AGE IS JUST A NUMBER… RIGHT? ROS SATAR’S 2015 US OPEN TENNIS WRAP

Written by: Staff on 14th September 2015

Martina Hingis of Switzerland (L) and Sania Mirza of India (R) celebrate with the championship trophy after defeating Casey Dellacqua of Australia and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhastan in the women's doubles final on the fourteenth day of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 13 September 2015. The US Open runs through 13 September, which is a return to a 14-day schedule. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO

epa04928947 Martina Hingis of Switzerland (L) and Sania Mirza of India (R) celebrate with the championship trophy after defeating Casey Dellacqua of Australia and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhastan in the women's doubles final on the fourteenth day of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 13 September 2015. The US Open runs through 13 September, which is a return to a 14-day schedule. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

Well that’s what I try and tell myself as I creak my way down the stairs of a morning, thinking about a work-out… because it is the thought that counts, apparently.

We suspected a 30-something would reign in the women’s final – we had no idea it would be one of the most loved women on the tour who stole the show with her retirement as well as her smile.

And we saw another (partnered by an almost-there!) reign supreme again in a fantastic display of doubles skill and technique. Closing out the last day of finals, Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza are every bit as dominant now on the top of the rankings having won their second straight title in New York.

Facing Casey Dellacqua, still searching for an elusive Slam title, and Yaroslava Shvedova, who postponed her wedding, the World No. 1s struck first early in the first set for a 3-1 lead. They were broken straight back but slapped back again to edge the first set and took the wind out of their opponent’s sails with a break right at the start of the second set.

There was another tit-for-tat trading of breaks but the last one was the bruiser as the pair backed up with their Wimbledon win, 6-4 6-4.

That makes it five titles for the par, since they partnered up at Indian Wells, and for Hingis, it was her second US Open doubles title – winning her first in 1998.

“It feels like I’m doing it all over again,” she said. “But I’m not thinking, ‘Okay, the last time was 18 years ago.’ What counts for me is right now, today, in this moment. I know I have the support and the trust that I have for her shots and for her game, and it builds up every time we step out together.”

“We try to help each other out if the other one is struggling. That’s kind of the key,” Mirza said.

“We’re happy to win our second Slam together. We didn’t think that this was going to happen so soon. Hopefully we can keep building. We’re the No.1 team in the world, so we have to keep building on this.”

But the main act was yet to come – with Roger Federer bidding once more to add an 18th Slam title to his collection. Thanks to the weather though, what should have been a day-time match became a night time feature and Federer had looked to be in control throughout the tournament.

The fact that the much vaunted SABR (Sneak Attack by Roger – his practice of moving to the service line to return) had garnered so much debate meant that a new narrative was taking form – how this sneaky tactic was “unfair” – since when is trying to win a point in tennis by any means imaginable unfair, may I ask?

So enter the “night match” gladiators. Three hours delay had not dented their drive as Federer weathered a seven-minute hold before Djokovic nabbed a first break. The Swiss put a stop to that with a break straight back and the World No. 1 took a tumble which probably rattled his nerves a little, but hung on to steal the first set.

Federer kept on with his aggressive push, but Djokovic’s defence was solid, saving five break points but he was rewarded as Djokovic’s level dipped to give Federer a chance to smack a winner off a short ball to set the stage for a best of three shoot out.

The story of the third set hinged on SABRs and grinding from the baseline, and there Federer needed to be less passive and keep that pressure on, and after early trades of breaks, it took just one late break to hand Djokovic the 2-1 advantage.

Momentum is everything on occasions like this, and starting the fourth set with a break put the 17-time Grand Slam champion on the back foot. A second break made it look all but hopeless – but Federer battled back with a break back and a hold to force Djokovic to serve it out.

Roger Federer of Switzerland misses an overhead return to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the men’s final on the fourteenth day of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 13 September 2015. The US Open runs through 13 September, which is a return to a 14-day schedule. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO

With the crowd firmly behind the five-time consecutive champion Federer, Djokovic had to earn his second title – Federer had three chances to mount a comeback but could not crack the Serbian who lifted his second title 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4.

So title 18 eludes Federer in 2015, but with Rio 2016 on the horizon and another year mixin it at the top of the rankings, Federer was still able to take the positives.

“There is definitely consolation it’s been a great stretch all the way for many months now.

“Also to receive the crowd support that I did receive. I don’t consider that normal. I always say. Say like it feels like you’re winning, as well, but I felt like I was sort of up in the score, they kept me going, and that’s definitely one of the reasons I still keep playing, because of these moments, goose bump moments. It’s great.

“Yeah, surely I am very disappointed. Like you said, I had my chances on my racquet. I should never been down in the score the way I was. But Novak did a great job of fending them off, and, you know, all of that.

“It was a tough night, but still, I don’t know, thrilling at the same time.”

Djokovic knows that he has not seen the last of the SABR:

“He played great tennis throughout the entire year. I think as the season was going by he was elevating his game. He was improving. Now he came up with a different shot, as well, the shot that nobody has ever seen.

“And it’s been working well also against me in Cincinnati and also here. He’s just not going away. He’s not dropping his level too much. You know, I was saying on the court that he’s always going to be out there making you play your best if you want to win.

“So that’s who Roger is. That’s why he has won so many Grand Slam titles.

“And I knew that coming to the court. I knew he’s going to be aggressive. He’s going to try to disrupt my rhythm, and he’s going to put a lot of variety in his game. slice, chip and charge, come to the net, serve and volley. Which he did.”

For someone that many wrote off after an injury-blighted 2013, Federer is still very much a danger for the immediate future. While the Slams are all done and dusted now, there are the final Masters and of course the World Tour Finals – this rivalry is not done yet.

A couple of Swiss Tidbits

· Hingis now as 20 Grand Slam titles of various flavours – five singles, 11 doubles and four mixed doubles, including scooping the mixed with Leander Paes at this year’s US Open.

· This rivalry between Djokovic and Federer is now almost a decade old and is now set at 21-21 and now only the rivalry between Djokovic and Rafael Nadal tops the Open Era list (44).

· This was Federer and Djokovic’s 14th Grand Slam encounter – a record for the most meetings at the Slams.

· Is age just a number? This year would suggest NO. Ability and passion for the sport? Well that’s another thing entirely! We’ll be back for that hotbed of nationalistic fervour – The Davis Cup semi-final between GB and Australia.

Ros Satar is a regular contributor to 10sballs.com and runs Britwatch Sports (@britwatchsports), because we Brits like watching sport. Occasionally we’re good at it.

Topics: Atp World Tour, Doubles tennis, Flavia Pennetta, Martina Hingis, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Ros Satar, Sania Mirza, Sports, Tennis News, US Open final, Wta

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10sBalls_com says:

September 14, 2015 at 9:39 am

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER… RIGHT? ROS SATAR’S 2015 US OPEN TENNIS WRAP- http://t.co/spB6Btrgyi @rfsatar #USOpen2015 #USOpen #tennis