Preview of US Open Men's Final 2009

In fact, some have theorized that the reason Roger Federer stands above Pete Sampras with the most men's major wins is because of Nadal. In the span of eight months, Federer had lost three Grand Slam finals to Rafael Nadal: the 2008 French Open, the 2008 Wimbledon and the 2009 Australian Open. With that, Federer knew he had to improve his game.

Improve it he has. It brings back memories of Sampras / Agassi, where Sampras had to up his game when Agassi began to win against him. Now, with the US Open Men's Final 2009 in his sights, Federer can make it 3 out of 4 major titles this year if he wins. He won the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year to surpass Sampras.

It won't be all that easy for Federer in the US Open Men's Final 2009. It never is, after all. For one, the odds are against him, simply because it would be six US Open titles in a row for him, a feat that hasn’t been achieved since the great "Big" Bill Tilden.

Additionally, Juan Martin del Potro isn't going to roll over. He beat Nadal, no easy task in the semifinals. The key to del Potro is power. At 6'6", he can blast his serves. He blitzed his way through Nadal, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. The fast DecoTurf that is the US Open court surface, while not as fast as grass, gives del Potro a chance.

However, there's the factor in the final that has nothing to do with physical tools. While Federer has won the highest number of majors in tennis history, this is del Potro's first appearance in a final. That alone could make him shaky.

We'll find out at 4:00 PM ET when the match starts.