Rafael Nadal drops first set but rallies to defeat Rinky Hijikata at US Open
Rafael Nadal fell to Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, advancing to his 10th US Open title.
Rafael Nadal, who won the tournament last year, dominated his first set against Novak Djokovic and the Serbian had never been so close to a Grand Slam title.
The Spaniard could only get the better of Djokovic down two sets.
Nadal took this set when he lost a long rally when he had a double fault to the backhand side of the line.
Later, after he was given two break points, Djokovic’s first serve was broken and the match was up.
Nadal’s first point came when he won a point when he broke Djokovic behind the baseline.
He took his second break point at 4-3 in the second set when Nadal double faulted.
And he made his third break in the third set, when he broke Djokovic again to take an 11-5 lead.
That meant the Argentine was down three sets and needed a big win to reach his third major, Wimbledon.
What a way to start the US Open.
Djokovic and Nadal will have to play out the last four sets to see who meets the trophy in 2018.
The winner of the US Open will take a five-match win streak, set to end on Monday.
The women’s semifinals saw the most drama of all.
Svetlana Kuznetsova came from a set and 0-40 down to force an extra set, but she will face a familiar foe in Angelique Kerber.
Kerber took her to the final in straight sets, defeating the Russian 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4.
It will be Kuznetsova’s fourth victory over Kerber, who was runner-up to her at the season-ending tournament in China.
It’s a rare occasion that a pair of first-timers meet in the semifinals