Sunday, September 8, 2019

US Open 2019 LIVE Score, Rafael Nadal vs Daniil Medvedev, men's singles final: Medvedev wins fourth set 6-4

05:37 (IST)

05:36 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 Nadal

Medvedev flips his racquet under the ball, letting it glide past Nadal for a winner and brings the Spaniard's service game to deuce. Soon enough, it happens! A deep strong serve from Nadal but the backhand from Medvedev comes through, catching the line. The Russian pockets the fourth set and we are going all the way to a decider. This is what legends are made of. 

The Nadal box is in a tizzy it seems over the stunning turn of events. 

05:29 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 5-4 Nadal

Daniil Medvedev continues to serve absolute bombs. He looks more and more confident out there. The Russian's crosscourt backhands are proving to infallible, flat and fast, bullets on Nadal's forehand. He has his nose in front and Nadal will be serving to stay in the fourth set. 

05:27 (IST)

Celebrity watch: Also in the house is Uma Thurman.

05:26 (IST)

Enough said. 

05:26 (IST)

Celebrity watch: Lindsey Vonn in attendance.

05:25 (IST)

REMEMBER???

05:23 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 4-3 Nadal

As the clock has winded down, Medvedev's shots have gotten more and more consistent by the minute. The unforced errors have all but ceased and he's matching Nadal every shot. There are no easy winners here for either player. 

05:19 (IST)

Nadal* 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 3-3 Medvedev

Nadal continues to dictate play, moving up the court swiftly, every other shot going crosscourt as Medvedev is forced to chase the ball. The Spaniard holds his serve. 

05:12 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 3-2 Nadal

A return falls short from Nadal and Medvedev gets a bit too over-ambitious, jumps to make his backhand as he closes in but sends it wide, allowing Nadal to come back into the game. The Spaniard takes the game to deuce and Medvedev's frustration mounts. The Russian then plays a backhand slice for an approach shot, drawing a tame return from Nadal which he relishes in pounding, saves a couple of breakpoints still to keep the game on deuce. Medvedev pulls out his thundering first serve when he needs it the most and holds his serve. 

05:05 (IST)

Nadal* 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 2-2 Medvedev

A hold to love for Nadal with the fourth ace of the match for the Spaniard. He breezes through his service game and this is looking interesting. 

05:00 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 2-1 Nadal

Medvedev keeps 'em coming. Holds his serve again and keeps his slender lead in the fourth set. 

04:56 (IST)

Nadal* 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 1-1 Medvedev

Is there such a thing as a Russian Monk? That's what Medvedev seems to have become. The cheers from the crowd, him winning a set, draws little in terms of reaction from him. Quite a contrast from his full villain self which drew jeers from the crowd in the earlier rounds. The Russian has grown numb here, playing on meditatively. 

MEANWHILE, Nadal closes out a tough service game with an ace and the fourth set advances on serve. 

04:49 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 Nadal

Medvedev rides on the winning momentum over the last couple of games. He holds his serve to get the fourth set underway. And finally! Nadal plays the same serve and volley and like many times before, Medvedev is on the run, chases it down but unlike many times before, he doesn't hit his backhand back at Nadal but lets it go down the line for a winner. He's bringing this final alive and a few cheers now because no one likes a one-sided encounter. 

04:44 (IST)

Medvedev looking tougher than Ivan Drago here. Russia must be proud. Get the pun? 

04:43 (IST)

04:43 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 7-5 Nadal

Medvedev on fire here, lets his around the head forehand rip and it blazed through the court, landing smack on the line for a winner. The Russian gets three breakpoints and while Nadal saves one easily, Medvedev converts the next to take the set. What a stunning turnaround. We are going into the fourth set with Medvedev looking stronggg!

04:35 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 6-5 Nadal

Medvedev varying his shot selection with the same intent as Nadal. He serves and volleys to good effect, moves remarkably well for a 6'6" guy The Russian keeps landing the first serves and even gets a couple of aces through. He holds to love and keeps his slender lead intact 

04:33 (IST)

Nadal* 7-5, 6-3, 5-5 Medvedev

Easy hold for Nadal and we are inching closer to a tiebreak. 

04:31 (IST)

04:29 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 5-4 Nadal

A corker of a rally, the Russian playing with some elan here. He's playing his forehands with a full arm swing of the bottom-hand, letting the ball rip across the surface with an extra zing. He even plays the backhand slice to vary the pace on his shots. However, Nadal shifts from defence to attack in a heartbeat and gets the point. 

