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Djokovic Wins US Open

Novak Djokovic further polished one of the greatest seasons in tennis history when he defeated Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 to win the US Open title - his third major of 2011. Djokovic Wins In Four!
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Will Novak Deliver Knockout Blow?

Novak Djokovic, who is undefeated against Rafael Nadal in five finals this season, could deliver the killer blow in the battle for the year-end No. 1 ranking should he defeat the defending champion in Monday's championship match at the US Open. Djokovic Riding Wave Of Confidence Novak & Rafa: The Rivalry
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Nadal Focused Ahead Of Djokovic Rematch

Rafael Nadal will need to reverse an 0-5 record against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in championship matches this season in order to successfully retain his US Open crown Monday. Nadal: 'I Need To Be Strong Mentally' Nadal Holds Off Murray
US OPEN
Petzschner-Melzer Capture US Open Crown
Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner captured their second major title together on Saturday as they defeated Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-2, 6-2 in the US Open final at Flushing Meadows. 12.09 Djokovic Dethrones Nadal, Captures Fourth Ma... More NY Heartbreak For Wimbledon Federer Triumph Melzer-Petzschner Add To 2010 10.09.2011 Watch: Getting To Know Melzer & Petzschner
11.09 Nadal Focuses On Mental Strength Ahead Of Dj... I have only myself to blame, lamented Roger 11.09 Djokovic One Step Closer To Ending Nadal's Y... Fans On Djokovic's No. 1squandering Reign Federer, after How long will Novak two Djokovic stay at No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings? Fans at the US Open weigh in... 10.09 US Open Diary: Djokovic's A-List Support match points against Watch More Video Novak Djokovic in the US 10.09 Melzer & Petzschner Capture Second Major Tit... Open semi-finals on P Diddy In TheSaturday Housein New York. 10.09 Novak & Rafa: The Rivalry
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American rapper Sean Combs, a.k.a. P Diddy, sat in Novak Djokovics player guest box to watch the mens semi-finals on Saturday at the US Open. Other A-listers in attendance Continue Reading 10.09 Nadal Holds Off Murray To Set Blockbuster Fi... included Ben Stiller and Justin Timberlake. View Celebrity Photo Gallery View All US Open Diary: Djokovic's A-List Support
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Players Remember 9/11 As America andRankings the US Open commemorates the 10th anniversary of 9/11, ATP World Tour players share their memories of theSTORE day. Singles Doubles Rankings
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Movers Week of 29.08.2011 ATP WORLD TOUR UNCOVERED Uncovered Big Four In New York
ATP World Tour Uncovered takes a closer look at the Big Four in New York. Watch Ivan Ljubicic Uncovered Watch More Uncovered
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View More and U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama visited the US Open Friday to watch American John Isner tackle Andy Murray and4,145 to promote the partnership between her Let's Move! campaign 6 Robin Soderling the USTA's 10 and Under 22Tennis programme. 55 7 Gael Monfils 3,165 Current Ranking Current Ranking First Lady's First Visit To US Open 8 Mardy Fish 2,820 View Photo Gallery Player Activity Player Activity
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Defending champion Rafael Nadal extended the US Open final to a fourth set as he prevented World No. 1 Novak Djokovic from serving out the championship and claimed the third set, 2-6, 4-6, 7-6(3). LIKE US ON FACEBOOK View All Learn More Nadal: 'I Need To Be Strong Mentally' Novak & Rafa: The Rivalry
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Rafa & Novak: The Rivalry

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet for the 29th time in the US Open final at Flushing Meadows on Monday. Read the history of all their meetings.
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Tennis - ATP World Tour - 2011 US Open Monday - Djokovic Dethrones Nadal, Captures Fourth Major Title
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DJOKOVIC DETHRONES NADAL, CAPTURES FOURTH MAJOR TITLE

New York, U.S.A. by ATP Staff | 12.09.2011 31
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ATP World Tour No. 1 Novak Djokovic captured his 10th piece of silverware in what has been a remarkable season as he beat defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 in the US Open final on Monday in New York. It is the sixth time this season that Djokovic has beaten Nadal, with all of their contests coming Getty Images in finals. He defeated Nadal in Novak Djokovic won the US Open title for the finals of ATP World Tour the first time. Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome, before dethroning the Spaniard at Wimbledon. It was the first US Open final to feature the worlds Top 2 players since 1995. After victories at the Australian Open (d. Murray) and Wimbledon earlier in the year, Djokovic becomes the sixth man in the Open Era to win three Grand Slam championships in the same season. The 24-year-old Serbian captured his fourth major title overall, having also triumphed at the 2008 Australian Open (d. Tsonga). It is the first time that Djokovic has laid his hands on the US Open trophy, having twice before finished runner-up. In his first major final in 2007, he lost out to Federer, and he was beaten in four sets by Nadal last year as the Spaniard completed the career Grand Slam. Buy Tickets To See Djokovic & Nadal At Barclays ATP World Tour Finals As he did in 2010, Djokovic reached the final at Flushing Meadows after saving two match points to defeat Federer in a five-set epic in the semifinals. The Belgrade native rallied from two sets down for the second time in his career, and saved two match points when Federer led 5-3, 40/15 in the fifth set. He is the first man to go on to win a Grand Slam championship after saving match point since Marat Safin won the 2005 Australian Open (d. Hewitt) having saved match point against Federer in the semi-finals. Djokovic has compiled a staggering 64-2 mark in 2011, including a perfect 41-0 start to the season which ended in defeat to Federer in the Roland Garros semi-finals. The Serbs only other defeat this season came against Andy Murray in the Cincinnati final, where he retired with a shoulder injury. The 25-year-old Nadal was bidding to win his 11th major title and second of the season after capturing a record-equalling sixth Roland Garros crown (d. Federer) in June. The left-hander has been left in the shadows by Djokovic this season, but has still compiled extremely strong results, recording a 59-11 win-loss mark and reaching nine tour-level finals (3-6 record). It is only the fourth Grand Slam final Nadal has lost. His three previous runner-up finishes all came at Wimbledon, losing to Federer in the 20062007 finals before succumbing to Djokovic as defending champion this year. Related Topics: US Open, New York, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal
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http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2011/09/36/US-Open-Monday3-Djokovic-Captures-Title.aspx[13.9.2011 2:42:39]
Tennis - ATP World Tour - 2011 US Open Sunday - Nadal Focuses On Mental Strength Ahead Of Djokovic Rematch
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NADAL FOCUSES ON MENTAL STRENGTH AHEAD OF DJOKOVIC REMATCH

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One year ago, Rafael Nadal improved to a perfect 5-0 record against Novak Djokovic in championship matches when he defeated his Serbian rival at the US Open to complete the career Grand Slam. The situation will be reversed when the pair face off in a Monday rematch at Flushing Meadows, with World No. 1 Djokovic holding the edge over the Spaniard following victories in all five of their final clashes this season. No other player has ever beaten Nadal in five consecutive matches. Novak & Rafa: The Rivalry It's an advantage for him. Hes obviously the favourite for the final, acknowledged Nadal. I know I have to do something better than the other matches to try to change the situation, and thats what Im going to try.
Getty Images Rafael Nadal looks to reverse an 0-5 record against Novak Djokovic this season.
I have to play my game. Ive beaten him in the past playing my game. The thing is playing my game very well. I need to be strong mentally all the time, fight every ball, believe in the victory in every moment. Thats something that for moments this year I didnt do. While Nadal maintains a 16-12 lead in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head, Djokovic has won eight of their past 10 meetings and holds a 9-5 advantage in matches contested on hard courts. This season, his victories over Nadal have come on hard courts in Indian Wells and Miami, on clay in Rome and Madrid, and most recently on grass at Wimbledon. I know that I have a game that is good enough to win against him. I proved that this year in three different surfaces, so I believe that I have a good chance, said Djokovic. I need to go out on the court believing I can win. Nadal, at 25 years and 100 days of age, is looking to become the secondyoungest man to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles behind Bjorn Borg and the eighth player in the Open Era to successfully defend the US Open title. Despite his perfect record against Nadal this season, Djokovic admitted it would be a tall task to dethrone the reigning champion. Were talking about a player who has won 10 majors already in his career and hes only 25. Hes defending his title. I think last year in 2010 throughout the whole tournament and in the final I never seen him serve better than that tournament. So I think it depends on my serve and his serve, as well. But its gonna be a tough match. Nadal lost serve just twice entering the 2010 final, but has been broken 13 times this year. Djokovics numbers are slightly better; hes dropped serve 12 times, and has won 86 per cent of his service games to Nadals 84 per cent.* This will be the first No. 1-2 ranked final at the US Open since 1995, when No. 2 Pete Sampras defeated No. 1 Andre Agassi. This is also the first US Open final featuring the same players in back-to-back years since 198788; Ivan Lendl won the title in 1987 and Mats Wilander avenged the loss the following year. *courtesy of Leo Levin of Information & Displays Systems (I.D.S.) Fans in the U.S. can watch a free live stream from Arthur Ashe Stadium: Watch Ashe Stadium Listen To USOpen.org Radio
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http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2011/09/36/US-Open-Sunday2-Nadal-Looks-To-Reverse-Streak.aspx[13.9.2011 2:43:27]
Tennis - ATP World Tour - US Open 2011 - Saturday Diary

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US OPEN DIARY: DJOKOVIC'S A-LIST SUPPORT

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ATPWorldTour.com takes a look at the news and talking points at the US Open on Super Saturday. P Diddy In The House Sean Combs, a.k.a. P Diddy, lent his support from the player box to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic during the Serbs dramatic semi-final victory over Roger Federer. "It was great to have him there," said Djokovic afterwards. "We met at one party that I cannot talk about the details. (Laughter.) It was fun. He's a huge star obviously in show business, and he's a character and a very successful man. So it was great to have him there. I think it was very interesting the way he supported me." Other A-listers in attendance on Super Saturday included Hollywood funnymen Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell, singer and actor Justin Timberlake, model Bar Rafaeli, Friends actor Matthew Perry, and Hollywood couple Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas. View Celebrity Photo Gallery Tweet Of The Day @BryanBros: We (tennis fans) are spoiled week in & week out by insane tennis, drama, and pure adrenaline by these great champions. How lucky are we!? Too true, Bob! Doubles Generates Good Turn Out Tennis fans couldnt get enough on Super Saturday at Flushing Meadows, and despite the doubles final not starting till close to midnight, a good number stayed in their seats to witness Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner win the title in straight sets. They were rewarded as the USTA let all those sat in the upper tier move down to seats closer to the court. Djokovic 9/11 Tribute Djokovic may have won one of the best matches of the season on Saturday in the US Open semi-finals, but the World No. 1 kept things in perspective as he paid tribute to those that lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks 10 years ago. Writing on Twitter and Facebook, the Serb said, I'm off to bed now, it was a long day but very successful. I am happy to be through to finals, it seemed so far away 2 weeks ago, but here I am. Ten years ago, more than 2000 people went to bed without knowing that it will be their last day...I hope and wish that the terror that happened 10 years ago on 9/11/01 will never ever happen, that we never forget people who lost their lives on their duty, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, employees...My heart goes to all the families who lost their beloved ones. Watch: Players 9/11 Tribute The Life Of A Tennis Players Feet 'James Blake is a beautiful man, but his feet are disgusting,'" said former pro Justin Gimelstob in an article in the NY Times that discusses the pain tennis players feet are subjected to throughout the course of a season. They are young and rich, world travellers who play a gentlemans game. Hours of training outdoors have given them, men and women alike, bodies that are taut and tanned. Often exceedingly photogenic, they are the smiling faces for some of the worlds most exquisite consumer products. And yet just beneath the surface, their world is far from perfect. But to know that, you would have to peek inside their shoes. Oh, those gnarly, festering feet: bunioned and blistered, callused and corned, with nails that are split, ingrown and blackened, if not gone altogether. By the end of a long, grueling hardcourt season, they can resemble fresh hamburger. Think of podiatrys equivalent of Chuck Wepners face after 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali. Ive always said the best way a tennis player knows his significant other really loves him is if that person sees his feet and still stays with him, Gimelstob said. Its painful, really painful, said Jim Courier, a former world No. 1 and 1991 Open finalist who would go through as many as five pairs of shoes in a tournament. It was painful in the 90s; now, nearly 20 years later, the amount of sliding on hardcourts that these players do is something thats foreign to me. Players these days are moving faster, theyre stopping faster, and thats putting more pressure on their feet. Fans in the U.S. can watch a free live stream of Arthur Ashe Stadium: Watch Ashe Stadium Listen To USOpen.org Radio Related Topics: US Open, New York, Novak Djokovic
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Getty Images Sean Combs, a.k.a. "P Diddy", sat in Novak Djokovic's player box for the semi-finals.
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http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2011/09/36/US-Open-Diary-Saturday2.aspx[13.9.2011 2:44:14]
Tennis - ATP World Tour - 2011 US Open Sunday - Djokovic Boosts Bid For Year-End No. 1 Ranking
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DJOKOVIC ONE STEP CLOSER TO ENDING NADAL'S YEAR-END NO. 1 HOPES

