19th Grand Slam title that seemed so inevitable for Rafael Nal during first two-plus sets of U.S. Open final suddenly seemed in doubt as Daniil Medvedev forced it to a fifth.

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A hard-fought win for Rafael Nal

What h all makings of a crowning morphed into a real contest thanks to Medvedev, a man a dece younger and appearing in his first major final. Medvedev shifted styles, upped his level and received an unexpected boost from Arthur Ashe Stium spectators. Truly tested for only time in tournament, . 2-seeded Nal mand to stop Medvedev’s surge and hold off his historic comeback bid, pulling out a 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 victory in 4 hours, 50 minutes of highlight-worthy action and feature-film-worthy drama on Sunday, collecting his fourth championship at Flushing Meows. Nal is w within one major trophy of Roger Federer’s record for Grand Slam titles won by a man. But this one did t come easily. t at all. Sure seemed it might, with Nal ahe by two sets and a break in third at 3-2. But . 5-seeded Medvedev, a 23-year-old from Russia, did t go gently into night. He broke right back to 3-all, n again to claim that set and yet again to end fourth. t since 1949 h a man won U.S. Open final after trailing by two sets to one. Never before h Medvedev won a five-set match. Only once before h Nal lost a Grand Slam match after taking opening two sets. Yet  drama here was real. 

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Nal fights back 

Even at very end — or when everyone, save Medvedev, perhaps, figured it was very end — Nal h trouble closing things out. After breaking to le 3-2 in fifth, in a game Medvedev led 40-love, Nal broke again and served for championship at 5-2. way this back-and-forth tale was spun, though, it probably was inevitable that Medvedev would break re. And so he did because Nal double-faulted on break point after he was docked a serve for his third-time violation of evening. In next game, Nal held a pair of match points, but Medvedev, of course, avoided defeat yet ar time, erasing one of those with a backhand winner, or with a service winner. With fans screaming, “Close it out!” at ensuing changeover, Nal once more stepped to baseline to try to serve it out, this time at 5-4. Naturally, he was forced to deal with ar heart-in-throat breakpoint but came up with a stinging forehand that drew a long forehand from Medvedev. Two points later, it was over, and Nal was splayed on his back on court, victor at Flushing Meows for fourth time. d Spaniard’s haul in New York to his 12 titles at French Open, two at Wimbledon and one at Australian Open, and 20-19 gap between Federer and Nal is closest it’s been in 15 years. Federer led 1-0 after his breakthrough triumph at All England Club in 2004, and he h four by time Nal got his first at Roland Garros in 2005. Federer, who lost in quarterfinals at U.S. Open, is 38, while Nal is 33 — making him oldest male champion at Flushing Meows since 1970. He’s also first man to win five majors after turning 30. Nal says he wants to finish his career at . 1 in Grand Slam standings — ahe of Federer and vak Djokovic, looming in third place currently with 16 — but also insists he won’t base his happiness on how it all shakes out in end. This one ended way he wanted it to. journey just took more detours than anyone could have anticipated. Perhaps sensing end was near, Medvedev turned into a trickier foe. He alternated serve-and-volley surprises with a penchant for out-hitting Nal at baseline. For a stretch, it felt as if Medvedev simply could t miss. It was kind of ball-striking and shape-shifting Medvedev showed while going 20-2 during rth American hard-court circuit, reaching four finals in a row. Flushing Meows fans that jeered Medvedev in Week 1 because of his on-court behavior — he trolled his detractors by sarcastically thanking m and telling him ir vitriol was why he won — were pulling for him. Or, at least, pulling for more bang for bucks y spent on tickets. y certainly got that.

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