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U.S. Open Day 13 - Preview

Stephanie Myles
Roger Federer, serves to Gael Monfils during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis Sept. 4, 2014 (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Roger Federer, serves to Gael Monfils during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis Sept. 4, 2014 (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

NEW YORK - The likeliest scenario for semi-final Saturday at the U.S. Open is that both men's matches will be completed – eventually.

Depending on which weather forecast you consult, the chance of rain/thunderstorms ranges anywhere from 40 percent to 90 percent in that 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET slot. What does that mean? They don't really know what will happen.

It will definitely rain somewhere; will one of those "somewheres" be the National Tennis Center? We'll have to wait and see.

Depending on the length of the first match between Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori, it could even be a factor there.

[1] Novak Djokovic vs. [10] Kei Nishikori

There isn't a lot of history between these two, and what there is is rather inconclusive. Djokovic won their first meeting at the 2010 French Open, easily in straight sets. Nishikori took the next meeting, on the super-fast court indoors in Roger Federer's hometown of Basel late in 2011, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-0.

The last time they were scheduled to meet, in the semifinals of Miami this year, Nishikori defaulted.

Kei Nishikori and Novak Djokovic during a changeover in the first set during their semifinal.  (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Kei Nishikori and Novak Djokovic during a changeover in the first set during their semifinal.  (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

This is a matchup that will make their mutual clothing sponsor, Uniqlo, very, very happy.

One thing's for sure: the rallies will be long. There won't be a lot of net approaches. And with the heat and suffocating humidity forecast before the rain even arrives, it will come down to who can last. Nishikori certainly has a lot more tennis in his legs and body than Djokovic does. Will this be when it finally shows?

[2] Roger Federer vs. [14] Marin Cilic

Yes, it's been a tremendous draw for Federer all the way through to this semi-final, even though he was one missed shot away from going out to Gaël Monfils in the quarterfinals.

Does he like the 5-0 career record he holds against the Croat, the first U.S. Open semifinalist from his country since his own coach, Goran Ivanisevic, back in 1996? Without a doubt.

Four of those five meetings have come on hard courts, including a third-round match at the U.S. Open in 2011 that Federer won in four sets.

Their most recent meeting, though, could give Fed fans some pause even though it was a best-of-three set match. The third-round match between the two in Toronto at the Rogers Cup last month arguably was the best match of the entire U.S. Open Series, a late-night barn-burner eventually won by Federer, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-4.

Women's doubles final

[4] Ekaterina Makarova / Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) / Martina Hingis (SUI)

The trip to the final by the unseeded veteran team of Pennetta and Hingis – despite their proximity in age, Hingis has already retired and come back twice while Pennetta has played all along – isn't that much of a shocker.

Women's doubles isn't the best it has ever been these days. And there is still room for players with good hands and good net skills to do a LOT of damage. That would be Hingis. For her part, Pennetta is an experienced, championship-winning doubles player whose partnership with the now-retired Gisela Dulko of Argentina was a fruitful one.

Makarova (the singles semifinalist who defeated No. 7 Genie Bouchard earlier in the tournament and lost to Serena Williams on Friday) and Vesnina are the 2013 French Open doubles champs.

Hingis and Pennetta defeated the No. 3 and No. 5 seeds to get to the final. Makarova and Vesnina didn't need to beat a seeded team. But they did defeat the most feared team: Venus and Serena Williams.