Nadal seeks 19th Slam title as Medvedev eyes maiden triumph at US Open
Rafael Nadal will play for his 19th Grand Slam title, one shy of Roger Federer’s all-time men’s record, after battling past Italy’s Matteo Berrettini on Friday and into his fifth US Open final.
The 33-year-old Spaniard dispatched Berrettini 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach today’s showdown against Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, who ousted Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-3.
“Very happy to be back into the final of the US Open,” Nadal said. “It means a lot to be back where I am today after some tough moments at the beginning of the season.”
Nadal, who shook off an early season right hip injury to win a 12th French Open title, seeks his fourth US Open crown — one short of the Open-era record of five shared by Federer, Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors — to reach the brink of Federer’s mark.
“It’s just another chance on Sunday,” Nadal said. “I want to enjoy a day off, have a good practice and Sunday is the day to play my best.”
Nadal, into his 27th Grand Slam final, beat Medvedev in last month’s Montreal final in their only prior meeting. But the world number two skipped Cincinnati, where Medvedev was champion the following week.
“He’s one of the more solid players on tour,” Nadal said of Medvedev. “He’s making steps forward every single week.
"I need to be playing at my best.”
Medvedev, in his first Grand Slam final at 23, has gone 20-2 in the past six weeks with runner-up efforts in Washington and Canada, a title in Cincinnati and a breakthrough US Open run.
“I’m just happy to be in the final,” Medvedev said. “When I was going to USA, I didn’t know it was going to be this good. So I have to say I love USA.”
Medvedev is the first Russian in a men’s Grand Slam final since Marat Safin won the 2005 Australian Open title and the first Russian to reach the US Open final since Safin won the 2000 crown.
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 leads the ATP in season wins and has battled through four four-set wins at the US Open.
“All his season is amazing,” Nadal said.
“Is the player who is in better shape on tour. I will face the player who is winning more matches of the year and the player who is playing on the highest level since a while.”
Medvedev sees Nadal as super-human.
“Talking about Rafa, it’s tough to find words,” Medvedev said.
“He’s one of the greatest champions in the history of our sport. He’s just a machine, a beast on the court.
“The energy he’s showing is just amazing. To play him in your first Grand Slam final should be, I want to say, a funny thing. It’s not going to be a funny thing, but it’s going to be an amazing thing to live.”
Hearing of Medvedev’s praise, Nadal responded: “Always is beautiful to hear nice things from your colleagues. Happy for that. Just I hope to be like this on Sunday. I will need it.”