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Highlights: Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open final
NEW YORK – At a random meeting Saturday morning, I came across the 1988 US Open champion, Mats Wilander, an affable man with an agile spirit and an inner vision of the game that few people can match. Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro. His answer was clear and unequivocal. He said, "I think Novak is just a little too good for everyone."
I was thinking of this comment as Djokovic reduced the imposing Del Potro with immense clinical efficiency and determination, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3, to secure his third title at the US Open and his 14th title in the majors. thus becoming equal with the beautiful Pete Sampras in this last category. Djokovic was brilliant in his approach to the match. He was too good for the Argentine in his reverse to reverse the trade, and that was one of the keys to his victory.
But Djokovic was determined to show from the start that he was not afraid of Del Potro's famous forehand, one of the most explosive blows of modern tennis. Time and again, he challenged the champion of the US Open 2009 when he went forehand to forehand. Along the way, Djokovic neutralized Del Potro and stripped his legs. In particular, Djokovic harmed Del Potro with great crosscourt favorites, pulling the tall man up, making mistakes with impeccable placement and impressive pace.
To a very large extent, Djokovic played this final in his own way, never allowing his opponent to set an easy pace, refusing to let Del Potro sparkle for the winners. insight. Djokovic had to work hard during the battle. Only 14% of his services have not been rendered by an opponent with a very long span. But Djokovic has irreversibly injured Del Potro with his large share of service in the second half, opening ways to keep the Argentinian on the run, probing every point, continually punishing a tired opponent with a neat presentation on the slow track under the roof. Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Photos of Anita Aguilar
Up to 3-3 in the first set, neither player had the advantage. Del Potro had 12 points out of 14 while Djokovic had won 13 of 19. The Serb, number 6, had not yet found a way to threaten Del Potro with his return leg. But the set has definitely been changed in the next two games. Djokovic, more confident and freer, held on for 4-3. Argentina, seeded No. 3, took the advantage of having a 40-0 lead with an ace off the eighth.
Yet, that did not happen. Djokovic caused Del Potro's forehand error to raise the score to 40-15. Then, the biggest return of the game blocked a right forehand return on 131 M.P.H. First serve of Del Potro, who missed a forehand for a long time: 40-30. Djokovic fired a cross shot to win a shot on a Del Potro shot: deuce. Now, Del Potro missed another forehand on the course to fall behind, as the depth and direction of Djokovic's forehand was unstoppable.
And so, suddenly and unexpectedly, Del Potro was in a stalemate that he could not have anticipated, breaking point. This critical exchange lasted 22 rounds, starting with a 130 M.P.H. First serve the reverse of Djokovic that the Serb has managed to recover with interest. But on the 23rd stroke, compromised by another blow from Djokovic, Del Potro missed.
With a timely break with a remarkable five-point run from 40-0 down, Djokovic had a 5-3 lead. Serving for the set, a volley winner from top to back took him to 30-15 before losing the backhand to bring the score to 30-30. A first served beautifully placed wide at 104 M.P.H. Djokovic raised to 40-30 while the Argentinian was driving a long comeback. He sealed the set by outclassing Del Potro on the 18th shot of an extended rally.
Djokovic had significantly improved his game in the last three games of the first set, and his Masters continued at the start of the second round. Del Potro managed to save some break points in the first match, but Djokovic managed to break through the third match and held 3-1. He had won six of his seven games in this excellent run, and the 2011 and 2015 champions seemed quite capable of fleeing and winning.
Del Potro did not want to be part of this scenario. He held on to 30 in the fifth match and beat Djokovic for 3-3 in a draw, taking advantage of a pair of untrained errors to get that boost.
With this surprising turnaround, Del Potro rose to 30-0 in the next match with a forehand and ace with 125 m.H. to finish a game of love. Del Potro had won three consecutive games. His implacable followers in the audience sang. The entire stadium was as charged as at any stage of the match.
It was surprisingly obvious that when Djokovic served at 3-4, the chips would be on the line and Argentina would continue another break at full service. This eighth crucial match of the second set would go eight times. The tension was palpable. Both actors recognized the magnitude of this moment. They understood exactly what was at stake.
For Djokovic, the problem started at 40-30 when he used a drop to set up a volley of flips, but he flagrantly missed the end. Del Potro would then double to allow a winner to win a break point, but a heavy shot from Djokovic on the back of Delpo made a mistake. And so on. In all, Djokovic scored five points and Del Potro had three break points before the Serb seized the marathon by scathingly tilting a right-handed crosscourt to force a right-foot shot from Del's right-back. Potro.
