Mecz oglÂądaÂłem fragmentami, wiĂŞc mogĂŞ siĂŞ wypowiedzieĂŚ trochĂŞ maÂło obiektywnie.

Rafa zagra³ bardzo dobry mecz, mimo krótkich chwil s³aboœci gra³ bardzo równo. Serb za to by³ mocno chimeryczny. Jak w 2 secie zacz¹³ zamiataÌ fh czy bh to a¿ w g³êbi duszy krzykn¹³em: "Mój Bo¿e, to¿ to AO08 wróci³o". Taa, wróci³o, na 20 minut. Z rana obudzi³em siê pod koniec 3 seta, ju¿ wiedzia³em, ¿e jest pozamiatane.
Sam finaÂł byÂł meczem niezÂłym, ale mimo 4 setĂłw stojĂŞ na stanowisku, Âże finaÂł w Melbourne staÂł na wyÂższym poziomie - tenisowym jak i pod wzglĂŞdem dramatrugii. Tam do koĂąca nie byÂło wiadomo kto wygra TB - Fed w 3 czy gramy 4 seta? Tutaj mecz siĂŞ skoĂączyÂł w zasadzie po 3 secie. W ostatniej partii Nole czĂŞsto strzelaÂł z zamkniĂŞtymi oczyma, raz wpadaÂło, raz nie.

Novak DjokoviÌ w takiej formie nie mia³ wiêkszych szans ugryŸÌ takiego Nadala. Niemniej uwa¿am, ¿e to wci¹¿ Serb ma lepsz¹ grê na korty twarde, pytanie tylko czy przestanie tyle graÌ, przewartoœciuje kalendarz i po³¹czy ciê¿k¹ pracê z odpoczynkiem, bo tego drugiego u Novaka ostatnimi 2 sezonami by³o bardzo ma³o. W ka¿dym razie bardzo mnie cieszy udany wystêp Serba, oby to by³a norma, a nie jednorazowy wystrza³, powiedzmy raz na 2 lata.

Jak najbardziej zasÂłuÂżony sukces Rafaela Nadala. Rafa zdominowaÂł sezon, za chwilĂŞ idĂŞ do rozwaÂżan ogĂłlnych w dziale ATP Tour i napiszĂŞ jakÂą mam wizjĂŞ odnoÂśnie najbliÂższej przyszÂłoÂści. NapiszĂŞ to, ale przyjdzie mi to z duÂżym trudem.

US Open 2010: Rafael Nadal completes career grand slam with victory over Novak Djokovic

Just after 10pm in New York, Djokovic's forehand landed wide and Nadal dropped on to the cement behind the baseline and began to sob into his hands.

It was Jimmy Connors who said that Nadal "plays as though he is broke", and the way that the Spaniard was hitting the ball on his first appearance in the final in New York City, Djokovic could have rested for a week before this match and still he probably would not have stopped the Majorcan from becoming only the seventh man of all time to win all four majors.

At the age of 24 years and three months, Nadal's collection of grand slam titles consists of five French Open titles, two Wimbledons, one Australian Open and now one US Open, so the world No 1 has nine majors in all, which puts him more than halfway to Roger Federer's 16 trophies. Even before Nadal had stopped crying, discussions had started at Flushing Meadows about whether he can go on to eventually surpass Federer's collection.

After more than three and three-quarter hours of compelling tennis, the statistics piled up on the Arthur Ashe Stadium, as Nadal also became the first player since Australia's Rod Laver in 1969 to win the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles in the same season. Nadal's only defeat at the slams this year was when he retired from his quarter-final at January's Australian Open against Andy Murray because he was in so much discomfort from a sore knee.

"This is more than I ever dreamed - it is unbelievable to have this US Open trophy," Nadal said on the court after his 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 victory.

The received wisdom on Nadal used to be that he did not have the game, or the serve, to win on the concrete of New York, but the only set he dropped in his seven matches was the second set of this final. So Nadal joined Britain's Fred Perry, Australians Laver and Roy Emerson, America's Don Budge and Andre Agassi, and Switzerland's Federer in the elite group of career grand-slammers.

It was the second year in succession that someone had completed the career slam, as Federer did it last year, at the age of 27, by winning his first French Open.

