ITF

ITFWorld // WINTER 2018 37 While Djokovic's renaissance continued, another powerhouse was threatening to continue his own. Defending champion Nadal, the top seed in New York, was pursuing a fourth Grand Slam crown in seven attempts until injury struck. Nadal was trailing 76(3) 62 in his semifinal showdown with De Potro when he was forced to retire due to a knee problem, clearing the way for the Argentinian's first Grand Slam final appearance since winning the US Open in 2009. The 32-year-old Spaniard had navigated gruelling matches against Russia's Karen Khachanov, Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia and ninth seed Dominic Thiem – the latter went to five sets – to reach the last four. The possibility of a Japanese double was also hinted at until 21st seed Kei Nishikori was brushed aside in convincing style in the other semifinal by Djokovic, who doled out a 63 64 62 thrashing. Djokovic also accounted for unseeded Australian John Millman in the quarterfinals and Portugal's Joao Sousa, Richard Gasquet of France, American Tennys Sandgren and Marton Fucsovics of Hungary in earlier rounds. The only sets Djokovic dropped during the tournament were against Fucsovics and Sandgren in rounds one and two respectively, with both matches going to four sets. Before his demise at the hands of Djokovic, Millman overpowered Federer, who lost to a player ranked outside of the top 50 for the first time at the US Open. Federer was targeting a sixth title at Flushing Meadows but it was not to be. He was dismissed 63 57 67(7) 67(3) by world No. 55 Millman in three hours and 35 minutes, leaving Djokovic with one less former winner to worry about. American duo Mike Bryan and Jack Sock, meanwhile, won their second consecutive Grand Slam title as a pair, defeating Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 63 61 in the men's doubles final. Bryan has now won an all-time record of 18 Grand Slam doubles titles. The women's doubles was seized by Australia's Ashleigh Barty and CoCo Vandeweghe of the United States, who beat Timea Babos of Hungary and France's Kristina Mladenovic 36 76(2) 76(6). ■ "It was always my dream to play Serena in the US Open finals so I am really glad I was able to do that." LEFT: Naomi Osaka continued the trend of first-time Grand Slam winners in 2018. Three of the four majors in the women's game were claimed by players without a top gong on their CV previously That victory propelled her into the fourth round where a routine and commanding 61 61 success against Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko paved the way for the dispatching of 2017 beaten finalist Madison Keys in the last four. Williams's run to the final, which had included the eclipsing of her sister Venus in round three, incorporated the overpowering of Czech Karolina Pliskova in the quarters and then the dismantling of Anastasija Sevastova. At No. 14, Keys was the highest-seeded player in the last four, which stemmed from the culling of many big-hitters in the tournament's early stages: only two of the Top 10 went beyond the third round. The worst-affected was top seed and reigning Roland Garros champion Simona Halep as she suffered a first- round demise at the hands of Estonia's Kaia Kanepi, who made it to the fourth round before running into Williams. Halep was by no means alone. Second seed Wozniacki lost in the second round to Tsurenko, while Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Garcia and Jelena Ostapenko all bowed out in the third. The best performing members of the Top 10 were defending US Open champion Sloane Stephens, who reached the last eight before succumbing to Sevastova. Eighth seed Pliskova followed suit before Williams put paid to her progress. The men's draw persued a not too dissimilar pattern with half of the competition's Top 10 seeds packing their bags by the end of the fourth round, with a further two doing likewise after the quarterfinals. But by the tournament's end, the endeavours of a very usual suspect were being toasted as Novak Djokovic claimed back-to-back Grand Slam titles for the first time since 2016 with victory over Juan Martin del Potro in the final. Former world No. 1 Djokovic, who was seeded sixth in New York, is one of only eight male players to win the Wimbledon-US Open double and has now accomplished the feat on three occasions. The 31-year-old was in imperious form, overpowering Del Potro in straight sets, 63 76(4) 63, to earn his third US Open crown and the 14th Grand Slam of his career, equalling the haul of American great Pete Sampras. Only Roger Federer, with 20, and Rafael Nadal, who has 17, hold more men's singles titles. "Pete Sampras is one of the biggest legends ever to play the game," said Djokovic. "He was my childhood idol and someone I looked up to. There is a lot of significance of me now being shoulder to shoulder with him in terms of Grand Slam wins." Novak Djokovic claimed back-to- back Grand Slam singles titles for the first time since 2016 at the US Open N A O M I O S A K A

• Cover