BREAK! Nadal is fighting hard to get that break and he succeeds from 30-40. So it's an equal battle again here as Nadal levels 3-3.
Nadal holds his serve but Djokovic is still up a break. 3-2
Unforced errors troubling Nadal as Djokovic stretches lead to 3-1
Nadal holds on to a hard fought game. 2-1.
Djokovic takes a 2-0 lead.
BREAK! Djokovic takes early lead to break Nadal. He is fighting back really hard and Nadal looks to be struggling. Triple break point and he wins it in the first one. 1-0
SECOND SET
Novak Djokovic turned up the intensity and outslugged French Open champion Rafa Nadal to win the second set of the US Open men's final and level the match 2-6 6-3 on Monday.
The top-seeded Serb claimed a rare service break in the sixth game, taking a 4-2 lead by winning an exhausting 54-stroke, battering ram of a rally when he handcuffed Nadal with a backhand to his feet.
Djokovic raised both arms above his head and shook them in triumph to cheers from the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.
It was only the second time in the last 89 service games that Nadal had been broken, but that feeling of exultation was short-lived as the Spaniard broke right back in the next game to bring the set back on serve at 4-3.
World number one Djokovic showed his determination by seizing the advantage again in the next game, breaking Nadal with a backhand crosscourt winner and then ending the set on serve in the next game with a backhand winner down the line.
A great fightback from Djokovic to win the second set 6-3. He is hitting the baseline really hard troubling Nadal. The heat is on.
BREAK! Djokovic earns a well-deserved break after fighting it really hard in the deuce. 5-3.
BREAK! Nadal fights back immediately to gain a triple break point and wins it in the third attempt. 4-3
BREAK! After an amazing rally that ran into 54 shots, Djokovic breaks Nadal to lead 4-2.
No mistakes from Djokovic as he holds his serve to lead 3-2.
Nadal does not drop a point to hold his serve. 2-2
Djokovic is coming closer to the net and it's working for him. Holds his serve to lead 2-1.
Djokovic fights back early in the second set earning double break point but Nadal has been too good for the Serb as he holds on to his serve. 1-1
Djokovic manages to hold on to his serve early in the second set. 1-0.
FIRST SET
Rafa Nadal took the upper hand in the US Open men's final by winning the opening set 6-2 against world number one Novak Djokovic on Monday.
The French Open champion broke the top-seeded Serbian in the third game when he blasted a forehand winner to take a 2-1 lead.
World number two Nadal broke Djokovic again in the seventh game for a 5-2 edge when he won his eighth consecutive point after winning a challenge on a Djokovic ball ruled in by the linesman.
Nadal, dashing around the court with speed and ease, played a much cleaner set in windy condition at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
He made just four unforced errors to 14 by Australian Open winner Djokovic.
Nadal has it easy as he wraps his first set 6-2 in just over 42 minutes. Djokovic put a strong fight in this game to earn two early points but Nadal ensured he finished it off.
BREAK! Nadal covering the court quite impressively. Quickly earns his three break points and wins it immediately courtesy the review after Djokovic's forehand missed the baseline by an inch. 5-2.
Nadal has been accurate so far in his shots while Djokovic seems to be losing his cool early on. Some impressive forehand shots and Nadal holds the lead without dropping a point. 4-2.
Good serves including an ace ensures Djokovic holds his serve easily. 3-2
Djokovic responded immediately winning the first two points but Nadal tightens up things despite the game going to deuce to hold on to his serve. 3-1
BREAK! Nadal secures an early break in the first set. 2-1.
Long rallies and good return from Djokovic as he takes it to deuce, but Nadal keeps his serve to level with Djokovic. 1-1
Djokovic makes a positive start in the final to hold his serve to take a 1-0 advantage in the first set.
The big final is here. Nadal and Djokovic warm up at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Nadal looks to be the favourite considering his dominating performance so far, while Djokovic also is equally lethal but has had his diffcult moments in this tournament.
PREVIEW
Move over John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl, the new greatest rivalry in tennis will be on display at Arthur Ashe Stadium when world number one Novak Djokovic meets number two Rafa Nadal for the US Open title on Monday.
Djokovic and Nadal, who have been dominant over the last 15 slams, will be meeting for the 37th time in the championship showdown, surpassing McEnroe and Lendl for the most clashes since tennis turned professional 45 years ago.
