DAY 7

Finally the sun is shining and we get a full days play. 1st up Rafa V Del Potro.

Both players had a chance to break in the first 3 games. Del Potro takes his next chance and goes into a 3-1 lead. Rafa has further chances but again missed and it is 5-2 to Del Potro. He breaks again to win the 1st set 6-2. Del Potro races into a 4-1 lead then gets to 5-2. Another game to Del Potro and he is 2 sets up. 3rd set follows a similar pattern and Del Potro is at 5-2 with Rafa serving to stay in the match. 0-40 and Del Potro takes the 1st of his 3 match points and wins the set 6-2 for the match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

Hats off to Del Potro he played the match of his life and gave Rafa no chance to get into his game, he had no answers to the shots coming off Del Potro’s racquet. Did his abdo strain play a part? Frankly I think a fully fit Rafa would have struggled with the shots of Del Potro so no excuses, you step on court you are fit to play. Good luck to
Del Potro in his 1st Grand Slam final.

Between the semi finals Arthur Ashe was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I will admit to not knowing much about the man except that he was the 1st African-American to win a Slam. Listening to the speeches I got the impression that he was not only a great tennis player but also a great man off court who gave himself to many causes. A lot of what is done at the US Open is done to keep alive his memory, the Kids Day, Memorial Garden and of course the name of the main stadium. The main speech was given by President Clinton, wow, I get got see an American President!!

Onto Roger v Nole in the 2nd semi final. First break chance goes to Roger in the 5th game but Nole holds. Next game Nole has his chance to break and takes it to go up 4-2 but returns the favour straight back with a DF and we are on serve at 4-3. Set goes to TB which Roger takes 7-3 to win the 1st set 7-6.

At 2-1 Nole is 0-30 down with Roger playing some great shots but he manages to hold. At 5-5, 15-0 what I thought was the play of the match, some excellent net play from both players with Nole finally giving up and literally bending over for Roger to hit the winner, brilliant! At 6-5 Nole had a great chance to get to the TB but from about 6in he nets!! Roger hits a forehand and wins the set 7-5.

Roger gets a chance to break in game 8 but Nole holds. 9th game gives Nole 2 BP’s but Roger holds. Then we get to the last game. 6-5 30-0 to Roger and he hits one of the best shot I have ever seen!!! A shot between his legs is hit for a winner and he has 3 MP’s. He takes the 1st with a FH winner and is in his 6th straight US Open final.

WOMENS FINAL – Wozniacki v Clijsters

Got a free baseball cap as I entered the stadium, nice people at JP Morgan! We then got entertained by David Archuleta, some guy from American Idol. It is an understandable nervy start from Caroline and Kim gets a break to go 2-0. Kim gives it straight back and has and Caroline holds her next serve to lead 4-2. At 4-3 we get some great play from both players, which a point in which I thought Caroline was out of twice but Kim nets. She manages to break back to get the score to 4-4. But again Caroline breaks to let her serve for the set at 5-4 but guess what, another break and it is 5-5. Kim finally gets 2 SP @ 6-5 and she hits a FH winner to take the set 7-5. A total of 7 breaks of serve in the 1st set.

The 2nd set stays on serve until 3-2 where Kim gets 3 BP; she takes 1 to lead 4-2. She holds serve. Kim holds on and wins the 2nd set and the match 6-3.

So happy to see Kim back on the tour and to see her win a Slam at her first attempt back was brilliant. We get treated to some shots of her lovely daughter who was in the crowd with her nanny. We get great speeches by both players and Kim holds aloft the winner’s trophy again.