2013 US Open: Rafael Nadal adds to his growing legend with second US Open crown

Novak Djokovic dug in deep against Nadal, but eventually fell short (Getty Images)

But unfortunately for the Serbian, Nadal does not take a slight lying down. The repayment came immediately, with the Serbian’s faltering forehand playing accomplice to Nadal’s bothersome topspin torpedoes.

Djokovic fell to 0-40 under the onslaught and even though he saved two break points, it was all he could do before surrendering the break. An inside out forehand winner from Djokovic pushed the eighth game to deuce.

As the two men battled for that elusive edge in the second set, the game was prolonged to a fifth deuce. Eventually, Djokovic earned his fourth break point of the match. Nadal sought to end a long rally, with a drop shot on the 23rd stroke. Unfortunately, it sat up like a dolly and Djokovic thumped a backhand cross court to make it 5-3

The world No.1 survived a bit of tentativeness to find some precision and take the second set with a scorching backhand up-the-line winner that painted the line. The key to that nearly hour long set was Djokovic’s ability to do so much better on the returns – winning nearly one in two, as he took 17 of 36 points to constantly bother Nadal. The Serbian also attacked much more than his opponent, scoring 15 winners to just 7 from Nadal.

At the start of the third set, Djokovic showed off his returning skills moving quickly to his left and unleashing a vicious forehand cross court return winner to go up 0-30. Nadal then struck one long to offer three break points, but Djokovic needed only one as he struck another powerful forehand winner to clinch an early break.

Nadal forced the second game to deuce, but Djokovic got away on a backhand error from the Spaniard and an ace to hold serve at 2-0. Nadal sought to stem the tide in the third game, but Djokovic struck a couple of stinging forehand winners to earn another break point.

As the match went past the second hour, Nadal unleashed raw power to claw his way back before mixing it up with a fabulous drop shot to hold his own and stay close at 2-1. As Nadal hung tight, the match took a big momentum shift in the sixth game of the third set.

Nadal pushed Djokovic to the edge and the Serbian responded by trying to go for broke. The world No.1 made consecutive errors off both flanks to earn the break to draw level at 3-3. The air around the court was thick with the humidity of expectation and Nadal held easily to take a 4-3 lead.

After losing three games in a row, Djokovic found the range on his forehand to win the vital eighth game and stay even at 4-4. Nadal took a misstep and fell at the baseline to offer Djokovic a chance as he slipped to 0-30. The Serbian struck a forehand right on the baseline to earn three break points.

But in a mighty display of big game nerves, ‘Rafa’ showed the kind of steely nerves that inhabit his 185 cm frame to work his way back from the brink. Nadal survived three break points and two deuces to clinch a massive game and take a 5-4 lead.