LiveAnalysis: Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal in the US Open Final

Welcome to a historic installment of LiveAnalysis! Today we have the Open Era-record 37th meeting between World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and World No. 2 Rafael Nadal.

Background Information

Click here to see how Novak Djokovic arrived to his fourth consecutive (and fifth overall) US Open final, and click here to see how Rafael Nadal made it to his third US Open final in four years.

Click here for the detailed H2H between these two (which Nadal leads 21 to 15).

Trivia:

• In their 10 previous meetings at Grand Slams, the winner of the first set went on to win the match 80% of the time. The exceptions? The 2007 Wimbledon semifinal (Djokovic won the first set and then ended up retiring midway through the third), and the last time these two men met in a hardcourt Slam final, the 2012 Australian Open final (Djokovic lost the opener 5-7, but won the match in a 7-5 fifth set).

Also, this:

Here are the match times for the last 7 Djoko-Nadal GS matches (from newest to oldest): 4:37, 3:49, 5:53, 3:49, 4:37, 2:28, 3:43. Avg? 4:04

— Juan José (@jjvallejoa) September 9, 2013

What Novak Djokovic needs to do:

1. Put as much pressure as he possibly can on Nadal’s service games, particularly on that second serve. Sending deep returns up the middle and into the Deuce court limits Nadal’s opportunities to start the rally with a commanding forehand, which is always a good thing if you’re playing the man from Manacor. Djokovic has to make Nadal work extremely hard for every single service game. It’s hard to envision Novak winning this match if he doesn’t win the return of serve battle (which he didn’t in the past two defeats against Nadal in Canada and in Paris).

2. Use the backhand down the line as often as possible. This is problematic for Djokovic, since this shot seems to have abandoned him in 2013. It’s a key stroke in terms of keeping Nadal pegged to his backhand corner, and it’s far less risky than the inside-in forehand in terms of compromising court position.

3. Use the inside-out forehand instead of the cross-court backhand as the primary weapon to attack Nadal’s forehand corner. Djokovic can find better angles and inject more pace with his inside-out forehand, which limits Nadal’s opportunities to counter with a down-the-line forehand if Djokovic’s attacking shot isn’t up to snuff.

4. When crunch time comes, be the aggressor. Being conservative is what doomed Djokovic in the last meeting against Nadal, a third set tiebreak defeat in the Montreal M1000 semis. When you’re playing an all-time great, you can’t let off the gas pedal in the key moments of the match. Either you go for it, or you watch Nadal do it himself.

5. Use the wide serve from the Deuce court wisely. That’s the most difficult serve for Nadal to defend, and the one that more often results in short balls with plenty of open court. A key part of the 7-match winning streak Djokovic enjoyed over Nadal in 2011-2012.

What Rafael Nadal needs to do:

1. Serve extremely well. What does this mean? Mixing up the serves, make it impossible for Djokovic to identify patterns, and make sure the body serve is available for key points. Throughout the years, Nadal has used that body serve effectively against his Serbian rival, except when it’s become predictable. Nadal needs to go for all three spots in the service box consistently, and his second serve has to keep Djokovic guessing. Just spinning it in won’t cut it today.

2. When pegged into his backhand corner, Nadal needs to try and counter with hard, flat cross-court backhands, or if time allows, run around and hit an inside-out forehand. Nadal can’t let Djokovic neutralize his forehand by making it impossible for him to hit one from the far end of the Deuce court. The Spaniard needs to escape those binds, and the cross-court backhand is always the safest choice.

3. Attack as much as possible. No neutral balls should allow Djokovic to boss him around the baseline. If there’s an opening to go for a big forehand during the early stages of a rally, Nadal needs to go for it. If Djokovic leaves a cross-court backhand/inside-out forehand short, Nadal needs to pull the trigger on down-the-line forehands of his own. More importantly: Nadal can’t lose the court position battle. Djokovic will look to push him back behind the baseline, and Nadal needs to do everything he can to get back to the stripe as soon as he can.

4. Win the return of serve battle. This has been the key to Nadal’s last two wins against Djokovic, one of which was on hardcourt. It’ll be interesting to see where Nadal stands to return first and second serves, and if Djokovic uses his second serve kicker often to provoke some easy short balls.