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Novak Djokovic could deliver the killer blow in the battle for the year-end No. 1 South African Airway ATP Ranking should he defeat defending champion Rafael Nadal in the US Open final Monday. Nadal had clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for the second time in three years after defeating the Serbian in the 2010 US Open final, but relinquished his spot in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings to Djokovic following Wimbledon this past July. He has since seen the Serbian extend his lead at the top. Novak & Rafa: The Rivalry A victory Monday would give Djokovic his third Grand Slam crown of 2011 to Nadals one, and would increase his advantage over his rival in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Year-To-Date Rankings to 4,310 points. To put it in context, an undefeated champion at the biggest three events over the final stretch of the season - the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Shanghai and Paris and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals - would net a total of 3,500 points. Djokovic is coming off what hes called the greatest victory I had in 2011, rallying from an 0-2 sets deficit and saving two match points for a second straight year to defeat five-time champion Roger Federer in Saturdays semi-final, and will take added confidence from his superb season into a US Open rematch with Nadal. It's obvious that this is the best year of my career, by far, said the World No. 1. The confidence level that is very high at this moment for me helps me to get into this big matches and go for the shots that I maybe in some situations wouldnt, that I wasn't going for those shots in the past couple years. But it's all I think a process of learning and getting experience and maturing as a player, as a person. It might have been the case that it helped me in this match [against Federer], knowing that I have such a great season and knowing that I have such great confidence. I really have nothing to lose, even though it's the semi-finals of a Grand Slam and playing somebody that is a great rival of mine. But for these matches you're working hard and you want to be there. You want to be there and you want to win against guys like Federer. Djokovic, who opened the year with the Australian Open title, is attempting to become the sixth man in the Open Era to win three Grand Slam titles in the same season, joining Rod Laver (1969), Jimmy Connors (1974), Mats Wilander (1988), Federer (2004, 2006-07) and Nadal (2010). While Djokovic is chasing his 10th title of an incredible season, including a historic haul of five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies, Nadal has won three titles - at Roland Garros, Monte-Carlo and Barcelona - and been relegated to runner-up status five times by Djokovic going into the US Open final. For moments I didnt believe really 100 per cent with the victory, admitted Nadal. Thats the big problem because when thats happening, you have less chances, much less than if you believe. If you believe, you are running more, you are putting one more ball inside. So thats the problem, and that's what Im gonna try to change for Monday. If Im not ready to change for Monday, I have a goal to do it for next year, so I am ready to work hard. I am ready to work my tennis, to work my mental part, and hopefully I will ready for Monday. Thats what I would like. But if not, I really believe that I can come back next year and do it better. The last player to hold down the year-end No. 1 South African Airway ATP Ranking other than Nadal or Federer was Andy Roddick, following his 2003 US Open triumph. Fans in the U.S. can watch a free live stream from Arthur Ashe Stadium: Watch Ashe Stadium Listen To USOpen.org Radio
Getty Images Novak Djokovic is aiming to win his third Grand Slam title of 2011.
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http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2011/09/36/US-Open-Sunday2-Djokovic-Battle-For-YTD-No1.aspx[13.9.2011 2:46:59]
U.S. Open - The growing aura of Novak Djokovic - ESPN

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US Open 2011
Updated: September 11, 2011, 11:36 AM ET Recommend 18 retweet 11
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Djokovic downs Nadal to win first U.S. Open title Serena fined $2,000 for outburst at Open final Raymond-Huber capture U.S. Open doubles title Oudin-Sock team wins Open mixed doubles final No. 2 seed Jovanovski loses at Tashkent Open
The growing aura of Novak Djokovic

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NEW YORK -- The cold, hard numbers already said that Novak Djokovic was having one of the most memorable seasons tennis has ever seen. But the great escape he added to his historically great year Saturday, when he roared back from two sets and then two match points down to knock off Roger Federer and move into Monday's U.S. Open final opposite Rafael Nadal, added the sort of anecdotal evidence that will be talked about even longer. That's the way it usually goes with the sort of remarkable year that Djokovic is stringing together. Long after people forget the amazing 63-2 record that Djokovic has built so far this year, they're likely to talk about the way he kept alive his chance to become only the seventh man to win three Grand Slam titles in a single year Saturday. He was down to his last chance against Federer, tennis' all-time Grand Slam king, and then smacked one of the more wondrous clutch shots you'll ever see.
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Part of the surprise was that Djokovic tried the allYork. More or-nothing shot at all, knowing he was trailing 53, 30-15 in the fifth set with Federer serving with two chances to win the match. And the rest of the wonder was what Djokovic came up with next: A forehand service return winner for the ages off a high-kicking Federer serve. It was so perfectly timed, so cleanly struck, even Djokovic later confessed he wasn't sure how much of it was attributable to luck versus guts versus his uncanny sense of anticipation. "It's a gamble -- if it's out, you're lost," Djokovic said. Djokovic took an exaggerated bow when it worked. The Serbian star eluded the next match point, too, when Federer got an unlucky carom off the netcord and the ball spun backward and down on his side of the net. And Djokovic was on his way to a rematch of last year's U.S. Open final against Nadal. What should worry Nadal about this year's showdown is that Djokovic admits he probably wouldn't have even tried to hit that match-saving shot against Federer if he wasn't having his career year. Djokovic is still on track to match or better Federer's record for fewest losses in a season (five). He'll keep the No. 1 ranking that he picked up for the first time three months ago, when he beat Nadal to win Wimbledon. He already has 10 titles in 2011 -- and counting. "When you are [down] match points in the fifth set after four hours of play and you hit that forehand winner, you must be a little bit amazed under the circumstances that you hit that shot," Djokovic admitted. "It's all mental to be able to handle the pressure well, to be able to step in, and take the chances that are presented. "I would lie to you if I say I didn't think, 'I'm going to lose.' The confidence level that is very high at this moment for me helps me to get into these big matches and go for shots that you know, maybe in some [past] situations I wouldn't. I wasn't going for those shots in the past couple years." Djokovic will probably have to play consistently better to beat Nadal -- a 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 winner Saturday over Andy Murray of Great Britain -- even though he's beaten the 25-year-old Spaniard the past five times they played. As stirring as Djokovic's comeback win over Federer sounds when you hear just the thumbnail version of the match -- how he came back from a two-sets-to-zero hole; how he reeled off the last four games to win -- the win wasn't all built on nerveless shots and miracle gets. Federer's withering postmatch assessment of himself was right too: "I set it up all perfect. I just couldn't finish it." Federer was as justifiably hard on himself, same as Nadal was on himself when he lost to Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. Back then, Nadal rattled off his four previous losses to Djokovic this year and admitted, "Probably the mental part is little bit dangerous for me. I didn't play well these [big] moments. That's what happened in Indian Wells, that's what happened in Miami, and that's what happened here.
AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Novak Djokovic sure doesn't have those mental cracks that hurt him in the past. [+] Enlarge
"I don't want to count Madrid and Rome because he played much better than me. But these other three times, that's what happened. And to change that is probably [going to require] being a little bit less nervous. Play more aggressive, and all the time be confident with myself. That's what I'm gonna try next time. "If not, I gonna be here explaining the sixth [loss]." Nadal's preparation for this U.S. Open wasn't optimal. He had to take some time off after Wimbledon with foot problems, and when he resumed play he didn't have world-beating results. Once here, his fourth-round match was rained out for two straight days. But an observation that American veteran Andy Roddick made about Nadal after getting steamrollered by him in straight sets in Friday's quarterfinals is often true of Nadal at the Slams. "I think he has a tendency to play his way into tournaments, and then by the end he's taking [big] cuts," Roddick said. "But I think this is the most aggressive I've seen him play this summer." Nadal is going to need to keep playing assertively against Djokovic. He's going to have to avoid those mental cracks he alluded to in their other 2011 matches. If Nadal somehow manages to win Monday's final, it would give him 11 career Slam titles and pull him into a tie with Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver for the fourth-highest total of all time, trailing only Roy Emerson (12), Pete Sampras (14) and Federer (16). If Djokovic wins, it would be career Grand Slam title No. 4. But Djokovic's proven ability to consistently worm his way now into the minds of Nadal and Federer - two men with 26 Grand Slam titles between them, remember -- is yet another measure of just how great Djokovic's year has been. The aura Djokovic is throwing off now isn't exactly a new phenomenon in tennis. At one time or another, everyone from Nadal to Federer, Sampras to Agassi, Becker to Connors, McEnroe to Lendl, struck the same doubt in opponents in their dominant years. But it's still a sight to behold every time it comes along. Djokovic already has avenged his only 2011 loss to Federer. Now he gets a chance to avenge last year's loss to Nadal in the Open final, too.
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http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen11/story/_/page/WhatToWatch6/us-open-growing-aura-novak-djokovic[13.9.2011 2:48:56]
U.S. Open - The growing aura of Novak Djokovic - ESPN If Nadal feels nervous about Monday's match at all, he probably won't want to watch how Djokovic celebrated his escape over Federer by lowering himself into a deep crouch and beating on his chest with both fists as he screamed. The show of raw emotion went beyond mere joy and felt closer to primal. But then, Djokovic has had the old guard in men's tennis on the run now for nine straight months. He's earned the right to shout. If he beats Nadal for the sixth straight time come Monday, who can dispute that tennis has a new rising king? Follow Johnette Howard on Twitter: @johnettehoward
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leonforrest
Amazing to see how the Aura moves from player to player -- from Fed to Nadal and now to Novak. Or rather, how each player takes it from the other.
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Kelechi545
Nadal needs to win this open more so than Djokovic. He loses to Djokovic here and he really is in trouble confidence wise.
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http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen11/story/_/page/WhatToWatch6/us-open-growing-aura-novak-djokovic[13.9.2011 2:48:56]
2011 U.S. Open: Novak Djokovic downs Rafael Nadal to win U.S. Open - ESPN
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US Open 2011
Updated: September 12, 2011, 8:35 PM ET Recommend 31 retweet 2
U.S. Open
2010 champions Women's singles: Kim Clijsters Men's singles: Rafael Nadal Women's doubles: Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova Men's doubles: Bob and Mike Bryan Mixed doubles: Bob Bryan and Lizel Huber Courtcast: Scores & chat Slam Central Follow us on Twitter Watch: ESPN3.com Day 15
Serena Williams fined $2,000 for outburst Howard: Right call on Serena's fine SportsNation: Fine fit the crime? Grantland: Phillips on Federer-Djokovic Grantland: Baker on U.S. Open Chris Evert on Serena Williams' fine
Novak Djokovic wins U.S. Open crown

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NEW YORK -- Novak Djokovic held on to beat defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 Monday night in a final filled with lengthy, mesmerizing points to win his first U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam trophy of the year. The top-ranked Djokovic improved to 64-2 with 10 tournament titles, one of the greatest seasons in the history of men's tennis -- or any sport. And he's perfect against Nadal in 2011 -- 6-0, all in finals, including at Wimbledon in July. Djokovic also won the Australian Open in January, and is the sixth man in the Open era to collect three major titles in one year. In the third set, Djokovic served for the match at 6-5 before Nadal broke, and after the tiebreaker, Djokovic was treated for an aching back. But Djokovic ruled the fourth set. Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
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Day 14
Garber: Serena loses cool, then match Bernstein: Match of life for Stosur espnW: Final step in Serena's comeback McManus: Time is now to appreciate Serena Howard: The growing aura of Novak Djokovic Hot Button: Who will win the men's final? Digital Serve: What can Stosur do? Open Update: Djoker and Rafa at it again End of the Roger Federer era? Analysis: What happened to Serena? Highlight: Stosur beats Serena What do we make of the outburst?
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Day 13
Recap: Djokovic beats Federer in five sets Garber: That Serena can pack a punch Garber: Federer, again, can't close the deal McManus: Rafa gets much-needed day off espnW: Don't discount Stosur Analysis: What happened to Federer? Highlight: Stunning comeback by Djoker
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Day 12
Recap: Nadal, Murray reach semifinals Howard: For Djokovic, mind over matter Garber: Nadal foils Roddick's final four hopes McManus: Disappointed Izzy falls to Murray Timeline: Serena's Grand Slam career Garber: Players remember events of Sept. 11 Howard: The last normal Sunday in NYC espnW: The anticipated showdown Phillips on the problem with Djokovic Would anyone root for the underdog? David Foster Wallace's classic Federer profile. Nadal crushes Roddick in three Murray thwarts Isner Digital Serve: Men's semifinal preview Women's semifinal preview Michelle Obama visits the U.S. Open
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Day 11
Recaps: Men | Women Garber: Federer beats elements, then Tsonga Bernstein: Woz sets up showdown with Serena Howard: Players ace USTA over schedule shift McManus: Andy Roddick revisits his roots Bernstein: Serena raises level when it counts Garber: Happier days for Nadal, Murray Roddick-Ferrer moves to tiny Court 13 Howard: The tangled web atop men's tennis Bernstein: Teenage dreams deferred Tandon: Why tennis and fashion mix Player safety debate Nadal, Murray on to quarters Serena sails into semifinals Roddick upset with court Schedule irritates Nadal Djokovic beats countryman Digital Serve: How will Rafa, Murray fare? Who will win Woz versus Serena? Johnette Howard on weather delays Federer beats down Tsonga
Day 10
Garber: Players prepare for a daunting grind Garber: Perilous conditions stirs controversy Howard: Fed deficit? Not in confidence Bernstein: Wozniacki stays positive Vote: Who has the best wet-court game? Kerber, Pennetta vying for spot in semis Roddick on unplayable conditions Nadal not happy with courts Serena tired of waiting
Day 9
Garber: Federer beats foe -- and the rain Rain wipes out play for the day
Day 8
Recaps: Men | Women espnW: Wozniacki shows fight Garber: Thought-free Tsonga consumes Fish Garber: The physical hardships of Nadal Garber: Djokovic survives early scare espnW: Serena making it look too easy MacGregor: Fed's grace amid the volatility Serena takes care of Ivanovic Djokovic moves on to quarterfinals Tsonga beats Fish in five Digital Serve: Day 9 preview Open Update: Roddick versus Ferrer Wozniacki holds off Kuznetsova
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Serena fined $2,000 for outburst at Open final Raymond-Huber capture U.S. Open doubles title Oudin-Sock team wins Open mixed doubles final No. 2 seed Jovanovski loses at Tashkent Open Federer-Roddick set for March match at MSG

