Archives for September 2010

A terrific US Open final, between two good friends hitting the spirit out of each other with a tennis ball, ended with Rafael Nadal on the ground, body shaking with emotion, secure in the knowledge he had joined the list of all-time greats.

A dazzle of flashbulbs helped capture history as the 24-year-old Spaniard completed the magical tennis set of all four majors. It was his ninth Grand Slam overall.

It was a worthy final. Towards the end, the magnificent Novak Djokovic was smashing winners without a chance of victory. He somehow believed he could do it - that was evident from the ambition he admirably showed. And of course it was possible - but Nadal was in the mood. You could see it in his widening eyes and feel it in the snap of his improved serve and the force of his groundstrokes.

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Andy Murray has a reputation, proudly earned over a six-year career of comebacks and marathons, as a fighter who loves the heat of combat - someone who hates to lose.

On his US Open debut in 2005, having won through qualifying, he was sick on court but still recovered to beat Andrei Pavel in five sets. He has proved, time and again, his ability to turn matches around and recover lost causes.

So why, against Stanislas Wawrinka, did he look like a beaten man as early as the second game of the third set, barely moving on his baseline? Why was there so little fight and so much anger?

Relentless ranting, rackets thrown, negative body language - it wasn't pretty. I must confess, I thought those days were over.

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