The final of the US Open had all the chance of being one of the greatest matches of the year. It didn't disappoint. The match was won in four sets by Djokovic against Nadal. The final score was 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1.
The first game really set the tone for the whole match with terrific ball striking from both players. You had the feeling right from the start this was going to be an epic. Nadal drew first blood in the opening set. It was a great start to the match from the former World No1. A great response though from the Serb and he broke straight back 2-1 in the opening set.
Djokovic went on to hold his serve and then an incredibly tight game on Rafa's serve where Djokovic played some breath taking tennis to get himself up in the match for the first time 3-2 Djokovic. Another great game in this set, Djokovic wins it though and the following game on Nadal's serve Djokovic wins it in some style. That was his 5th game in a row! Djokovic won the first set 6-2 with the shortest game of the match. Nadal looked like he had a lack of confidence as he played too far away from the baseline.
Nadal stops the run of six straight lost games by winning the first in the second set comfortably on his serve. Nadal then broke Djokovic to take an early lead in the second set. 2-0 Nadal. After an epic 17 minute long game with spectacular hitting Djokovic got the break back 2-1! Djokovic went on to hold his serve and look to attack Nadal on Nadal's serve. Djokovic was on rampage and managed to break Nadal again! Many were getting the feeling of "Déjá Vu". 3-2 Djokovic second set.
The Serb held serve to put even more pressure on the Spaniard. It was a must win game for the former world No1. Another terrific game in the match was played out. Nadal after a tricky game somehow managed to hold serve and then in another epic game Nadal played the best tennis of his life and broke back to get both men back on serve!
A faulty game not to remember from Nadal as Djokovic took the initiative and broke again. 5-4 Djokovic second set. He then held his serve to close out a tough second set 6-4.
A good start to the third set from Nadal saw him hold his serve to love but Djokovic wasn't going to let Nadal get an early advantage like he had done in the past two sets and held his own serve. Djokovic charged in front by breaking the Nadal serve once again to get a very important break in the third set. Nadal broke back though to bring the score back to 2-2.
Game after Game they continued to produce one of the most watchable matches I had ever seen. The average of a game in the match was over 6 minutes for sure. It was as if they had forgotten how to hold serve! To be perfectly honest there were literally to many talking points in each game that my brain couldn't keep up.
Djokovic broke for the eighth time in the match to give the score 3-2. Nadal broke back though once again. 3-3 third set! Nadal held serve playing like a man on a mission. 4-3 Nadal.
Eventually Novak Djokovic held his serve. 4-4 in the third. Two confident holds in a row from Nadal 5-4. A hold from Djokovic put the set at 5-5. An Exceptional series of points from Djokovic brought him to another break of Nadal's serve and he had a chance to take the match and championship. On 15-15 the best point ever was played out with the last shot a backhand down the line from Nadal!
Nadal broke back at 6-5 to bring one of the best sets of tennis to a nail-biting finale. An great tie-break saw Nadal triumphant, this match would go to a fourth set! At the beginning of the fourth set Djokovic's back felt tight and we thought that maybe he would have to retire but he worked his way into the set and managed to loosen up.
Djokovic took control of the set with incredible, champion-like play and never looked back. Djokovic stormed to victory in the fourth set 6-1.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Sunday, 11 September 2011
US Open Diary Day 13
Super Saturday was exactly as expected with two exciting semi-final matches.
The first match of the day was the match between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The third seed was looking to prove himself as a true competitor at the top of the men's game. Novak Djokovic was also looking to improve his amazing year by making it to the final of the US Open.
The match started off with Djokovic looking slightly tired and Federer playing terrific. In the first set Federer was looking stronger and eventually he managed to close out the set 7-6 on the tie-break. In the second set in was more of the same with Federer looking the man more up for the job and he reasonably comfortably won it 6-4. That wasn't the end of the fight though.
Djokovic came back in the third showing great bravery and played the kind of tennis that has brought him to two grand slam victories already this year. The third set was one which Djokovic won 6-3. The fourth set followed quickly with Djokovic winning it 6-2.
The fifth and final set was one of the most entertaining of the tournament. With both men playing terrific tennis they both held their serve until Djokovic was serving at 3-3 when Federer broke him to love. Many thought this was "the deciding break" when Federer had two match points at 40-15. Djokovic though showed immense bravery by blasting a return winner past Federer and then saving the other match point and then broke back. He then broke Federer at 5-5 and the match was all over 6-7 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-5!
The second semi-final of the day was between Nadal and Murray. Nadal was looking to prove that he is the best male player in the world and Murray was still on the search for his first Grand Slam win. The first set was as most suspected, Nadal dominated, it seemed like Murray was fatigued and every time he tried to come forward and finish of a point Nadal would pass him dramatically. Nadal won the opening set 6-4.
The second set wasn't any closer and Nadal dismissed Murray emphatically 6-2. In the third set though Murray decided to open up his shoulders and go for shots and really attack Nadal and managed to salvage a set 6-3. Murray attempted to keep the same level of play but Nadal upped his own game and destroyed Murray in the fourth set 6-2.