At various stages of the match, on his return to 4-4, Djokovic implored the crowd to encourage him, seeking their approval, hoping they would answer his serious calls. Large pockets of spectators roared for Del Potro, and Djokovic surely had memories of his victory over Roger Federer in the final in 2015, with 99% of the crowd that seemed to want to face his venerated opponent.
In any case, both players held comfortably 4-4 in the tie-break. Del Potro conceded only three points in his two service matches, while Djokovic conceded only one. The stage was set for a tie-break that was imperative for both players. The second set would last no less than 95 minutes, leaving both players exhausted. But losing him after throwing everything he had physically and emotionally to succeed was going to be a devastating blow to one or the other man.
After Djokovic set up an immediate mini-break, Del Potro won the next three points for a 3-1 lead. He had Djokovic in defense and the Serb made a forehand in the middle. Del Potro went to get the winner but shot a shot that would have been slightly more difficult than it seemed.
Now, Djokovic served for 2 or 3 years. He attacked behind a formidable forehand approach, easily setting a 3-3 backlog. Then, Djokovic came back on the forehand with a delayed approach, and Del Potro was caught off guard, cutting his backhand pass down the line. Do it 4-3 for Djokovic. Having lost three points in a row, Del Potro needed the next one.
He managed to get it, reaching 4-4 on an unprovoked backhand error of Djokovic. But Djokovic made a strong comeback in the middle of the field and Del Potro took the bait, leading a forehand into the net. Djokovic had turned the corner for good. Serving at 5-4, he was exceptional. He played that point with absolute control and purpose, masterfully defeating his rival until, after 17 moves, Del Potro missed his forehand on a forehand that was not in the cards. At 6-4, Djokovic was equally impressive, hitting a crosscourt in forehand at a sharp angle, inviting Del Potro to make a forehand in goal.
Djokovic underestimated the clutch effort by finishing the tie-break by capturing six of the last seven points. The 31-year-old was now in front of two sets to love each other, and Del Potro knew full well that sweeping three consecutive sets would be almost impossible. When Djokovic took a 3-1 lead in the third set, he seemed much cooler, but Del Potro continued to compete with the same depth of determination. Djokovic had two points for the 4-1 game, but did not convert, missing a crosscourt with two routine shots and being beaten by a weak return when he tried to serve and thrash the ball. other.
It was not quite finished after all. Del Potro recovered to 3-3 and even had 15-30 with Djokovic in the service of the seventh match, but that was enough. Djokovic was not stunned, keeping 4-3 on a three-in-a-row streak, breaking to 15 for 5-3, and ending the match with a 30-take, putting aside an overhead to end the match.
For the third time in his career, Djokovic has swept the double Wimbledon-US Open, achieving this remarkable achievement as he had already done in 2011 and 2015. It will surely exceed Sampras on the list of all men in singles. Major at one point soon enough, and perhaps bridging the gap between him and Rafael Nadal (who holds 17 Grand Slam title titles) for second place. He might even one day surpass the Spaniard.
Djokovic is now clearly the best player in the world, although the ATP ranking does not yet officially reflect it. He is in second place behind Nadal in the ATP Race to London, and he will almost certainly finish 2018 at the top of the rankings.
Asked about his incredible turnaround after missing the second half of last year and achieving his normal goals this year before and after an elbow operation, he said, "If To win Wimbledon, US Open and Cincinnati this would be hard to believe. But at the same time, there was always a part of meowing that always imagined and believed and I hoped to be able to quickly return to the desired level of tennis. To be honest and honest, I thought that after the surgery, I would be back very quickly. But, you know, it took me three or four months.
"In this process, I learned a lot about myself, I learned to be patient, which was never really a stronger side of me. But at the same time, life has taught me that it takes time to do good things, that it takes time to really build them, that things get set up so that you can center yourself , balance and prosper. The last two months have been great.
WATCH – An interview with the champion, Novak Djokovic:
The next few months and beyond could be pretty much the same. I'm expecting Djokovic to finish this year in force and head to 2019. After these two previous years where he won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2011 and 2015, Djokovic moved to Melbourne and there. won the victory. I believe this will likely happen again by coming back to Australia in early 2019. He is playing one of the best tennis of his career, and the feeling is great that he will maintain his excellence for a while.
Djokovic is a top-level champion, and maybe now, after all he's been through, after a spectacular comeback in 2018, he'll finally get the recognition he deserves for what he is and what he did in one of the great eras. in the world of tennis.
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