New York – For the 37th time, for the sixth time in a Grand Slam final and for the third time in a U.S. Open decider, Novak Djokovic will play Rafael Nadal in the title game of the season’s last major after the two top seeds won their semifinals on Saturday in contrasting fashion.
Top-seeded Djokovic advanced to his fourth straight U.S. Open final by overcoming the loss of a 21-minute game in the fifth set to defeat Stanislas Wawrinka 2-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
While the Serb, labored, Nadal swept past Richard Gasquet 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-2.
Nadal extended his streak without losing a service game to 73 before Frenchman Gasquet broke him in the fourth game of the second set. Both players held through to the tiebreaker, which Nadal won easily.
The theatrics of the third game of the final set in Djokovic-Wawrinka was so compelling that the game was interrupted twice by standing ovations.
Wawrinka, with his strained right thigh taped after a medical timeout in the fourth set, erased five break points and navigated 12 deuces until finally delivering a service winner to hold for a 2-1 edge.
He stepped gingerly to the sideline, plopped down in his chair and smiled. That grin remained in place throughout the two-minute changeover.
If the ninth-seeded Wawrinka was enjoying the moment, perhaps feeling a tad relieved, Djokovic was ever more determined. He responded by taking the next three games, propelling himself to a fourth consecutive title match at Flushing Meadows and fifth since 2007.
Nothing quite that dramatic occurred when 12-time major champion Nadal played Gasquet, who was in his first Grand Slam semifinal since 2007.
Nadal did drop serve once but saved five other break points as he stretched his hard court record in 2013 to 21-0. A year after missing the U.S. Open because of a bad left knee, Nadal is looking as fit and as impressive as ever.
On Sunday, while Nadal and Djokovic rest and prepare, No. 1 Serena Williams will play No. 2 Victoria Azarenka for the women’s championship.
It’s the first time both U.S. Open singles finals are 1-2 matchups since 1996. Nadal is 21-15 against Djokovic, but said when they play, it “becomes a very difficult match for both of us.
Nadal said he’d rather face a less-formidable foe, because wanting to play someone as good as Djokovic would be “stupid.”
Djokovic, meanwhile, called trying to beat Nadal “the biggest challenge that you can have in our sport now.”