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http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen11/story/_/id/6963299/novak-djokovic-downs-rafael-nadal-win-us-open[13.9.2011 2:50:28]
2011 U.S. Open: Novak Djokovic downs Rafael Nadal to win U.S. Open - ESPN
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Brian Phillips on Novak Djkovic's victory over Roger Federer in the 2011 U.S. Open - Grantland
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Jump To Navigation Novak Djokovic: The Shot and The Confrontation What the hell happened on Saturday at the U.S. Open? By Brian Phillips POSTED SEPTEMBER 12, 2011
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O ne way to think about losing a tennis match, and specifically to think about the pain and disappointment of losing a great, tense, five -set tennis match the way Roger Federer did on Saturday, is to imagine yourself walking in to talk to the media afterward. Imagine that you have just spent several hours doing a physically exhausting, phenomenally difficult thing; that many thousands of people, and several television cameras, were watching you do this thing; that you could not look up while doing it without seeing a giant image of yourself hovering overhead; that your entire life revolves around this thing to the point that most of your waking hours are consumed by your obsessive work toward the goal of doing it successfully; that this has been the case since you were very young, so that succeeding in moments such as the one you have just been through is effectively the only purpose you have ever known; that you have just done the aforementioned thing at such a high level that almost no one in the history of the world could claim to have done it better; that you failed anyway; and that you failed because of an outrageous bit of bad luck, which came out of nowhere and upended all your work at precisely the moment when you thought you had succeeded. There: Now ready to answer some questions? There's a certain death-type imagery from movies and TV shows that the situation calls to mind: a tight shot of a man walking down a long corridor toward a set of double doors; other people's hands reach out on either side of him to open the doors; he steps through into a blinding white light. If you or I were to face this situation, having lost the way Federer did on Saturday, there's a very good chance that our quotes in the next day's paper would be dominated by transliterated weeping and hysterical blasphemy: But the five -time champion, who hasn't won a major since last year's Australian Open, never recovered from the loss of those two match points, dropping the final four games of the fifth set and falling to a 7 -6 (9 -7), 6 -4, 3 -6, 2 -6, 5 -7 defeat. "Nyrrrrrrggggh!" he said after the loss. "Nyyyrrrrrrrgggh aaahh -ahh ahh -nrrrrrm! There is no God in the universe! Do you hear me, CBS? ? " To his credit, Federer didn't do this. Having played astonishingly great tennis against the world's runaway no. 1 player, Novak Djokovic, whom no one else has even pushed to five sets this year, and having lost anyway, Federer mainly seemed dazed. That in itself was revealing; when you've won 16 Grand Slam titles, the way Federer has, dazedness at a tennis tournament is the equivalent of anyone else's existential panic. But what left Federer stunned was one moment in particular, and at this point we need to pause to discuss that moment, because without understanding it we can't understand either the match or, more generally, what can be so devastating and unfair about top-flight tennis. For the sake of clarity, we can divide the moment into two parts, which I'm going to call The Shot and The Confrontation. The Shot came late in the fifth set. Federer had looked staggeringly good in winning the first two sets, almost like his old self, but then turned passive and sluggish in the third and fourth sets, both of which Djokovic won easily. In the final set, Federer surprised everyone, including the hugely pro -Federer crowd, by rallying, breaking Djokovic at love at 4 -3, then giving himself two match points while serving at 5 -3. On the first of the two, Djokovic flicked back Federer's serve with a slappy, haphazard forehand The Shot that looked doomed but happened to drop inside the line. The crowd cheered, thinking the match was over, then fell into a murmury silence when it became clear that Djokovic had just hit a bafflingly great shot. That was when Djokovic produced The Confrontation. Turning toward the stands with an incredulous look on his face, he raised his arms up over his head like a pro wrestler, then broke into a dufusy grin. The crowd, uncertainly, started cheering. Djokovic kind of rolled his eyes and went back into his return stance with a look like, these people . After that, he loosened up, reeled off four straight games against a staggered Federer, and took the match. That was why Federer was stunned. Having spent his entire adult life consciously molding himself into one of the best high -stakes tennis players in history, he'd just been beaten by an almost random sequence of events. Djokovic's snapped return happened to land in bounds; the crowd happened to set something off in Djokovic's head; this happened to inspire him to play better tennis. "I had it," Federer said about the match. "There's no more I could do. He snaps one shot, and then the whole thing changes. To lose against someone like that, it's very disappointing, because you feel like he was mentally out of it already. Just gets the lucky shot at the end and off you go." We want athletes to be able to explain sports. Sport, at its most basic, is about physically realizing intentions calculating the angle, plotting the spin, executing the shot. So surely the people who have the intentions, the people whose inner lives sport is expressing in some complicated way, are in the best position to tell us what really happens on the court. And to a certain extent that's true. But one of the reasons it's so scary to imagine going into the postmatch press conference as a loser is that it's not entirely true. What happens during a match may concern you to an emotionally devastating degree, but what happens can also turn on tiny fluctuations of chance so complicated that they are astoundingly difficult to articulate minute physical differences that fall within any conceivable margin of error, emotional swings that could have gone either way and went against you, who knows why. These sorts of breaks are often monstrously unfair. And as with The Shot and The Confrontation, they tend to take on outsize importance in matches that are otherwise very close. Meaning that the greatest contests, the ones whose outcomes are most exalting for the winners and most devastating for the losers, are the ones most likely to be decided by infinitesimal turns of luck. I want to be precise about this, because it's not the case that Federer's loss was purely arbitrary had he not double -faulted on break point at 5 -3 in the fifth, or committed 59 unforced errors, he could have won regardless of that one match point. But because all the athletic-skill stuff was so evenly matched, because the mistakes and heroic deeds all worked out to a stalemate, that one lucky shot and even Djokovic agreed that it was lucky, although it's possible that he was being modest was able to change everything. If Djokovic wins against Nadal in the final, it won't be an exaggeration to say that it changed tennis history. Think about it: Djokovic goes from being a very good player whose season was tarnished by his inability to beat Federer (in the French Open semis and here) to holding three Grand Slam titles at once while being well on his way to completing maybe the best season in tennis history. Federer goes from being a player who can still beat the best to a definitively past -his-prime ex-champion who's dropped two straight semifinals late-round matches in majors after winning the first two sets. Nadal goes from having yet another crack at his rivalry with Federer to losing to Djokovic for a legacy -unsettling sixth straight time in a final. All because of that one shot. So it's not hard to understand why Federer seemed dazed. The game can be pretty unjust. Actually, you could even say that what made this match so intense was not the quality of play really high at times, but with a lot of errors so much as the way all the minor injustices converged on each other. For instance: It was unfair that the crowd was dead set against Djokovic, who has worked like crazy (dancing, mugging, clowning around with various McEnroes) to win New Yorkers over since he first alienated them during a 2008 spat with Andy Roddick. It was unfair that the draw pitted these two players against each other while the second -seeded Nadal got to feast on Andy Murray. It was unfair that The Shot dropped in. It's unfair, really unfair, that Federer is getting old. There was just an air in the stadium of quiet, objectless frustration, which hummed along under the tennis, raised the stakes, and helped the match feel semi -classic. But if you think about it too much, you wind up nearly as dazed as Federer. Brian Phillips is a staff writer for Grantland. You can find him on Twitter at @runofplay.
Previously from Brian Phillips: The Problem with Novak Djokovic The Brash Style in American Tennis When We Need Our Barbarians Corruption, Murder, and the Beautiful Game: On FIFA's scandalous history On the Border: A look at the soccer rivalry between the United States and Mexico Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras and the dead kings of Wimbledon To comment on this story through Facebook, click here .
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http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6961013/shot-confrontation[13.9.2011 2:52:04]
Parting Shot - New Era In Tennis - ESPN Video - ESPN

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Parting Shot - New Era In Tennis

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Jeremy Schaap discusses the end of the Roger Federer era in tennis.
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http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6957487&categoryid=2378529[13.9.2011 2:53:57]
Two sets down, Novak Djokovic rallies to beat Roger Federer - ESPN
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US Open 2011
Updated: September 11, 2011, 11:12 AM ET Recommend 200 retweet 71
U.S. Open
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal reach final

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Day 14
Djokovic Fights Off Federer

Novak Djokovic defeats Roger Federer in five sets to advance to his second straight U.S. Open Final Tags: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, U.S. Open
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Djokovic Fights Off Federer Parting Shot - New Era In Tennis U.S. Open Men's Final Preview Serena Fine A Slap On The Wrist
Day 13
NEW YORK -- Facing two match points against a beloved player whose name is already in the history books, Novak Djokovic clenched his jaw, nodded his head and flashed an ever-so-slight glimpse of a smile. "I would lie if I say I didn't think I'm going to lose," Djokovic said. Might as well go down swinging then, right? He turned violently on a wide, 108 mph serve from Roger Federer for a cross-court, forehand winner that barely nicked the line. The fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium, ready to explode for a Federer victory, instead found themselves taking a cue from Djokovic -- who raised his hands, asking them to pump up the volume, and give him a little more love.
Garber: Federer can't close the deal If Wimbledon was a sad ending for Roger Federer, the U.S. Open had to be utterly disheartening, writes ESPN's Greg Garber. Story
Day 12
About 10 minutes later, those fans were dancing McManus: Rafa gets needed day off with Djoko as he boogied at center court to celebrate an epic U.S. Open semifinal win -- one in which he dug out of a two-set hole, then saved two match points to beat Federer for the second straight year. Top-seeded Djokovic won 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 Saturday to improve to 63-2 on the year and set up a rematch in the final against No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who beat No. 4 Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the second semifinal. In the first match, Djokovic completed only his second career comeback from two sets down, while Federer lost a two-set lead for the second time in less than three months after going 178-0 lifetime before this year's Wimbledon quarterfinals. It all turned on one shot. "The forehand return, I cannot explain to you because I don't know how it happened," Djokovic said. "I read his serve and I was on the ball and I had to hit it hard, and it got in, luckily for me." Nadal beat Djokovic in the final last year, but Djokovic is 5-0 against the Spaniard this year. All the meetings have been in tournament finals, including Wimbledon. On Monday, Nadal must try to stop the losing streak against a player who will come into the final on the high of a win he called definitely the biggest of the year and "one of the biggest wins of the career under the circumstances." "He's obviously the favorite for the final, and I know I have to do something better than the other matches to try to change the situation," Nadal said. Djokovic spent much of the first two sets shaking his head, commiserating with the folks in his players box, even folding his hands in mock prayer. Then, he turned things around suddenly and unexpectedly. He got an early break in the third to capture the momentum, and as the match wore on, the prospect of Federer grabbing it back, let alone getting a match point, seemed bleak. In the fourth set, Djokovic placed 16 of 20 of his first serves in and tore off his first 15 service points to easily push the match to the distance. The fifth-set end-game started with Djokovic serving at 3-4 and stringing together an uncharacteristically bad game, getting broken at love on two mishit forehands, a framer of Federer's that set up a winner and a double fault on a second serve that missed the line by about a foot. After missing a backhand to open his service game at 53, Federer hit three straight serves Djokovic couldn't get back. That gave him two match points, same as he had last year against Djokovic in the semifinals, and the fans were squarely on his side, as he stood oh-so-close to making his 24th Grand Slam final and moving a win away from adding to his record 16 Grand Slam titles.
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Week 1 U.S. Open coverage AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Novak Djokovic reacts after beating Roger Federer in the semifinals at the U.S. Open. Djokovic rallied from two sets down to move within one win from his first title at Flushing Meadows.
But Djokovic isn't putting together one of the greatest seasons in tennis history for nothing. And Federer wasn't totally convinced the shot that turned the match was legit. He said the Djokovic winner reminded him of shots hit by players he played as a kid -who fall behind, then start taking huge chances when they feel they have nothing else to lose.
"I never played that way," Federer said. "I believe in the hard-work's-going-to-pay-off kind of thing, because early on, maybe I didn't always work at my hardest. So for me, this is very hard to understand how can you play a shot like that on match point. But, look, maybe he's been doing it for 20 years, so for him it was very normal. You've got to ask him." But Federer couldn't put it away on his second match point, either. There, his serve hit the back of the line and jammed Djokovic, but somehow Djokovic got it back. Federer cranked a forehand, but it ticked the net and ricocheted out. Federer sprayed a forehand wide at deuce and suddenly, a crowd gearing for a Federer win was shouting "Novak! No-vak! No-vak!" Djokovic said it was no insult that the fans had been behind Federer, who makes some kind of history seemingly every time he steps on a court. Still, the current world No. 1 wasn't giving up on capturing their hearts. Which was why he made a scene between the match points -- an awkward time for showmanship, though one Federer said he had no problem with. "At that stage, you're trying to get as much support as you can," Djokovic said. "You're trying to get energy." Stoked with that energy, Djokovic won the last four games and, counting the two match points he saved, he took 17 of the final 21 points. The match took 3 hours, 51 minutes, while Nadal's win was a 3 hour-24 minute affair. But thanks to the rain that scrubbed two days of play from this tournament and reshuffled the schedule, Djokovic and Nadal will get a day's rest between the semifinal and the Monday final. It's a break from the long U.S. Open tradition of closing things out on back-to-back days on the weekend. Murray and Nadal were each playing their third match in three days and the toll showed more on Murray, who had the tougher road.
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Two sets down, Novak Djokovic rallies to beat Roger Federer - ESPN
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"We knew it was going to be like that for quite a few days and just tried to get through it and deal with it the best way we could," Murray said. "But it was never going to be easy." Fittingly, given how things have gone lately, the start of the Federer-Djokovic semifinal was delayed for about an hour because showers began falling shortly before the players were supposed to walk on court, which had "9/11/01" painted in white to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. In the men's opener, Djokovic avenged one of his only two losses this season. He fell to Federer in the French Open to snap a string of 43 straight victories -- the third-longest win streak in the Open era. Federer, meanwhile, was trying to win at least one Grand Slam tournament for the ninth straight season and appeared more than ready to keep the quest alive. For two sets, at least. After that, Djokovic turned into a steamroller, leaving the unmistakable feeling that a shift of power was being completed -- from Federer, who won three Grand Slam tournaments each in 2004, 2006 and 2007, to Djokovic, who is trying to do it this year, along with Nadal, who is still very much in that mix. Nadal and Djokovic will meet for the third time over the last five Grand Slam finals. But even with the loss, Federer showed he's not done. To move within a point of the match after the way Djokovic played the third and fourth sets was a testament to what the 30-year-old still has left in the tank. "I did all the right things in so many tournaments," Federer said. "But like I said, sometimes in sports it just goes the other way. Maybe you've already won so much that it evens it out a bit sometimes. I don't know." Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
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shepseskaf
Its tough to say about someone who's won 16 grand slams, but Federer is mentally weak. Just like Mike Tyson, whenever he goes up against someone who doesn't cringe in fear at his presence, he ultimately folds. Nadal proved this over and over again.
20 fans like this. 2 Days Ago
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kdog040075
Fed won't win anymore grand slams, but he still will cause problems for the top players for years to come
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MzDolphin
Awesome match. Love how the Djoker took on the crowd.

