Federer carried a 25-1 U.S. Open night-match record into Arthur Ashe Stadium and burst out of the blocks quickly, winning six straight points to open. Monfils fended off a pair of break points in working through a five-deuce game to hold for 1-all. That hold relaxed the gangly Frenchman. A backhand pass followed by successive Federer errors gave Monfils the lone break of the opening set and a 3-2 lead. After a series of holds, he sent a 111 M.P.H. slider to seal the 41-minute opener.
Surprisingly, Federer frequently tried the drop shot against one of the fastest men in the game, and was burned as Monfils pushed a backhand by him to open the second set with a break. Sliding a serve winner to erase break point in the ensuing game, Monfils rolled his right ankle chasing a forehand, but managed the body control to pull off a challenge nonetheless. He won the challenge and the game, holding for 2-0.
The elastic Frenchman threw down love holds in two of his next three games for 5-3 as Federer did not play the windy conditions as wisely as Monfils. He continued to try to force the flatter forehand, which sometimes sailed in the bluster. When Monfils curled a cross-court forehand winner, he had double set point. Slapping a backhand into the middle of the net, Federer fell into a two-set hole after a mere 78 minutes. Monfils, who hit more winners and protected his second serve with more vigilance through two sets, celebrated with a hearty "Allez!" while the crowd seemed to almost do a stunned collective double-take at the scoreboard.
When Monfils twisted a backhand pass to break back for 2-all in the third, it was clear Federer would need the sometime flaky Monfils to tighten. The Frenchman complied with a philanthropic double fault to hand Federer break point in the next game. Charging forward, Federer snapped successive reflex volleys to set up a smash, breaking for 3-2.
Running out of time quickly, an attacking Federer spiked a smash for triple set point, then closed the set with a forehand down the line. Measuring the depth with his forehand and using the slice backhand to Monfils' forehand, Federer began controlling the longer rallies.
Showing a surge in his 33-year-old legs, Federer ran down a drop shot early in the fourth set, then soared to snap off a snazzy backhand overhead for break point. Federer screamed "Come on!" rousing the crowd by breaking for 2-1, but he slapped the net in frustration with his Pro Staff after giving back the break in the next game. Monfils, who had played key points with shots and emotions in control, was poised to pull off the upset.
Serving to extend the match at 4-5, Federer's moments of truth arrived as he stared down double match point. Attacking on the first, his drive veered toward the middle of the court, giving Monfils a clear look at an open expanse of surface, but he spun a backhand long. Stepping into the court on the second match point, a fearless Federer drilled a forehand down the line for a winner. When he held for 5-all, many of the 23,000-plus in attendance stood in an extended roar, including wife Mirka, coach Stefan Edberg, and agent Tony Godsick. A despondent Monfils, who had played with such purpose for so long, wore the vacant expression of a man who realized he just missed the last train home. He dumped successive double faults to give up the break and never recovered.
Opening the decider with a cluster of errors to donate the break, Monfils looked mentally spent. When Monfils played a between-the-legs rally forehand down 1-2, his evening had fully regressed from spectacular to spectacle. In full flow, Federer won 16 of 18 points played on his serve in the final set. With his opponent fully deflated, Federer pulled the plug on the upset as the crowd buzzed. Boldly attacking with the match on the line, he won 72 percent of his net trips (53 of 74) and will try to continue his forward march against Marin Cilic for a spot in the final.
"Down two match points I wasn't feeling so great anymore," Federer told ESPN's Brad Gilbert. "I thought 'This is it, last point man, just go down fighting.' I served well, stayed in the match and somehow turned it around."
