After a climatically blissful first ten days of the event, proceedings at the US Open were brought to a halt by a miserable late summer storm that has frustrated fans and players alike and resulted in 36 hours without a ball being struck at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Rafael Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez were the unluckiest of all as their quarterfinal encounter was stopped in the middle of a second set tiebreak on Thursday evening, the most inopportune time to cease play.

But the weather finally cooperated today - barely - and allowed for the match to be completed at the noon hour in front of a sparse crowd at the largest tennis venue on the planet. The result - a visibly injured and irritated Gonzalez put up little fight, not winning a single game, providing Nadal with basically a 35 minute practice session as the Spaniard claimed the match 7-6, 7-6, 6-0. Rafa couldn't have asked for anything more. He got the day off yesterday that his aching body (this time a strained stomach muscle) needed and then had to spend little time on court this afternoon. He'll now take on Juan Martin Del Potro in the first semifinal match on Sunday.

And with it, the men's tournament will finally begin.

With all the upsets and surprises on the women's side resulting in just one player seeded higher than eighth (#2 Serena Williams) making it to the penultimate round, the men have basically followed form for the second consecutive year. And though the lack of major upsets - with the exception of Andy Murray going down to defeat against up-and-comer Marin Cilic, a mildly surprising result - deprived the men of significant drama, the final act of this tournament should showcase tennis theater at its finest. The storylines are plentiful and what is at stake is thus - whether we continue to inhabit the Era of Roger and Rafa or are we indeed at the dawn of a New Age.

When there is a calcified group of men at the top of the rankings, the earlier rounds merely play a perfunctory role before the top combatants battle it out. And the quartet of players remaining - Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Del Potro - have faced little opposition through the first five rounds as they all seek final glory in 2009.

If one is a fan of powerful hitting from all corners of the court then the semifinal matches will provide a feast for the viewer. Perhaps no one strikes the ball with as much ferocity from both wings as soon to be 21-year-old Juan Martin Del Potro. The soft spoken, six-foot-six Argentine can hit winners from anywhere on the court and is the owner of perhaps the finest backhand down-the-line misdirection shot in the sport. If Nadal ceases control of the baseline and allows Del Potro to step into the court it will be a very long afternoon indeed for the Man from Mallorca.

Surprisingly Del Potro has taken his time in developing a consistently strong first serve. But he has come into his own this year in that department and routinely hits first offerings in the high 120's. With his height and flexibility I wouldn't be surprised if he averages near 140 mph in the years to come. But if Del Potro is to sustain his level tomorrow he's going to have to hit 60% of his first serves. Nadal will jump all over his inferior second deliveries if given the chance.

The one doubt about Del Potro's game is his stamina. He breaks down when conditions are muggy, as evidenced by the sudden letdown of his play against Andy Murray several weeks ago in Cincinnati after winning the first set. Del Potro prefers the cool weather. And though tomorrow is not supposed to be warm, the sun will be out and he'll be playing at the warmest time of day.

For Nadal, we all know his deal. He was the clear number one player in the world before his knees gave out and aided in his shocking fourth round dismissal in Paris and his subsequent withdrawal from Wimbledon. And though his knees appear to be in fine shape now, the stomach muscle injury does pose a significant hurdle on his way to a career Grand Slam at the precious age of 23.

But if his body holds up and he is in top form, look for the southpaw to force the action more than usual and stay much closer to the baseline than he is accustomed to. Look for Nadal to attack the net when possible and try to steal time away from Del Potro. Nadal's vicious, high-bouncing topspin missives are far less effective against taller players so he'll look to flatten out his shots more and force the ball through the court.

Though Nadal has won four of six meetings with Del Potro, the Argentine has won their last two encounters, both on hard courts, including at Nadal's first tournament back from his injury in Canada in August. This match has the makings of a classic if both players are playing at their highest level. The one wild card element is the time away from the court with all the rain. The fact that Nadal was able to play today may prove to be an advantage. Consider that Del Potro hasn't been on court since Thursday afternoon. If there is any rust showing, look for Nadal to jump to a quick early lead.

For the third consecutive year, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will meet in Flushing with this being the second year in a row they'll meet in the semis. It's their fifth date in Grand Slam play with Novak only victorious once, at the 2008 Australian Open. Federer has won eight of their twelve meetings but Djokovic has won two of the last three. Quite simply, this match is difficult to predict, mainly because of the mercurial Djokovic.

Federer is, well, Federer and he'll be his typical sublime self on court with his effortless style on full display. The Roger will look to dominate early on his serve, putting pressure on the Serb, whose return game may be his finest weapon. Federer's footwork and shot selection has looked peerless thus far during the fortnight and he'll look to move Djokovic around the court as much as possible.

Djokovic has been a puzzle this year. Though he is still ranked fourth in the world he has had disappointing results in the Slams this year, not advancing past the quarters until the US Open. He also made the most curious decision of switching racquet companies earlier this year, something unheard of at this level of the sport. In addition, Djokovic has had to engage in some PR work since his alienating comments after his defeat of Andy Roddick in last year's Open. And its apparently working as the lighter, jovial aspects of Novak's personality are reemerging.

Another interesting aspect is Djokovic's decision to hire Todd Martin, former Top Ten player and US finalist himself in 1999, as a consultant. The studious and refreshingly friendly Martin was an accomplished volleyer and he was brought on to aid Djokovic's suspect front court game. Djokovic has never seemed comfortable at the net even though he can strike volleys well. If he is to beat Federer tomorrow, he'll have to sneak in to the net a few times and keep Federer off balance. Easier said than done.

There is a very basic theme to Sunday's matches; the more aggressive player will emerge victorious. Though that may sound obvious, it's often difficult to accomplish and the players who are confident with their game plan should triumph. And with it, the world may get what it wants - finally, a Federer vs. Nadal title match in Gotham. Indeed, their dominance of the sport is not history yet.

TOURNAMENT NOTES:
As of now, the men's final is schedule to take place at 4PM on Monday - which means that most people will not see the match as they will be at work. Why don't the USTA and CBS go head-to-head with Monday Night Football and air the match at 8PM? Imagine if it is indeed Federer and Nadal in the final? I'm sure CBS would get a healthy share of viewers and it'd give the sport a unique showcase. Or does the insidious and incestuous relationships among all networks now preclude it from happening, since MNF is on ESPN and ESPN2 has been the cable carrier for the Open.