Roger Federer may not always win in three, but it sure seems like it sometimes. He is arguably the best player in the history of the game, but such mastery is, well, kinda boring when you’re watching a match like the 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 win over Nikolay Davydenko.

Federer needs a foil. Only then does his precision and tactical mind fully impress. That’s why Nadal’s early exit was so disappointing. Nadal may not be the player Federer is, but the matchup is exciting. They are opposites in style and temperament.

It would be easy to dislike him if he didn’t handle himself with such dignity and respect for everyone around him. I mean, how can you hate the guy who sits behind a teddy bear after the U.S. Open semifinal, saying all the proceeds go to “UNICEF.”:http://www.unicef.org/ I mean, really. The only thing to improve on that would have been physically seeing the halo over his head.

He has won three straight Wimbledon titles, and if he can win the final here that will make it three straight U.S. Opens.

“You just hope to win this U.S. Open,” Federer said. “After that it kind of sinks in when you lift the trophy, like, I know, I’ve been in this situation before, it’s great that I have the opportunity to lift it up again.”

This might seem a bit egotistical if it weren’t so true, and if he weren’t so darn nice.

On an unrelated note, the USTA gets credit for renaming the grounds the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, but the man who first floated the notion in print should get a brief mention sometime during the fortnight.

Shaun Powell of Newsday wrote a column on the subject at the start of the Open last year. Usually writers are not quick to credit someone else for a good idea they didn’t have, but I’m going to make an exception.

For his foresight and good sense, thanks Shaun.