Djokovic wins third US Open, equals Sampras on 14 Grand Slams

New York, United States — Novak Djokovic clinched his third US Open title on Sunday with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 triumph over Juan Martin del Potro, taking him level with Pete Sampras’s mark of 14 Grand Slams.

Djokovic, playing in his eighth final in New York and already the champion in 2011 and 2015, is now just three Slams behind Rafael Nadal and six back from the record 20 held by Roger Federer.

It was also the third time the 31-year-old Serb — who missed last year’s tournament with an elbow injury which sent his career into a mini-crisis — completed the Wimbledon-US Open double.

For world number three Del Potro, it was a heartbreaking experience coming in just his second Slam final, nine years after he was crowned US Open champion.

It was Djokovic’s 15th win over the Argentine and fifth in five at the Slams.

Victory also means that 50 of the last 55 majors have been win by the ‘Big Four’ of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray.

With the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof closed as heavy rain swept New York, conditions were slow and sluggish.

After taking just two points off Del Potro’s first three service games, Djokovic, in his eighth final in New York and 23rd at the majors, pounced to break for 5-3.

The key was his success with a lung-busting 22-shot rally and he pocketed the set when the 29-year-old del Potro netted a forehand.

It was only the second set dropped by the Argentine at the tournament.

For Djokovic, it was an illustration of him growing into the championships as he took his run of consecutive sets won to 14, stretching back to the second round against Tennys Sandgren.

Djokovic was soon 3-1 up in the second set before Del Potro carved out his first break point of the match to level at 3-3.

He had three more chances in the eighth, all saved by Djokovic in a marathon 20-minute game which left even Hollywood superstar Meryl Streep clasping her head in astonishment.

The effort took its toll on a suddenly weary-looking Del Potro as a 95-minute set was claimed by Djokovic in the tiebreak.

Del Potro was looking at having to become the first man since Pancho Gonales in 1949 to win the US title from two sets down.

Djokovic sprinted into a 3-1 lead in the third set before a battling Del Potro clung on, hitting back for 3-3.

But off the back of a 24-shot rally, Djokovic broke again for 5-3 and he was within tantalising touching distance of his 14th Grand Slam title, just three months after he had left Roland Garros in despair after a shattering quarter-final exit. /cbb

source: sports.inquirer.net

Zverev becomes youngest Masters finalist in 10 years

ROME, Italy — Germany’s Alexander Zverev became the youngest player in a decade to reach a Masters final when he clinched a gutsy 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 win over big-serving American John Isner in Rome on Saturday.

Zverev, 20, will meet either four-time winner Novak Djokovic or Austria’s Dominic Thiem in Sunday’s final.

Djokovic was the previous youngest Masters finalist, going all the way to the title in Miami as a 19-year-old in 2007.

Zverev and Djokovic have never played but Thiem leads their head-to-head 4-1, including all three meetings on clay.

Zverev will climb to a new career high in the rankings at number 14 by reaching the final and would break into the top 10 with the title.

Djokovic, the second seed and the only previous Masters winner still in contention, plays eighth seed Thiem later Saturday after completing his rain-interrupted quarter-final against Juan Martin del Potro to beat the unseeded Argentinian 6-1, 6-4.

Thiem, beaten to the Madrid Masters title by Rafael Nadal last week, avenged his loss by dumping Spain’s former seven-time Rome champion out in the quarters on Friday.

Second-ranked Djokovic had taken a one-set lead over Del Potro, who held a 2-1 lead in the second set before heavy rain and lightning halted play on Friday.

In the WTA event, French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was forced to retire due to a neck injury from her semi-final against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

The Spanish third seed was 1-4 down after just 22 minutes in the first set when she quit, handing the eighth-seeded Svitolina a place in Sunday’s final against Romania’s Simona Halep.

Svitolina will chase a fourth title of the year after trophy triumphs in Taiwan, Dubai and Istanbul.

Muguruza had needed three sets to beat Venus Williams in the quarter-finals on Friday night.

Sixth-seeded Halep, the champion in Madrid last weekend, reached her first final in Rome after sweeping aside Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 7-5, 6-1 in her semi-final.

“Sometimes a win over a top player gives you confidence,” Halep said after her semi-final.

“Sometimes the work you do before the tournaments gives you confidence that you are ready to go. Sometimes just winning some matches, tough ones, even if in three sets, those are the most important matches.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Del Potro warns he’s hitting the heights

SHANGHAI – Juan Martin del Potro said he was playing even better than when he won the 2009 US Open after pushing Novak Djokovic to the limit in a gripping Shanghai Masters final.

The towering Argentine won this month’s Japan Open and beat world number one Rafael Nadal in the Shanghai semi-finals, before coming up just short in a third-set tie-breaker with Djokovic.

