Novak Djokovic recorded a historic win against hard fighting Juan Martin Del Potro, beating the Argentine 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3 to clinch his third US-Open Grand Slam and 14th Grand Slam on Sunday.
The win also sees the former number one, Novak Djokovic equaling the record of Pete Sampras, with whom he now shares a record of 14 Grand Slams, and now third on the all-time greats.
The Serb who for sometime now have struggled due to an elbow injury to which he was operated on, his beginning to find his form and back to winning ways, after the success he recorded in 2016, winning all the four Grand Slams. The 31-year-old who also a father and husband, has now won three of his last four events including back-to-back majors at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.
Novak Djokovic while reacting to his elbow injury and surgery, and also relating to what his opennet and Argentine Juan Mario is going through, said:
“When I had the surgery of my elbow earlier this year I could truly understand what Juan Martin was going through,”
“You learn from adversity … when you have doubtful moments when things are not working out as you want (them) to.”
The sixth seed had suffered in the ferocious heat and humidity through the early days of the season’s final Grand Slam but dropped only two sets for the tournament and none since the second round.
Playing on the same court where Pete Sampras claimed his 14th and final Grand Slam crown, Djokovic had endured more disappointment than joy on Arthur Ashe, mining just three titles from eight finals.
“I was hoping he’s going to be here tonight but I want to say ‘Pete, I love you, you’re my idol,’” said the Serb.
As reported by News Agency of Nigeria, the disappointment on Sunday belonged to a teary Del Potro who was back in a Grand Slam final for the first time since the big Argentine won his one and only title at Flushing Meadows in 2009.
“It’s not easy to speak right now. But I love you too, guys,”
“And so, so happy to be playing the final against this magnificent idol. He knows that he’s one of my friend[s] on tour.”
Novak Djokovic and Del Potro walked on Arthur Ashe Stadium court with the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center still buzzing over the controversial women’s final on Saturday, won by Japan’s Naomi Osaka after Serena Williams incurred three code violations.
Britain’s Alison Hughes, the second woman to umpire a U.S. Open men’s singles final, kept a low profile as the two former champions went to work.
The tension and fireworks of the Osaka-Williams clash were left behind during a relatively calm and composed baseline battle between two friends and familiar foes who had played each other 18 times, with Djokovic holding a commanding 14-4 edge.
In a tight opening set, there was only a single break point and Djokovic made it count to go up 5-3 before serving it out.
Djokovic kept up the pressure with an early break in the second before Del Potro broke back to end the Serb’s run of 23 consecutive holds.
The tension lifted in a marathon eighth game that took 20 minutes to decide, Djokovic finally holding to keep the set on serve at 4-4.
That seemed to take some of the fight out of the Argentine who went down 7-4 in the eventual tiebreak.
A focused Djokovic continued to apply pressure in the third set until Del Potro finally cracked on serve to fall behind 5-3, with the Serb closing out the match with a ferocious overhead winner.
Source: NAN