Sports Thread #1 For 7/12/11: 2011 US Open, Men's Final- Djokovic vs Nadal

Only two men have defeated Novak Djokovic this year. But both of them egressed on Saturday, as the Top four turned into the Final two of today. Can Rafael Nadal be the third to defend his US Open title? Or will it be the officially the year of the Serbian young king.

The tactics and the prediction, right below.

The Tactics:

For Nadal
1) When you have an opening, go down the line, not cross court. End the point when you are in control instead of letting Djokovic back into the point.
2) Establish the lefty serve with authority.
3) Mix in the serve and volley to make Djokovic not comfortable.
4) Galvanize the crowd to firmly be on your side.

For Djokovic
1) Continue being "the better man" at the turnaround points.
2) Aggressive like the last 3 sets against Federer, not passive like the first 2 sets
3) Only come in and mix it up when you aren't in full control of the baseline momentum in this match
4) You own the rivalry now. You survived match points. Nothing can stop you this year....

Prediction: I think Djokovic still has that mental block, and is just better slightly at defense. Nadal just isn't legendary enough in his offense. Djokovic in four sets.