Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/193236
US OPEN Victoria Azarenka provided Williams with her sternest test MOST GRAND SLAM SINGLES TITLES Only seven men and seven women in history have won ten or more Grand Slam singles titles. For the time being at least, Rafael Nadal is in third place among the men, and Serena Williams stands in sixth place among the women. MENWOMEN Roger Federer Pete Sampras Rafael Nadal Roy Emerson Rod Laver Bjorn Bog Bill Tilden 17 14 13 12 11 11 10 Margaret Court Steffi Graf Helen Wills Moody Martina Navratilova Chris Evert Serena Williams Billie Jean King 24 22 19 18 18 17 12 The following evening, Nadal began his 37th meeting against Djokovic — the most times any men have met in the Open era — in similar fashion. Blistering through the first set 62 as Djokovic fell on his own unforced errors, it wasn't until the second that the pair began to compete the way they have done in the past, Djokovic summoning his Grand Slam-winning form in spectacular fashion at 3-2 in the second set, winning a 54-shot rally, and breaking Nadal's serve for the first time. He claimed the second set 63, and was in the ascendant in the third. We were surely destined for five. But, at 0-40, 4-4 in the third set, Nadal won eight of the next nine games to claim the third and fourth sets, 64 61. It was a Houdini move that left Djokovic reeling. As one writer put it, "It takes a special magic to play so bullying a style without being an actual bully." One year on from spending the US Open fishing instead of playing, Nadal had his second Flushing Meadows crown, his third Grand Slam on hard courts, and his 13th major in total. "I felt that I did everything right to have my chance here," Nadal said. "So, you know, you play one match against one of the best players of the history like this, Novak, No. 1 in the world, on probably his favourite surface, so I have to be almost perfect to win." If Nadal and Serena achieved their missions, the men's doubles saw the Bryan brothers fail at the penultimate hurdle. Having completed a run of four straight Grand Slam doubles titles at Wimbledon, the defending US Open champions were aiming to round off with a calendar Grand Slam of the four majors. But they were denied by old rivals and eventual champions Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek 36 63 64 before the Indo-Czech combination romped past second seeds Alexandra Peya and Bruno Soares 61 63 to win their second Slam together. While Max Mirnyi added yet another major title to his collection, winning the mixed doubles with Andrea Hlavackova 76 63 over outsiders Abigail Spears and Santiago Gonzalez, his Czech partner doubled up by winning the women's doubles with Lucie Hradecka the next day. The silent Hs, as they are known, battled past Australians Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua, 67 61 64. Thus concludes the Grand Slams for the year. One major for Murray, Djokovic, Azarenka and Marion Bartoli, two each for Nadal and Serena. Expect more in 2014. 26 ITFWORLD AUTUMN 2013 Djokovic has featured in three of this year's Grand Slam finals