Nadal, Djokovic in another rivalry chapter

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, set to face
each other for the sixth time in a Grand
Slam final on Monday at the US Open, will
also become the foes with the most Open Era
head-to-head meetings.
The culmination of the Flushing Meadows
fortnight at Arthur Ashe Stadium will be the
37th career meeting between the rivals,
moving past the 36 played by John McEnroe
and Ivan Lendl to top the all-time modern
rivalries.
"I've played against him a lot of times.
Always we played very exciting matches,"
Nadal said. "When you are involved in these
kind of matches, you feel special."
Nadal leads the rivalry 21-15 entering their
latest showdown on the New York
hardcourts, the third trophy matchup in four
years between them at the US Open with the
Spaniard winning in 2010 to complete a
career Grand Slam and Serbia's Djokovic
taking the rematch a year later for his first
US Open crown.
Adding spice to the latest chapter in the
rivalry is that Djokovic remains world
number one and will keep that designation
regardless of Monday's result while Nadal
ranks second but has nine titles and 21
hardcourt wins in a row this year since
returning from a seven-month layoff to rest
his sore knees.
"It's the biggest challenge you can have in
our sport now," Djokovic said of facing
Nadal.
"He is the ultimate competitor. He is fighting
for every ball and he's playing probably the
best tennis that he ever played on
hardcourts.
"No doubt he's the best player this year."
Djokovic owns a 3-2 edge over Nadal in
Grand Slam finals meetings, losing at the
2010 US Open and last year's French Open
while winning at Wimbledon and the US Open
in 2011 and the 2012 Australian Open, the
Melbourne title showdown the only one of
those to go to five sets.
"We are playing at very good level, so the
match becomes great because we play long
rallies, we bring our game to the limit
situations and it becomes a very difficult
match for both of us," Nadal said.
"And at the end, even if I lost that final in
Australia, I feel happy to be involved in that
match."
It will be their 11th meeting at a Grand Slam
event, matching Djokovic and 17-time Grand
Slam champion Roger Federer for the most
contested rivalries at the majors.
Nadal leads their overall Slam series 7-3, the
losses all in finals, just as he leads Federer in
Slam meetings by 8-2. Federer is 6-5 in
Slams against Djokovic.
"Novak is a great opponent," Nadal said.
"There are another ones there, but it's true
we already played a lot of important matches
for our career, so that makes that
confrontation special.
Nadal won their two most recent meetings,
in a June five-set semi-final on Roland
Garros clay the Spaniard took 9-7 in the fifth
set and in a Montreal semi-final last month
Nadal took in three sets.
"I need to keep playing very aggressive and
play a very good match," Nadal said. "Only
like this am I going to have a chance."
Overall, Nadal owns a 13-3 edge over
Djokovic on clay while Djokovic has an 11-6
career advantage on hardcourts. Nadal has
won two of three meetings on grass.
Experience might be a help to Djokovic in
Monday's final.
"The way he has been playing he's very
confident, but I know how to play him,"
Djokovic said. "Hardcourt is my most
successful surface. I've played him already
here twice in the finals. I know what I need
to do."
While Nadal relishes his rivalry with
Djokovic, playing for the title is what will be
the most special thing about their latest
encounter.
"When you have the chance to win against
the most difficult players, it is true that the
victory is more special, but not in a final of
the US Open," he said.
"The final of the US Open, what really is
important is win the tournament, not the
opponent."