Remember to refresh this page often, as I will be providing game-by-game analysis throughout the match!

As in previous LiveAnalysis posts, I’ll be using a bit of “tennis shorthand” today. Here’s your glossary:

BH: Backhand
BP: Break Point
CC: Cross-court
DF: Double-fault
DTL: Down the line (means the same as “up the line”)
FH: Forehand
GP: Game Point
I-I: Inside-In
I-O: Inside-Out
SP: Set Point
S&V: Serve and Volley
SW: Service Winner
UFE: Unforced Error

Today we won’t have to wait for (American) football to finish, so we should start at 5 pm ET.

First Set – Novak Djokovic will serve first.

0-0: We’re underway with a trademark rally of this rivalry: Djokovic pounds the Nadal BH, and then forces Nadal’s error with a hard I-O FH. He then comes to net and botches a volley. 15-all. A fun, brutal rally sees both men trying to get out of uncomfortable positions on the court, until Nadal sends a BH long. 30-15. It’s 30-all after Djokovic sends a BH DTL into the net, unprompted. Djokovic then gets a look at 2 I-O FHs, and pounces. 40-30. Ace up the T, and Djokovic has held.

1-0, Djokovic: A deep return is wasted when Djokovic sends a rally BH DTL long. 15-0. He then goes for an acute BH CC angle, and misses as well. 30-0. Djokovic then barely gets a FH DTL over the net, and forces Nadal’s error. 30-15. After a tense, forceful rally, Djokovic sends a CC BH long. (Notice all the BH UFEs from Djokovic so far). FH DTL return winner from Djokovic, off a tame 2nd serve. 40-30. 2nd serve again…and Nadal dumps a rather lazy BH slice after he already defended the hard return up the middle really well. Deuce #1. SW out wide, with lots of pace, and it’s AD-Nadal. The Spaniard then redirects a return up the middle deep into the Deuce corner, and forces Djokovic’s FH error. Nadal has held.

This will be a war. A long, long war.

1-1: Djokovic leaves a CC BH hanging, and Nadal makes him pay with a FH DTL winner. 0-15. Another good Djokovic I-O FH, and it’s 15-all. Two fantastic FHs by Djokovic (one I-O, one CC) lead to a very easy volley. Fantastic play by Djokovic. 30-15. A 2nd ball CC FH UFE by Djokovic follows. 30-all. But then, a regulation BH DTL by Djokovic goes long, so it’s 30-40, 1st BP of the match for Nadal. 2nd serve, after the 1st barely misses the T. Nadal gets a deep return in play, and the men trade FH blows (Nadal standing on his BH corner belting FHs). The point ends on a very tame BH UFE by Nadal. Deuce #1. Great S&V attempt by Djokovic using his great slider out wide from the deuce court, and Nadal’s pass ends up in the net. AD-Djokovic. The next rally ends in a rather strange way: Nadal hits a good (but not great) CC FH, and Djokovic lets it go by without even attempting to chase it. Deuce #2. Great CC BH return by Nadal forces Djokovic’s error, and it’s BP #2 for Nadal. The point tilts in Nadal’s favor when Djokovic chooses to go I-O with his FH off a shot ball, but Nadal blasts a FH DTL to counter it, leaving a very short ball the Spaniard does well to put away. Nadal with the early break!

Tactical Update: Schematic mistake by Djokovic there: he didn’t even try to pin Nadal on his backhand corner, and wasn’t as aggressive as needed with that last I-O FH. That will always be trouble against one of the best forehands in history.

Another windy evening in the borough of Queens & remember how @DjokerNole struggled early in the gusts last year against Murray

— Barry Flatman (@Barry_FlatmanST) September 9, 2013

Stats Update: Djokovic already has 5 UFEs, but more worryingly, 4 of those have come from his usually rock solid backhand. A trend that has been evident throughout 2013.

2-1, Nadal: It’s 0-30 after some good Djokovic returns. FH DTL UFE by Djokovic, 15-30. I-O FH UFE by Djokovic now. 30-all. Another Djokovic FH miscue, and it’s 40-30. Then, a glorious I-O FH return that Nadal can’t handle. Deuce #1. Then, a masterful point from Nadal, who survives Djokovic’s attempts to pin him on his BH corner by finding a great CC FH, and then sealing the point with a FH DTL. AD-Nadal. Djokovic then seems to have Nadal on a string…but a CC BH clips the net and lands wide. He stares at his box in frustration afterwards.

