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• Bash F5 or use auto-refresh for the latest updates • Send your US Open chatter to john.ashdown@guardian.co.uk • Or get in touch via Twitter at @JohnAshdown Third set: Federer* 7-6, 6-4, 3-5 Djokovic Federer holds to 30 – an important hold because it means if Djokovic serves this out, Federer will be serving first in the fourth set. Third set: Federer 7-6, 6-4, 2-5 *Djokovic This is a crucial game for Djokovic. If he holds here, you back him to take the set. If he’s broken the match could be Federer’s. The Serb shows no sign of pressure, though, finding the corners with precision and easing into a 40-0 lead before thumping down a serve that oozes authority. Another love hold. Third set: Federer* 7-6, 6-4, 2-4 Djokovic Federer holds to love after a display of hitting so clean you could eat your dinner off it. Third set: Federer 7-6, 6-4, 1-4 *Djokovic Federer gets the better of an arm-wrestle from the baseline, whumping a forehand past the Serb to make it 15-15. The edge has just gone from the Swiss player’s game, though – he’s made eight unforced errors in this set alone. Djokovic roars his pleasure after a forehand down the line brings up 40-15 and another crunch at Federer’s toes takes the game. Third set: Federer* 7-6, 6-4, 1-3 Djokovic Djokovic has very much got his dander up once more – a delicious dropshot brings him back to 40-30 and some remarkable baseline agility forces Federer to another deuce. There’s no drama this time, though, and Federer holds. Third set: Federer 7-6, 6-4, 0-3 *Djokovic We had pyrotechnics in the first set, Federer on fire in the second, now it’s slowed down and Djokovic is grinding his into the ascendancy. Grinding is probably doing him a disservice actually. He’s really digging in deep and has rediscovered his serve. A straightforward hold there. Third set: Federer* 7-6, 6-4, 0-2 Djokovic A couple of loopers off the net bring us to 30-30. Federer produces a 129mph serve, his fastest of the day, but then miscues to bring up deuce. Djokovic is fizzing and popping around the back of the court like a grasshopper in a deep fat fryer, and he takes Federer to a third deuce without gaining a break point of his own. A sumptuous return finally gives him that chance, though, but even Federer’s second serve has the smothering quality of a duvet dunked in chloroform. The Serb battles back to another advantage, another break point, another second serve, but walks right into another second serve that kicks up into his teeth (figuratively at least). Incredibly he does it again, another advantage, another break point, another second serve … and this time he survives the smother and watches Federer slap one into the net from the baseline. Djokovic goes a break up. Third set: Federer 7-6, 6-4, 0-1 *Djokovic The courtside Greg Rusedski reckons this is the best he’s seen Federer play in years. But then he also reckons Djokovic has Star Power in his box. Expect the Serb to begin flashing random colours and leaving trails of stars as he runs, enemies tumbling in his path. A little Mario Bros. reference for you there. He’s taken his first service game of the third set to love, at least. Roger Federer wins the second set 6-4. Federer leads 7-6, 6-4 Second set: Federer* 7-6, 6-4 Djokovic Federer, then, serving for a two-set lead. Djokovic looks like he’s trying to get himself pumped up, but the technique isn’t coming with him – it’s 30-0 in the blink of an eye. A hammer … No scratch that … An anvil-off-the-roof of a serve makes it 40-15 and another unreturnable effort is enough. ADVERTS, ADVERTS, ADVERTS … (a précis) Buy a car! Gamble! Get some stuff delivered somewhere! Second set: Federer 7-6, 5-4 *Djokovic Djokovic was just feeling his ankle at the end of that game, but looks unaffected as he races into a 30-0 lead. The scowl returns after he lets a backhand slip wide. The scowl deepens after a double fault makes it 40-30, but Federer drags a forehand into the net. He’ll have to serve out if he wants this set. Second set: Federer* 7-6, 5-3 Djokovic At 15-15 Federer splats an ace down the centre, with Djokovic groping at thin air. A poor volley from Federer allows Djokovic to make it 30-30, before a smash and another thumping serve allows the No3 seed to consolidate the break. Second set: Federer 7-6, 4-3 *Djokovic Djokovic drags a forehand a foot wide – that’s a chasm in this match – and Federer has the advantage at 0-30 and facing a second serve. More otherworldly stuff from the back of the court – his backhand down the line is astonishing – makes it 0-40 and again a bullying rally gives Federer the break. In the first set neither player came close to breaking – we’ve had three breaks in the opening seven games of the second. Second set: Federer* 7-6, 3-3 Djokovic What with all this high-quality tennis action I’ve not been able to bring you any Worms updates. I’m hearing