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U.S. Open 2011: Novak Djokovic to face Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal to meet Andy Murray in semifinals - ESPN New York
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Updated: September 10, 2011, 10:54 AM ET
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U.S. Open
For Djokovic, it's mind over Federer

Top seed's mental toughness to be tested in semis against five-time U.S. Open champ
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NEW YORK -- Novak Djokovic likes to say that his tear to a 66-2 record and the No. 1 world ranking, which he locked down for the first time by winning Wimbledon, has more to do with his improved mental approach than any change in his strokes or strategy. Which should make his U.S. Open semifinal Saturday against third-ranked Roger Federer -the next-to-last man in the way of Djokovic's third 2011 Grand Slam title in four tries -- the most fascinating mind-game challenge Djokovic has faced this year. Federer is the only man to defeat Djokovic in a match this year that Djokovic played to completion. Three weeks ago, Djokovic was trailing Andy Murray 6-4, 3-0 in the final in Cincinnati when he retired with a shoulder injury that, he says, has not troubled him here. If not for his shoulder letting him down, the only thing standing between Djokovic and an unheard-of perfect record nine long months into this calendar year would be his four-set loss to Federer in the semifinals of the French Open. So as good as Saturday's other semifinal showdown between Great Britain's Murray and defending Open champion Rafael Nadal could turn out to be, it can't match Djokovic-Federer for prematch intrigue. "We have had particularly good matches here at the U.S. Open," Federer said Thursday, "and I have the feeling it's going to be something similar again." Djokovic brought a daunting 43-match winning streak into their French Open semi. He seemed to have Federer on the ropes after shrugging off how Federer won the first two sets, rallied to seize the third and then seemed to be on his way to forcing a winner-take-all fifth set when he broke Federer to take a 5-4 lead in the fourth. But Federer broke Djokovic back the very next game, then outdid Djokovic in the tiebreaker to grab the match as suddenly as it seemed to be slipping away.
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JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images Novak Djokovic fell to Roger Federer at the French Open in June. They meet Saturday in Flushing.
It was great, riveting, seesawing tennis. And to be honest, there was significant doubt right down to the last stroke about whether Federer could pull it off. By the end, with darkness falling over Roland Garros, the French crowd was loudly chanting Federer's first name. Nobody watching that day -- or here in New York now, for that matter -- is sure how many more of those throwback performances Federer has left in him at age 30. The last 30-something man to win a Slam was Andre Agassi at the 2003 Australian Open. Djokovic has nine titles this year; Federer has only one. Federer also is fighting to avoid finishing a calendar year without at least one Slam title for the first time since 2002. But if Djokovic is able to get past Federer and win it all, he'd become only the seventh man in history to win three majors in the same year, and he might have done it by beating two of the six other players who have pulled it off: Federer and Nadal. Djokovic is 3-1 overall against Federer this year and beat him in last year's U.S. Open semis. Djokovic says he knows what he has to do against Federer to avoid losing to him Saturday: "I think I need to step on the court in the next match and just be close to the [base]line, be more aggressive. I think the last two matches, I have been starting very slow." Federer agrees with Djokovic's contention that whoever is stronger mentally is more likely to win. Then, in so many words, he added: Bring Djokovic on. "He's been having an amazing season, so far," Federer said, "so it's a challenge right now in the men's game. That's what I like, and who I like to play against. "I've been very dominant. ... I'm looking forward to it." ANDY MURRAY'S KARMA GLITCH: Murray made people laugh the past few days by being brutally, comically honest about his fervent wish that more rain and marathon-length matches -- preferably both -- would bother the three other semifinalists before he had to play any of them. "Yeah, I hope it rains on him. ... I hope it rains," Murray deadpanned before Federer's straight-set quarterfinal win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Thursday night in, alas, just 1 hour, 53 minutes and before (heavy sigh) Nadal's straight-set bulldozing Friday of American Andy Roddick in an identical 1 hour, 53 minutes. Murray needed 3 hours, 24 minutes Friday to hold off John Isner. Murray's rationale was he'd welcome any help he could get to survive having to play three matches in three straight days just to get to the Open final.
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It's the same gauntlet Nadal is facing, because their side of the draw was rained out Tuesday and Wednesday. Although the USTA decided to give the men's finalists a day and move this year's men's final to Monday, Federer and Djokovic still got to enjoy an extra day off Friday while Murray and Nadal had to play. "It's clearly an advantage [for them]; anyone in sport will tell you that," Murray said, shrugging. "That's not fair, but that's what it is," Nadal agreed. Nadal, like Federer, is playing for a chunk of history here. If he defends his 2010 U.S. Open title, it would give him 11 Grand Slam singles championships overall, moving him into a tie with Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver for the fourth-highest total all time, trailing only Roy Emerson (12), Pete Sampras (14) and Federer (16). Nadal noted Murray did beat him here in 2008. But he likes how he's played better as the Open has gone on. "I have to play my best tennis, I have to play aggressive, otherwise I don't have a chance," Nadal said. "I'm very happy with my U.S. Open. I'm doing a lot of things better. ... And I have the feeling I can win -- probably even more important." Follow Johnette Howard on Twitter: @johnettehoward
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Dancing Kong
09/10/2011 - 8:52 PM
by Pete Bodo NEW YORKThe match-point serve whistled straight and true, burning air toward the forehand corner of Novak Djokovic's deuce court; in one of the odd contortions that have become so familiar to us, especially in this, the year of Novak, his body did different and seemingly contradictory things simultaneously, torso moving one way, right-arm another, legs splayed, all adding up to an improbable conclusionan astonishing, blazing forehand service-return winner that would keep the Serb alive for at least one more swing of the racket. As the ball caromed away and the umpire called out 40-30, the din poured into the bowl of the stadium. Djokovic looked up at the 20,000-plus spectators and flung his arms in the air and pumped them, demanding his due. His face was frozen in an edgy grin, confirming that he was chiding the crowd for having been so volubly pro-Federer for most of the match as well as soliciting its support. The crowd did what a self-enamored crowd usually does when it's acknowledged: the spectators responded with an avalanche of noise, as if they finally noticed Djokovic now that the match was three hours and 36 minutes old. And they provided Djokovic with the energy he sought. It was at that moment that the plot veered yet again, that Djokovic turned the match in his favor one last time. He needed the twist, too; he had just handed Federer the break (at love, no less) that put the five-time U.S. Open champ in a position to serve it out at 5-3 in the fifth set. And Djokovic himself was well aware that he had previously recovered from a two-sets-to-none deficit just once in his career (at Wimbledon in 2005, vs. Guillermo Garcia Lopez, a player who's never been mistaken for Roger Federer). Federer still had another match point, but the atmospherics suddenly were different. He handcuffed Djokovic with a serve and elicited a poor return, but Federer then botched an inside-out forehand that skipped off the let cord and fell out. Musing over that wicked forehand winner that launched the dramatic turnaround after Djokovic booked his place in Monday's final with a 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 win, a bitterly disappointed Federer would repeat the precise word his interlocutor used: "Confidence? Are you kidding me? I mean, please. Look, some players grow up and play like that. I remember losing junior matches. Just being down 5 - 2 in the third, and they all just start slapping shots. It all goes in for some reason, because that's the kind of way they grew up playing when they were down. "I never played that way. I believe in hard work's gonna pay off kinda thing, because early on maybe I didn't always work at my hardest. So for me, this is very hard to understand how can you play a shot like that on match point. . . maybe he's been doing it for 20 years so for him it was normal. You've got to ask him." Understandably, Djokovic's explanation was quite different. On-court in his post-match interview he had described the forehand winner as "lucky." Later, he elaborated: "That forehand return I cannot explain to you because I don't know how it happened. You know, yeah, I read his serve and I was on the ball and I had to hit it hard and it got inluckily for me. . . Maybe it was lucky because it was in the right moment, but I took my chances. I took my chances, and I hit it very clean." *** In much the same way that luck usually favors the better athletes, history has a way of handing gifts to its chosen favorites. It offered a significant prize to Federer at this U.S.Openan opportunity to turn around an entire season by playing one great match. Think about it. Were Federer to win today, it would have ruined Djokovic's nearly perfect season, holding the No. 1 from Serbia to two Grand Slam titles and an 0-2 record against Federer at majors. Granted, that wouldn't have been as gratifying for Federer as winning a Slam or two of his own, or moving up from No. 3 in the rankings. But it suddenly and dramatically would have put him on more equal terms with his two main rivals. The nagging feeling I had about midway through the third set of the match was that history had offered up its gift, and at the very last moment Federer turned his back on it and walked away. I have a better idea of the how in that process than the why , about which I can only speculate that after seizing so many opportunities and chances, an aging champion eventually just plain loses interest. It's probably a subconscious thing. As for the how, it was all about the second game of the third set. Up to that point, Federer had his foot planted firmly on Djokovic's throat. It took all Djokovic could do to hold the first game of the third set, stabbing looks at the crew in his guest box and berating himself freely and often. But Federer immediately took his foot off the gas and played a truly awful, 16-point game to be broken for the first time in the match. The game all began with a sloppy let-cord error that allowed Djokovic to get to 30-all. Federer won the next point, but then shanked a backhand. He would hold two more ad-points, but fail to convert either. Over time, he must have drilled five or six groundstrokes into the center of the net in that game, and when he was finally brokenafter another feeble backhand failed to clear the neteverything quickly changed. Djokovic lost just four points on his serve the rest of the third set, and roared out of the gate in the fourth with four straight love games. There would be more critical junctures to come in this three-hour and 51-minute epic, but had Federer held to start he end of the third, he might have won in straights. But Federer didn't exactly see it that way: "You have to figure Novak was gonna get his teeth into the match at one stage, right? It's a pity that it happened then, because I think I had a couple of game points, too. So it hurts getting broken that way." Novak's take was different yet, and closer to mine: "I think when I made the break early in the third set I relaxed a little bit. I started hitting the shots that I maybe didn't hit in the opening two sets, and he started making more mistakes. But that's a switch of momentum. That's what happens." Hmmm. . . I'm not sure it was fated to happen, or that Djokovic was destined to sink those teeth into the match. I mean, plenty of guys have gone down in three listless sets and spent an hour explaining how there's just so much you can do when an opponent plays the match of a lifetime. To me, a remark Federer made almost off-handedly halfway through his presser was more germane if more difficult to quantify. Turning reflective, he muttered: "I did all the right things in so many tournaments. But sometimes in sports it just goes the other way, you know. Maybe you've already won so much that it evens it out a bit sometimes. . . I don't know." *** On the tactical and strategic fronts, the match offered numerous tantalizing questions and issues. One of the most striking for me was a factor that became increasingly significant as the match went on, and that was the advantage Djokovic had in the backhand department. Federer hit some beautiful, topspin, down-the-line backhands to keep himself in rallies, but he often resorted to the slice. And the longer the match went on, the more he relied on it. Djokovic is too good at this point to make many errors when he's presented with a change of pace. Today, too many of those sliced backhands seemed to have little purpose other than to mark time, and they often gave Djokovic an opportunity to hit the reset button in a rally, or to maneuver himself into an advantageous position. A number of times in the match, the two men engaged in a "quien es mas macho?" exercise with either forehand or backhand, furiously pounding cross-court blasts at each other. Federer often got the better of those rallies with the forehand, but he couldn't match the weight or speed of shot Djokovic produced with his two-handed backhand. So, while Federer didn't lose the match because his backhand let him down, that shot was the least authoritative stroke on display from either player today. Given how well Federer hit his
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http://blogs.tennis.com/tennisworld/2011/09/dancing-kong.html[13.9.2011 2:58:43]
TENNIS.com - Blogs - Peter Bodo's TennisWorld - Dancing Kong
forehand today (25 outright winners, six more than Djokovic tallied), the backhand looked even less dangerous. The most vivid example occurred in the penultimate game of the fifth set, with Federer serving at 5-5. He fell behind 0-40presenting Djokovic with his most critical break point of the night. The men get into an intense backhand rally in which Federer cautiously reverted to the slice. Picking his moment, Djokovic jumped on yet another Federer slice and stepped around it to belt an inside-out forehand winner that produced the final break of the match. Just five points later, Djokovic closed it out and whirled to face his box, striking a few body-builder poses. He proceeded to bellow and hammer his chest with his fists like King Kong. It was fierce, but Djokovic soon atoned for the outbreak of aggression when, after the on-court interview, he responded to Mary Jo Fernandez's request that he dance for the crowd. Djokovic agreed to do only if the crowd danced along with him. Many did; it was a sweet moment. Funny, what one atomic forehand can do for you.
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Posted by ixvnyc
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09/10/2011 at 08:55 PM
Thanks, Bodo, for writing up this one so fast.
Posted by ixvnyc
09/10/2011 at 09:00 PM
One correction Pete: Djokovic is 2:1 this year at the majors against Fed, not 1:1 (as this sentence implies:" it would have ruined Djokovic's nearly perfect season, holding the No. 1 from Serbia to two Grand Slam titles and an 0-2 record against Federer at majors.")
Posted by thebigapple
09/10/2011 at 09:08 PM
Quick one, Pete. Fed has given so much. Thanks Fed, so much already. This one slipped away. Hard when you know can see the fading of the light.
Posted by ixvnyc
09/10/2011 at 09:12 PM
Excellent, Pete. You pointed out less obvious turning points, and the reasons behind them. That's what's expected from an expert.
Posted by George I
09/10/2011 at 09:19 PM
"Were Federer to win today, it would have ruined Djokovic's nearly perfect season, holding the No. 1 from Serbia to two Grand Slam titles and an 0-2 record against Federer at majors. " As usual Bodo never check his facts...Novak beat Federer this year in Australia..
Posted by Byzantion Serb
09/10/2011 at 09:19 PM
Inat(ee'nat) roughly translated as spite refers to the aspect of Serbian character to act contrary to the expected behavior, regardless of consequences. If a Serb perceives something as imposed and against his will, he will willfully act to undermine it (even if it might be not beneficial), often to his own demise. While such behavior is more often than not counterproductive, Serbs attribute their successes in sport and warfare to such refusal to surrender even when all the odds are against them.
Posted by rafanatic
09/10/2011 at 09:21 PM
RAFA in four made my day so on to Nole I wish my guy the best but it will be a hard fight but he can do it VAMOS RAFA . Now I predict QUEEN SERENA IN 2 COME ON SERENA make me proud twice tonight.
Posted by DjokovicRules
09/10/2011 at 09:24 PM
Glad Bodo was forced to write this, I'm sure he very bitterly (as his man Federer was post-match, what a cocky interview) wrote these words. And of course he conviently forgets that Nole smashed Federer at the Australian Open this year. He has a hard time accepting, acknowledging, gee embracing, Nole's success. Wonderful match Nole, can't wait til see you on Monday:)
Posted by Matt - Allez, Roger! Come on, Serena!
09/10/2011 at 09:25 PM
It's such a shame to see so many hateful Djokovic fans bashing Fed when in reality, Novak was on his way out of the tournament. Before you twist my words, I'm not at ALL saying Novak didn't deserve the win. He had an incredible comeback, not only from 2 sets down but from 2 match points down. Novak fans probably don't understand how we feel right now. Novak has only recently maximized his potential. He's consistently winning the big matches and is a huge threat in the slams now. Fed is past his dominance, and anyone who is willing to dispute that is in denial. However, to see Roger, who has been incredibly underestimated in this tournament be one f***ing point away from the final where he had a great shot at lifting the trophy is literally heart breaking. To see such a respectful, fair and downright kind man have to endure the pain of being so close is unbearable. Of course Roger's going to be annoyed in the press conference. He said things in the heat of the moment that I'm sure, when he retires, he'll admit to being wrong about. Remember, it's easy to be classy when you win. I'm not saying Novak would've been tearing Federer apart in his press conference, but I'm sure he'd have said some controversial things as well. Give Rog the benefit of the doubt.
Posted by Jane
09/10/2011 at 09:26 PM
Federer's so bitter that he has to compare novak to the juniors now? Classy...
Posted by Micky
09/10/2011 at 09:28 PM
Bodo, you are trying to be non-biased but word Kong revealed your real personality. You are sad, old hater. Besides, you are a bad forecaster: Roger in three. Funny. I like your sorrow and rage. I wish you a good night.
Posted by Andrew
09/10/2011 at 09:31 PM
Um, we must have read different post match press conferences. If you thought that was a cocky interview, you might find that the word doesn't mean what you think. Pity about the result, but well played Djokovic. Federer had chances - gee, ya think? - but if you don't take any match points, GS SF or club 3.0, you don't win the match.
Posted by btforres
09/10/2011 at 09:32 PM
Nole left his mark again ... poor sportsmanship. That said, Roger needs to find a way to have fun playing tennis --- and that may mean not playing professionally. Roger has been an inspiration and changed the sport forever. What a pity it will be when there is a significant F score representing the amount of people watching tennis 5 years ago compared to 5 years from now.
http://blogs.tennis.com/tennisworld/2011/09/dancing-kong.html[13.9.2011 2:58:43]
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U.S. Open: Djokovic d. Federer

