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Nadal tops Djokovic for US Open title, career Slam

Published:Wednesday | September 15, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Rafael Nadal, of Spain, holds the championship trophy after defeating Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, to win the men's championship match at the US Open tennis tournament in New York on Monday night. Nadal won 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. - AP

NEW YORK (AP):

Now owner of a career Grand Slam at age 24, champion at three consecutive major tournaments and nine overall, Rafael Nadal is now chasing something else: the chance to become the greatest tennis player in history.

Approaching perfection for stretches - he played more than 40 points in a row without making an unforced error - Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in a US Open final on Monday night that was filled with fantastic shotmaking by both men and interrupted by a thunderstorm a day after it was postponed by rain.

Very good match

"For the first time in my career, I played a very, very good match in this tournament," said Nadal, who never had been past the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows. "That's my feeling, no? I played my best match in the US Open at the most important moment."

The Spaniard is already more than halfway to Federer's career record of 16 Grand Slam titles and already past Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi or Ivan Lendl.

Nadal said "talk about if I am better or worse than Roger is stupid, because the titles say he's much better than me."

Djokovic had no such hesitation.

"He has the capabilities already now to become the best player ever," said Djokovic, who lost the 2007 US Open final to Federer, but upset him in Saturday's semi-finals.

"(Nadal is) playing the best tennis that I've ever seen him play on hard courts. He has improved his serve drastically - the speed, the accuracy. And, of course, his baseline (game) is as good as ever."

Nadal is a year younger than Federer was when he got to No. 9 and about 3 1/2 years younger than Federer was when he completed his career Grand Slam at the 2009 French Open. Nadal is the seventh man in history with at least one title from each of tennis' four most important tournaments.

Bjorn Borg was the only other man to have nine major championships by 24.

"It's too far; 16, for me, is too far to think about right now," Nadal said, with his typical humility. "My goal, all my life, was the same: keep improving."