Medvedev's service game and both players locked on deuce. Familiar sight! The Russian is looking invigorated though, landing the big serves to make the slam dunks on his volleys and closing out a tough service game. Keeps the set alive for him. 

04:15 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 4-3 Nadal

Medvedev cuts the ball and the deft drop shot couldn't have been more perfect. A rare sight today for Medvedev. He holds his serve easily, goes ahead in the third set. 

04:14 (IST)

Over 850,000 fans over the course of two weeks.

04:13 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 3-3 Nadal

Nadal faces a couple of breakpoints and just like that, serve and volley comes through and he draws level. Deep serves moving away from the Russian and Nadal volleys. Medvedev does manage to chase one down by Nadal is there, manning the net, volleys easily for the winner. 

Medvedev holds on though, keeping up with the Spaniard, not going for the risky winners but just hitting his shots and letting fate take its course. He gets a lucky break of serve. The Russian draws level and the set is back on serve. 

04:04 (IST)

Nadal* 7-5, 6-3, 3-2 Medvedev

BREAK! Medvedev is helpless here. He's pounding away, inside out forehands to those on the inside but Nadal can chase everything. The rallies are inordinately prolonged by the relentless Nadal, something has to give and unfortunately, Medvedev ends up trying too hard and slams one at the net. Nadal up by a break of serve. 

04:00 (IST)

Nadal* 7-5, 6-3, 2-2 Medvedev

Nadal looks in imperious form. Turning the rally on its head. The Spaniard goes from scurrying across and chasing returns down both sides to advancing to the net and volleying for the winner. It's the shot selection which is immaculate. He knows when to get the backhand slice and when to move to the inside and take it on his forehand. 

03:56 (IST)

03:54 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 2-1 Nadal

A comfortable hold for Medvedev. He's looking fine physically, holding up pretty well. Needs to keep running through his service games to pile the pressure on the Spaniard. 

03:51 (IST)

Nadal* 7-5, 6-3, 1-1 Medvedev

Nadal holds his serve rather easily to get this third set advancing on serve. 

03:51 (IST)

Meanwhile... 

03:47 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 3-6, 1-0 Nadal

Medvedev holds his service game as the odds look stacked against him. The Russian has never won a five-set match from two-sets down. 

03:43 (IST)

03:41 (IST)

Nadal* 6-3 Medvedev

Medvedev plays the angles with his backhand and gets a couple of winners. However, Nadal doesn't let the service game slip from his hands, gets to the set-point and comes out on top after another long exchange produces the error from Medvedev. 

It's a long road back for the Russian from hereon and as the semifinal against Matteo Berrettini showed, he only gets more imposing as the match advances. 

03:34 (IST)

Medvedev* 3-5 Nadal

Medvedev lands his big serves and while he doesn't get the ace, draws the weak uncontrolled touch from Nadal which sends the ball flying over the baseline. The Russian gets the rare hold to love in the second set, leaving Nadal to serve for the set. 

03:30 (IST)

Nadal* 5-2 Medvedev

Repeated failures and yet, Medvedev keeps playing the drop shots. Is there a larger strategy at play? Is he looking to tire the Spaniard, getting him back and forth?

Not working by the looks of it. Nadal is the one who’s dictating most of the play, moving well within his court as the rally progresses off his own serve. The Spaniard holds and goes up by 5-2.

03:26 (IST)

Nadal* 4-2 Medvedev

Nadal has amped up the tempo. He doesn’t resort to playing down the middle. Every other shot from his racquet is the inside out forehand.

The Spaniard keeps the variations coming and yet, there’s a pattern: the backhand slice to slow the rally down, the inside out forehand then and when he gets the resultant tame return, he pushes to the net and volleys

The second seeded Spaniard gets the break of serve.

03:19 (IST)

Nadal* 3-2 Medvedev

Medvedev drop shot: good intent, very bad execution. Nadal holds. 

03:16 (IST)

Medvedev* 2-2 Nadal

Medvedev is making Nadal put in the hard yards and the Spaniard readily obliges, stretching the rallies to get the Russian to err. Medvedev though, pulls out the big guns with his back to the wall, facing two break points, he fights off Nadal from the baseline and gets back up to get the hold, keeping close to the Spaniard.

03:13 (IST)

03:08 (IST)

Nadal* 2-1 Medvedev

Medvedev uses the slice of his forehand to slow down the rallies from the rampaging Nadal and catches a lucky break as Nadal slams one at the net. Besides that though Nadal doesn't break a sweat. The Spaniard runs through his service game easily 

03:03 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-7, 1-1 Nadal

Medvedev isn't swaying from his serve and volley strategy. He holds his first service game easily. 