NEW YORKBy the time Novak Djokovic stood, a little unsteadily, to serve for the match today at 6-5 in the fifth set, it felt like the final chapter in a trilogy. In one sense, this see-saw five-setter had been a mirror image of last years semifinal here. On that day, Djokovic had taken big cuts when he was down match points and twice found the corners, and he'd done the same today, with a preposterously blistering return of serve when he was facing double match point at 3-5 in the fifth. But all along this afternoon, there had also been echoes of their last Grand Slam semifinal, in Paris. Federer was loose, as he had been at Roland Garros, he was in control for two sets, he was defying age and flying along the baseline, pushed by a vociferously supportive crowd, and he had eked out a crucial first-set tiebreaker. In Paris, Djokovic had served for the fourth set only to be broken and lose the match a few minutes later. This time Djokovic held his nerve, and his serve.
09/10/2011 - 6:37 PM
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Open: Stosur d. Williams Open: S. Williams d. Wozniacki Open: Nadal d. Murray Open: Djokovic d. Federer Open: Nadal d. Roddick Open: Murray d. Isner Open: Djokovic d. Tipsarevic
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So the last chapter ended like the first, with everyone in the stadium, including Federer, shaking their heads at Djokovic's soon-to-belegendary forehand return. With the match seemingly in hand, Federer had hit a safe but solid swinging serve wide into the deuce court, only to see Djokovic haul off. I dont understand going for a shot like that on match point, Federer said afterward, and even Djokovic admitted that he had gotten lucky today. He was right, but he was also being modest: When youre 63-2 for a season, you're entitled to say you've made your own luck. The first four sets had been mirror images of each other. For two of them, Federer dictated the action. He used his forehand to move Djokovic around, while the Serb, as he had in Paris, came out tight. It all spun 180 degrees in the second game of the third set. Djokovics nerves had given way to an edgy aggression by that pointhe had nothing to lose. His shots began to penetrate more while Federers found the net. By the middle of the fourth set, even Federers footwork had begun to betray him. He was a step slow getting into position for routine ground strokes. I was prepared, when Federer went up in the fifth, to say that the key moment had come when Djokovic squandered a set point when he was up 5-1 in the fourth, on Federers serve. He played that game casually and Federer eventually held, which meant he was able to start the fifth set serving. His confidence quickly returned. But that potential turning point is now forgotten in the wake of what happened at 5-3. Yes, Djokovic gambled, as he said, with the forehand at 15-40, but he went on to fight off a tough body serve at 30-40, before Federer put a mid-court ball into the tape. In that point, you had the match, and this season, in a microcosm. Djokovics best shot came through for him when he needed it, while Federer couldnt find the court when it counted most. Until the very end, neither player was at their best at the same time. But this was a classic for its drama. There was a nerve-wracking, both-guys-leaning-over-the-precipice-at-the-same-time feel in the arena once it got to 5-5. The crowd was for Federer, but there was a strong Nole contingent in the upper deck. A signature gesture from each player stands out: Federer walked out having squandered match points for the second straight year here to Djokovic; having lost his second straight Grand Slam match after being up two sets; and having fnished his first season with no major titles since 2002. But he still managed to turn for the crowd and give us a gutted thumbs-up: That had to be tough. Djokovic, down two sets and looking for any ray of hope, discovered two supporters in the second row; they were standing and cheering every point he won. He didn't appear to know them, but he began to look to them as he mounted his comeback. After he hammered that forehand return at 3-5, he saw them get up again, but nobody else in the stadium joined them. So Djokovic, despite still being down match point, lifted his arms and brought the noise in the house to deafening levels. He was hanging over the precipice, but he was smiling. Federer said afterward that he couldnt fathom his opponent's mentality at that moment. Who could? Who can explain 63-2? But there you have him, the 2011 Novak Djokovic: He'd played the percentages all year and won; this time he rolled the dice. He won again. Steve Tignor
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NOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
Posted by D
09/10/2011 at 06:43 PM
Where is you ''finger'' now? Hahahaha fools!
Posted by RogueMom490
09/10/2011 at 06:44 PM
And that sound you heard when Federer's last ball skidded out....Rafa slithering slowly from his chair to the floor, hitting the ground with a loud definitive bump! NOLE!!!! NOLE!!! NOLE!!!! NOLE!!!! Great match!!
Posted by Charlie
09/10/2011 at 06:47 PM
I'm Djokastated right now.
Posted by Nole's Revenge
09/10/2011 at 06:51 PM
This was absolutely SICK tennis...
Posted by JOJO
09/10/2011 at 06:53 PM
If Federer made the same FH return - you'd be glorifying him but when Djokovic does it - it is gambling. Seriously! So glad that all you Nole haters, including you Steve, can pound sand now!
Posted by D
09/10/2011 at 06:56 PM
Grandpa Roger alias the finger dumped out:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Posted by ten79
09/10/2011 at 06:59 PM
I don't understand your reactions guys be reasonabele. Yes Djokovic deserved it and he was phenomenal but Fed was 2 sets up and had 2 matchpoints. So Bodo's prediction wasn't that preposterous, Fed wasn't exactly run down.
http://blogs.tennis.com/racquet_reaction/2011/09/us-open-djokovic-d-federer.html[13.9.2011 3:00:01]
U.S. Open - Novak Djokovic backs up No. 1 ranking with authority - ESPN
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US Open 2011
Updated: September 12, 2011, 10:19 PM ET
U.S. Open
Recommend 33 retweet 2 2010 champions Women's singles: Kim Clijsters Men's singles: Rafael Nadal Women's doubles: Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova Men's doubles: Bob and Mike Bryan Mixed doubles: Bob Bryan and Lizel Huber Courtcast: Scores & chat Slam Central Follow us on Twitter Watch: ESPN3.com Day 15
Djokovic beats Nadal to win U.S. Open Howard: Rafa good, Djoker better Garber: Djoker backs up No. 1 ranking Garber: The game that crushed Nadal Bodo: Djokovic, Stosur did it their way Serena Williams fined $2,000 for outburst Howard: Right call on Serena's fine SportsNation: Fine fit the crime? Grantland: Phillips on Federer-Djokovic Grantland: Baker on U.S. Open Chris Evert on Serena Williams' fine Highlight: Djokovic wins U.S. Open Analysis: Dominant Novak Djokovic Winners and losers from U.S. Open
Djoker backs up ranking with authority

By Greg Garber ESPN.com Archive
80
Day 14
Djokovic Wins 3rd Slam Of 2011

Novak Djokovic defeats Rafael Nadal in four sets to win the U.S. Open Tags: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, U.S. Open
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NEW YORK -- Rafael Nadal won the first two games of the U.S. Open final against Novak Djokovic, but, in a swift reversal of fortune Monday that was a microcosm of their head-tohead history, Djokovic won the next six games. In the fifth of those games, something in the usually relentless Spaniard seemed to crack. Twice, Djokovic flashed a cheeky drop shot, and twice, Nadal stopped, frozen, and declined to give chase. When Nadal's weary-looking backhand found the net, Djokovic had broken his serve for the third time -- in the set. A similarly debilitating (yet thrilling) game, the third of the second set, required 22 points and more than 17 minutes. When Djokovic won that one -- following a blown overhead by Nadal -- the winded 24-year-old Serbian shrugged and raised his right index finger aloft. That was just about right. Yes, in his first major as the world's top-ranked player, Djokovic emphatically backed it up. He dismissed the defending champion 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 in a match that ran 4 hours, 10 minutes. "The results that I had this year are amazing and definitely that I haven't expected," Djokovic said. "It keeps coming. In the end, the bottom line, the whole point is to win the Grand Slams. These are the most important and valuable tournaments in our sport." The funny thing? Nadal played some superb tennis; there were a handful of exquisite points worthy of a frame. In a brutally physical battle, Djokovic was simply better. He broke Nadal an amazing 11 times.
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Stan Honda/Getty Images Novak Djokovic is the sixth man in the Open era to win three Grand Slams in one season.
After the final forehand winner dove into the court, Djokovic lay on his back behind the baseline, spread-eagled, overcome. Later, he fell to his knees and kissed the blue court. His two-week haul: a first U.S. Open title, a check for $2.3 million and a sweet silver trophy. "Six straight losses, for sure, that is painful," Nadal said. "I have a goal, easy goal. Going to be a tough situation. Goal is easy to see. "When one very good player stays with that confidence and [is] winning so many matches, the season is probably impossible to repeat. Accept that, accept the challenge. And work." In his on-court interview, Nadal addressed his opponent: "What you did this year," he told Djokovic, "is probably impossible to repeat."
Best win-loss percentage Open era
2011 Novak Djokovic 64-2 (.970)
Day 10
Indeed, Djokovic finds himself bearing down on 1984 John McEnroe 82-3 (.965) one of the finest seasons in tennis history. He is 1974Jimmy Connors 93-4 (.959) only the sixth man in the 43 years of the Open era 2005 Roger Federer 81-4 (.953) to win three Grand Slam singles titles in the same 2006 Roger Federer 92-5 (.948) year, and he already has won a record five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events. His record -- a scalding 64-2 -- already ranks with the best seasons of Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors, and seems to be within reach of John McEnroe's 82-3 mark in 1984. In the CBS broadcast booth, McEnroe, who would seem to be an authority, went so far as to call it "the greatest ever." After he finished as runner-up here twice, in 2007 and 2010, the third time was charming karma for Djokovic. The two visits from the ATP trainer in the fourth set for what was described as a strained back were, apparently, much ado about nothing. Nadal made a terrific run in the third set, but he was spent in the fourth. Watching Rafa miss shots he usually makes, talk to his box in uncharacteristic staccato Spanish bursts and mix it up with the chair umpire was unsettling, to say the least. Their head-to-head matchup in tennis is an organic, volatile, always-evolving dynamic. For five years, Nadal had an overwhelming edge over Djokovic, Nick Laham/Getty Images winning 16 of their 23 meetings, Rafael Nadal fell to 0-6 versus Novak Djokovic this including all five finals. The last victory season -- all in finals. in that run was the 2010 U.S. Open, which Rafa won in four sets. The edge in sets: Rafa won 36 of 56. The physicality of his game was daunting enough for Djokovic, but what made Nadal so overwhelmingly superior was his mental command. He believed he was going to win, and so he did. And then, it turned on a dime. In 2011, Djokovic now has beaten Nadal all six times they've played, taking an extraordinary 14 of 17 sets -- each victory coming in a final. Certainly, he's pumped up his fitness, better protected his serve and sharpened his already lethal service return, but the greatest area of improvement has been between the ears. "I guess it just clicked in my head," Djokovic said. "I didn't change my game in any major way. [It's] just that I'm hitting the shots that maybe I didn't hit in the last three years. I'm going for it; I'm more aggressive." Djokovic's confidence is currently the game's greatest weapon. To put it in context: Djokovic is utterly dominating the No. 2-ranked player, who dominates the player (Federer) who is considered by many to be the best player in history.
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"Roger was having years when he was winning three majors," Djokovic said. "Rafa did as well. You can say this is my year. Where I perform my best tennis. It's going to take quite an effort to repeat half of what I've done." After the previous loss, at Wimbledon, Nadal seemed genuinely perplexed at the recent turn of events. After defeating Andy Murray here in the semifinals, Nadal acknowledged that the dynamic had shifted. "I beat him in the past playing my game," he said. "The thing is [I] play my game very well and be strong enough mentally all the time, fight every ball, believe in the victory every moment. That's something that for moments this year I didn't." Against Djokovic, his resolve was tested again. The first four times he broke Djokovic's serve, the Serb immediately broke back. In a match that close, in which he was extremely fatigued,

