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Djokovic wins U.S. Open for third major of the year

By Ellen J. Horrow, USA TODAY
Updated

No. 1 Novak Djokovic won his first U.S. Open championship after holding off defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1.

Djokovic improved to 6-0 against Nadal this year -- beating the world No. 2 in six finals.

With the win Djokovic improved his 2011 record to 64-2 with 10 titles, including three of four majors: the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. The Serbian now has four career Grand Slam titles.

For a recap of Sunday's women's final, where Australia's Samantha Stosur beat Serena Williams for her first Grand Slam title, click here.

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8:23: Dj0kovic earns championship point after 4 hours and 9 minutes with a backhand down the line. He closes the match out with a crosscourt forehand winner to win 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1.

8:20: Djokovic quickly jumps out to a 0-40 lead on Nadal's serve. He has three chances to break and serve for the championship. Djokovic breaks Nadal at love as the Spaniard hits shot long and wide. Djokovic gets the double break and is four points from the title.

8:17: Two quick holds by Nadal and Djokovic sends the fourth set to 4-1 in favor of the Serb. Djokovic again two games from his first U.S> Open title, as Nadal will serve to keep himself alive. Since the medical timeout, Djokovic has only allowed Nadal one point in two service games.

8:08: Djokovic serves to consolidate the break and takes a 40-0 lead with a dropshot, a lob and finally an overhead smash. A service winner at 40-15 gives Djokovic the game and a 3-0 lead.

7:56: Djokovic back on the court as Nadal serves. Two consecutive backhand errors by Nadal gives Djokovic a 15-30 lead. Djokovic gets double break point with a blistering return followed by a forehand winner. Djokovic is 9-for 20 on break points. Make it 9-for 21 as Nadal saves the first, and now 9-for-22 as Djokovic makes two consecutive errors to send the game to deuce.

Djokovic earns a third break point of the game as his forehand hits the line for a winner, but a tough Nadal serve out wide sends it to deuce No. 2. Djokovic hits another line and Nadal hits a forehand wide for the fourth break point of the game.

A Nadal winner sends us to a third deuce. Mary Carrillo calls the rallies in this match "absurdly robust."

Fifth break point for Djokovic who gets a second serve, and he closes his out with an inside-out forehand winner. Djokovic, who is now 10-for-25 on break points.

7:46: Djokovic serves to open the fourth set, looking to regain some momentum. Like so many other games in this super entertaining match, the first game goes to deuce. Djokovic puts away the opening game with forehand cross-court volley after the second deuce to take a 1-0 lead.

Following the game, Djokovic takes a medical timeout so the trainer can do more work on his back.

7:44: With the third set now complete, Djokovic calls for a trainer to work on his back. He appears ok and takes the court before Nadal.

7:36: With Nadal serving, Djokovic makes two unforced errors to give Nadal a 4-1 lead. Nadal follows with a winner on Djokovic's serve to go up 5-1 as the players change ends. Nadal shanks the return on a Djokovic second serve to send the tiebreak to 5-2 in favor of Nadal.

Nadal has two serves to win the third set but dumps a forehand into the net on his first chance, but Nadal runs down what looked to be a sure Djokovic winner and ends up winning the second point to go up 6-3 with two serves to Djokovic.

Nadal gets back into the match, winning the tiebreak 7-3 after Djokovic's forehand doesn't clear the net. Third set to the Spaniard 7-6.

7:33: Nadal serves first in the tiebreak and wins the opening point. Djokovic sends a backhand into the net to lose his first serve, but catches the line on his second serve to get the score to 2-1 Nadal.

7:27: Djokovic and Nadal split the first two points of the 12th game. Djokovic challenges a first serve that was called long. Replay concurs with the umpire, so it's a second serve. Another monster rally ends with a Nadal backhand down the line and Djokovic hitting the court in a virtual split. Point to Nadal for 15-30

Djokovic comes right back with an easy point and is two points from the U.S. Open championship. Nadal wins the next point and has break point to send the third set to a tiebreaker. Djokovic's backhand is ruled wide, and the Serb challenges. Replay shows it's out, so we head to a third-set tiebreak.

7:22: Djokovic puts Nadal on the defensive with a great return and eventually wins the point with a forehand volley at the net to gain his 20th break point.

Djokovic breaks when his groundstroke lands just inside the line. Nadal decides not to challenge. Djokovic will now serve for his first U.S. Open title up 6-5 in the third.