the Utensils team is on top, although Spoon has taken refuge under a girder. Momentum is hugely important in any sport, but it really seems to weigh heavily on tennis. And Djokovic seems to have dragged it back. He’s 15-30 up and playing superbly again. A shoddy Federer forehand five the Serb a break point at 30-40 … and the Swiss goes wide. A break back. You really couldn’t see that coming two games ago. Second set: Federer 7-6, 3-2 *Djokovic There’s a pause as someone in the crowd is taken ill. After a short break Djokovic begins the unenviable task of fighting his way back into this match, with the frightening tennis robot from the future at the other end. The Serb goes 40-15 ahead thanks to a couple of Federer backhands that drift long and with a wonderful pick up of the soles of the soles of the soles of his shoes he whacks home a winner to stop the rot. Second set: Federer* 7-6, 3-1 Djokovic While Federer has remained on that other tennis planet, Djokovic has edged back towards earth. Only edged – he plays a wonderful backhand to drag things back to 30-30 – but Federer is still in orbit. Mind you, that forehand he’s just hit isn’t far from heading into orbit – somehow it’s deuce. Federer bosses another rally … in fact, make that another couple of rallies … to take the game. Second set: Federer 7-6, 2-1 *Djokovic Djokovic hammers a forehand into the net – and he’s beginning to look a little irked at himself. No wonder – he’s been playing wonderfully but not getting close to a break. He follows up with a stress-relieving ace, but then nets another forehand. It’s 15-30 on the Djokovic serve and a breathtaking backhand gives Federer two break points. The serve is still working just fine – he saves one break point with another crunching first serve – but the Serb is struggling to get the upper hand in the rallies. Still, Federer goes too long to bring up deuce, the first deuce by my reckoning, but another nervy shot gives the Swiss another break point. No mistake this time and Federer has the break. Second set: Federer* 7-6, 1-1 Djokovic That was a bit too easy. Djokovic’s level drops off just a touch and Federer holds to love. Second set: Federer 7-6, 0-1 *Djokovic These two are playing at such a high level. You simply can’t play tennis much better than this. Anyway, Djokovic needs to pick himself up after that. He’s done a decent job of it here, racing into a 40-0 before a whipped forehand from Federer puts the brakes on the momentum. Still, it’s a straightforward hold. Roger Federer wins the first set 7-6 (9-7) 1st set: TIE BREAK Djokovic goes narrowly wide on Federer’s second serve and then nets a forehand to give Federer a mini-break at 2-0 … but he drags a backhand wide on his own serve to level it up at 2-2 … Federer again gets the upper hand at 4-2 with a lovely backhand down the line … and under pressure Djokovic double-faults. Federer leads 5-2 with two serves to come … But Federer throws in his own double-fault … Djokovic nets the next, though, to give Federer three set points at 6-3 … a crunching Djokovic serve saves one … and after another rally-to-end-all-rallies Federer clips the net cord and Djokovic puts it away. 6-5, but two serves for Federer … Djokovic saves the third set point with a hammering forehand. 6-6 now … ‘COME ON!’ urges Federer after forcing another error. 7-6 another set point … saved once more by Djokovic, forcing Federer to hit long … a clever return puts Federer 8-7 up and he’s got two serves once more … this time he only needs one! Federer wins the first set 7-6 (9-7) 1st set: Federer 6-6 *Djokovic It’s 0-15 early doors, but Djokovic produces yet another fantastic serve to level it up. Federer caresses the next into the foot of the net, lofts the next long and goes back to the net with the next. 6-6 we’re going to a tie-break. 1st set: Federer* 6-5 Djokovic A cracking return on Federer’s first serve puts Djokovic 15-0 up, but a shuddering serve evens it up. They really are playing astonishing tennis. Save one, or possibly two, others, every player on the ATP tour must watch these two and shake their heads at their play. It’s on a different plane. Another couple of mini-classic rallies later Federer is 40-15 up and a long return means Djokovic is going to have to hold for a a tie-break. 1st set: Federer 5-5 *Djokovic The first nine games have taken just 27 minutes and in that time the clouds have been shooed away and the sun has very much got his hat on. Hip-hip-hip hooray and all that. WHAT A RALLY THAT WAS! The first point is surely the longest of the match so far, Federer fending off Djokovic’s laser-guided forehands to Federer’s backhand. Eventually, with the Serb at his mercy, Federer smacks one long. This really has got ‘Epic’ written all over it. In fact, if you got a moment, it’s a twelve-storey epic with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour portage, and an enormous sign on the roof, saying ‘This Is an Epic’. Get me two pencils and a pair of underpants. Djokovic holds to 15. 