<p>Nadal, his form and confidence rising with each match, powered past Britain's Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to set up a rematch of last year's final. <br /><br />Serena Williams demolished world number one Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 in the women’s semifinals to move within a victory of a storybook finish at Flushing Meadows while Sam Stosur survived a late fightback from unseeded German Angelique Kerber to win their semifinal 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 on Saturday and give rise to Australian hopes of a long-overdue US Open female winner. <br /><br />Stosur, one of the most powerful hitters in the women's game, regained her composure after dropping the second set and failing to serve out the match at the first attempt. Williams, who played only five tournaments this year before the season's last grand slam due to injuries and a life-threatening blood clot on her lungs, will play Australian Sam Stosur in Sunday's final after a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks. The 29-year-old Willi-ams, seeded 28th after sliding down the rankings while on the sidelines, thoroughly dominated the top-seeded Dane. <br /><br />The world number one Djokovic looked to be heading towards a certain defeat after losing the opening two sets but clawed back to edge Federer and remain on course for his third grand slam title this year after winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon. <br /><br />For Federer it was a heartbreaking loss and only the second time in 184 matches that he has been beaten after leading by two sets. It also ended his streak of winning at least one grand slam every year since he won the first of his 16 majors in 2003 and the Swiss master cut a forlorn figure as he trudged off the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. <br /><br />Despite losing the third and fourth sets, Federer still had a chance to win the match after breaking Djokovic's serve to lead 5-3. He looked to have the match in the bag when he led 40-15 on serve but squandered his two match points and lost the last four games. Federer seized the early initiative but lost four set points, including three in a row, before sealing the set after 55 minutes when Djokovic dumped a forehand into the net. <br /><br />The raucous centrecourt crowd roared their approval as the players retreated to their chairs like a pair of prize fighters waiting for the bell to start the next round of what proved to be titanic battle between two of the game's heavyweights. Federer landed the first punch of the second set when he broke Djokovic's serve in the third game. <br /><br />The Serbian broke back for 3-3 when Federer ballooned a forehand over the baseline then hit the next one wide but failed to consolidate the break, losing his next game to love. <br /><br />Djokovic came out swinging in the third set and jumped to a decisive 3-0 lead after finally discovering a way to break Federer's impenetrable serve, pinning the third seed further behind the baseline as he started to find his rhythm. <br /><br />Djokovic raced through the fourth set in 33 minutes as the crowd rose to their feet to urge Federer to raise his game for the deciding set. The former world number one responded, holding his first four service games before breaking Djokovic in the eighth but his own serve let him down when he needed it most. The second-seeded Spaniard was brilliant from the baseline and the net, and proved too steady against an out-of-sorts Murray. <br /><br />In the fourth set, Nadal again unsteadied the volatile Murray, giving himself a chance to avenge a string of stinging losses to Djokovic this year. Nadal beat Djokovic in last year's final but the Serb has beaten the Spaniard in five finals this year, including Wimbledon, to replace him as world number one. <br /><br />"This year I'm not having a lot of luck against him. I have played him already in five finals and I lost all of them," 10-time grand slam winner Nadal told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. "So hopefully, New York will help me this time." <br /><br />Melzer-Petzchner win<br />Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner captured the men's doubles title. The pair, seeded ninth, beat the sixth seeds, Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland 6-2 6-2 in just 48 minutes in a late match. It was the first US Open win for Melzer, from Austria, and Petzschner, of Germany, but their second grand slam success afte they won Wimbledon last year.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Nadal, his form and confidence rising with each match, powered past Britain's Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to set up a rematch of last year's final. <br /><br />Serena Williams demolished world number one Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 in the women’s semifinals to move within a victory of a storybook finish at Flushing Meadows while Sam Stosur survived a late fightback from unseeded German Angelique Kerber to win their semifinal 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 on Saturday and give rise to Australian hopes of a long-overdue US Open female winner. <br /><br />Stosur, one of the most powerful hitters in the women's game, regained her composure after dropping the second set and failing to serve out the match at the first attempt. Williams, who played only five tournaments this year before the season's last grand slam due to injuries and a life-threatening blood clot on her lungs, will play Australian Sam Stosur in Sunday's final after a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks. The 29-year-old Willi-ams, seeded 28th after sliding down the rankings while on the sidelines, thoroughly dominated the top-seeded Dane. <br /><br />The world number one Djokovic looked to be heading towards a certain defeat after losing the opening two sets but clawed back to edge Federer and remain on course for his third grand slam title this year after winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon. <br /><br />For Federer it was a heartbreaking loss and only the second time in 184 matches that he has been beaten after leading by two sets. It also ended his streak of winning at least one grand slam every year since he won the first of his 16 majors in 2003 and the Swiss master cut a forlorn figure as he trudged off the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. <br /><br />Despite losing the third and fourth sets, Federer still had a chance to win the match after breaking Djokovic's serve to lead 5-3. He looked to have the match in the bag when he led 40-15 on serve but squandered his two match points and lost the last four games. Federer seized the early initiative but lost four set points, including three in a row, before sealing the set after 55 minutes when Djokovic dumped a forehand into the net. <br /><br />The raucous centrecourt crowd roared their approval as the players retreated to their chairs like a pair of prize fighters waiting for the bell to start the next round of what proved to be titanic battle between two of the game's heavyweights. Federer landed the first punch of the second set when he broke Djokovic's serve in the third game. <br /><br />The Serbian broke back for 3-3 when Federer ballooned a forehand over the baseline then hit the next one wide but failed to consolidate the break, losing his next game to love. <br /><br />Djokovic came out swinging in the third set and jumped to a decisive 3-0 lead after finally discovering a way to break Federer's impenetrable serve, pinning the third seed further behind the baseline as he started to find his rhythm. <br /><br />Djokovic raced through the fourth set in 33 minutes as the crowd rose to their feet to urge Federer to raise his game for the deciding set. The former world number one responded, holding his first four service games before breaking Djokovic in the eighth but his own serve let him down when he needed it most. The second-seeded Spaniard was brilliant from the baseline and the net, and proved too steady against an out-of-sorts Murray. <br /><br />In the fourth set, Nadal again unsteadied the volatile Murray, giving himself a chance to avenge a string of stinging losses to Djokovic this year. Nadal beat Djokovic in last year's final but the Serb has beaten the Spaniard in five finals this year, including Wimbledon, to replace him as world number one. <br /><br />"This year I'm not having a lot of luck against him. I have played him already in five finals and I lost all of them," 10-time grand slam winner Nadal told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. "So hopefully, New York will help me this time." <br /><br />Melzer-Petzchner win<br />Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner captured the men's doubles title. The pair, seeded ninth, beat the sixth seeds, Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland 6-2 6-2 in just 48 minutes in a late match. It was the first US Open win for Melzer, from Austria, and Petzschner, of Germany, but their second grand slam success afte they won Wimbledon last year.<br /><br /></p>