For Nadal, this was worth waiting for. This final was played a day later than scheduled, because of Sunday's rain, and on the third Monday of the tournament the match was split into two by another weather front coming through. During the first set, the skies turned from azure to blue-grey to pewter, and it was just after 5pm when they flicked the floodlights on and switched them to full beam.

An hour later, play was stopped because of the rain, and in the couple of hours they were off court, there was thunder and lightning in this part of the city.

Yet, on the resumption, there were some terrific points, and it was a fine atmosphere as it sounded as though many in the crowd had used the delay to throw back the Bud Lights.

This was a terrific performance from Djokovic, who had somehow reached his first grand slam final since winning the 2008 Australian Open, as to get here he had had to come back from two sets to one down in his opening match against fellow Serbian Viktor Troicki, and he had saved a couple of match points in his semi-final with Federer.

The weather created an untidy, chaotic end to the tournament, yet that did not excuse the decision taken by CBS, the American television rights-holders, to abandon a half-finished match and blithely inform their viewers during the rain delay that if they wanted to watch the rest of the final they would have to switch to another channel as they were done with the tennis.

That was naughty, given that CBS would have insisted on the match not starting until 4pm, in the hope of drawing a larger audience. If this had been scheduled for 1pm, or even for 2pm, they would have finished this before supper time, as it was dry and sunny for much of the afternoon, and did not start raining until six o'clock.

It was clear enough which player the crowd favoured, with more cries of "Rafa, Rafa" than of "Nole, Nole". Having been denied what would have been a first Nadal-Federer final in New York, the locals plainly wanted to see the Spaniard, dressed in black and 'hot lime', complete the slam.

Though Sunday's rain had given Djokovic an extra day's rest and recuperation from his exertions of Saturday against Federer, he was still going to be tired.

And when you are weary, the worst possible opponent is Nadal, as you know that he is going to make you play fetch behind the baseline, and that you are going to be scrambling behind the baseline with burning lungs and legs. In the opening stages, Djokovic was moving around the court with all the speed and agility of someone wearing diving boots, and he was breathing hard.

During that first set, a frustrated Djokovic was hopping from one foot to the other, and bashing his racket against the shoe that was in the air. Or he was slamming his racket against the ground, mangling a frame and earning a warning. Just before Nadal held serve for the opening set, they flicked on the lights.

It was as if Djokovic had needed 45 minutes or so to warm up, and he was much more dangerous in the second set. At the other end, Nadal was becoming more tentative, not showing the confidence in his shots that he had before. During a run of 11 successive points won by Djokovic, he broke Nadal to love for a 3-1 lead. In the 91 service games Nadal had played to reach the final, he held every time apart from twice. Yet, in the first seven games of this match, he had been broken twice.

Though Djokovic led 4-1, he could not keep hold of the break, and he was serving at 4-4, 30-30, when the match was stopped because of rain. That was just after 6pm, and only a few minutes later, CBS let it be known that they had decided to abandon the tennis for the day. It was 8pm when they resumed, and 20 minutes later the players were level at a set-all, after Nadal put a forehand into the net to lose his serve in the twelfth game. Nadal, having won the first 19 sets he had played at this US Open, dropped the twentieth. It seemed as though that rain delay had helped the Serbian.

In part two of this men's final, they were good conditions for tennis, and the standard of tennis was high. Nadal broke early in the third set. And once he was two sets to one up, he was not going to lose from there. "Rafa is absolutely the best player in the world right now," said Djokovic. "He deserved this title."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis … kovic.html

Wielkie brawa dla Hiszpana.MoÂże i nie jestem jego zagorzaÂłym fanem,ale uwaÂżam Âże zasÂłuÂżyÂł na Karierowego Szlema,co zresztÂą udowodniÂł.

Niestety nie wytrwaÂłam póŸnym wieczorem do wznowienia meczu ( staroœÌ nie radoœÌ ) i dopiero rankiem dowiedziaÂłam siĂŞ, Âże Rafa wygraÂł USO. RozczuliÂł mnie widok Hiszpana z pucharem w rĂŞku. To zadziwiajÂące ile determinacji, ambicji i pracowitoÂści jest w tym chÂłopaku. Brawa dla wujaszka T. Nadala, bo lwia czêœÌ sukcesu Rafy to jego zasÂługa. 
Brawa teÂż dla Novaka, choĂŚ ten turniej utwierdza mnie w przekonaniu, Âże Serb jednak nie ma zdrowia do uprawiania tej dyscypliny.