3-1, Nadal: A good BH DTL by Djokovic forces Nadal’s error, and then he follows it up with an Ace and a DF to make it 40-15. A great wide serve from the Deuce court seals the much needed hold – the first easy one for either gentleman.

In the last 31 majors (dating back to Roland Garros 2006), only seven other men have even made a major FINAL. This stage is quite exclusive.

— Matt Zemek (@mzemek) September 9, 2013

3-2, Nadal: A hard Nadal CC BH forces Djokovic’s error. SW, 30-0. SW into the body, 40-0. Djokovic hits a pretty dropper, but fails to cover the net, and Nadal hits a gorgeous CC counterdropper.

4-2, Nadal: Djokovic plays a great point, has a smash to put it away, but hits it straight at Nadal, and moments later, loses the point. Moments later, it’s 0-30. A fantastic CC FH by Nadal (with a wicked angle) yanks Djokovic away from the court, forcing the error. 0-40. 2nd serve. Djokovic hits a monstrous I-O FH, gets called in, but Nadal challenges. He’s right – it was out. Nadal with the double-break. 

5-2, Nadal: Djokovic hits a great I-O FH, and puts away the resulting short ball. 0-15. CC BH UFE by Djokovic, 15-all. A missile of an I-O FH by Djokovic is impossible to handle, so it’s 15-30. Fantastic wide serve by Nadal, and then a seemingly ill-advised net approach that almost sees him get burned – Djokovic’s CC FH pass barely misses wide. Short return by Djokovic, and it’s SP #1 for Nadal. 2nd serve. I-O FH UFE by Djokovic, and Nadal takes the opening set!

Of their 10 previous Slam matches, the 1st set winner has taken the match 80% of the time. Of their 36 previous matches, that goes up to 86%

— Juan José (@jjvallejoa) September 9, 2013

First Set to Rafael Nadal, 6-2.

Here are your first set stats: 

Second Set – Novak Djokovic will serve first.

0-0: At 30-all, Djokovic fires a very good 1st serve, and puts away the resulting short ball with a FH CC winner. Then, a fun, fun rally ends with a glorious BH DTL winner from Djokovic.

Of their 10 previous Slam matches, the 1st set winner has taken the match 80% of the time. Of their 36 previous matches, that goes up to 86%

— Juan José (@jjvallejoa) September 9, 2013

1-0, Djokovic: A phenomenal running CC FH pass by Djokovic triggers Nadal’s volley error, and it’s 0-30.  Incredible point by Nadal then, who survives an attempt from Djokovic to peg him into the BH corner by hitting a BH DTL slice, triggering a shorter Djokovic shot that he killed with his own FH. In the next point, however, Djokovic blasts an I-O FH to trigger Nadal’s error, so it’s 15-40. First few BPs of the match for Djokovic. Nadal walks up to check a mark for his 1st serve, and gets jeered. Surprising. The first BP is saved by a Djokovic BH DTL UFE. 30-40. 2nd serve again. Djokovic then somehow decides to approach Nadal’s BH on a very mediocre CC FH…and gets summarily Roddicked. Deuce #1. BH  DTL UFE by Djokovic, so AD-Nadal. 2nd serve… FH DTL UFE by Nadal. Missed that by quite a bit. Deuce #2. SW up the middle, AD-Nadal. 2nd serve… and Djokovic fires an I-O FH UFE back.

Nadal played most of that game on his 2nd serve. And yet, he ends up holding. That’s an ominous development for Djokovic.

Fan who's been shouting during points and visibly annoying Nadal's box is being removed from stadium.

— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) September 9, 2013

1-1: Another deadly Nadal FH DTL, and it’s 0-15. Then, Nadal barely misses on a crazy CC BH pass. 15-all. Nadal CC BH UFE, after he had neutralized Djokovic quite effectively with his BH slice. Absolutely gorgeous point from Djokovic, who blasts a BH DTL, a CC FH, and then comes to net to put away a pretty volley. 40-15, and then a SW.