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U.S. Open - Novak Djokovic backs up No. 1 ranking with authority - ESPN Rafa said, he needed more free points from his serve. It was Nadal whose complaints about the schedule ultimately forced the USTA to move the men's final to Monday. In retrospect, it's possible that shift was an advantage for Djokovic, who had played an emotional five-set match with Federer in the semifinals. After looking sluggish in the first few games, Djokovic snapped into the sublime form that has been virtually unbeatable. Nadal, early on, was tentative, unwilling to pull the trigger and flatten out his forehand into the open court when the opportunity presented itself. The rest of the way, when he had no choice, the ball sometimes flew off his racket. This was the 29th meeting between these two relatively young champions, and it certainly won't be the last.
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"I wish that we have many more tough matches in the upcoming years," Djokovic said. Of course he did. They could clash again in the BNP Paribas Masters, the year-end event in London, and, a week later, in the Davis Cup final -- if Serbia and Spain win their semifinal matches next week. Based on this definitive result, based on the disarming bouts of frustration that leaked out of Nadal as the match progressed, those matches can go only one way. Djokovic can't wait. Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
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TyRuski
Huge Rafa fan, but I just love watching Djoker play. He has the spirit, enthusiasm, and attitude that I love in athletes. He is out there having a good time, having fun with the audience. And, I was glad to see Rafa remain classy after defeat, and give them man his due. He was a monster this year and will be a force to be reckon with in years to come.
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SteelerinTitantown
Hope to see these two, Nadal and Djokovic again in many more slam finals. This could be today's Borg vs McEnroe!!! What a hard hitting final they put on tonight. Great show by both. By the way, Nadal playing the way he played tonight could beat anyone else in the world, including Federer again. Novak was just too powerful and wore him down, even with a bad back. WOW!
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http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen11/story/_/id/6962935/us-open-novak-djokovic-backs-no-1-ranking-authority[13.9.2011 17:57:58]
Tennis - Novak Djokovic, Samantha Stosur did it their way - ESPN

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Peter Bodo Blog

SEP 12
11:36
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Djokovic, Stosur did it their way

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Peter Bodo 6 Peter Bodo has been covering tennis for more than 30 years, most of them with TENNIS.com and TENNIS Magazine, where he is a senior editor and author of the popular blog, Peter Bodo's TennisWorld. A two-time WTA writer of the year, Bodo has also written numerous books, including "Tennis For Dummies" with U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe.
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Novak Djokovic defeats Rafael Nadal in four sets to win the U.S. Open Tags: Learn More Report a bug Feedback
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Djokovic Wins 3rd Slam Of 2011 Breaking Down Djokovic's Win U.S. Open Recap
NEW YORK -- It's official now: Tennis has experienced another revolution with No. 1 Novak Djokovic's mastery of No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the U.S. Open final -- in one of the great matches ever played. It closed a chapter that will be dedicated with great fanfare and affection to Nadal and Roger Federer. The big takeaway is that Djokovic, not Federer, may be Nadal's great career rival. Although judging from their 2011 meetings, "nemesis" may seem the better word. Djokovic has battered Nadal six straight times, twice in Grand Slam finals. Where, you may wonder, has this guy with the five-o'clock shadow and high-noon penchant for shootouts been all this time? He's here, he's now, and he's not likely to go away. Federer, we should note, is five years older than Nadal -- a huge difference in tennis terms. Nadal's head-to-head over the 16-time Grand Slam champ is impressive (17-8), but it unduly punishes Federer for getting to clay-court finals, while Nadal often failed to make it deep enough to have to play Federer on faster surfaces. In many ways, we have a more legitimate rivalry on our hands when it comes to Nadal and Djokovic. Nadal is less than a year older than Djokovic, and the two already have clashed more often than have Federer and Nadal (29 times versus 25). The situation may presently look grim for Nadal, but it once looked bleak for Djokovic -- starting at the Beijing Olympic Games in the summer of 2008 when Nadal beat him five times running. Thus, it's doubly encouraging that after losing to Djokovic this last time, Nadal said he was going home to Spain feeling much better about his prospects than when he left Wimbledon. He believes he knows what he must do to get back on top of Djokovic (the short version: Find that serve that won Nadal the 2010 Open, stay closer to the baseline during rallies). If you saw the way Nadal played -- and retained his determination -- in the fourth set in the Open final, you'll have no trouble believing that the story of this rivalry is far from finished. On the women's side, the looming question is: Just how much does Serena Williams have left in the emotional tank? Like it or not, she's by far the most successful and worthy champion in the WTA. Nobody comes close to matching her record, but the way she lost to Samantha Stosur in the women's final was ominous. She looked sluggish, out of sync and a mite slow. When was the last time Williams looked like that in a major final? Good luck finding an answer. You can't really blame this loss on the time Serena has been away from the game this year. Both Williams and Kim Clijsters have proved that top players don't need to be "tournament tough" to succeed these days in the WTA. Remember, Stosur was such a head case early in her career that she became a de facto doubles specialist. Her performance mainly underscored how competitive the WTA has become in the absence of two or three dominant champions. Li Na (French Open), Francesca Schiavone (who won in Paris in 2009) and Stosur have one thing in common: They're all veterans. Lacking competition from eager, hardworking, reliable and young players (it's too early to tell yet when it comes to Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova), experienced players are cleaning up. But there are reasons why the suddenly successful WTA veterans took so long to become Grand Slam champions, and their vulnerabilities will ensure that the WTA will keep producing surprises.
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Djokovic, Stosur did it their way
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This year, just as in 2008 (and just eight other times in 40-plus years of Open tennis), the Grand Slams coughed up four different female champions. It was fitting, and it validates a very welcome, if not necessarily permanent, condition. Match by match, round by round, the WTA is producing more competitive matchups, exciting matches and surprise champions than ever before. Just imagine what the ATP record book for 2011 would look like if Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were out of the picture. Unlike the ATP, the WTA lacks the dominant players and intense rivalries that have energized the ATP. The silver lining is that the deficit has helped the typical WTA players get better, tougher and bolder. This year's U.S. Open vividly illustrated the difference in the two tours, to the benefit of both.
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Bashir the Pioneer
Okay Mr. Bodo - Serena looked this bad in 2004 at Wimbledon...She was off for about a year and then got her butt served in the Finals by Sharapova "The Tennis Worlds proclaimed Queen of Tennis..lmao!!!!" The same applies here. You win some and you lose some...She did look passive and scared but she put too much pressure on herself trying to represent America on 9/11. That's not who she is. She has 5 Aussie Opens and 3 US Opens...She rarely wins the Open because her body never lasts the entire year..So I'll call it a good determined win for Stosur but that's all...If Serena continues her new training regiment she'll win 3-5 more slams before she retires...Stosur can beat her in Slams...but not at Wimbledon and Stosur will choke like Hewitt did Down Under..She'll feel more pressure from her homeland
http://espn.go.com/sports/tennis/blog/_/name/bodo_peter/id/6963853/djokovic-stosur-did-their-way[13.9.2011 18:03:27]
U.S. Open - The game that crushed Rafael Nadal - ESPN

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US Open 2011
U.S. Open
The game that crushed Rafael Nadal

By Greg Garber ESPN.com Archive
41
Day 14

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Djokovic Wins 3rd Slam Of 2011 SportsCenter Right Now U.S. Open Recap Serena Fine A Slap On The Wrist
NEW YORK -- There were 38 games in Monday's U.S. Open final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. But only one of them -- the third game of the second set -- defined the ongoing battle between the world's No. 1 and No. 2 players. For the second straight set, Nadal ran off to a 2-0 lead. He had subsequently lost the remaining six games of the first set, but he could not afford to be broken here. Nadal trailed love-30 and 30-40, but forced two Djokovic forehand errors and brought it to deuce -- for the first of eight times, as it turned out. It was an extremely high level of tennis, featuring some furious rallies that used all of the court, one of them requiring 27 strokes. Toward the end, both players looked exhausted.
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On the 21st point, Nadal -- sweat steadily dripping off his nose -- went for a little too much on a second serve and double-faulted. He challenged the call, perhaps to catch his breath. Replays showed it was long by a few millimeters.
Nadal is one of the game's great gentlemen, but for the second time he exchanged heated words in Spanish with chair umpire Carlos Ramos. Finally, on the sixth break opportunity for Djokovic, Rafa was looking at a very makeable overhead to conclude another fantastic overand-back, up-and-down point. Somehow, Nadal blew the smash. A weary Djokovic did not exult; he spread out his arms and -- true feelings seemingly revealed at this emotional moment -- raised the index finger of his right hand. After the 17-minute session, the Serb went on to win four straight games and, eventually, the second set. Djokovic went on to win the epic match, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 and take his first U.S. Open title. Even in the heat of that third-set moment, it seemed clear: That game crushed Nadal's soul. Afterward, Nadal was recounting his numerous chances in the final -- the 2-0 start he enjoyed in the first and second sets, the momentum he carried from the third into the fourth -- when he stopped and grimaced.
Day 11
"That very, very long game," he said. "I had a mistake with the smash. That's tennis." Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
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zeph42
What a great match! Another instance where the score doesn't do it justice. Both players were exhausted and physically spent by the end. Very tough for Rafa, now he knows what he was doing to Fed. As for the Djoker, wow! In the era of Roger & Rafa, Nole was actually able to raise the bar yet again. Biggest winners, us tennis fans!
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Djokovic downs Nadal to win first U.S. Open title Serena fined $2,000 for outburst at Open final Federer due Wed. in Australia for Davis Cup tie Raymond-Huber capture U.S. Open doubles title Oudin-Sock team wins Open mixed doubles final

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2011 U.S. Open -- Novak Djokovic downs Rafael Nadal to win U.S. Open - ESPN
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US Open 2011
U.S. Open
Novak Djokovic claims U.S. Open crown

Associated Press
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VIDEO PLAYLIST
Djokovic Wins 3rd Slam Of 2011 Breaking Down Djokovic's Win U.S. Open Recap Serena Fine A Slap On The Wrist
Day 14
NEW YORK -- Bothered by pain in his back, ribs and cramping legs, Novak Djokovic was facedown beside the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium, getting massaged by a trainer. Having dropped a set against defending champion Rafael Nadal, Djokovic's grip on the U.S. Open final appeared to be starting to slip away and, worse, his body was breaking down. His confidence? That, more than any particular stroke, is what Djokovic credits with transforming him from a top player to a great one -- and it never wavered one bit Monday night. Producing a nearly perfect performance to match his nearly perfect season, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic returned brilliantly, whipped winners from all angles and beat No. 2 Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 in a match chock-full of lengthy, mesmerizing points to earn the first U.S. Open championship of his career and third Grand Slam trophy of 2011. "In big matches, the winner is decided by small margins, a couple points. I guess the winner is the one who believes in victory more," said Djokovic, who is 64-2 with 10 tournament titles.
Garber: No Doubt About It, Djokovic Is No. 1 Not a shabby two-week stretch for Novak Djokovic, who emphatically proved why he's the game's top dog, writes ESPN's Greg Garber. Story Garber: The game that broke Nadal Slam Central | Tennis on Twitter
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"I guess it just clicked in my head. Through the last couple of years, I didn't change my game in any major way. ... But I'm hitting shots that maybe I wasn't hitting," he explained. "I'm going for it. I'm more aggressive." It's sure working, particularly against the man he replaced atop the rankings, Nadal. A year ago, it was Nadal who won three major titles, including a win over Djokovic in the final at Flushing Meadows. That defeat helped Djokovic realize he was being too passive at key moments on his sport's most important stages and set him on a path that's led to one of the greatest seasons in the history of men's tennis -- or any sport, for that matter. "I've had an amazing year," Djokovic said, "and it keeps going." Nadal led their head-to-head series 16-7 at the end of 2010. And since? Djokovic is 6-0 against Nadal this year, all in tournament finals -- three on hard courts, including Monday; two on clay; and one on grass at Wimbledon. Djokovic also won the Australian Open in January, and is only the sixth man in the 40-plus years of the Open era to win three major titles in a single season. "Obviously I'm disappointed," Nadal said, "but you know what this guy is doing is unbelievable." With a couple of months left, Djokovic can set his sights on the best win-loss record in the modern era: John McEnroe went 82-3 in 1984, although that only included two Grand Slam titles, because he lost in the French Open final and didn't enter the Australian Open. Roger Federer was 81-4 in 2005 with two majors, exiting twice in the semifinals. Rod Laver (1962, 1969) and Don Budge (1938) are the only men to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in a year. The biggest change Nadal has noticed in Djokovic? "He's confident enough in every moment to keep believing in one more ball, one more ball," Nadal said. "His forehand is not more painful than before. His backhand is not more painful than before. Serve's the same." Of all of Djokovic's skills, the one that separated him the most Monday was his return. He repeatedly sent serves back at Nadal's feet, forcing errors or giving Djokovic control of the point. That helped Djokovic accumulate an astounding 26 break points and convert 11.
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Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Novak Djokovic celebrates after capturing his first U.S. Open title Monday, repelling Rafael Nadal in four dramatic sets.
Consider this: When Nadal completed his career Grand Slam by winning last year's U.S. Open, he was broken a total of five times in seven matches. Another telling statistic: Four times Monday, Nadal broke Djokovic -- only to have Djokovic break right back in the next game. That's exactly what happened in the third game of the second set, which lasted 17 minutes and featured a bit of everything: 22 points; eight deuces; six break points; a time violation warning against Nadal (Djokovic was admonished later in the set); complaints by both men that the glare from the stadium lights was bothersome; seven exchanges that lasted at least 10 strokes.
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After a 28-shot point, Djokovic leaned over and put his hands on his knees, his chest heaving. Nadal was the one who faltered, though. He double-faulted to set up break point No. 6, then - on a great defensive lob by Djokovic -- put an overhead into the net. More remarkable than all those breaks of serve was the way Djokovic seemed to break the will of the reliably relentless and indefatigable Nadal. At the end of the first set, when Djokovic reeled off six games in a row, and at the end of the match, Nadal wasn't even chasing Djokovic's shots. "It was a tough match," said Nadal, who owns 10 major titles. "Physical, mental, everything." Yes, and Djokovic turned this U.S. Open final rematch into something of a mismatch. He entered this year with one Grand Slam title, at the 2008 Australian Open. Djokovic attributes his surge to a variety of factors, including a vastly improved serve, better fitness -- owing, at least in part, to a gluten-free diet he doesn't like to discuss in any detail -- and, mostly, a seemingly endless reservoir of self-belief dating to December, when he led Serbia to its first Davis Cup title. Djokovic began a 43-match winning streak there, a run that ended with a semifinal loss to Federer in the French Open semifinals. The only other blemish on Djokovic's 2011 record was a loss to Andy Murray in last month's Cincinnati Masters final, where Djokovic stopped playing while trailing, citing a painful shoulder. That was the 24-year-old Serb's last match before heading to Flushing Meadows. His shoulder was fine in New York, clearly, and while he was treated by a trainer and took painkilling pills in the late going Monday -- which is why his serves slowed
Longest Men's Finals in U.S. Open History Longest men's finals matches at the U.S. Open, following Serbian Novak Djokovic's four-set victory over Spain's Rafael Nadal in the championship at Flushing Meadows on Monday.
Duration 4:54 Year 1988 Match Wilander-Lendl, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 64 Lendl-Wilander, 6-7 (9), 6-0, 7-6 (4), 6-4 McEnroe-Borg, 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-7 (5), 5-7, 6-4 Djokovic-Nadal, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 Del Potro-Federer, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 More Polls
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2011 2009
2011 U.S. Open -- Novak Djokovic downs Rafael Nadal to win U.S. Open - ESPN to the 90s mph in the fourth set -- he overcame it.
Serena fined $2,000 for outburst at Open final
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Ratings up for Djokovic-Nadal U.S. Open final Federer due Wed. in Australia for Davis Cup tie Raymond-Huber capture U.S. Open doubles title Oudin-Sock team wins Open mixed doubles final
With both men playing fantastic, court-covering defense in a grueling contest that lasted 4 hours, 10 minutes, there were more than two dozen points that lasted at least 15 strokes. Djokovic quickly turned things around after falling behind 2-0 in each of the first two sets. Those were tiny deficits compared to what he dealt with in the semifinals Saturday: He lost the first two sets to Federer, then faced two match points at 5-3, 40-15, before smacking a crosscourt return winner that sent him on the way to taking the last four games. By backing up that victory on Monday, Djokovic became only the second man to defeat Federer and Nadal during the course of one Grand Slam tournament. Juan Martin del Potro did it en route to the 2009 U.S. Open title. The only time Djokovic truly faltered at all in the final was in the crucible of the third set, when he showed signs of being bothered by his lower back. His level dipped, and Nadal made one last stand. Djokovic went up 3-2 only to get broken, then served for the match at 6-5 and was broken again when he made two unforced errors, the second at the end of a 21-stroke exchange. "When I lost that third set, it wasn't fun," Djokovic said. "I knew I wasn't physically there." But in the fourth set, Djokovic was in control from the start, breaking in the second game with a forehand winner, then cruising from there. When Djokovic ended it with another forehand winner, he raised his arms, then tossed aside his racket and dropped to the court. He pulled off his shirt and threw it into the stands, then put on a dark hat with "FDNY" written on it -- a nod to Sunday's 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which both he and Nadal mentioned during the trophy ceremony. The final -- delayed a day to Monday by rain for the fourth consecutive U.S. Open -- was marked by spectators calling out during points or as the players were in their service motions, and while that's perhaps to be expected in New York (as opposed to, say, the staid All England Club), Djokovic and Nadal were bothered by it, and the chair umpire repeatedly chastised the unruly crowd. Once he adjusted to the conditions, Djokovic disguised shots well, rearing back and ripping big shots off both wings -- often right near lines, if not right on them. He wound up with 55 winners -- 23 more than Nadal -- and, all in all, put on a masterful display of as diverse a game as one can have. He excelled at everything -- serving, returning, volleying, groundstrokes and the sort of constant movement and retrieving with which Nadal usually frustrates opponents. Mostly, he kept telling himself he could win. "The bottom line is that that's the whole point -- to win Grand Slams -- because these are the tournaments most important and most valuable in our sport," Djokovic said. "Right now I feel drained emotionally and physically and mentally." Then, motioning with his right hand at the silver chalice that forever will carry his engraved name, Djokovic added: "But I have this trophy here, and this is what I was fighting for." Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
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EthiopianPharaoh7
He has acknowledged, though, that Djokovic holds a psychological advantage. Late in Monday's first set, Djokovic hit two drop shots that the normally relentless and indefatigable Nadal didn't even bother to chase. User ID:http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/ethiopianpharaoh7
16 Hours Ago
Strasni
Congrats to my two favorite players. While a Novak fan, I love Nadal's intensity. Man this guy put his best out there in the third set, to the point where he was cramping in the fourth as a result. I remember making a remark midway through third that they look like two street brawlers just swinging until one of them drops. Amazing. What I'd like to see is Murray getting involved in this good old big boy brawling. If Federer can do it at 30, so should he. I'm just puzzled that a guy with so much talent chokes so much. Get in the game, man up. User ID:http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/strasni
16 Hours Ago
tobbs3eb
Djoker just matches up well against Nadal with his longer arms and 2 handed backhand the way federer does not with his one hander
1 fan likes this. 16 Hours Ago
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Fantomas1978
This was tennis at its best. Incredible athletes. I think these guys might be the best all around athletes in the world. Amazing match and truly entertaining to watch. Congratulations to Novak, he is going to only get better.
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U.S. Open 2011: Novak Djokovic won third Slam of 2011, could sweep all four next year - ESPN New York
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U.S. Open
Nadal was great, Djokovic was better

