Rafael Nadal has ended Nole’s quest for second US Open crown in a thrilling final at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Monday.
The second-seeded Spaniard beat the top seed and 2011 champion Novak Djokovic in four sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in 3 hours and 21 minutes to clinch his 60th career title.
Nole has finished runner-up at Flushing Meadows for the fourth time (2007, 2010, 2012-13).
Tonight’s match-up was the 37th between the pair (the most in the Open Era) and their sixth Grand Slam final, with Nadal now enjoying a 22-15 W/L against his Serbian rival. They are tied 3-3 in Major finals.
Nadal claimed the first break of the match in the third game to take an early lead. He broke again in the seventh game and closed out the set 6-2 in 42 minutes.
Novak turned the tables in the sixth game of the second set, winning a 54-shot rally to break the Spaniard. Nadal raced to a 0/40 lead in the next game and broke back for 3-4. However, Nole dug deep for a second consecutive break to put himself in a position to serve for the set. He converted his first set point to level the match.
The 26-year-old Belgrade native broke to love in the opening game of the third set and held for 2-0 lead. Rafa managed to break back in the sixth game to equalise the result. Djokovic raced out to a 0/40 lead in the ninth game, but was unable to capitalise on any of his three opportunities. Nadal then broke Novak again to take the set 6-4.
The Spaniard made a double break in the fourth set and sealed the victory which brought him second US Open trophy and 13th Grand Slam title.
Match statistics: aces (6-1), double faults (2-1), winners (46-27), unforced errors (53-20), total points won (102-121).
In the past 20 years, only one player has won the US Open final after losing the first set (Juan Martin del Potro d. Roger Federer in 2009).
“Obviously I want to congratulate Rafa and his team,“ Djokovic said during the trophy ceremony. “He was too good, he definitely deserved to win this match and the trophy. Obviously, it’s disappointing to lose a match like this. Again, it was a huge privilege and an honour to fight for this trophy. I had my momentum from midway second set to end of the third where I was supposed to use the opportunities that were presented to me, and I didn’t do it.”
Nadal was full of praise for Nole: “Playing against Novak is always a very special feeling and nobody brings my game to the limit like he does. Congratulations, you are an amazing player having an amazing career. I’m sure you will finish your career being one of the best in history. Best of luck to you and your team for the rest of the year and the years ahead.”
With the runner-up finish at the 2013 US Open, Novak will remain no.1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings with 10,980 points, only 120 more than Nadal. The Spaniard will soon reclaim the no.1 ranking as he has no points to defend till February 2014.
After the second annual Novak Djokovic Foundation fundraising dinner taking place at Capitale, New York, on September 10, Nole will head to Belgrade for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group semifinal tie between Serbia and Canada (13-15 September).
Photo: AFP/Getty Images
