Novak wins US Open

What an amazing year of tennis its been. The fall of Roger Federer, and now the rise of Novak Djokovic. And my word, what a rise it has been.

Novak's 2011 record : 64-2.

Thats right, he has won 64 matches. That is superhuman.

The final was a very peculiar game of tennis. In both the first and second sets, Rafael Nadal held his serve and broke Djokovic in the first two games. but yet, in the first game, Djokovic comes back to win the next six games. That induced a mental block in Rafael Nadal's game, especially with his serve. At this point, he was serving at 90-100 mph, where as Djokovic blasted his serves at 115-120 mph. Sensing a weakness, Djokovic preyed on Nadal's first serve, constantly stepping in and returning with interest. Rafa was stumped.

The second set was almost a mirror of the first set as well. Nadal broke Djokovic's serve as well as held his own, yet back came Djokovic, to level the set at 2-2. From then on, it was all Djokovic. Serve after serve, he pummeled Nadal, giving the Spaniard no chance. Even though Nadal would go on to win two more games, Djokovic never lost control of the set.

Then came the twist in the story. After the disembowelment of the first two sets, one might have been forgiven for thinking that the third was a forgone conclusion. But this is where Nadal is a champion, in more than one sense of the word. Mentally he was shot. Destroyed. Yet he never gave up, constantly plugging away at Djokovic. They broke each other, both playing tennis of the hightest quality. At 5-5, Nadal was broken, and it seemed like it was going to be an early night. All credit to Nadal, he broke back to level the set again at 6-6 and then in the tiebreak, raced to a 5-1 lead. Djokovic threatened to come back, but Nadal put out the fire quickly, winning the tiebreak 7-3.

However, the third set had taken alot out of Nadal. Out of both players, in fact. Djokovic had the trainer work on his lower back, and the crowd began to savour the prospect of another five set classic. However, Nadal was quickly broken again in the first and third game, coupled with the fact that Djokovic held serve, the inevitable was near. Djokovic broke Nadal to go 5-1 up, and the rest is history. The final game was an unfitting conclusion to a great final, with both players visibly labouring around the court. But as has been the case this entire season, Djokovic's famed gluten-free diet paid off, as he was the fitter of the two. Nadal was spent, not showing the determination and doggedness that is synonymous with his name, giving up on countless returns by the Serb. In the end, with one great swipe, Novak Djokovic became the 2011 US Open champion.

The next season would certainly be an interesting one. Will Roger Federer be able to compete with the younger maestros? Will Rafael Nadal ever be able to rise above Djokovic as he so routinely did back in 2010? Or will Djokovic go on to have another amazing season, maybe replicate the Invincibles that WAS Arsenal. Or will Andy Murray finally take that next step, becoming more than the "best of the rest" man.