After winning his third Grand Slam of 2011, anything is possible for Novak Djokovic
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VIDEO PLAYLIST
Djokovic Wins 3rd Slam Of 2011 Breaking Down Djokovic's Win U.S. Open Recap Serena Fine A Slap On The Wrist
NEW YORK -- It seems odd to call what was nearly a straight-set win a "classic," so how about an "epic"? Epic fits. The way that top-ranked Novak Djovokic and second-ranked Rafael Nadal relentlessly battered each other Monday in their exhausting, exhilarating U.S. Open final -- tormenting each other with more bludgeoning rallies and spectacular defensive saves and mind-rattling service breaks than you typically see in a week -- Nadal had a right to expect better than a sixth straight loss to the man who has become the latest riddle to present himself in men's tennis. By making the U.S. Open the third Grand Slam this year that he's won, Djokovic did more than continue to unspool one of the great years in tennis history with his grueling 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 victory over Nadal that improved Djokovic's 2011 won-lost record to an astonishing 64-2.
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Djokovic also made sure that the riddle he keeps presenting to everyone who has tried and failed to beat him this year will keep rolling into early 2012, when Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images everyone convenes again for the In an epic U.S. Open final on Monday, Rafael Nadal Australian Open: Exactly how do you (left) had to settle for second place. defeat a player who combines the superior footspeed of Nadal and the world-best service return game Andre Agassi once had with the brilliant shotmaking Pete Sampras used to pull off on the run and the impenetrable confidence that Roger Federer once had? Those are the questions that Djokovic poses right now. And as if all of that weren't enough, Djokovic put another distinction next to his name Monday on the way to seizing his first U.S. Open title in a rematch of last year's final. He displaced Nadal as the toughest man in tennis, too. The way Djokovic's face curled into a snarl as he prepared to serve out the match was fitting. He's not just the most strategically confounding or the winningest force in the game. He also proved he's got a granite jaw. Nadal tried to make Monday's match a war of attrition and Djokovic beat Nadal at his own game. "It's an amazing year," Djokovic said, "and it just keeps going." What made Monday's match even more riveting than the shotmaking or high stakes was the elemental show of will each man displayed. Djokovic stood up to the relentless hammering from Nadal -- who has made grinding opponents' bones to dust a career-long specialty, especially on clay -- and then just kept on coming at him, at him, at him, in ways that were remarkable to see. Djokovic absorbed everything Nadal threw at him, and then often did Nadal one more well-struck shot or save better. Nadal, to his credit, didn't buckle either. He's been frank about how sick he was of losing to Djokovic, and it showed in how he quite literally chased every ball that came back at him. A lesser player would've quit. But Nadal made Djokovic beat him. Even if Nadal ultimately didn't win, there was still honor in how he lost. "The mental challenge -- I was ready for that, to accept everything, to fight for every ball, and that's what I did," Nadal said. It's no exaggeration to say balls literally cracked like gunshots off their rackets for 25, 27, sometimes 31 strokes they often played just to decide a single point. The third game of the second set lasted an absurdly long 17 minutes all by itself. The entire match took 4 hours, 10 minutes to play, and though Djokovic kept getting the better of Nadal again and again while struggling out to his two-sets-to-none lead, Nadal just kept sloughing off each lost game or setback and lighting out after the next point. Nadal was great. Yet it wasn't good enough. Djokovic was better.
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Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images Novak Djokovic is on top of the tennis world -- what's the next chapter in his story? Recaps: Men | Women espnW: Wozniacki shows fight Garber: Thought-free Tsonga consumes Fish Garber: The physical hardships of Nadal Garber: Djokovic survives early scare espnW: Serena making it look too easy MacGregor: Fed's grace amid the volatility Serena takes care of Ivanovic Djokovic moves on to quarterfinals Tsonga beats Fish in five Digital Serve: Day 9 preview Open Update: Roddick versus Ferrer Wozniacki holds off Kuznetsova
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Still, the accumulated strain of it all was so great that by the start of the fourth set, the 24year-old Djokovic took a long medical timeout to lay on his stomach on the court and get treatment on his back. His legs were cramping, too. And the 25-year-old Nadal, who's far more famous for being tireless, stayed jackknifed at the waist after losing one point and used his racket like a crutch to push himself back up. How long Djokovic can stay at this spectacular level is a question that will be answered another day. So far, it's been nine months, 66 matches and counting. And yet Nadal, rather than sounding as depressed as he did after losing Wimbledon, promised Monday that the next time he sees Djokovic he'll bring even more haymakers to throw at him. Nadal feels himself getting closer to toppling Djokovic. He does. "I don't 'enjoy' battling him -- six straight losses, for sure, it's painful," Nadal said. "But I'm going to work every day until that changes. ... I have a goal. He is the goal for me now." Djokovic began the year by winning the Australian Open and ripping off a 43-match winning streak that Federer snapped in the semifinals of the French Open, which Nadal eventually won. Djokovic then beat Nadal in the Wimbledon final, and suffered his only other loss of 2011 to Andy Murray in Cincinnati after falling behind a set and eventually retiring from the match with a sore shoulder. Had Djokovic not beaten Nadal again here in New York, the question of how to assess this year might've been more muddled. They'd have each won two Slams. But now there's no doubt. No debate. Just that riddle that won't go away.
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Justin Time? Giants defensive end Justin Tuck thinks he'll play on Monday night. Selig Blows His Lid Bud Selig was reportedly angered by the Mets' 9/11 hat controversy. Power Surge The Yankees knocked around Felix Hernandez on Monday night. Comeback Kings The Jets have a knack for fourth-quarter comebacks, a very promising sign. The Unsolvable Serb Rafael Nadal was great; Novak Djokovic was better. Howard
If Federer couldn't close out Djokovic after grabbing a 2-0 set lead and then two match points in the semis here in New York, and Nadal couldn't beat Djokovic with the effort he threw out Monday, then who or what can? Djokovic was asked if he feels he cannot lose right now. He laughed and said no. Well then, how about pulling off a sweep of all four 2012 Grand Slams? "I don't want to say it's not possible," Djokovic laughed. "Everything is." Especially for Djokovic in the here and now. Follow Johnette Howard on Twitter: @johnettehoward
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Tennis - ATP World Tour - 2011 US Open Monday - Djokovic Sets Sights On Career Grand Slam
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DJOKOVIC SETS SIGHTS ON CAREER SLAM

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After winning his fourth major title on Monday in New York, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic set his sights on completing the career Grand Slam. Only the Roland Garros crown eludes the Serb, who won the Australian Open in 2008 and 2011, and captured the Wimbledon crown 10 weeks ago. He has claimed three of the four slams this year, becoming only the sixth player in the Open Era to win three majors in a season. This is you can say my year, or the year where I performed my best tennis at major events, said Djokovic. It's something that makes me incredibly happy. It's definitely Getty Images going to take a lot of effort to try to repeat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is even half of what I have done this year for targetting success at Roland next year. I guess it takes some time to Garros to complete the career realise the success that I had this year, Grand Slam. especially now winning another major. I'm all over positive emotions. It's really hard to find the words that can describe the feeling that I had and that I have still. There are still a lot of things to prove to myself and to the tennis world, continued the Serb, who was beaten in the semi-finals at Roland Garros this year by Roger Federer, just one of two losses he has suffered all season. I still want to win many more major events. It's just that love for the sport that keeps me going. And winning on the court, that feeling, as long as it stays with me, I will keep fighting for more trophies. It would be unbelievable to be able to complete the Grand Slam, to win the French Open. It's something that is definitely an ambition, but it's going to take time. Buy Tickets To See Djokovic & Nadal At Barclays ATP World Tour Finals 2011 has without doubt been the year of Djokovic. The Belgrade native has shifted the order in world tennis, leapfrogging Nadal and Federer to sit atop the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, a position he will in all likelihood hold at the end of the season, and battered Nadal into submission six times. Going into the 2010 US Open, Djokovic had not recorded a Top 10 win all season; this year he is 20-2 against the games elite. How does the Serb explain the turnaround? I have just a different approach to the semi-finals and finals of major events, especially when I'm playing two great champions, Rafa and Roger, said Djokovic. In the past couple of years that wasn't the case. I was always kind of trying to wait for their mistakes or being out there and playing my best tennis but not really having the positive attitude and kind of believing that I can win. So this has changed, I guess, and the US Open 2010 was one of the turning points in my career, definitely. The turning point Djokovic refers to came in last years semi-finals against Federer, when he saved two match points to win a five-set epic - a feat he repeated this past this weekend, only this time he also bested Nadal in the final. It is on one side an incredible feeling if you win against them; on the other side, it's very disappointing if you lose because they're your greatest rivals, said Djokovic. The way I look at it, it takes a lot of mental energy and physical energy to win against these guys, especially Rafa. He never gives up. You could see that today. Two sets and a break down and serving for the match and he's coming back. That's why he's a great champion. So when I lost this third set it wasn't fun, definitely. I knew that I am not physically there. I'm not as fit as I was in the start of the match, so I needed to do take chances, and I did. It was an incredible set for me. Related Topics: US Open, New York, Novak Djokovic
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Tennis - ATP World Tour - September 2011 - FedEx Reliability Zone Current Hard-Court Records
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FEDEX RELIABILITY ZONE: DJOKOVIC'S HARDCOURT DOMINANCE

