U.S. Open - Federer wins 12th slam
 

Roger Federer battled past Novak Djokovic 7-6 7-6 6-4 to win his 12th major title and his fourth successive US Open.



With the victory Federer becomes the first man in the Open era to win four straight US Open crowns and the first to do so since Bill Tilden in 1923.
The 26-year-old Swiss also matches Roy Emerson's mark of 12 career grand slams titles to move within two majors of Pete Sampras' all-time record of 14 career grand slam trophies.
The top seeded Federer was made to save five set points in the opening set and two in the second, as the 20-year-old Djokovic failed to convert on the important occasions in his debut grand slam final appearance.
The third seeded Serbian opened up strong matching Federer game-for-game at the start of the opening set before breaking the top seed in the 11th thanks to a pair of unforced forehand errors from the Swiss.
But after rushing ahead 40-0 with a service winner, an overhead smash and an ace, the 20-year-old was unable to serve out for the opening set dropping his next three points.
Federer saved two more set points, coaxing Djokovic into repeated errors with some chipped returns of serve, before breaking on another Djokovic error.
Djokovic then hit two double faults in the opening tie-break to hand the five-time Wimbledon champion the breaker 7-4.
Djokovic again took a lead in the second set, breaking Federer in the fourth game to go up 3-1 after the charging Swiss sent a shoe-string volley attempt well long.
But after successive errors in the seventh, the Serbian gifted away a break to love to allow Federer back on serve. The 20-year-old, who beat Federe last month at the final of the Canada Masters, ended the match with 40 unforced errors.
Federer held his next two games to love, but was again pressed on serve in the 12th hitting repeated errors to give the third seed a double set point.
Again Federer saved both, hitting one of his 11 aces and watching as the panicked Djokovic hit another forehand error after an off-pace return from the world number one.
The Swiss again had his way in the tie-break taking it 7-2 by beating a serve-and-volleying Djokovic with the pass down the line on his first of four set points.
Again Djokovic had another major chance in the third set when he was gifted a triple break point in the fifth game.
But Federer saved the first after Djokovic sent a backhand error long, and the second after the Serbian declined to play a ball he thought was out but that just nicked the line.
After the Hawk-Eye instant replay confirmed that Federer's return was good, Djokovic surrendered his last chance with another unforced error and watched as Federer finished off the hold with a service winner and an ace.
Djokovic was then made to save his own break chance in the subsequent service game before holding serve in the sixth, as Federer then rolled to a 4-3 lead with another love-service game.
Federer again held easily in the ninth to force the world number three to serve to stay in the match, and the Swiss continued to apply pressure with his devastating forehand.
Leading 5-4 Federer saved a game point with a wonderfully angled backhand, and then was gifted a first championship point when Djokovic hit his seventh and final double fault.
The Serbian saved the first with a gutsy forehand winner right on the line, but handed the top seed a second chance smacking a backhand wide.
Federer only had to return serve on his second championship point, as Djokovic sent a drop-shot attempt into the net allowing the Swiss to seal the win in two hours and 26 minutes.
With the win Federer pockets $2.4 million after adding a $1 million bonus for leading the US Open series of run-up events to the $1.4 million top prize.