On Monday Nadal and Djokovic will contest a hugely anticipated final for the US Open 2011 title!
The first match of the day was the match between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The third seed was looking to prove himself as a true competitor at the top of the men's game. Novak Djokovic was also looking to improve his amazing year by making it to the final of the US Open.
The match started off with Djokovic looking slightly tired and Federer playing terrific. In the first set Federer was looking stronger and eventually he managed to close out the set 7-6 on the tie-break. In the second set in was more of the same with Federer looking the man more up for the job and he reasonably comfortably won it 6-4. That wasn't the end of the fight though.
Djokovic came back in the third showing great bravery and played the kind of tennis that has brought him to two grand slam victories already this year. The third set was one which Djokovic won 6-3. The fourth set followed quickly with Djokovic winning it 6-2.
The fifth and final set was one of the most entertaining of the tournament. With both men playing terrific tennis they both held their serve until Djokovic was serving at 3-3 when Federer broke him to love. Many thought this was "the deciding break" when Federer had two match points at 40-15. Djokovic though showed immense bravery by blasting a return winner past Federer and then saving the other match point and then broke back. He then broke Federer at 5-5 and the match was all over 6-7 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-5!
The second semi-final of the day was between Nadal and Murray. Nadal was looking to prove that he is the best male player in the world and Murray was still on the search for his first Grand Slam win. The first set was as most suspected, Nadal dominated, it seemed like Murray was fatigued and every time he tried to come forward and finish of a point Nadal would pass him dramatically. Nadal won the opening set 6-4.
The second set wasn't any closer and Nadal dismissed Murray emphatically 6-2. In the third set though Murray decided to open up his shoulders and go for shots and really attack Nadal and managed to salvage a set 6-3. Murray attempted to keep the same level of play but Nadal upped his own game and destroyed Murray in the fourth set 6-2.
On Monday Nadal and Djokovic will contest a hugely anticipated final for the US Open 2011 title!
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Preview of US Open Super Saturday
A look at one of the most exciting days in the tournamt.
For the second time this year all four top seeds have made it to Grand Slam semi-finals. The matches are Nadal vs Murray and Federer vs Djokovic. The first match that I will look at is the match between Federer and Djokovic.
The third seed is looking put himself back on top of the tennis world by winning the US Open this year. He has been written off throughout the whole year and it feels that people have completely forgotten about his amazing run through to the French Open final where he managed to beat Novak Djokovic in a thriller.
Roger Federer disagrees fully with the claims and says that he has a few years left in him and you can just feel that he feels like he has something to prove today and when Federer is this determined then he can play absolutely faultless so this will certainly not be a walk in the park for the world number 1.
No doubt that Novak Djokovic is the favourite but I believe that for this tournament apart from that destroying effort against Calos Berloq he has not looked in imperious form and if Tipsarevic's leg could have held out then maybe Djokovic could've been out of the tournament!
Overall the stats show that Federer has won 14 out of 24 matches against Novak Djokovic. But this year Djokovic has won 3 out of the 4 matches. One thing is sure is that if Djokovic isn't playing great tennis then Federer will punish him.
The second semi-final of Super Saturday is Andy Murray vs Rafael Nadal for a re-match of the 2008 semi-final. Nadal is hoping to show that he is the deserved world's best and that he should be on top.
The records shows that Nadal is the overwhelming favourite because he has won 12 matches out 16 against Murray and this year Nadal has won all of the matches including the Wimbledon semi-final and Roland Garros semi-final. Also Nadal has won 5 out of 7 matches against Murray in Grand Slams. Nadal has also had a smoother journey through to this stage of the tournament than Murray.
Nadal showed in his match against Andy Roddick where he beat the American 6-2 6-3 6-1 that his huge top spin forehand is completely devastating in this tournament and that Murray will have to play the best tennis of his career to win.
One thing that is going Murray's way is that he has beaten Nadal twice out of 3 times in hard court Grand Slams. Murray is still searching for his first Grand Slam victory whereas Nadal is looking for his 11th. Nadal and Murray suspect that this could be a long drawn out match and I feel it could be a classic!
For the second time this year all four top seeds have made it to Grand Slam semi-finals. The matches are Nadal vs Murray and Federer vs Djokovic. The first match that I will look at is the match between Federer and Djokovic.
The third seed is looking put himself back on top of the tennis world by winning the US Open this year. He has been written off throughout the whole year and it feels that people have completely forgotten about his amazing run through to the French Open final where he managed to beat Novak Djokovic in a thriller.
Roger Federer disagrees fully with the claims and says that he has a few years left in him and you can just feel that he feels like he has something to prove today and when Federer is this determined then he can play absolutely faultless so this will certainly not be a walk in the park for the world number 1.
No doubt that Novak Djokovic is the favourite but I believe that for this tournament apart from that destroying effort against Calos Berloq he has not looked in imperious form and if Tipsarevic's leg could have held out then maybe Djokovic could've been out of the tournament!
