Final rescheduled. From M. Thanks.

M

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Any change in your prediction for the match after this delay?

Some interesting stuff on rain delay.

This is the third straight Monday final at US Open.

Before 2008, the U.S. Open men’s final hadn’t been pushed to Monday since 1987. But Roger Federer beat Andy Murray on a Monday two years ago, then lost to Juan Martin del Potro on a Monday last year.

This marks the first three-year string of delayed finishes at the tournament since the men’s and women’s singles competitions were combined and played at the same site in 1935.

Nadal and Djokovic were told a little before 6:30 p.m. that they wouldn’t be playing Sunday.

Djokovic opened his eyes wide and rubbed his hands together when he was told about the possibility of rain affecting the final. “I don’t know the rituals; how to invite the rain,” he said. “An extra day would be great.”

A victory over Djokovic also would make the 24-year-old Nadal the first man since Rod Laver’s true, calendar-year Grand Slam in 1969 to win at Paris, London and New York in the same season. And it would send Nadal to the Australian Open in January with a chance to pull off a Rafa Slam of four major titles in a row, something no man has done since Laver.

There was only one interruption of play because of rain during the first 13 days of the tournament, a delay of about 25 minutes on the first Friday, when the outer bands of Hurricane Earl passed through the area. Otherwise, Week 1 was all about the heat, with the temperature reaching into the mid-90s, and Week 2 was all about the wind, with gusts topping 30 mph.

Celebrities at the U.S. Open.

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Rain delay and consequences.

Clearly this favors Djokovic in a big big way given his history of physical problems but it also removes that underdog status to maybe allow Nadal to slip into his gear – the gear that brings out the best in him – of not being the favorite. It should also remove any excuse Djokovic may have garnered after his last match to turn on the tap containing something called pressure.

After all, he has already been here once (US Open final) – not to mention that this is his third Slam final in total – all on hard courts. However, this rain delay injects the H2H log into the equation with a little more authority and credibility. For rock people, Djokovic leads Nadal 7-3 on hard courts.

If nothing else, it eliminates the degree of certainty Nadal was initially approaching the match with thereby opening the match to a possibility of a thriller from a straighter. If Nadal wins now, it will mitigate some of the blame he may be guilty of: Easy draw. If Djokovic wins, that last match against Federer WILL go down in his memory banks as the best he has ever played – irrespective of what he goes from now on.

Worst case scenario? It still ends up being a straighter – either way.

Clijsters after winning the US Open.

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She held me by the throat while Shrek pulled at my leg and the donkey kicked me in the butt. This is no way to win the US Open. Next time I’ll bring my Puma clan.

Tomorrows weather for US Open – by the hour.

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Kim Clijsters part of a larger pattern.

She is winning after taking a break AND having her nemesis on the sidelines. Reminds you of someone else? Heard of someone named Agassi? Add marriage and kids and you have a recipe for success. Is that the main reason McEnroe is retired without double-digit Slams?

All Federer has to do now is it take a break and come back after Nadal retires. He already has the family package in place. With Nadal’s retirement unanimously predicted to be not too far away, all Federer has to do is save himself from Mirka’s demands to return with hope and vigor.

Final postponed for 4:00pm ET tomorrow. From Jenny. Thanks.

JENNY

The final has been officially abandoned. Source: Sky. It will be played on Monday.

Two factors likely to severely impact the final.

1. Nadal’s foot-blister problem. There’s no way it can go away in 24 hours. He has to ‘manage’ the problem. But there’s a limit to it beyond which it’s wide open.

2. Djokovic’s ankle twist against Federer. That injury gets worse with time unless ‘warmed’ up constantly, I think. Besides, even the slightest aggravation can revert it even past the original state.

Latest update on the rain and order of play.

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Nadal’s Uncle Is Heard From the Box. From Rick. Thanks.

RICK

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Nadal vs Djokovic stats. Djokovic has had two five setters but just short by an hour?

Player	Aces	Ist serve pct.	Sets lost	Unforced errors / Winners	Bk pt conv %	Time on court.	Matches played
Nadal	37	63	0	135 / 163 = +28	41	14:23	6
Djokovic	22	68	4	198 / 186 = -8	48	15:45	6

On-court coaching sparks creativity.

Uncle Tony and his team were overheard the following on on-court coaching moving forward:

-Instead of looking at Nadal when delivering instructions, Tony will be looking at whoever is sitting next to him and deliver the sermon at a higher than normal decibel.

-Spectators will be planted across the stadium who will scream the tips – in Spanish – relayed via text or cell phone by Tony. If the umpire understands Spanish, the ‘planter’ is required to instantly transform into a streaker and personally deliver the message.

-Sign language is about to become even more complicated with fingers moving in and out of all kinds of available holes in the body and beyond. Xisca is advised not to sit next to Tony from now on.

-Whole new language is under construction for future generations.

-All umpires will be hand-delivered a note with an ‘offer they cannot refuse’ if all above fails.