A high intensity, high energy, ball-slugging battle should be in the offing between the Spaniard and the Serb, who have staged thrilling five-setters this year in the French Open semi-finals and last year for the Australian Open title.
Asked if he enjoyed playing against Djokovic, Nadal answered with refreshing honesty.
"I prefer to play against another one," he said with a smile. "But is what it is.
"Talking about a final, I want to play against a player that I have more chances to win. But I played against him a lot of times. Always we played very exciting matches."
Nadal beat Djokovic 9-7 in the fifth set of their semi-final on his way to winning his eighth French Open and 12th career Grand Slam title.
Djokovic won their six-hour war in the 2012 Australian Open final and has since added a third Australian title in a row to take his grand slam haul to six.
The rivalry between Roger Federer and Nadal had been the foremost grudge game in the sport in recent years, but with the Swiss Grand Slam king fading from dominance, Djokovic-Nadal has risen to hottest in tennis.
Nadal leads the series 21-15 and has won five of the last six, but his overall edge was largely built in the first half of the rivalry when he won 14 of their first 18 matches.
The Spaniard, who missed the US Open last year after being sidelined for seven months by a knee injury, has come back with a brilliant 2013 campaign.
After skipping the season's first slam, the Australian Open won by Djokovic, Nadal has registered nine tournament victories and been perfect this season on hard courts, posting a 21-0 mark on the surface within a tour-best match record of 59-3.
"It's always the biggest challenge that you can have in our sport now," Djokovic said about facing Nadal. "He's the ultimate competitor out there. He fights for every ball and he's playing probably the best tennis that he ever played on hard courts.
"He hasn't lost a match on hard court this year and we all knew that over the course of last six, seven, eight years, hard court hasn't been his favorite surface.
"He lost three matches this year. With no doubt, he's the best player in the moment this year, no question about it."
RUBBER MATCH
Their Flushing Meadows finals clash will be a rubber match of sorts for Djokovic and Nadal.
The second-seeded Nadal won his only US Open in 2010 against Djokovic. The top-seeded Serb won his only US title the next year against the Spaniard. Monday's winner will be the year's only two-time slam champion of 2013.
The showdown will mark the 12th time in the past 15 Grand Slams dating back to the 2010 French Open that either Djokovic or Nadal will claim the slam title, with Nadal having won six and Djokovic five during the stretch.
The marquee match-up features players with 18 Grand Slam titles between them, the most in a US Open final since Pete Sampras (13) beat Andre Agassi (7) for the 2002 crown.
Nadal, 27, expects a big battle.
"If both of us are playing at very good level, the match becomes great because we play long rallies, we bring our game to the limit, and becomes a very difficult match for both of us."
"When you are involved in these kind of matches, you feel special," the Spaniard said. "Is true we already play a lot of important matches for our career, so that makes that confrontation special."
The 26-year-old Djokovic, competing in his third major final of the season and fourth successive US Open final, was not cowed by Nadal's recent run of success.
"He's very confident, but you know, I know how to play him. Hard court is my most successful surface. I have played him already here twice in the finals. I know what I need to do."
Paths to men's final
Following are the paths to the US Open men's final to be played on Monday at the US National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York (prefix denotes seeding, q-qualifier, wc-wild card):
1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia), world number one First round - beat Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) 6-1 6-2 6-2 Second round - beat Benjamin Becker (Germany) 7-6(2) 6-2 6-2 Third round - beat Joao Sousa (Portugal) 6-0 6-2 6-2 Fourth round - beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) 6-3 6-0 6-0 Quarter-finals - beat 21-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-0 Semi-finals - beat 9-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 2-6 7-6(4) 3-6 6-3 6-4 Time on court: 12 hours, 55 minutes
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2-Rafa Nadal (Spain), world number two First round - beat wc-Ryan Harrison (US) 6-4 6-2 6-2 Second round - beat q-Rogerio Dutra Silva (Brazil) 6-2 6-1 6-0 Third round - beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 6-4 6-3 6-3 Fourth round - beat 22-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 6-7(4) 6-4 6-3 6-1 Quarter-finals - beat 19-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-0 6-2 6-2 Semi-finals - beat 8-Richard Gasquet (France) 6-4 7-6(1) 6-2 Time on court: 12 hours, 59 minutes