2021 U. S. Open Tennis Championships...ATP 2000...New York, New York

[stotty]

There are four men in the top ten around 6'5'' or more. Novak (a mere 6'2") has just slain two of them with one more to go.

It's going to be an intriguing final to put it mildly. Novak stands on the precipice of what will make him the undisputed champion of champions whichever way you do the permutations. You have to believe he will be super nervous despite his vast experience and having seen Medvedev zoom through the draw like a stickman on steroids.

I missed the semi with Novak and Zverez but it seems, from the press reports, like it was a series of marathon rallies in the fourth that oozed the sap out of Zverev's resistance...and wobble in the second serve department early in the fifth. There is no room for error against Novak. Don't these upstarts know that by now.

[jthb1021]

Streaky serving from Zverev and the second serve demons came out! Maybe John Yandell will get a chance to give him a little more shoulder turn in that first move. Then he’d have a 98mph kicker he could count on in the big moments

[stroke]

Boa Constrictor.

[stroke]

Novak really squeezing. Classic lockdown mode.

[jthb1021]

Lockdown mode! Zverev won’t come to the net! Same fate as everyone else

[stotty]

If you asked young Alcaraz what he thought would be the easiest to achieve: a calendar slam or winning 20 slam titles. He would probably say a calendar slam, and he’d be right. The spanner in the works in the current era has been Nadal. Had Nadal not been such a dominant force on clay, then Roger and Novak might well have won two calendar slams each by now. It's the player dynamics of a given era that govern everything.

[stotty]

An easy win for Medvedev. It's been a easy US Open for him the way the draw has panned out. Should be fresh as a daisy for the final.

[stotty]

Medvedev now 3-1 up in third and happy to get careless here and there. He knows it's in the bag and that FAA has no answers...none whatsoever.

[stotty]

The sound down it is...can't stand the pitched voice of Navratilova any longer.

FAA is a gonna here unless he can disrupt Medvedev with angles and well-selected drop shots. Medvedev hates the forecourt. Shame Roger can't give FAA a brief masterclass in how to disrupt Medvedev. Something he did comprehensively at least a few times if my memory serves me correct.

[stotty]

FAA literally folds up and gifts the second set to Medvedev....disappointing to say the least.

[stroke]

I join the game with FAA up 4-2 in the second. Navratilova is commentating. Already I am tempted to switch the sound off.

Luckily on ESPN, we have Brad Gilbert and Darren Cahill. It could be worse for you, see Mary Carillo.

[stotty]

FAA drops his serve serving for the set...shame. Medvedev stands acres back behind the baseline and just rolls returns back in play...dull stuff but hard to combat unless you have a bazooka of a delivery or the ability to slip in wide serves, a la Sampras.

[stotty]

I join the game with FAA up 4-2 in the second. Navratilova is commentating. Already I am tempted to switch the sound off.

[stroke]

Medvedev wins 1st set doing what he does. I would love to see a 40 yard dash Medvedev and FAA. Not sure who would win. Neither would beat Tyreek Hill, but those 2 are fast.

[stroke]

From ATP site today, Zverev winning Olympics vs Novak, 17 point differential at the net.

Net Points

• Sasha = won 72% (26/36)
• Novak = won 43% (9/21)

Super interesting. I am really looking forward to this match tonight. Novak going for history vs a red hot Alex.