Nadal vs Djokovic – US Open Mens Final
What a thrilling semi-final last night between Roger Federer on Novak Djokovic and having tipped the latter pre-tournament each-way, I am delighted with the result. Another massive hurdle stands between Djokovic and the crown though by name of Rafael Nadal. The world number one had a much easier passage through to the final, comfortably beating the Russian Mikhail Youzhny in straight sets. That could be a significant factor and the Spaniard could be the fresher of the two for tonight’s final. Indeed, his Serbian opponent commented;
"I am tired, there's no secret about that. For four sets I was quite okay but the fifth set was very intensive mentally and physically and took a lot out of me. But in the end it's a remarkable win and I'm sure I will find the strength to give my best on the court. It was just a big pleasure playing in this kind of match, it is one of those you will always remember in your career and I am just so thrilled to be in the final. I was just closing my eyes and hitting the forehand as fast as I can on the match points. If it goes in, it goes in, if it goes out it's another loss to Federer in the US Open. I was lucky and it was just a couple of points to decide the winner. I am very proud of myself.” Speaking about facing Nadal, Djokovic added: "It's definitely going to be a tough one. Rafa is just playing fantastic tennis. He's gonna be very motivated to win this title because it's the only title he hasn't won in majors.''
Nadal will also benefit from the fact that he has yet to win this tournament and he will certainly not be looking to lose to Djokovic. Just worth mentioning that he did have a little treatment on his feet during the semi, although this was played down as a minor adjustment to the tapes.
From a betting angle, VC followers are hopefully sitting on a 16/1 ticket for Djokovic and that is certainly where my loyalty lies. However, given the circumstances, my preference is to have a little on Rafael Nadal just to ensure a profit either way. Currently, the best price is 2/5 with Victor Chandler, who have opposed my opinions throughout this tournament it seems but fair play to them for consistently taking a view.