Inside The Open – Recap of Day 13, Djokovic, Nadal, Williams

Written by: Staff on 11th September 2011

Inside The Open - Recap of Day 13, Djokovic, Nadal, Williams

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after winning a long point from Roger Federer of Switzerland during their Semifinal round match on the thirteenth day of the 2011 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA 10 September 2011. The US Open has been extended due to weather for the fourth year in a row and the men's final will now be played on 12 September 2011. EPA/JUSTIN LANE |

Inside the Open

DJOKOVIC VS. NADAL FINAL SET FOR MONDAY: Yes, it seems strange to think about and even stranger to write it: 16-time Grand Slam champion and arguably the best player of all time Roger Federer will go the year without a Slam, the first time since 2002 that’s happened.

And it was devastating to have occurred the same way he lost last year and to the same player, twice just one point away from winning the match.

But serving for the match at 5-3 in the fifth and final set, Federer could only watch as Novak Djokovic pulled off two of the most clutch points in US Open history. The first came on a laser forehand return winner on a 108 mph serve that caught the line and the second on a return of serve that jammed him, although it was hit back just good enough for Federer to hit his net cord return wide.

“I would lie if I say I didn’t think I’m going to lose,” Djokovic said. “It was a gamble.”

Said Federer: “There’s no more I could do. He snaps one shot, and then the whole thing changes.”

With the 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory, the 24-year-old Djokovic is now 63-2 on the season and called Saturday’s win the biggest of all the 63 this year, including his win at Wimbledon.

But the biggest test is still to come as he will face last year’s Open winner Rafael Nadal in the Monday final. Nadal ended Andy Murray’s run, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

Djokovic is already thinking about his last 10 sets against Nadal, nine of which he has won. In fact, in compiling one of the greatest seasons of all time, Djokovic has beaten Nadal all five times they have met this season and on all three surfaces: clay, grass and hard court.

So there’s one more dance to dance in New York for Djokovic. We think a first US Open title is his for the taking.

SERENA, SERENA, SERENA: The three-time US Open women’s singles champion left little doubt who the “true” No. 1 player in the world is with her 6-2, 6-4 trouncing over Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals.

She’s been unbeatable on the hard courts this summer (18-0) so there’s no reason to believe she won’t get it done against Sam Stosur in the final on Sunday. “I’m so happy,” Williams said. “Especially with 9/11, to be an American and still in the tournament. I really want to play tomorrow on such a special day for America.”

The stat of the day came after the first set: Wozniacki had zero winners, 10 unforced errors and zero points won at the net. Williams on the other hand won 17 points at the net on 21 visits there.

It will be a long winter for Wozniacki, who can take pride in being in being No. 1 in the world, but still without a Slam. “I’m still No. 1 in the ranking and No. 1 in the race,” she said. “No one can take that away from me.”

STOSUR QUIETLY WALTZES INTO SEMIFINAL: While all the excitement of the day was going on over at Ashe, the Grandstand Court was playing host to the “other” big match of the day, the women’s semifinal between Australian Sam Stosur and German surprise Angelique Kerber.

Stosur came out on top 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, to reach her second career Grand Slam final. She took a commanding 5-0 in the final set and then lost her serve before clinching.

“That third set, I just tried to settle down and remember what my game plan was,” said Stour, the Queenslander who will be the first Australian women to play an Open final in Flushing Meadows. The last to do so was Wendy Turnbull in 1977, a year before the tournament was moved from Forest Hills to the current site. “It’s pretty hard to describe, it’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”

The last Australian woman to win the U.S. Open was Margaret Court in 1973, while the last to win any grand slam was Evonne Goolagong-Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980.

Kerber was making only her fourth semifinal appearance at any tour event. She’s projected to rise to a career-high No. 34 after her Open breakthrough. Since 1983, only five other players ranked outside the top 90 have reached a Grand Slam semifinal.

LATE DOUBLES RESULT: In the men’s doubles final, Austrian Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner of Germany beat Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland, 6-2, 6-2.

JUNIORS UPDATE: In the boys’ final on Court 11 beginning at noon, top-seeded Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic will play No. 13 Oliver Golding of Great Britain. In the Junior Boys’ Doubles Final Robin Kern and Julian Lenz of Germany meet Maxim Dubarenco of Moldova and Vladyslav Manafov of Ukraine.

In the girls’ singles final, unseeded American Grace Min of Duluth, Ga., will have her hands full against top-seeded Caroline Garcia of France. In the doubles final American wild cards Taylor Townsend, 15 and Gabby Andrews, 14, will play Irina Khromacheva of Russia and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands, the No. 6 seeds.

WHEELCHAIR UPDATE: In the wheelchair men’s final to follow both boys matches on Court 11, top-seeded Shingo Kunieda of Japan takes on unseeded Stephane Houdet of France. In the women’s final top-seeded Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands will play countrywoman Aniek Van Koot. In the quad singles final, David Wagner of the U.S. plays Peter Norfolk of Great Britain.

SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE:

Arthur Ashe Stadium, Starting at 1 p.m.

1. Women’s Doubles – Finals

Vania King (USA)[3] v. Liezel Huber (USA)[4]

Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)[3] Lisa Raymond (USA)[4]

Not Before:4:30 PM

2. Women’s Singles – Finals

Serena Williams (USA)[2] v. Sam Stosur (AUS)[9]

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