7:16: Djokovic now serving to stay in the third set and loses the first point after sending a forehand just long. Djokovic gets it to 15-15 with a service winner, but Nadal puts away an overhead smash to take a 15-30 lead. Nadal runs around a backhand but sends his forehand well wide to even the game at 30-30.

Nadal's groundstrokes aren't deep enough and Djokovic is able to step in and hit a backhand winner up the line to take a 40-30 lead. He puts the game away with an ace. Nadal to serve at 5-5.

7:12: Nadal must hold at 4-4 or Djokovic will have a chance to serve for the match. Nadal takes a 30-0 lead, but Djokovic hits another forehand winner to get to 30-15. Nadal follows up with a service winner and has game point at 40-15. Djokovic hits the return into the bottom of the net, giving Nadal a relatively easy hold and a 5-4 lead.

7:04: Djokovic has hit more net cords in this match than I think I've ever seen. Nadal stops play thinking a Djokovic shot is long. The ball is called in, but Nadal challenges and wins the point, giving him break point for a 5-3 lead. Another entertaining rally -- 31 strokes in all -- and some fabulous defense by Nadal goes to Djokovic after he powers a backhand down the line to get to deuce.

Djokovic fights off a break point to hold for 4-4.

6:57: Some great retrieving by Nadal and a loose backhand by Djokovic gives the Spaniard at 40-0 lead, but Djokovic hits a backhand service return winner from the doubles alley. Nadal wins the next point and finally consolidates a break on Djokovic to take a 4-3 lead.

Djokovic has been stretching his back but it's hard to say if the back has impacted him in the last two games.

6:53: Djokovic serves up his first double fault to give Nadal three chances to break and even up the third set. Nadal take the game on his first chance with a terrific forehand up the line. All tied up again at 3-3.

Nadal certainly is not going to down without a fight.

6:47: Djokovic earns his 18the break point with a stellar return, but sends a forehand long to induce the third deuce of the game. Another great rally ends with a spectacular drop shot from Djokovic which Nadal can't quite reach, giving the Serb another break point.

Djokovic breaks Nadal with consecutive backhands down the line to take a 3-2 lead in the the third set. Time is running out for the defending champion.

6:43: Djokovic has been dictating most of the play in this match, but Nadal finally starts to move Djokovic around and side-to-side to induce the error to get to 40-30. But the Spaniard can't capitalize on game point as he sends a volley into the net. A Nadal service game goes to deuce again.

6:38: Djokovic dumps a forehand volley into the net as Nadal gets the break to get back on serve. Can Nadal hold for a 3-2 lead? Or will Djokovic break back again?

6:36: Nadal has an opening and possibly his last chance to salvage the set with two break points. Djokovic serves an ace to save the first as the crowd tries to rally Nadal. Djokovic saves the second as a topspin forehand winner land right on the baseline.

6:32: Djokovic breaks for a 2-1 lead with the finish line in sight. Nadal is going to need some serious magic to climb back in this match.

Djokovic is 76-1 in career Grand Slam matches when winning the first two sets.

6:26: Back-to-back aces by Djokovic gives him a 40-0 lead. Nadal sends the next return long as Djokovic holds at love.

6:24: Nadal holds at love to take a 1-0 lead.

6:20: What are the odds Nadal wins the first two games of the third set? Just curious.

6:17: Djokovic hits the net cord twice and Nadal dumps a backhand into the net, giving the Serb two set points. After a stinging, running forehand up the line, Djokovic wins the second set 6-4.

The world No. 1 is now one set away from his first U.S. Open title after runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2010.

6:13: Three times Nadal has broken Djokovic and three times Djokovic has broken right back. The Serb will now serve for the second set up 5-4.

6:07: Deuce, and now break point on Djokovic's service game. This might be Nadal's only to chance to level this set. And we're back on serve as Nadal stings a backhand up the line to get to 4-4.

The crowd is pumped and so is Nadal!

5:56: Nadal up 40-30 as the crowd urges him on, but Djokovic sends another Nadal service game to deuce with a forehand volley. Nadal sends a backhand long, giving Djokovic a break point. Djokovic returns the favor as his forehand sails long on the next point -- deuce No. 2. Advantage Nadal, who cannot afford to lose this service game.