Ostatnio edytowany przez anula (14-09-2010 16:41:10)

US OPEN 2010 Review

Men draw
The tournament has just ended and, as always, nostalgia is coming. The crowd, the energy and the constant noise have been replaced by silence, focus and emptiness. Only the finalists remain.

The two faces of Roger Federer
And for once, Roger Federer isn't among those finalists, he has failed in the semi-final, beaten by Novak Djokovic after missing two match points. It's a year now since the level of the Swiss has stopped to be fully convincing. We were used to way better coming from him. Besides, he isn't steady and constant enough during his matches. Yet we were kind of reassured by his summer. He was playing so much better. His matches against Djokovic and Berdych in Toronto brought the « old Roger » back: focused from the first to the last point, crushing, offensive. His footwork was again in shape and all his game was benefiting from it, so we were keen on having huge ambitions for him in New York. But in the US Open he didn't display any of this. Moving too slow, not really inspired in his attacking game and lacking too much aggressively, Roger has once again showed a face that we're starting to get used to. And that is no more the one of a number one player in the world. So here are the questions that are now surfacing : are those losses the evidences of the fading of the King Federer ? Is Roger victim of a motivation crisis after the birth of his daughters but also efter his triumph of 2009 in the French Open and Wimbledon ? Is the Swiss injured? He has already admitted that he had been playing many matches with an injured back. If we're paying a lot of attention to the way he played here, to the way he moved, we could easily believe it. Anyway, this Federer isn't the big champion we know he is. He will have to solve, and fast, all his issues, mentally or physically speaking, cause he won't be able to win Grand Slams again with this level of play, even if it's enough for now to get to the quarters or the semifinals.

Outstanding Nadal
On the other hand, Rafael Nadal is having an amazingly successful season, with three Grand Slams won and three Masters 1000. He will have only failed at the Australian Open, injured during his match against Andy Murray whereas he was already playing a great tennis. Rafa is outrageously being the boss of the whole field and, most impressive, on all surfaces. He keeps improving, like on his serve and his backhand. The intensity he can display and the way he can stay so much focused are making of him a rare kind of player. I've personally never seen anyone able to hit each ball from January 1st to December 31st with the same will, the same power, the same rage to succeed. If he can stay healthy, he could totally prevent Federer from winning Majors again.

Novak Djokovic is shining again
The Serbian has been the good news of this summer. Struggling a lot during the first part of the year, he has been preparing perfectly for this road to the US Open. He worked so hard and, which is the key for him, came so fit physically. His serve has been mainly back after this crisis born with Todd Martin's input on that shot. And finally his forehand is a weapon again and helps him to dictate the game when he needs to. He had the chance of meeting a not so inspired Federer in this semifinal though. So for sure Nole is on the right path but if he wants to win an other Grand Slam, confronted to those two Giants Federer and Nadal, it seems like the road is still pretty long.

Murray and Berdych : the disillusion
Disillusion is the most suited word for what happened, again, to Andy Murray. He's really having a disappointing season. He was seen as the outsider n°1, following his victory in Toronto by beating Nadal and Federer, but he ends failing in the 3rd round against Stanislas Wawrinka. The Scotsman is still able of the best as much as the worst. It's his main issue since two years now. He can't find the way to keep a steady level and it's still really hard to find a guideline in his game. The amazing talent is still here but he still hasn't succeeded in finding his own style, whereas the best players are always using the same weapons from a match to an other, finding intensity and confidence. Concerning Tomas Berdych, he has improved a lot this year and he's way more constant. He played the final in Wimbledon and the semifinal of the French Open. Yet, as I've already said, i still feel he's not at the same level as the top players. His game is really clean but maybe too much predictable, lacking of diversity. In the US Open, MichaÍl Lodra and his so special way of playing have knocked him out in straight sets.
A word finally on Baghdatis and Nalbandian who haven't confirmed their come back to the top level. Often brilliant in less important events, but it's the Grand Slams that are making a career. But seeing them back in shape is still encouraging, we'll have to keep an eye on them in the months to come.

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/patri … ticle/452/