1st set: Federer* 5-4 Djokovic Federer raises to a 40-0 lead, thanks in part to a couple of serves that kick like a mule angered by rising house prices. A misjudged drop shot gives Djokovic a sniff at 40-30, but, despite the tricksy intervention of a net cord, Federer thumps a forehand past his opponent to hold. Again. 1st set: Federer 4-4 *Djokovic WHUMP! Ace. 15-0. BLAMP! Net. 30-0. SKEW! Long. 40-0. DINKY DROP! Net. 40-15. (Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce) FLAP! Wide. Game Djokovic. 1st set: Federer* 4-3 Djokovic Federer drags a forehand off towards Texas and, for the first time in the game I think, one of these players leads on the opponent’s serve. It doesn’t last long, though, and the Swiss gets the better of a couple of hard-hitting rallies to go 30-15 up. A stunning cross-court passing shot brings parity once more, but then Djokovic semi-shanks a forehand long and it’s another hold. This couldn’t be more even if it were a surface plate . Yes, I had to Google that. 1st set: Federer 3-3 *Djokovic The Arthur Ashe Arena is one of sport’s great arenas – from above it looks like a giant satellite dish filled with humanity (er, albeit one with a blue tennis court in the middle). Djokovic again needs a couple of early seconds serves and it’s 15-15 before a whistling, unreturnable serve down the middle and a Federer forehand into the net gives him breathing space. You definitely get the sense that Djokovic is working the hardest in the rallies but he’s plenty good enough to stay in the points. Another netted return, another hold. 1st set: Federer* 3-2 Djokovic Federer charges the net and forces the Serb to panic a backhand well long. And he mixes it up again – after picking up one Djokovic forehand from around his ankles, a delicate drop-shot (one you might even call Murrayesque) is enough to make it 30-0. A thunking exocet of a backhand from the Serb drags it back to 30-30 but Federer finishes the job courtesy of a stray Djokovic backhand and an ace. 1st set: Federer 2-2 *Djokovic Djokovic needs second serves on each of the first two points – Federer is wild with his return on the first but from the second Djoko puts Federer’s return into the net. Finally, from the 14th point of the game, we have a point against serve. Djokovic slows it down in response – Bounce, bounce, bounce. Bounce, bounce, bounce. Bounce, bounce, bounce before the serve – and a couple of streaky returns from Federer gives Djokovic 40-15. A pounding, insistent two-handed backhand down the line gives him the hold. 1st set: Federer* 2-1 Djokovic There’s barely a breath between games. Both players seem intent on obliterating the other with their intensity and tempo. In the blink of an eye it’s 40-0 to Federer. And in two blinks, despite a second serve, it’s all over. Twelve points, three games … thunderous, ruthless stuff. 1st set: Federer 1-1 *Djokovic The Serb kicks things off with an ace arrowed down the centre and there’s no let-up, a wonderful forehand that has Federer watching on in admiration (and, I’m sure, a soupçon of disgust) puts Djokovic 40-0 up and Federer nets to concede the hold. Neither player has dropped a point on serve. 1st set: Federer* 1-0 Djokovic Federer opens up with a crunching cross-court forehand to go 30-0 up, and produces another superbly judged forehand to go 40-0. And after 90 seconds or so, the Swiss is 1-0 up. Here’s Gary Naylor’s answer. 6.20pm: Alicia Keys warbles ‘New York, New York, New Yooooorrrrrkkk’ as the players go through their warm-up. That’s a little self-referential isn’t it. Can’t see Wimbledon blasting out ‘Waterloo Sunset’ or Pulp’s Mile End before a semi-final. Though wouldn’t it be brilliant if they did. Right here we go. Federer to serve … 6.15pm: The players are knocking up out on court – Federer in red and grey, Djokovic all in white. 6.14pm: Roger Federer is being interviewed outside the dressing rooms. Looks like we might have some play in the next 20 minutes. Whenever I see Federer I’m always struck by the fact that he’s almost exactly six months younger than me because a) he somehow manages to look both much older and much younger than me and b) he’s won 16 grand slams and I’m yet to get off the mark. 6.08pm: A quiz question from Gary Naylor: “Which group’s first single was a Number One, but they did not release their second single for another twelve years (it went top five) by which time they had a completely different line-up?” I have a hunch (which the more I think about, the more wrong it seems). But I’ll wait for Gary to send over the answer. 6.05pm: This is the latest rainfall radar from intellicast.com . As you can see, it’s hardly a blanket. And, as if by magic, the rain has stopped at Flushing Meadows. 