Flushing Meadows spectators will long remember the showdown between Rafael Nadal and the inspired Daniil Medvedev. The Spaniard needed four hours and fifty minutes of play - four minutes from the longest US Open record - and five sets (7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6 , 6-4) to defeat the Russian, fifth world player, and win his fourth US Open. He becomes the equal of John McEnroe at Flushing Meadows, a trophy of the record of the modern era (from 1968) held by Federer, Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors.

"Four titles here is very important to me, especially considering the difficulty I had to win tonight, said Nadal.It was a crazy game while I was in control ...", commented the Majorquain.

On the fly

From the start, after a first game of 7 minutes that Rafael Nadal won on his service, the tone was given: we would not seek the KO, but the mat. It would not be a showdown, as the Spaniard won in the semifinals against the Berrettini slugger, but a game of chess, with a lot of variations of rhythm, moves and angles, to unmount the opponent.

The two players have even performed stolen-services, unnatural in their game. They have regularly sought to attract each other to the net, an area where they are far from comfort and where the Russian is generally clumsy. Yet he succeeded Sunday some nice interventions and even scored 50 points on the 74 times he found himself there.

At two sets to zero, however, the affair seemed to be heard, especially as the Spaniard broke loose to lead 3-2. But the Russian, with this time loudly supported public support, raised his level of play and pushed Nadal to a fourth inning ... then a fifth.

"In the third set, in my head I started to wonder what I could do as speech after a quick defeat in three sets ... and then I played the points one by one and that's went much further, "Medvedev said, as his extraordinary fighting spirit completely reconciled with the American public.

"You booed me because I said and did things wrong, but you can change and I love you!", He said in a huge cheer, referring to the behavior he had to a ball-collector and his obscene gesture in the second round which had put the public at bay.

Nadal, an exceptional season

The Spaniard is enjoying an exceptional season despite a debut truncated by injuries. The end of summer approaching, he has already won two Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and the US Open, lost one final at the Australian Open and a half at Wimbledon and won two Masters 1000 at Rome and Montreal.

At the age of 23, Medvedev will be able to console himself in a few days when he looks cold at what he has achieved this season and especially this summer. Victory in Sofia, final in Washington, final in Montreal, victory in Cincinnati and again final at Flushing Meadows: 36th world a year ago, he will be officially 4th at the publication of the ATP ranking Monday after his final in New York. And he is already qualified, alongside Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, for the London Masters which will bring together the eight best players of the season.

With AFP