Signs of life from the World No. 1, who may just realize that he’ll have to do quite a bit of spectacular things today in order to survive.

Stats Update: 

2-1, Djokovic: Nadal dances around his BH, and fires away a FH winner. 15-0. Then, an absolutely sensational Nadal BH CC winner after Djokovic again had him on a string. Nadal then approaches with a great angled CC FH, and a soft volley. 40-0. Awful slap return by Djokovic goes long, so it’s an easy love hold for Nadal, who’s starting to go beyond solid and into the spectacular.

2-2: Ridiculous FH DTL winner almost as a half-volley from Nadal. Insane shot. 30-15. Nadal then makes a rare mistake, with a rally BH that goes long. 40-15. Ace up the T, and Djokovic has held.

3-2, Djokovic: FH UFE by Djokovic, 15-0. BH DTL slice UFE by Nadal, 15-all. Then, an INCREDIBLE GOLAZO lob winner from Djokovic. 15-30. SW into the FH by Nadal. 30-all. Then, a masterful point by Djokovic who ends up hitting I-O BHs into Nadal’s BH corner, and sneaks into the net at the perfect time to put away simple volley. 30-40. Then… impossible to do justice to one of the great points I’ve ever seen. The men blasted the ball all over the court, then tried angles, slices and much more. 54 strokes, and it ends on a Nadal shot into the net. Novak Djokovic has broken serve!

Really, that point will end up on YouTube soon. And it’s well worth your time. Absolutely insane stuff.

4-2, Djokovic: Djokovic DFs twice in a row for 0-30. Then sends a FH long for 0-40. Djokovic saves the 1st with a fantastic I-O FH approach and a gorgeous volley off a Nadal rocket. 15-40. Then forces Nadal’s error with a great CC BH. 30-40. Nadal pounces on the first chance he gets – he gets a look at an I-O FH, and forces the error to break back!

Nadal breaks right back. Still on serve. Very weak Djokovic game. Nadal still giving away very little for free. Incredibly key.

— Brodie (@MindTheRacket) September 9, 2013

4-3, Djokovic: BH UFE by Djokovic, 15-0. Insane FH CC slice pass from Djokovic, and Nadal sends the volley wide. Phenomenal I-O FH by Nadal, who recognizes the opportunity to come in and put away a simple volley. 30-15. FH UFE by Djokovic, 40-15. A rare FH UFE by Nadal makes it 40-30. 2 monstrous I-O FHs by Djokovic, and it’s Deuce #1. A great FH DTL by Nadal forces the Djokovic FH error. AD-Nadal. Djokovic then finally makes Nadal pay for his slice BHs, and fires away an I-I FH winner. Deuce #2. SW up the T, AD-Nadal. Then Djokovic surprises everyone by correctly putting a smash away. Deuce #3. My stream dies, Nadal hits a SW, and it’s AD Nadal again. I assume I missed a Deuce somewhere. Djokovic hits a great angled CC FH approach, Nadal stops play, challenges, and loses the point. Deuce once again, but BP for Djokovic after Nadal lets a tame slice go into the net. Another long rally ends when it’s Nadal who cracks mentally and hits a very nonchalant dropper that Djokovic punishes accordingly. Djokovic will serve for the set!

That was surprising, to say the least. Nadal rarely makes that kind of mental mistake, particularly in big points. That dropper was quite the brainfart.

5-3, Djokovic: BH UFE off the 2nd ball, so 0-15. SW, 15-all. FH UFE off the 2nd ball, so 15-30. FH UFE by Nadal, 30-all. Djokovic almost screws up another smash, as he hits it straight at Nadal, whose reply goes long. SP #1. The set is clinched via a glorious BH DTL winner from Djokovic.

That was quite a set. If you missed it, I suggest you watch it sometime.

Second Set to Novak Djokovic, 6-3.

Here are your 2nd set stats: 

Third Set – Rafael Nadal will serve first.

0-0: An obscene 2nd serve I-O FH return winner from Djokovic makes it 0-30. Nadal then badly misses a short FH, and it’s 0-40. He challenged it, but it was well out. A fantastic, deep return by Djokovic is followed by a thundering CC FH, which forces the error. Novak Djokovic has taken the early break!

