TENNIS US OPEN:RAFAEL NADAL believes today's US Open final against Novak Djokovic will be a match played principally in the mind.
The pair have been the standout players of 2011 and their meeting at Arthur Ashe Stadium today will be a sixth of the season, all of them in finals.
So far Djokovic has won the lot, including a momentous victory in the Wimbledon showpiece in July, after which Nadal admitted his legendary mental powers had failed him when he most needed them.
The clash will also be a rematch of last year’s Flushing Meadows final, which Nadal dominated, and he said: “This year I lost the last five matches against him, five finals. This will be the sixth.
“That’s an advantage for him. He’s obviously the favourite for the final, and I know I have to do something better than the other matches to try to change the situation.
“I have my game, and I beat him in the past playing my game. The thing is to play my game very well and be strong enough mentally all the time, fight every ball, believe in the victory in every moment. That’s something that, for moments this year, I didn’t.
“But just play aggressive, try to play a similar match to last year here. I saw that match a lot of times and I know what I have to do.” That Djokovic is in the final at all is remarkable given the situation he found himself in against Roger Federer on Saturday.
After recovering from two sets down, the world number one then saved two match points on his opponent’s serve, the first with the sort of forehand return more normally attempted in a practice match, before reeling off four games in a row to triumph.
It was a virtual repeat of their clash at the same stage of the tournament last season, and Nadal, who beat Andy Murray in four sets, admitted he felt sorry for Federer.
“Hats off to Roger,” said the Swiss player’s great rival. “I think he deserves to be in the final because it’s hard to lose two years in a row with a similar situation.
“But Novak this year is playing at a fantastic level mentally obviously, and he won a few matches that in normal conditions he’s supposed to lose. That’s big confidence.” Djokovic echoed Nadal in highlighting the mental battle as the key to today’s result as he seeks a third Grand Slam title of the season and a first US Open crown.
The Serbian, who has won 63 out of his 65 matches this season, said of Nadal: “I know that I have a game that is good enough to win against him. I have proved that this year on three different surfaces, so I believe that I have a good chance.
“I need to go out on the court believing I can win. But we’re talking about a player who has won 10 majors already in his career and he’s only 25. He’s defending his title.
“I think last year throughout the whole tournament and in the final I have never seen him serve better. So I think again it depends on my serve and his serve, as well. It’s going to be a tough match.”
