The final Grand Slam title of the year went to Novak Djokovic on Sunday night as he defeated Roger Federer 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4 to claim the 2015 US Open.

Djokovic started brilliantly as he claimed the first set in just under 40 minutes having completely dominated proceedings, but Federer fought back in the second, putting all the pressure on his opponent as he prepared to serve to stay in the set and finally breaking at the perfect time to take his fourth set point.

However, the world number one bounced back superbly, returning to his fantastic first set ways to comprehensively see off Federer and take the third and fourth sets, both 6-4, before claiming his second US Open title, and his third Grand Slam of 2015.

Djokovic now turns his attention to the World Tour Finals later this year, which he is looking to come out on top at for the fourth consecutive year as the season draws to a close.

Djokovic quick out of the blocks

After three hours of waiting around due a rain delay, the players finally came on court late in the evening and it was immediately clear as to who the wait had benefited the most as Federer was made to wait seven minutes before he was allowed to hold his first service game - the match's opener.

Djokovic dominated from the off, really attacking the ball whilst his opponent made a number of early errors, which allowed the Serbian to claim his first service game to love.

Following this, the world number one earned himself three break points as he continued his blistering start, and he took the third of these, despite Federer resisting well and playing his part in a fantastic point, that eventually resulted in Djokovic going up 2-1 in the first set, with him the next to serve.

However, during that service game, as Federer wonderfully returned an attempted pass down the line, Djokovic slipped and fell, the Swiss going 30-0 up in the game and hoping that the fall, which left it's mark on the Serb's arm and knee, would serve as a distraction - and that it did, allowing the five time champion to break back on his second of three chances to do so.

Djokovic recovered from this setback though, able to get himself up a break once again shortly afterwards, leading 4-3 after a more successful pass this time before consolidating this with a hard earned hold, forcing the Swiss to serve to stay in the set.

The world number one earned himself a set point here, but failed to take it, and moments later he was instead under the pressure of serving for a one set lead himself. However, he hardly felt this on his shoulders, serving to love to take the opener 6-4.

Federer has beaten Djokovic just once out of his 21 victories when losing the first set, this coming back in a semi-final in Dubai last year, also hard court, where the Swiss won 3-6 6-3 6-2, but he would have to do that for the first time in a Gland Slam now if he wanted to win his sixth US Open title.

Federer levels things up

The second set was far different to the first, with Federer keeping up with and even edging his opponent at times in a very tight period of the match.

However, each time the Swiss gathered some momentum and looked to have the chance to break his opponent, Djokovic responded with some huge points in even bigger moments, serving well when it mattered and defending resiliently to maintain his lead and prevent Federer from getting the advantage necessary to level the scores.

The Serb was put under pressure in particular as he served to stay in the set, with his opponent taking him to deuce and seeing set points. Federer had the perfect chance to take the second set as well, but overhit a routine forehand after a sloppy shot from Djokovic, and he would rue this miss a few minutes later as the world number one held serve in the longest game of the match.

Still, the Swiss was just as determined, or even more so, to break when the scores read 6-5 in his favour, Djokovic serving to take the set to a tiebreak.

Two more set points arose for the world number two in this game, and this time he was clinical, taking the set 7-5 on his fourth chance to do so with a devastating backhand, which produced an incredible roar from the crowd, most of whom had come out to see Federer claim his 18th Grand Slam title and his first since Wimbledon in 2012.

World number one justifies his ranking by comprehensively closing out the match

However, whilst one would have expected Federer to take over from here, feeding off of a crowd overwhelmingly in his favour and the momentum gained from winning the second set, Djokovic would not allow it.

The Swiss certainly played better in set number three, seeing plenty of chances to break and break back after he had lost his serve. Yet, unforced errors continued to plague his performance whilst his opponent simply focused on keeping the ball in play to draw these errors from Federer.

Two of the break points he saw in the third, had they been taken, would have resulted in the world number two serving for the set, whilst the other couple he earned would have got the set back on serve, but his errors were coming at these key moments, which allowed Djokovic to take the set instead.

To start the fourth, an unforced error then gave Djokovic a break point in the first game of the set, and another from Federer gave his opponent the break very early on.

The five time champion tried to apply pressure to the 2011 winner's serve and avoid the match running away from him, but Djokovic kept him at bay well enough to comfortably near the end of the encounter still ahead, whilst he even established a double break in the eighth game of the set which allowed him the chance to serve for the championship at 5-3.

Nonetheless, Federer showed his typical fighting spirit to erase one of the breaks just as the Serb did this, before holding to force Djokovic to seal victory himself with the score now reading 5-4.

The Swiss applied more pressure, even seeing a break point in the game, but Djokovic was able to defend well and claimed the title with a strong first serve that Federer simply could not return.

With three of 2015's four Grand Slams now sitting pretty in his trophy cabinet, the Serb can be more than pleased with his season thus far, even if he failed to clinch that elusive title at Roland Garros, losing to Stan Wawrinka.

As for Federer, now aged 34, it is seemingly more and more unlikely that he will secure his 18th Grand Slam title, having made it to three finals since claiming his last, at Wimbledon in 2012, but failing to rise to the occasion - falling to Djokovic each time.

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About the author
Ameé Ruszkai
Head of the Sunderland, Swansea City and women football sections at VAVEL UK. Email: [email protected]