1-0, Djokovic: Djokovic is flying high now. He slides into a dropper winner from a tough angle. Nadal now with the miscues – a FH DTL goes wide. 30-0. FH UFE by Djokovic, 30-15. Ace out wide, 40-15. BH UFE by Djokovic, 40-30. Djokovic then gets a look at a straightforward FH volley…but sends it right back at Nadal, who blasts a BH pass that Djokovic can’t handle. Deuce. A long, brutal rally ensues and ends with a Nadal BH DTL UFE. AD-Djokovic. Ace up the T, and Djokovic has held.

Stats Update: I can’t get over the fact that Djokovic was 9 of 10 on net approaches in that 2nd set and Nadal was just 4 for 7. Talk about role reversal.

2-0, Djokovic: A FH UFE by Nadal makes it 15-30. A glorious point from Nadal ensues – he hits a great wide serve, I-O FH, and a simple volley. But later, at 40-30, Djokovic drives a CC FH for a winner. Then follows that up with a FH DTL RW. AD-Djokovic. It’s saved via a BH CC UFE from Djokovic – not a shot that was supposed to be a winner, either. Deuce #2. Then, a piece of magic from Nadal: a FH dropper winner out of nowhere. So, so very good. AD-Nadal. 2nd serve. Another BH UFE from Djokovic, and Nadal has held to stay within striking distance.

2-1, Djokovic: An ill-advised S&V ploy goes awry for Djokovic – Nadal’s pass was hit into his shoelaces. But then, Djokovic hits a pretty dropper for 15-all, and a huge I-O FH winner for 30-15. I-I FH UFE by Nadal, 40-15. SW up the T seals the hold.

3-1, Djokovic: A nifty short BH by Djokovic from the service line makes it 0-15, and then Nadal levels the game at 15-all. SW into the body, 30-15. SW again, 40-15. BH DTL UFE by Djokovic, and Nadal has held.

This set feels far, far from over. The match? Even further away. This is what happens when two exceptional athletes decide to lock horns in a battle of wills. They will go at until their body falters.

3-2, Djokovic: Djokovic seems to have put Nadal in a corner…but then misses the short I-O FH. 0-15. He doesn’t make the same error the next time around: 15-all. BH DTL UFE by Djokovic, 15-30. Brutal I-O FH by Djokovic, 30-all. Nadal BH UFE, 40-30. A glorious CC FH by Nadal forces Djokovic’s error, and it’s Deuce. Wild FH UFE by Djokovic, an it’s AD-Nadal. 2nd serve…and it’s a horrible 2nd ball BH UFE by Djokovic. That wasn’t even close -it missed by a mile. Rafael Nadal is back on serve!

3-3: FH UFE by Djokovic, 15-0. Nadal then stops play after a super deep Djokovic return up the middle, and he’s right, but not by much. 30-0. 2nd serve… Djokovic goes on the offensive, gets a look at a swinging volley, hits it straight at Nadal, and then puts an accessible volley wide. 40-0. 2nd serve… and it’s Nadal’s 1st DF of the match. No trouble, though – Djokovic sends a FH UFE long, and Nadal has held.

4-3, Nadal: Huge FH DTL by Djokovic, and forces the error. 15-0. Ace out wide, 30-0. I-O FH UFE by Djokovic, 30-15. I-O FH winner by Djokovic, 40-15. Then Novak hits a silly I-I approach straight at Nadal, but the Spaniard’s pass can’t get over the net.

Crunch time, here we are.

4-4: This key game opens with Djokovic sending a dropper towards Nadal, and lobbing the return over him. 0-15 after the GOLAZO. Nadal then stumbles as he’s trying to run around his BH, but gets back up. 0-30. A ridiculous return by Djokovic lands smack on the line, and it’s 0-40. Insane FH DTL winner by Nadal to save the first BP. Off a very good Djokovic return, too. Crazy, crazy shot. 15-40. Nadal challenges a serve up the T, but it was indeed long by very little. 2nd serve. The men play a strange, slice-filled point, that ends when Djokovic hits a FH flatfooted…and dumps it into the net. 30-40. Ace up the T, and the 3 BPs have been saved. 125 mphs. The definition of clutch. An impeccable 2nd serve smacks the line, Djokovic survives it, but then sends a BH CC wide. 2nd serve… Djokovic gets a super deep return, the wind starts to wreak havoc, and Nadal can’t put a slice over the net. FH UFE by Djokovic, and it’s AD-Nadal, who ends up holding after a simple and emphatic smash.

