It's a first grand slam final for Kevin Anderson, but resurgent Rafa Nadal is red-hot favourite to win US Open final

 

Juan Martin del Potro did his best to recapture the spirit of 2009 but Rafael Nadal underlined his position as one of the men of 2017 by winning their US Open semi-final in emphatic fashion here on Friday.
Eight years after Nadal suffered one of the most comprehensive defeats of his career when he won only six games in losing to De Potro here at the same stage of the tournament, the 31-year-old Spaniard was much too good for the 28-year-old Argentinian, whose physical difficulties finally caught up with him.
Nadal won 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 to secure his place in his 23rd Grand Slam final. The world No 1, who won his first Grand Slam title for three years when he won his 10th French Open three months ago, will be the hottest of favourites to claim his third US Open crown when he faces South Africa’s Kevin Anderson on Sunday. Anderson, who has won only one set in his four previous meetings with Nadal, reached his first Grand Slam final when he beat Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

If Nadal goes on to claim his 16th Grand Slam title this weekend it will complete a remarkable comeback by the Spaniard and his long-time friend and rival, Roger Federer.
Both men ended their 2016 seasons early in an attempt to recover from serious injuries yet both have returned to play some of the best tennis of their lives. Federer won the Australian Open and Wimbledon while Nadal, who has also reclaimed the world No position, is now just one win away from adding the title here to his Roland Garros triumph.
“Of course it’s been an amazing season for me after I had a couple of years with some injuries and tough moments,” Nadal said afterwards. “Since the beginning this has been a very emotional year for me so I’m very, very happy.
“It means everything to be back here on this amazing court in front of such an amazing crowd. Just to be in the final and to have the chance to fight for another title is so important for me.”

Rafael Nadal beat Juan Martin del Potro to reach the US Open final (Getty 2017)

Del Potro enjoyed the greatest fortnight of his career when he beat both Nadal and Federer en route to his only Grand Slam title here eight years ago, but has been beset by physical problems ever since. He has had four wrist operations and spent long periods out of the game, though he has never lost his desire to return to the top.
The Argentinian has also been dealing with flu at this tournament and by the time Nadal started to turn the match around in the second set it was clear that Del Potro was struggling. He was not moving well and although there were occasional thunderbolts from his forehand his serve lost some of its usual potency.
Nadal, meanwhile, has won 15 Grand Slam semi-finals in a row since that defeat to Del Potro here eight years ago. “I just try my best every day,” he said. “Every victory gives you confidence and when you are in the semi-finals it’s because you’ve been playing well.
“I think I started the tournament playing only so-so for a couple of rounds, but after my third-round match against [Leonardo] Mayer I said that the last three sets of that match could be a turning point. The last three matches have been very positive.”