But the six-foot-six inch (1.98 meter) del Potro has shown he is primed for another assault on the majors with three titles this year and two appearances in Masters finals.

“I think I’m playing even better than many years ago,” the 25-year-old world number five told reporters in Shanghai.

“I couldn’t win a Grand Slam like I did in 2009 but I have reached finals in the Masters. I have already won three tournaments. I beat the top guys, which is fantastic for me,” he added.

“I think I’m playing even better than 2009 or 2008 or last year. That’s important. That’s a good thing for the future. I still have the same goal, which is getting closer to the top guys. If I keep working like this, I hope I can be there one day.”

Before Tokyo, del Potro won in Rotterdam and Washington this year and lost the Indian Wells Masters final to Nadal. He beat world David Ferrer in the Wimbledon quarter-finals before losing to Djokovic in the semis.

In Shanghai, the stunning 6-2, 6-4 victory over Nadal – handing the Spaniard only his fifth defeat this year – qualified del Potro for the World Tour Finals in London.

He said he was still not quite in the same league as the quartet known as tennis’s ‘Big Four’: Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray and Swiss great Roger Federer.

But del Potro, the only man other than that exalted quartet to win a Grand Slam title since 2005, is quietly confident that he is not far away from their level.

“I think they are still the favourites for each tournament,” he said. “But I believe in myself. I’m very confident. I’m very pleased with my level. I’m very honest with myself.

“I think if I’m healthy and if I play like today or yesterday I will have the chance to play in good battles like we did today.”

Speaking after his sobering semi-final defeat, Nadal said that del Potro was one of the “biggest candidates” to win another Grand Slam.

Djokovic said there was no doubt about the Argentine’s quality, but his biggest problem was his sheer size and staying injury-free in their high-impact sport.

“Since his first Grand Slam title in 2009, we all knew has the calibre to be a top tennis player and always a contender to win any Grand Slam he plays,” said the world number two.

“With his serve and his game, for his height, he moves extremely well. He uses the court very good. He has a very good anticipation. He’s mentally really strong.

“So he has the potential, there’s no question about it. Now, for somebody his height, I think it’s two or three times more physical effort to overcome these kind of matches.

“That’s I think the biggest obstacle he has, to be able to stay fit throughout the whole year.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Hewitt shocks del Potro at US Open

NEW YORK — Displaying the shots and grit that made him the world’s top player years ago, Lleyton Hewitt pulled off a shock five-set victory over Juan Martin del Potro at the U.S. Open on Friday.

Hewitt won 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1 in a second-round match between two former U.S. Open champions which lasted four hours.

The match was the ninth time in the past 10 years that two past U.S. Open title winners faced each other in New York. Hewitt was involved four times, losing the other three.

The 32-year-old Australian won the U.S. Open in 2001, and Wimbledon in 2002, but has been troubled by nagging injuries more recently and is now ranked 66th.

“A couple years ago, when I had a couple foot surgeries, I didn’t know if I was going to play tennis again,” Hewitt said.

“For me to be out here competing, it’s a … lot of fun. I cherish every match I get out there. This is why I still play, to have moments like this,” he continued. “Sometimes playing the smaller tournaments, it’s hard to get up for. It’s not hard to get up for here, that’s for sure.”

The Australian repeatedly showed his trademark hustle on the baseline to stretch for terrific groundstrokes.

“He’s a great champion, a great fighter, and for the second round, he’s a very difficult player to play,” del Potro said.

Looking sluggish at times, and particularly ineffective off his generally weaker backhand side, del Potro finished with a whopping 70 errors, 27 more than Hewitt.

“The wrist is not the way I’d like, but it’s not an excuse,” said del Potro, who did not try to defend his U.S. Open title in 2010, because of a left wrist injury that required surgery.

Hewitt got broken when he served for the first set at 5-4, and again when he served for the fourth at 5-3. Still, he eventually managed to claim the fourth by playing what he termed “one of the best tiebreaks of my life.”

Already ahead 4-0, Hewitt smacked a backhand passing winner down the line from a full stretch, then followed that with a cross-court forehand passing winner to earn set points. After del Potro erased the first with a service winner, he double-faulted to send the match to a fifth set.

And that’s when Hewitt really took over, which makes sense considering the two players’ records in such lengthy matches. This was the 51st five-setter of Hewitt’s career, and he improved to 32-19. Del Potro, meanwhile, dropped to 4-8.

Hewitt next faces 102nd-ranked Evgeny Donskoy of Russia.

“I hit with him a couple of days ago,” Hewitt said. “First time I’d ever seen him.”

source: sports.inquirer.net