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NOVAK DJOKOVIC clinched his third Grand Slam title of 2015 and 10th career major with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over sentimental favorite Roger Federer in the U.S. Open final Sunday.
Shrugging off a three-hour rain delay and the overwhelming hostility of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, the 28-year-old world No. 1 captured his second title in New York to add to his 2011 triumph.
The defeat shattered 34-year-old Federer’s bid to become the oldest U.S. Open champion in 45 years and left him marooned on 17 Grand Slam titles, the last of which came at Wimbledon in 2012.
Djokovic added the U.S. Open title to his Australian Open and Wimbledon victories this year.
Djokovic’s 10 majors takes him level with American Bill Tilden and just one shy of Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver on the all-time list.
Djokovic has dominated the Grand Slams this year — this is his third major title, and he was runner-up at Roland Garros — but Federer has been playing like he did in his own dominant years. He’d won 93 percent of his service games this year, a career best, and the five-time U.S. Open champion hadn’t dropped a set en route to his first championship match here since 2009.
They’d played 41 times prior to this match, most recently at this year’s Wimbledon final, with Federer leading the head-to-head by the slightest margin: 21-20.
“I have to share my admiration for Roger, everything he’s still doing for tennis. It was a tough one tonight. I have a tremendous respect for Roger, an incredible record,” Djokovic said after the win. “Coming on court knowing you are playing against probably the best player in the game adds a little bit more pressure. I knew he was going to be very aggressive. It was a quite incredible evening for me.”
“I am very disappointed,” Federer said later. “I had my chances on my racket. I should never been down in the score the way I was. But Novak did a great job of fending them off, and, you know, all of that. It was a tough night, but still, I don’t know, thrilling at the same time.”
(SD-Agencies)
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