Obviously huge game – will it have any consequences?

5-4, Nadal: Huge I-O FH winner by Djokovic to get us started. Another I-O FH winner, 30-0. Then, another point that can’t be done justice by mere words. Insane. Nadal takes this one, though. 30-15. I-I FH UFE by Djokovic, 30-all. A great serve up the T results in a simple, short FH…but Djokovic nets it. BP & SP for Nadal. A glorious point ensues, with Djokovic pinning Nadal on his BH corner. Nadal gets out of it with his CC BH, and as soon as he gets a look at a FH DTL, he absolutely murders it. Unbelievable point, unbelievable shot. Rafael Nadal is up 2 sets to 1!

Third Set to Rafael Nadal, 6-4.

Here are your 3rd set stats: 

Third Set – Rafael Nadal will serve first.

0-0: FH UFE by Nadal, 15-30. Then, a bad dropper by Nadal sees Djokovic absolutely botch the counter. 30-all (had Djokovic made that shot, he would’ve had 2 BPs). Then, an incredible rally ensues, with Nadal hitting another dropper, but failing to follow it into the net. Djokovic somehow carves it up, and sends it CC for a winner. 30-40. Djokovic then tries to go for a big I-I FH, but sends it well wide. Tough shot to hit – Nadal was waiting in the corner anyway. Deuce #1. Soon after, Djokovic has another BP. It’s saved via a fantastic wide serve by Nadal…but wait – it’s challenged and shown to be out. 2nd serve. Djokovic then comes to net a little early, and can’t handle Nadal’s CC pass. AD-Nadal. A brutal FH DTL by Nadal results in an easy smash opportunity, and Nadal has held.

Stats Update: 

Break point conversions
Nadal 5 of 8
Djokovic 3 of 11#usopen

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) September 10, 2013

1-0, Nadal: Djokovic botches a simple BH putaway, and then fires away an I-O FH UFE. 0-30. My stream dies, but comes back in time to see Djokovic down 0-40. First BP is saved by a S&V play that looked extremely simple. 15-40. Djokovic then gets incredibly lucky when a regulation BH hits the netcord and dies on Nadal’s side of the court. 30-40. However, disaster strikes, as Djokovic decides to hit an I-O FH approach, decides not to charge the net, which allows him to stand and watch Nadal’s FH DTL go by him. Nadal with the early break!

2-0, Nadal: After a SW, 15-all. BH UFE by Djokovic off a Nadal BH slice, 30-15. FH DTL UFE by Djokovic, 40-15. BH DTL winner by Nadal off a short return by Djokovic, and it’s a pretty straightforward consolidation hold.

The finish line does not seem that far away now. Rafael Nadal has come up with a spectacular performance, just when things looked pretty dire for him.

3-0, Nadal: Djokovic can’t get to net soon enough, but he ends up botching the volley anyway. 0-15. FH UFE by Nadal, 15-all. A great CC BH by Djokovic off a short return by Nadal, 30-15. Now a fantastic CC FH by Djokovic, and it’s 40-15. SW, and Djokovic has stopped the bleeding.

5 straight games were won by Nadal, starting with the hold from 0-40 down. Any chance to stay in this match mandating holding there.

3-1, Nadal: FH UFE by Nadal, 0-15. Then…a brutal rally that ends with Djokovic hitting a pretty great BH slice approach DTL, but Nadal somehow still passing him with a CC BH. 15-all. Insane I-O FH by Nadal, and it’s 30-15. FH UFE by Djokovic, 40-15. Rinse and repeat, after a masterful serve up the T, and Nadal has held. 2 games away from the title.

Gonzo asking if they're inventing another sport. Amazing. RT @elfergonzalez: Están jugando tenis o inventando otro deporte ?