Overall the stats show that Federer has won 14 out of 24 matches against Novak Djokovic. But this year Djokovic has won 3 out of the 4 matches. One thing is sure is that if Djokovic isn't playing great tennis then Federer will punish him.
The second semi-final of Super Saturday is Andy Murray vs Rafael Nadal for a re-match of the 2008 semi-final. Nadal is hoping to show that he is the deserved world's best and that he should be on top.
The records shows that Nadal is the overwhelming favourite because he has won 12 matches out 16 against Murray and this year Nadal has won all of the matches including the Wimbledon semi-final and Roland Garros semi-final. Also Nadal has won 5 out of 7 matches against Murray in Grand Slams. Nadal has also had a smoother journey through to this stage of the tournament than Murray.
Nadal showed in his match against Andy Roddick where he beat the American 6-2 6-3 6-1 that his huge top spin forehand is completely devastating in this tournament and that Murray will have to play the best tennis of his career to win.
One thing that is going Murray's way is that he has beaten Nadal twice out of 3 times in hard court Grand Slams. Murray is still searching for his first Grand Slam victory whereas Nadal is looking for his 11th. Nadal and Murray suspect that this could be a long drawn out match and I feel it could be a classic!
Friday, 9 September 2011
Learning Tennis as a 14 year old
Looking back now it was quite funny thinking that when I saw people playing tennis I would try and pick out how people were hitting the ball subconsciously. Back then though I thought that Badminton was the best racket sport.
Gradually after many times at lunch looking over the tennis courts at my local sports centre I decided I wanted to learn a little bit more about the sport. The first time I really watched Tennis was the Australian Open in 2008. Ever since that tournament I have been a tennis addict and a huge enthusiast for the sport.
I started having tennis lessons in September 2009 after managing to persuade my parents to let me give it a go. At first I was a poor player I could hardly get a point off the other people in my lesson, I felt down. I was stroppy and disappointed. Even though I was a bad player this just gave me more determination to become better.
I kept at it and seeing that I was being forced to get better at it to stay in competition with the others in my group I quite quickly improved my game. I already had a bit of an advantage with good stamina, speed and hand-eye co-ordination. The easiest part for me to get very confident with was my forehand. The forehand has always been the strongest shot for me, then my backhand and then my serve.
My first competition was after a year of playing tennis once a week. I went into the competition without much expectation but came out with 2 wins and reached the semis.
Over the past couple of years of playing tennis I have learnt a lot about myself, my mental abilities along with my physical. Today I am one of the best players in my group. When I watch tennis, the older I have become the more interested I have become in the way tennis is played and that Tennis is played in the mind as well as on the court, also in how the game has evolved since wooden rackets.
For my birthday this year we were on holiday in Mallorca and I was lucky enough to have a private lesson with a great coach. She has completely transformed my game. The way I hit all of my shots have changed. My backhand has changed from a two-handed continental grip to a grip close to a Semi-Western grip, a bit like Nadal’s; my serve is now hit with more topspin.
Thanks to the change in my technique my backhand and serve have had huge benefits and my game is far more imposing. I can actually hold my serve!
In recent times I have been watching old tennis matches and the thing that gets me is that in the past players were at the net to finish the points but now it is rare to see a player that consistently serves and volleys. An example of this is was the difference between the Wimbledon tennis courts of 1981 and 2001 whereas the courts of 1981 had worn out grass near the net but in 2011 all the grass at the net was completely untouched.
Because of this I would like to do more serving and volleying because I feel it’s a shame that it has almost been wiped out of the game.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Murray vs Young
After 2 days of stop and start action who came out on top?
The match started on Wednesday lunchtime with both men holding serve till Young was leading 2-1 but then the rain fell and the match was going to be carried out at the same time on Thursday. When play resumed Murray started to play good tennis and didn't allow the American wildcard a game until the end of the set. First set 6-2.
In the second set it was more of the same from Murray as he was certainly looking the stronger man as Young's game was faltering. Throughout the whole match Murray was the better man as he looked the capitalise on Young's quite poor performance. Second set Murray 6-3.
In the third Young went for his shots a bit more but to no prevail as Murray continued to play the tennis he needed to break down the young American. Murray was better in all departments and with the third set ending 6-3 Murray charges into the quarter finals against another American John Isner who came through in 4 sets against Frenchman Gilles Simon.
The match started on Wednesday lunchtime with both men holding serve till Young was leading 2-1 but then the rain fell and the match was going to be carried out at the same time on Thursday. When play resumed Murray started to play good tennis and didn't allow the American wildcard a game until the end of the set. First set 6-2.
In the second set it was more of the same from Murray as he was certainly looking the stronger man as Young's game was faltering. Throughout the whole match Murray was the better man as he looked the capitalise on Young's quite poor performance. Second set Murray 6-3.
In the third Young went for his shots a bit more but to no prevail as Murray continued to play the tennis he needed to break down the young American. Murray was better in all departments and with the third set ending 6-3 Murray charges into the quarter finals against another American John Isner who came through in 4 sets against Frenchman Gilles Simon.
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