Somewhere in a Manhattan hotel room Sunday afternoon, Juan Martin del Potro was resting his long legs and surely shaking his head at the television after watching Roger Federer pull off a backward, between-the-legs, cross-court trick shot to set up match point against Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals.

The crowd roared, Federer leaped with glee, and Djokovic could do nothing but smirk and look on with respect. A minute later, Federer won the match 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 7-5 to advance to Monday's rain-delayed final against del Potro, the young, towering Argentine who upset Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the other semifinal match.

Federer later called it ``the greatest shot of my career . . . the way I was able to hit it, with pace and accuracy, it's something that happens so, so rare.''

Said Djokovic: ``On these shots, you just say, `Well done; too good.'

``What can you do?''

That has been the mantra of the men on tour for years now. Top-ranked Federer has made 17 of the past 18 Grand Slam finals, and he is going for his 41st consecutive match victory at the U.S. Open. He is aiming to add to his record 15 Grand Slam titles, and his first since becoming a father of twins in July.

Sixth-ranked Del Potro, meanwhile, is only 20 years old and is playing in his first Grand Slam final.

But Federer is not taking the newcomer lightly.

``Del Potro had a great match against Rafa, so for him to come through the way he did is, to say the least, impressive,'' Federer said of del Potro's 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory. ``That's why he's not to be underestimated. He's had one of the best summers [17-1 since Wimbledon] and seems fresh.

We had a great match in Paris, very close, and it's going to be interesting to see how things turn out this time.''

The young Argentine told the crowd ``I'm sorry'' for preventing a possible final showdown between Nadal and Federer.

MAGICAL MOMENT

``I think this is the best moment of my life,'' del Potro said. ``I've very close to my dream, very happy to beat Rafa in straight sets. It's great for me and for my future, being in the final.''

Nadal stressed that he didn't want to make excuses, that 6-6 del Potro played ``much better than me'' and deserves to be in the final. But he conceded that he has had an abdominal strain since the second round of the Montreal tournament in August, that he was in pain and that there was a slight rupture that was aggravated with each U.S. Open match. He said it was particularly hard to serve and play against the wind.

``It was tough to play matches like this, against a player of his level,'' Nadal said. ``He played much better, and I congratulate him.''

Djokovic, who made some entertaining shots of his own, was equally gracious in defeat to Federer.

`HE'S ALWAYS THERE'

``He's one of the best -- maybe the best -- player that ever played this game. He's the most consistent, most mentally strong guy, and his movement is unbelievable. He's always there, plays every point, regardless of the result.'' • Kramer dies: Jack Kramer, one of the world's top players in the 1940s and 1950s and a tennis promoter in Southern California for 60 years, died of cancer Saturday night in Los Angeles. He was 88.

Kramer, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was ranked No. 1 in the mid-1940s. He won the Wimbledon singles title in 1947 and the U.S. Championships in 1946 and 1947.

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