Up to deuce No. 4 after another Nadal error. But Djokovic sends a shot wide as Nadal finally holds to close to 3-4. Djokovic still up a break.

5:53: Djokovic holds for a 4-2 lead in a relatively boring game -- by comparison.

Nadal, who has only won 50% of the points on his serve, tries for a hold of his own.

5:46: Nadal double-faults on break point to give Djokovic the game and a 3-2 lead.

As the second set begins to feel like a replay of the first, can Nadal stop the bleeding?

5:42: Djokovic quickly jumps out to a 40-0 lead with an ace. Nadal has to feel so disappointed after losing the previous game. Djokovic throws in serve on the ad-side that forces Nadal well off the court for a service winner.

Second set tied at 2-2.

5:38: Nadal challenges his second serve which was called long. The call stands, giving Djokovic his sixth break opportunity.

After a terrific defensive lob, Djokovic finally wins the game after Nadal smacks an overhead into the net. The game lasted more than 17 minutes, and the second set is back on serve at 2-1 with Djokovic set to serve.

5:34: Djokovic has his fourth break point as the third game of the second set surpasses 13 minutes. Djokovic sends an lob long, though, as the game reaches its seventh deuce....now its eighth deuce.

5:23: Amazing rally and great shot-making -- 21 strokes in all -- won by Nadal at 0-30 on his serve. Djokovic shoots a forehand winner down the line, which Nadal challenges. Replay shows the ball landed right on the outside of the line, giving Djokovic a break point. But the world's No. 1 dumps a forehand into the net after a 27-stroke rally to send the game to deuce.

Nadal gets the advantage but Djokovic sends it back to deuce with a backhand return down the line. Nadal has his third game-point of the match after the third deuce of the game, but Djokovic hits a wicked forehand return for deuce No. 4.

Longest game of the match at 11 minutes long and five deuces. Make that six deuces after Djokovic dumps a return into the net.

5:18: Djokovic starts the second set similarly to the first set with some shaky plan. Nadal has triple-break point to go up 2-0 for the second consecutive set. Djokovic saves the first two break points, but Nadal puts the game away with a powerful, flat forehand down the line.

Nadal getting pumped up and the crowd getting behind him. The New York crowds never want to see blowouts in the final.

5:12: Nadal finally breaks a streak of six consecutive games lost and holds to take a 1-0 lead in the second set.

5:07: Djokovic holds at love to take the opening set 6-2. Nadal looks like a completely different player than the man who served to open the set. To be fair, so does Djokovic, who completely turned up his play.

In their head-to-head meetings, the winner of the first set has won 24 of 28 matches.

5:00: Nadal has a brief argument with the chair umpire after he overturned a call, ruling Nadal's shot went long and giving Djokovic the point to go up 0-30. Djokovic wins the next point to get triple-break point again, but Nadal saves the first two to get to 30-40. Nadal dumps a forehand into the net to give Djokovic the game.

Djokovic will now serve for the first set, having won five consecutive games since going down 0-2.

4:57: Nadal's shot at 30-all is just wide, but Djokovic hits the net cord on the nesxt point and Nadal hits a clean forehand winner for yet another deuce game. Djokovic able to hold to go up 4-2.

After taking an early 2-0 lead, Nadal looking discouraged.

4:50: After a fabulous exchange at the net and the first over-turned call of the match, another game heads to deuce, this time on Nadal's serve. On the ad-point, Djokovic runs Nadal all over the court, and gains the break with a swinging forehand volley to the open court. Djokovic will serve up 3-2.

John McEnroe, commentating with Dick Enberg, "I wish I were playing now. They pay more and fine less."

4:38: Djokovic struggling on serve, saves break points again before Nadal's unforced error takes it to deuce. After three deuces, Djokovic finally closes out the game to tie things up at 2-2.

4:30: Djokovic comes right back and has triple-break point on Nadal's serve. Nadal saves the first break point with a service winner and saves the second with a an inside-out forehand winner. But on 30-40 Nadal sends a shot long up the line, giving Djokovic break. The players are back on serve, with Nadal up 2-1.

The ATP's Greg Sharko tweets that since 1990, winner of opening set has won 19 of past 21 usopen finals, except '92 and '09.

4:24: Nadal gets the early break, taking a 2-0 lead when Djokovic dumps a forehand into the net at 30-40.

4:15: We're underway at Flushing Meadows. Nadal serves to open the match and holds to take a 1-0 lead.

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