played Davydenko nine times and beaten the Russian Top 5 player in the world exactly nine times. The two did play a very low quality, very tight semifinal match at this year's Roland Garros which Federer won in straight sets 7-5, 7-6(5), 7-6(7). It's doubtful that Saturday's semifinals will be similarly unwatchable but it is very likely the ultimate victor will be the same. Federer's victory will give him a berth in his 10th consecutive Grand Slam final, every final since the Wimbledon 2005 (he lost in the semifinals of both the 2005 Australian and the 2005 French Open to the eventual champion both times) and the 2nd year in a row he has been in all 4 major finals. If he wins that final he will be within striking distance of ending the conversation regarding who is th Greatest of all Time, although most tennis pundits already know the answer to that impertinent question. PREDICTION: Federer in 4 sets.


Novak Djokovic SRB (3) vs. David Ferrer ESP (15). Djokovic is being called The Next Big Thing by the press and the fans alike. They appreciate his mental toughness, swarthy good looks and youthful brashness and energy. And he's got game. Lots of it. For the third consecutive major he will be playing in a semifinal, but for the first time his opponent will not be the long-suffering #2 player in the world, Rafael Nadal, who has twice this year denied the Serbian player his taste at tennis immortality but instead another player from Spain with an impressive physique and incredible quickness around the court: David Ferrer. Ferrer is in his first major semifinal ever and although he actually has a lifetime edge of 2-1 against Djokovic, both of those wins were on clay, and one of them was over three years ago. Djokovic took out Ferrer in two sets earlier this year en route to his first ATP Masters Series final at Indian Wells, where he lost to Nadal. He now owns two ATP Mastser shields for the year (both on hard courts) and is #3 in the world, but arguably the #2 player in the world on hard courts. At Montreal he had a career-making run defeating the World #3 (Roddick), World #2 (Nadal) and World #1 (Federer) in three consecutive rounds to take the title.

PREDICTION: Djokovic in 3 sets.