Current Hard-Court Records by James Buddell | 13.09.2011 22
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As the dust settles on another memorable US Open, we take an indepth look at the best hard-court players of the past 52 weeks, using the FedEx ATP Reliability Index, with exclusive analysis from former ATP World Tour players. Over the past 12 months, Novak Djokovic has dominated virtually every hard-court tournament he has entered, compiling a remarkable 57-6 (.905) record and seven titles. In 2011, he has a near perfect 40-1 (.975) mark. Stan Smith, the 1971 US Open champion, and former World No. 3 Brian Gottfried both agree that Serbia's Davis Cup win, which was played on an indoor hard-court, in December 2010 was crucial to building
FEDEX ATP RELIABILITY INDEX
On Hard
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Novak Djokovic Roger Federer Rafael Nadal Robin Soderling Gael Monfils
Current* Index .905 .852 .796 .787 .756
Career Index .798 .824 .765 .649 .629
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Getty Images Novak Djokovic has compiled a 40-1 record on hard courts this year.
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Djokovic's confidence.
"Djokovic has improved for several reasons and I think that they all lead to more confidence," said Smith. "His serve was very erratic last year and it has improved dramatically." Gottfried adds, "He has cut down on his mistakes, improved his serve and learnt how to play every shot better. He has grown in maturity and strength, and I think he will further improve." Visit FedEx Reliability Zone Home Smith, who won 13 hard court titles during his career, also thinks Djokovic's gluten-free diet has helped how sizzling form this season. "[His] diet certainly could be a big factor," the American says. "Just thinking that it helps is enough to build your confidence. "The culmination of wins over the tops guys has built his confidence and so he feels that he can raise his game at critical moments against anyone. That is key for a top player to be considered the favourite by the other top players." By contrast, Djokovic's rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have been forced to raise their games to keep pace with the Serbian. Federer is .852 on hard courts over the past 52 weeks. Nadal is .796. Former World No. 4 Gene Mayer insists, "Federer is just not as dominant or as confident as he was in the past, while Nadal has been run down physically in losing to Djokovic and playing so many matches." Gottfried reckons, "Losing to Djokovic in six straight finals has affected Nadal's confidence. Whenever he steps onto the court, he knows he has to do something differently in order to break the losing streak. One victory over Djokovic could make all the difference and he'll become the player to beat once again." Smith says, "For the first time in three years, Nadal is questioning his game against Djokovic and his confidence level is down. Despite this, he is such a great competitor that he has the ability to compete and win even when not playing his best." Now aged 30, Federer is looking more susceptible to losses, but Smith and Gottfried still believe the Swiss superstar can add to his 16 Grand Slam championships. "Roger has played a sensible schedule his whole career, so there is no reason why he cannot win more major titles," says Gottfried. "For sure, two years ago, players were looking at Federer differently. He has lost some of his aura and is now more beatable." Smith adds, "Federer seems to be rolling pretty well and it is just a question of him bringing out his best game against the top couple guys to finish the tournament victorious." Earlier this year, Mardy Fish became the U.S. No. 1 for the first time. By winning the Atlanta Tennis Championships and finishing runner-up at the Farmers Classic and Rogers Cup, Fish clinched the Olympus US Open Series. He has compiled a 29-12 match record on hard courts over the past nine months. Mayer says, "Fish's career is a real tribute to hard work and training." Smith admits, "Mardy has had a fantastic run the past two years and has proven to himself he belongs among the top players." Smith, Gottfried and Mayer believe, even at 29 years of age, Fish can improve. "He knows the formula now and he has to keep motivated to keep working hard and looking to keep improving in small ways," says Smith. "He has gained tremendous confidence, which will enable him to win tough matches in future." Florida resident Gottfried thinks, "I feel that Fish can still improve. Thirty years of age is seen as a magical number amongst the media, when form drops and other interests such as family and business interests take precedence. But that isn't always true. "You still practice the same way, you may fitness train differently, but it is always down to a player's motivation after years on tour. I am sure that if Roddick, who has led American tennis for so many years, can stay focused he can get back in the Top 10." Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Fish are joined in the Top 10 list of this hardcourt leaders over the past 12 months by Robin Soderling (.787), Gael Monfils (.756), Andy Murray (.732), Milos Raonic (.720), David Ferrer (.717) and Viktor Troicki (.680). Soderling, Monfils and Ferrer, considered strong clay-court players, have worked hard to improve their armoury on hard courts. Mayer insists, "Clay courters have learned to play on hard. The same is not true in reverse." As the courts have slowed down, Smith says, "Players are even sliding more on hard courts, which is unusual. There are so many good players now, that every round poses a tough match-up." Discuss On Facebook | Discuss On Twitter using #FedExATPIndex January: Fifth Set Career Records February: 52-Week Clay-Court Records March: Current ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Records April: Career Clay-Court Records June: Career Grass-Court Records July: Career Hard-Court Records August: Career Tie-Break Records Return To FexEx Reliability Zone Home Related Topics: FedEx Reliability Zone, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Brian E Gottfried, Gene Mayer, Stan R Smith
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http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2011/09/Features/FedEx-Reliability-Current-Hard-Court-Records.aspx[13.9.2011 21:52:31]
Tennis - ATP World Tour - 2011 US Open Monday - How The Final Was Won
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World No. 1 Novak Djokovic claimed his third Grand Slam title of the season and his first at the US Open when he defeated defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 in a rematch of the 2010 final. With the victory, Djokovic improved to a 6-0 mark against the Spaniard in finals this season.
Getty Images Novak Djokovic broke Rafael Nadal 11 times during the US Open final.
Here is how the final was won. Read Full Match Report
First Set The pair showed what was in store for the final, with their hard-hitting rallies averaging 10 strokes in the opening game. Nadals attention centred on hitting the ball to Djokovics backhand, not allowing the Serb the opportunity to hit winners from down the centre of the court. The tactic worked as Nadal broke for 2-0, but Djokovic immediately regrouped as Nadal struggled to find first serves. Nadal fell to 0/40, saving two break points before he overcooked a forehand down the line. Once again Nadal engineered rallies to Djokovics backhand and set up three break point opportunities at 15/40 and advantage in the fourth game. He couldnt convert and Djokovic levelled at 2-2 with the wind making life difficult for both players. Errors started creeping into Nadals game as Djokovics groundstroke length kept the Spaniard yards behind the baseline. Djokovics use of angles opened up the court and helped him to break Nadal for a 3-2 lead. He completed his run of six straight games, including another break to 30 in the seventh game, to clinch the 53-minute set. Second Set Djokovic committed six unforced errors in the first eight points of the second set, and dropped to 0/40 in the second game with Nadal converting his third break point opportunity for a 2-0 lead. Nadal did everything he could in the third game, but for no reward. The athleticism of the two finalists was encapsulated in a 21-stroke rally with Nadal serving at 0/30. Nadal won it after scrambling across the court, leaving Djokovic looking winded. By the end of the 17-minute game, it was Nadals turn to feel aggrieved. The Spaniard had saved six break points, but on Djokovics seventh opportunity Nadal hit a smash into the net. Djokovics retrieval skills reaped dividends in the fifth game, which saw Nadal double fault at 15/40. Nadal prevented his rival from opening up a 52 lead, saving a break point to win the nine-minute seventh game, and then pulled levelled at 4-4 with a backhand passing stroke down the line in an uncharacteristically sloppy service game by Djokovic. There was to be no respite for Nadal. Three forehand errors aided Djokovics immediate recovery, when the World No. 1 broke for a 5-4 lead. Djokovic then took a big stride to lifting his fourth major title by opening up a two sets lead after two hours and four minutes of play. Novak & Rafa: The Rivalry Third Set Djokovic continued to hit with authority to start the third set, going up a break 2-1, but committed a series of errors in the following game to concede his advantage. As he had done the previous three times hed dropped serve in the match, the Serb immediately hit back. He floated a drop shot from the baseline to earn his 18th break point of the match, then punished Nadal with repeated groundstrokes to his backhand to break for an eighth time - the most the Spaniard had lost serve in 163 career Grand Slam matches. But Nadal showed renewed fight after Djokovic played a loose game at 3-2. Djokovic double-faulted for the first time to gift the defending champion triple break point, and the Spaniard took advantage, ripping a forehand down the line to draw level. He held another break point in the Serbs next service game, only to see Djokovic prevail in a spectacular 31-stroke rally the longest of the match. The end looked near as Djokovic earned the opportunity to serve for the championship, after his backhand return tattooed the baseline on break point, but Nadal refused to go down easy. He brought the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd to its feet once again at 15/30 after finishing another brilliant rally with a backhand winner. With the momentum and fans on his side, Nadal raced out to a 5-1 lead in the tie-break and converted on his first of three set points to keep his title hopes alive. Fourth Set After receiving treatment for a mid-back muscle strain during the changeover, Djokovic appeared intent on keeping the points short to start the fourth set. While massaging his side and stretching in between points, Djokovic managed to hold serve before requesting a medical timeout. The Serbian quickly earned a double break point chance on his return to the court. He looked up at the sky and laughed at his luck after breaking his string on his second, but maintained his composure. Despite Nadals best efforts, Djokovic capitalised on his fifth break point of the game. Nadal could offer little resistance to the World No. 1, who held with ease, and lost serve at love in the sixth game to give Djokovic another chance to serve out the championship. Djokovic finally arrived at championship point after four hours and nine minutes of play, and fired a forehand winner to claim the 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 victory, becoming the sixth man in Open Era history to win three Grand Slam titles in the same season. Related Topics: US Open, New York, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal
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http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2011/09/36/US-Open-Monday3-How-The-Final-Was-Won.aspx[13.9.2011 21:57:58]
No joke: Djokovic beats Nadal for US Open title - Tennis - ESPN

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Recommend tweet 0 Djokovic downs Nadal to win first U.S. Open title Serena fined $2,000 for outburst at Open final Federer due Wed. in Australia for Davis Cup tie Raymond-Huber capture U.S. Open doubles title Oudin-Sock team wins Open mixed doubles final
No joke: Djokovic beats Nadal for US Open title

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NEW YORK -- Novak Djokovic was on the wrong side of the court, and the celebration, a year ago after the last ball was struck in the U.S. Open final. Somewhere in the back of his mind, though, as he watched Rafael Nadal fall to the blue concrete and bask in the lights of the world's biggest tennis stadium, Djokovic had a sense that someday, that could be him. On Monday night, it was. After defeating Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 over 4 hours and 10 minutes of relentless, draining tennis, Djokovic dropped to his knees and kissed the same concrete that Nadal ruled last year, celebrating a win that slapped an exclamation point on one of the greatest seasons in the sport's history. A win that, in many ways, came out of a loss on the same court. "I guess it just clicked in my head," Djokovic said. That he could beat these guys. "I was always trying to wait for their mistakes and not having that positive attitude and believing I could win," Djokovic said. "This has changed and U.S. Open 2010 was one of the turning points in my career, definitely." Djokovic won his third Grand Slam title of 2011 to match what Nadal accomplished last year and what Roger Federer did in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Djokovic bested them both en route to this title, taking down Nadal two days after he overcame two match points against Federer to win the semifinal. The man they call "Nole" improved to 64-2 on the season. With a few months left in 2011, the best win-loss record in the modern era -- John McEnroe's 82-3 in 1984 -- is in reach. However it ends up, victory No. 64 may go down as the most impressive of them all. Over the first two sets, second-seeded Nadal broke top-seeded Djokovic's serve three times, and each time, Djokovic responded by doing what a champion does -- answering back right away, then not looking back. But it was the third set that was the classic -- 84 can't-miss minutes of side-to-side, unforgiving play from both men, filled with cartoonishly punished groundstrokes that somehow kept coming back. Nadal won that set, Djokovic walked off the court holding his back and the momentum shifted. What that did, though, was allow the world's top-ranked player to once again drive home the point he's been making all year: Yes, he improved his fitness and, yes, he changed his diet. But mostly, he changed his attitude. With his back and ribs aching and his legs started to cramp, he said he knew he couldn't allow the fourth set to turn into yet another long series of rallies. He had to do what he'd been doing all year -- go for it. "I knew I wasn't physically there," Djokovic said. "I wasn't as fit as I was at the start of the match. I needed to take the chances I did. It was an incredible set for me." Every bit as telling, and stunning, as any of the 17 winners Djokovic hit in that fourth set (against only four unforced errors), was the way Nadal reacted as the set wore on. Instead of rushing, skidding, shuffling, reaching out to get one more ball back as is his norm, he stood and watched. Nadal watched at 30-all in the final game when Djokovic followed his serve with a backhand winner down the line. He watched again on match point when Djokovic hit a forehand down the line, then dropped his racket and fell to the ground to celebrate in almost the exact spot where Nadal did last year. A bit later, Djokovic pulled off his shirt and threw it into the stands, then put on a dark hat with "FDNY" written on it -- a nod to Sunday's 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which both he and Nadal mentioned during the trophy ceremony. "I've had an amazing year and it keeps going," Djokovic said. A year ago, Nadal was being celebrated as the next King of Tennis, with nine Grand Slams (Now 10, counting this year's French Open) and seemingly in need of nothing more than time and tournaments to match Federer, who holds the record with 16. A year later, however, Nadal is on a six-match losing streak to Djokovic -- all of them in finals, including this one and at Wimbledon earlier this summer. "He's having less mistakes than before," Nadal said when asked to explain the Djokovic renaissance. "In my opinion, that's all. He's confident enough in every moment to keep believing in one more ball, one more ball. I think his forehand is not more painful than before; his backhand is not more painful than before; he serves the same." Things, however, are not all the same with Nadal. Last year en route to the title, he lost five service games and credited improvement there for finally figuring out how to win the only major he hadn't captured. In this tournament, he lost 24, including 11 in the final. Against Djokovic, Nadal won only 52 percent of the points in which he got his first serve in. He faced 26 break points. Against an opponent who spent most of the night painting lines, this was not a winning formula. "A lot of times I started the point in worse position than him when I was serving," Nadal said. "So that's tough." Every time Djokovic hit one of those huge returns, it was hard not to think back to Saturday, when, facing two match points against Federer in the semifinals, he turned on Federer's serve, taking a chance and pounding it back for a clean, forehand winner -- a shot already being touted as one of the single greatest the game has seen. Djokovic called it a gamble -- but one he had no problem taking. He now joins Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Martina Navratilova and Manuel Orantes as the sixth player to hoist the U.S. Open trophy after facing match point at some point earlier in the tournament. "In big matches, the winner is decided by small margins, a couple points," Djokovic explained. "I guess the winner is the one who believes in victory more." Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index
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