Djokovic takes Federer out of misery in five sets @ US Open.

Federer got EXACTLY what he wanted:

-A respectable five-set defeat in the semis of a Slam vis-a-vis a very real possibility of certain humiliation and ‘tarnishment’ of his legacy at the hands of his nemesis in the finals – on his favorite surface.

There’s no other explanation for Federer (for the first time in his freaking career) to not capitalize on two match points AND one break of serve offered on the platter. And then to produce an unforced error on match point to cap it all.

If you have ever been in a situation like this before (where your next step pits you against an opponent who has your number) you will know that the pride and manhood will do whatever it takes to bring you to the threshold of that win but when you are at that point of entry to the next dimension your mind begins to falter and you are in two minds as to whether you should take the next step.

It’s called playing ‘just enough’ to lose – by the slimmest of margins.

Now he has to be hoping – despite what he has said to the microphone – for Djokovic to win and halt Nadal’s march on his records – just as he hoped for Berdych at Wimbledon. If not, Nadal will earn a career Slam and No. 9. That’s mighty close for comfort for two reasons: Nadal is only 24 and Federer’s window of winning Slams may have closed – forever.

All this has left Federer fans to choose for the lesser evil called Djokovic for obvious reasons even though Nadal has been on record to be liked by a massive margin compared to Djokovic. For Djokovic that’s a God-send and will certainly add to his motivation in bringing down the giant. His popularity has already almost overnight reached new high ironically right after beating Federer. But it can reach astronomical proportions if he can defeat Nadal – a by-product Djokovic may cherish even more than the actual trophy in his grand scheme of things to capture.

For Federer, this was his 12th loss of the season with just five more events to come on his schedule. But more importantly he has now won just two titles his last 19 tournaments. If not for Davydenko fading @ quarters of this year’s AO and Fish’s deciding set shenanigans at Cincy, Federer could have been completely shut out for the season. With dropping of points here vis-a-vis Nadal gaining, the likelihood of reclaiming the No. 1 spot appears gone for good.

This may be the first time in the history of the sport that ONE player has had so much influence on another player not just at matches they actually face off at but even matches that do not include the two of them. It reflects poorly on the already battered to death, mentally weak theme running through Federer’s entire career by now. Even though Federer halted the H2H against Nadal to get any worse, this loss to Djokovic will somehow find a place every time their record is mentioned – anywhere.

Looking forward, I don’t think, Federer will even reach a final of ANY event, including Basel. Why? Because the inconsistency headed by a stat called unforced error has now reached a point that it has become independent of the opponent, the surface, the whatever. Time for Anaconda to elope with Mirka and complete his mission. Or at least demand she sit next to her – with flip-flops.

Can Djokovic stop Nadal?

Taking into account just two of the myriad of factors working overtime in this encounter – the hard court H2H and the lack of fuel in Djokovic’s tank – Nadal has to beat Djokovic by more than a hair. Add the fact that Nadal is playing for history and a few reasons that transcend his own personal goals and aspirations and you know he will be like a possessed man held by his throat by the books already beginning to etch his name.

But Djokovic could be quite close to where Nadal was at the AO final against Federer after that five-hour plus semis against Verdasco. Djokovic is suffering from an itch that’s as irritable if not more than not having any Slam at all – the One Slam Wonder label. With a live exhibit moping around the tour already, he knows how depressing and humiliating it can be to end the career with that branded on your behind. This is as good an opportunity for him to move up than any. He has his favorite surface, he has the lucrative last phase of the tour, a confidence-boosting win over Federer and maybe an eventual shot at No. 1 down the line.

Besides, for Djokovic to win this after all the baggage he brings in from his semifinal match, it will be as sweet a win as it will be for Nadal – for totally different set of reasons.

However, for all that to match Nadal’s tangible and intangible package is near-impossible if not totally ridiculous to even imagine. Unless the foot problem Nadal aggravated in his match against Youzhny becomes an issue to the extend that it hampers his movement, Djokovic is in for a straighter – with a bagel.

Federer vs Djokovic US Open 2010 semi final-djokovic speech and match point.

Federer will drop to #3 on Monday! From Claire. Thanks.

CLAIRE

Federer will drop to #3 on Monday!

Federer will have 6,735 pts. (7215-1200+720)
Djokovic will have at least 7,145 pts. (6,665 – 720 +1,200=7,145)
If Djokovic wins – 7,945 (6,665-720+2,000= 7,945)
Therefore, Djokovic can be as much as 1,210 pts. ahead of Federer!
Should be interesting to see who ends of as #2 year end!

Photos.

I’m starting to like Djokovic – funny about the banana! From Claire. Thanks.

CLAIRE

I’m starting to like Djokovic – funny about the banana !

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Weather at US Open by the hour.

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Federer interview after losing to Djokovic.

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A very funny and insightful press conference with Djokovic after beating Federer. From Somebody Else. Thanks.

SOMEBODY ELSE

A very funny and insightful press conference with Djokovic after beating Federer:

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