03:01 (IST)

Nadal* 7-5, 1-0 Medvedev

There’s brawl at the net. Nadal and Medvedev standing close, and the Spaniard gets his punch through the defences.

Medvedev doesn’t let up though. He scurries across the court to take shorter return from Nadal early and hits his own inside out forehand to bring up a breakpoint. Loses it in a jiffy through an unforced error and you wonder how costly these are proving to be.

Nadal gets through the tougher service game, yet again, first up in the second set.

02:52 (IST)

Nadal* 7-5 Medvedev

Nadal standing deep in his court, nullifying the big serve from the Russian. The inside-out forehand from the Spaniard is killing the Russian here, pounding away at his balance, leaving him scampering across the court but to no avail.

Facing a breakpoint, Medvedev tries to serve and volley again but Nadal lobs one down his wrong side. The Russian moves back and tries to play a badminton backhand, learns that it won’t work in tennis.

Nadal gets the break, and the set. The crowd erupts.  

02:47 (IST)

02:46 (IST)

Nadal* 6-5 Medvedev

Both players looking for the leeway, the approach shot to advance to the net and volley their way to holding their serves. Nadal isn’t shying away either. He flits marginally, into position to play an inside out forehand and almost on cue, races to the net, anticipating the Medvedev return perfectly to get the volley fall in his arc. The Spaniard holds. 

02:41 (IST)

Medvedev* 5-5 Nadal

Medvedev plays some good one-two combos to good effect. However, the drop shot doesn’t seem to be his strong suit. He tries off Nadal’s return of serve but Nadal advances in time to swat the ball comfortably.

The Russian having to work hard on for his service games. Nadal’s spinning cross-court forehands, though dropping short, get a kick off the surface and Medvedev, who has advanced to the net, fails to land the backhand. He continues to send Nadal down both flanks for chasing down the returns.

The fifth-seed gets the hold in a tough service game.

02:39 (IST)

Some stats. 

02:31 (IST)

Nadal* 5-4 Medvedev

Nadal gets to the net too. He’s willing to do what he can, adapt, improvise, surprise, if need be to win this match. The Spaniard holds to love.

02:29 (IST)

Medvedev* 4-4 Nadal

Medvedev rushing the Spaniard cross-court where Nadal hits the backhand slice to slow down the rally to his liking. He gets Medvedev to err. And then he does it again!
 

Nadal has two breakpoints. Medvedev saves one with a heavy serve and a tight to-and-fro exchange at the net. The Russian saves the second breakpoint too. Serve and volleys again, the ball clipping the sidelines. Does it again and gets it to work, this time, racing to the net and killing the ball. 

The fifth-seeded Medvedev is in no mood to play off the baseline against the Spaniard who'll likely relish the long exchanges from the back of the court. He's cutting the rallies short where he can. Gets it to work for him somehow. Nadal hasn;t had a passing shot until now. Three breakpoints down but Medvedev holds. 

02:22 (IST)

Celebrity watch: Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones 

New York: Rafael Nadal looks to cap one of his greatest Grand Slam years with his fourth US Open title when he faces Russia's Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 33-year-old Spanish left-hander chases his 19th career Grand Slam singles title, one shy of Roger Federer's all-time men's record, in his 27th Slam final and his fifth championship match on the New York hardcourts.

Nadal, who made the semi-finals at all four Slams for the first season since 2008, captured his 12th French Open title in June, lost the Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic and fell to Federer in the Wimbledon semi-finals.

And while he has dropped only one set in the Flushing Meadows fortnight, Nadal is facing the hottest player on tour in fifth-ranked Medvedev, who at 23 could become the first Slam winner born in the 1990s.

Medvedev has produced a stunning six weeks on hardcourts: reaching the Washington final, losing the Montreal final to Nadal in their only prior meeting, winning the title at Cincinnati while Nadal rested and now charging into his first Grand Slam final.

Medvedev leads the ATP tour in season wins and has battled through four four-set wins at the US Open.

Nadal will be Medvedev's fourth left-handed foe of the tournament.

Medvedev also sees an edge in having faced Nadal in Canada, even in defeat.

Nadal sees little to take from a windy Montreal win given the likely lack of breeze in the big stadium. "Here the wind is not there. Of course, helps a little bit," Nadal said. "But I think he's taking the steps forward every single day."

With inputs from AFP



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