5.55pm: Sky are now showing the 1976 final. Still pouring at Flushing Meadows, but looking a little brighter. Even so there’ll be no play for a good hour I’d say. Anyone fancy a game of I spy? No? Kerplunk then? Mr Pop? Tell you what would be handy – I’m doing one of my largely ignored hugely popular pub quizzes at the Rose and Crown on Tuesday 20 September (come one, come all, fine ales, wines of the world, cash prizes, etc, etc). Has anyone out there got any superb questions that I can steal wholesale consider for selection? 5.40pm: “Hey John – 24 has to be the worst offender,” writes Alex Hanton. “An entire anti-terrorism group spending a day without relieving themselves? No wonder Jack Bauer is always so angry. The best aversion is probably Pulp Fiction.” Good call. See also: Lethal Weapon 2.ui 5.35pm: Rain continues to thunder down in New York. “The opening scene of Barbarella sent a lot of teenage boys to the ba…” Behave yourself Gary Naylor. 5.30pm: Sky Sports have settled in with a Hard-Fi backed montage – Hard To Beat, aptly enough – of Federer’s tournament so far. He has been imperious – he’s only dropped one set at Flushing Meadows this year. 5.22pm: As we’ve got this delay, we can expand on our theme. Of the top of my head, the only sci-fi film I can think of with what we’ll call, for want of a better phrase, a “toilet scene” is Jurassic Park. And that ends with your man getting chomped by a Tyrannosaur. Obviously you’ve got to make allowances. It’s all about escapism so you don’t want to ruin the viewer’s pleasure by sending people off to the bogs all the time. But just the odd reference, here and there. That’s all I’m asking for. For example: Darth Vader: I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master. Obi-Wan: Only a master of evil, Darth. Darth Vader: I tell you what was evil, that mushroom stroganoff I had at lunchtime. Can you give me a minute? Obi-Wan: No worries. I’ve got to stretch first anyways. 5.21pm: It looks like this might be a heavy shower only, rather than a prolonged downpour. Here’s hoping anyway. 5.15pm: WEATHER NEWS! It’s just started absolutely wellying it down. There’ll be a delay. 5.04pm: Something that has been on my mind today: I watched Aliens last night. Great film. Lovely stuff. But at one point Hicks turns to Ripley and says: Hicks (in husky US marine voice): How long has it been since you slept? 24 hours? You should get some rest. Ripley: Yeah. It’s not a classic exchange but it got me thinking. In that sort of stressful situation, sleep is going to be tricky. But what about going to the loo? You’ve been chased around by insectoid killing machines with acid for blood for the best part of a day, but at some point you’re going to need a comfort break. A more realistic exchange would be: Hicks (in husky US marine voice): How long has it been since you slept? 24 hours? You should get some rest. Ripley (looking slightly pained): I’ll be alright. But do you know where the facilities are? I’m busting. In fact, this unstoppable human need is largely ignored. I think it would add another layer of realism: Balrog: GRRRRR!!! Gandalf: You cannot pass! I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun! Go back to the shadow. YOU SHALL NOT PASS! And if you could direct us to your restrooms, I’m sure we’d all really appreciate it. Gimli drank several gourds at lunchtime, hasn’t stopped going on about it, and Pippin says he’s had enough of squatting behind rocks. You see? Anyway. Glad to have got that off my chest. Right, tennis … Preamble Evening all. Today the men’s draw at the US Open gets interesting, because, at last, the four players who dominate the game come face-to-face. The quartet’s record in the last six grand slams is remarkable: Wimbledon 2010 Three out of four reached the semi-finals (with Federer absent) US Open 2010 Three out of four reached the semi-finals (Murray absent) Australian Open 2011 Three out of the four reached the semi-finals (Nadal absent) French Open 2011 All four reached the semi-finals Wimbledon 2011 Three out of the four reached the semi-finals (Federer absent). And now at the US Open 2011 All four have reached the semi-finals once more. Djokovic is, increasingly, the man to beat. He’s reached six successive grand-slam semis, and three of the last four finals, winning two of them. The last man to deny the Serb a place in a final was his opponent today. Federer beat the Joker in the last four at the French Open earlier this year. The pair have met 23 times, with Federer winning 14 to Djokovic’s nine, but in the past two years it’s a much closer 5-4 to the Swiss and in 2011 it’s 3-1 to Djokovic with that defeat on the red clay at Roland Garros the only blemish. In other news , thanks to a slight diary error, I’m missing a retro Worms and whiskey marathon at a friend’s house tonight. Maybe we’ll get an update from there as we go along. US Open 2011 Roger Federer Novak Djokovic US Open tennis Tennis John Ashdown guardian.co.uk