— Brodie (@MindTheRacket) September 10, 2013

4-1, Nadal: Djokovic executes a pretty FH volley, and it’s 15-0. Then, Djokovic plays with fire, as he hits a very easy volley straight at Nadal, who almost gets to it. FH UFE by Djokovic, 30-15. FH UFE by Djokovic, 30-all. BH DTL UFE by Djokovic, so now it’s BP for Nadal. Nadal gets a look at an I-O FH, blasts it, comes to net, and almost botches the easy volley. Still, he breaks. He’ll serve for the US Open now. 

5-1, Nadal: Nadal comes forward after a great I-O FH approach, and smashes away the volley. 15-all. Great wide serve, followed by a simple FH behind Djokovic. 30-15. SW into the body, and it’s double championship point. The match ends on a Djokovic FH into the net…Rafael Nadal has won his 2nd US Open title!

Celebration time (GETTY) pic.twitter.com/DfyuBp9gx4

— Joe Fleming (@ByJoeFleming) September 10, 2013

Very, very, very good season working for Nadal … (USAT) pic.twitter.com/rccbl9xs1z

— Joe Fleming (@ByJoeFleming) September 10, 2013

 https://twitter.com/ByJoeFleming/status/377230035150585857

Game, Set and Match to Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1-

Here are your full match stats: 

Final Thoughts

That was some final, no? Two contemporary greats pushed each other to some amazing highs, and just when you thought one of them had complete control of the match, out came the other and took it up yet another notch.

That’s what happens when you have two ultra-talented competitors whose skill sets match-up in ways that force each other to come up with different solutions to the myriad of problems they present to each other. And the fascinating thing is that they actually find those solutions. Because they know that whoever doesn’t will simply finish second.

The rivalry is an ongoing conversation , and today their dialogue intensified in the second and third sets. As we saw, Nadal was extremely sharp to start the match. He was executing his more-than-adequate gameplan almost flawlessly. Novak Djokovic didn’t have bad ideas, and his execution wasn’t all that bad (indeed, it was better than during his first set against Nadal in Montreal a few weeks ago). And yet, Nadal took the first set easily.

The match heated up in the second set, just as Rafael Nadal seemed to be completely in control. Out of nowhere, we got a glimpse of 2011 Novak Djokovic. The Serb stopped being erratic, stopped showing frustration at every great Nadal shot or every development that didn’t go his way. He was calm, he was collected, and his tennis was beautiful. You can actually pinpoint the moment when 2011 Djokovic appeared: it was during the instant-YouTube 54-stroke rally, which remains one of the great points I’ve ever seen over the years. Yes, Djokovic got broken right back, but that 54-stroke point would start a streak of 5 games won out of 7: Djokovic went from being down a set to Rafael Nadal to being tied at 1 set all, and up a break in the third set.

Nadal looked rattled – he was broken in the decisive break in that second set on a pretty terrible drop shot. The kind of badly chosen shot Rafael Nadal rarely throws out there. The tide seem to have turned, and the Spaniard seemed to be facing the man who once beat him 7 straight times (pause for a minute and remember that someone actually did beat Nadal 7 straight times. Seems absurd, right?). And then, instead of panicking, instead of folding, Nadal simply fought like crazy to stay within striking distance, and like he said in his Spanish interview for ESPN Deportes, weather the storm that was falling on him.

The storm was Novak Djokovic, and he had a break point that would’ve seen him go up 2 breaks, a lead that is rarely overcome whenever these two play each other. Nadal survived that third game, and a few minutes later, somehow got the match back on serve. He still had some more adversity to overcome: at 4-all, the scoreboard read 0-40 on his own serve. A break there would’ve more or less guaranteed the set for Djokovic, who would’ve had all sorts of momentum to clinch the title in the fourth set.  But alas, Nadal survived once again, and not only that, but he saw an opportunity.

The opportunity didn’t last all that long, and actually, he had to create it for himself. It was at set point in the following game. Nadal found himself caged in his backhand corner, as he had been during the 2011 matches against his Serbian rival. But Nadal fought his way out of it with a great crosscourt backhand, caught Djokovic by surprise, and had one look at an I-O FH. And there was not an ounce of doubt in his body about whether he should go for that shot at that moment in time. In essence, that was the shot that won Rafael Nadal the 2013 US Open.

(Along with the many hundreds he had to hit throughout the match, but still.)

