Master battles pretender for U.S. Open crown

NEW YORK, Sept 9 - The master and the young pretender will meet on Sunday when three-times defending champion Roger Federer takes on Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the final of the U.S. Open.

Victory for top seed Federer will take his tally of grand-slam titles to 12 and will also make the Swiss the first man in the Open Era to win the U.S. Open over four consecutive years.

A win for Djokovic would make the 20-year-old the first Serbian to win a grand-slam title.

Federer has enjoyed the more comfortable path to Sunday's clash, dropping just two sets on the way to his record 10th straight grand-slam final

"I'm feeling well. That's the main thing right now, right before the finals," Federer told reporters.

"I'm feeling great. I know how to play (Djokovic). I hope I can just do what I do best and hopefully win."

Djokovic, a semi-finalist at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year, beat Federer to win the title in Montreal last month, an event where he notched successive wins over Andy Roddick , Rafael Nadal and world number one Federer.

Though Sunday will be his first grand-slam final, Djokovic believes he has a chance to win.

"The win over him in Montreal will help me, that's for sure," he said.

"I think I'm ready and I need to be ready. I need to think like this.

"I need to believe in myself, because otherwise I wouldn't get the positive outcome.

"I don't want to go out and try to do my best or try to perform well. I'll go out to try to win."