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On a day when he didn’t have his “A” game, Roger Federer was Swiss precise and found a way to defeat the talented and entertaining Serb, Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the US Open Men’s final.

Doing so, the Australian and Wimbledon winner again proved why he is a superlative competitor. Down five set points in the first, and two in the second, he survived. Perhaps it was the all black, Darth Vadar outfit he wore, or the fact Djokovic, a semifinalist this year at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, was appearing in his first Grand Slam final.

Whatever the reason, Federer emerged with his 12th Grand Slam championship, tying Roy Emerson on the all-time list, two behind record holder Pete Sampras. “I've played better matches in the past, no doubt, but I thought I played well when I had to,” Federer said, “It's a big moment, a lot of pressure for both of us.”

Djokovic, who defeated Federer in their last meeting at the Masters Series final in Montreal, said, “I just started making these unforced errors, which are really not understandable. I was quite nervous. Obviously, that was a mistake because I just needed to calm down and wait for my chances, which I didn't. I think I was mentally weaker today on the important points. He is mentally stronger. It was my mistake and my weakness today.”

The 20-year-old was anything but weak in his five hour 6-7, 7-6, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 third round victory over Radek Stepanek, a match many consider the best men’s contest of the tournament. “We had an unbelievable fight, a remarkable match,” said Djokovic, the game’s No. 3 player. “We should both be proud. It was great fun out there. And it was quality tennis, as well.”

Asked about playing so many long points, he offered, as he so often does, a wonderfully appropriate comment (with a smile), “I feel like I’m gonna throw away my shoes after this match.”

Ranked as high as No. 8, before a disk injury in his neck sidelined him for a lengthy period of recuperation, Stepanek said, “The crowd was just amazing. Those are the matches we are playing tennis for. You want to leave everything you have on the court. We both did that today. That match was really special. I think it was not a match you can see every day here.”

The same could be said of Tommy Haas’ 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 fourth round survival against James Blake, after defeating Sebastien Grosjean in five sets the round before. David Ferrer was shockingly impressive, out-running countryman Rafael Nadal 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 in a late night (early morning) fourth round encounter. Washington finalist John Isner, with a serve that matches his 6’9” height, was towering as he pounded his way to a set lead before losing to Federer in the third round 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

Following his 6-4, 7-6, 6-1 quarterfinal victory over Carlos Moya, Djokovic, who has replaced Jonas Bjorkman as the tour’s best mimic, was asked by the on-court interviewer to do his Maria Sharapova impersonation. He responded by bending over, rolling his socks down, pulling his shorts up, and skipping to the baseline. He moved up to serve, had a conversation with his racquet, stuck his bottom out, brushed imagined strains of hair from his eyes and made a service toss that appeared to go 15 feet high.

The crowd in his hands, Djokovic was asked to do Nadal. After pulling his socks up and his shorts down, he squatted, then jumped in the air and sprinted to the baseline. There he adjusted his socks, tugged at his underwear, pushed hair away from his eyes, before launching a Nadal-like serve.

Not to be outdone, when Stepanek was asked about Djokovic’s habit of bouncing the ball excessively before serving, as a match got tighter, he said of the wait, “I fall asleep maybe.”

No one feel asleep during the final that came to an end when Djokovic attempted a drop shot off the backhand that found the net. Federer then sank to his knees (which has become de rigor whenever anyone wins a Grand Slam event), but quickly came to his feet realizing that Roger Federer isn’t like everyone else.

In the end, he showcased why he has held the No. 1 ranking for a record setting 188 consecutive weeks. He also provided why he is, as Djokovic so thoughtfully stated early in the tournament, “The Untouchable One”; the player who has won four consecutive U.S. Open championships, exceeded only by Bill Tilden’s six straight titles.