That was quite a blow for the World No. 1 (who still holds that honor, but not for long). 2011 Djokovic disappeared, and in came 2012/2013 Djokovic, full of doubts, he of the unreliable backhand and faltering execution in big matches. And in front of him was a rival who would not gift him anything for the rest of the night. In fact, Djokovic would only win one more game in the match. On a hardcourt. At a tournament he’s made the final 4 straight times now.

*****

If you ever want to see a master tactician in play, watch Rafael Nadal play tennis. If you ever want to watch a fierce competitor battle adversity and find solutions to all sorts of problems, go watch Rafael Nadal play tennis. If you want to watch a man fight for every point like his life depended on it, go watch Rafael Nadal play tennis.

Heck, even watching him practice might do the trick.

Through the years, Nadal’s career has been belittled by the sort of notion that what he does is “just” effort. It’s just “fight.” It’s just “physical.” As if there were no skill other than doggedness, persistence and natural gifts to what he is. Which of course, is what the British would simply classify as “bollocks.”

Simply put, you will never see anybody compete on an athletic field like Rafael Nadal. It won’t happen again. And maybe when he’s long retired and they show some of his matches, this simple thought will become quite evident.

Also, you won’t see that forehand ever again (indeed, that shot could be the focus of a 5000 word piece on its own). You probably won’t find a better problem-solver out there, either: a man who knows when to throw in a backhand slice, an unexpected angle, or rush the net at the absolute perfect time of a rally.

So enjoy him while he’s out there. And if you just came to tennis, look for some of his classic matches. It’ll be more than worth it.

*****

As for Novak Djokovic, I’ll allow myself to be harsher. Mainly because it finally dawned on me what’s been happening in the past two years. It’s not really all that surprising or complicated: Novak Djokovic has plateaued. And that plateau might be turning into a downward slope at the moment. Djokovic didn’t seem to learn the key lesson from the Federer-Nadal years: that you have to keep improving all the time, particularly when you reach the top. You can’t relax in professional tennis. Or you can, but then things won’t go as well as you’d like.

In 2011, Novak Djokovic fully realized his potential. So much improved that year. But very little has improved since. In fact, a couple of areas of his game have deteriorated. His backhand is now liable to leak errors at any given time (today he had 20 UFEs off that wing alone, and that’s just groundstrokes). That’s the cornerstone of his baseline game, and it’s far from reliable. Djokovic can be seen coming to net a lot more these days – today he was there 32 times. But we’re talking about someone who wasn’t blessed with natural transition instincts. That’s never been his forte. And yet, he keeps coming. Today he won only 61% of the points at net. Nadal? He only came in 24 times, and won 74% of the points. That seems like a much healthier number to me.

You see, the point isn’t to add a new shot, a new scheme or what not. The point is to be so good at your core shots that you don’t miss them. In terms of groundstroke UFEs, Nadal had 9 with his FH and 9 with his BH today. That’s it. And it’s not like Rafael was just pushing the ball out there – he was blistering the ball constantly. And yet, 9 FH UFEs. That’s the level that’s needed to win a Grand Slam if Rafael Nadal is on the other side of the net.

I actually liked seeing how angry Djokovic seemed as he waited in his chair for the trophy ceremony, and during said presentation. He should be. He’s in his physical prime (he’s said so himself many times), and his tennis is fully mature. But it’s not good enough to survive his blips of inconsistencies. That’s simply the truth.

Novak proved once before that he can rise to the level of an all-time great. We saw glimpses of that version of himself today. But they need to be more than glimpses so that he can avoid seasons like this one, where he’s won a GS, made 2 other Major finals, and yet, it seems like a lot of opportunities were wasted.

One of the main things Djokovic did in 2011 was throw himself into the challenge that was Rafael Nadal. In their many matches that year Djokovic prevailed for many reasons, but chiefly among them was the explicit willingness that he would match Nadal’s intensity, Nadal’s insane competitive drive, step by step, all the way into the abyss.

Now the challenge is to do that same thing, all over again. It has to happen in every match, in every tournament. No single event should be a priority – that’s a trap that should be avoided. Every practice session, every first rounder, every single match is an opportunity to get back to that level.

Which is kind of a comforting thought, I think.