• US Open, Day 13

Plays of the Day: Anyone for golf?

Novak Djokovic had every right to milk the crowd after saving match point in stunning fashion © PA Photos

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• Gallery: US Open: Day 13

It must be love
There was no thought of the big guns easing into the match on serve, as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic came out with intent. The first three games were love service holds and it was not until 14th point of the match that a point was carved out against the serve.

The slowest ace
Federer and Djokovic had pounded each other for four sets and in the 10th game Federer saved a string of set points. He crafted a game point and most people expected the booming serve down the T. Fed, though, had other ideas and sent down a serve that would have been classed as slow for a second serve. It barely got over the net, but in being so slow it died extremely quickly and Djokovic could not get a play on the ball. The speed? 74mph.

Saving your own bacon
Novak Djokovic saved two match points against Roger Federer 12 months ago and repeated the dose to book his place in the final. He hit hard in doing so last year, but he eclipsed it this year with a stunning forehand return. Federer delivered a superb swinging serve, which looked good enough to seal victory. But Djokovic flew to the right, whipping a ball that flashed off the racket, across Federer and landed plumb on the line. The crowd rose as one, Djokovic threw his arms in the air, in relief and celebration, and it seemed to sap the belief out of Federer.

THE Rafa forehand
Andy Roddick is likely to wake up in a cold sweat for a few weeks with nightmares about the amount of times Rafael Nadal burned him with the forehand down the line. It is usually a gauge as to how well he is playing. He was supreme against Roddick. He made a steady if unspectacular start against Andy Murray. In the fifth game of the first, that forehand came out of the locker. Murray played a clever backhand that appeared to have Nadal in real trouble wide out, but he creamed a forehand that fizzed an inch over the net before hooking into the corner.

THE Rafa forehand MKII
Two games later the Spaniard delivered again and it was almost Mach II as well as MK11. Murray again worked his way into a point and powered a backhand deep into Nadal's forehand wing. The point looked lost, but Nadal hooked his racket around and connected with such velocity that the ball flew off at 102mph and crashed right on the line.

Luscious lob
There have been some superb examples of the lob this fortnight, and ESPN is a fan of the lob. Rafael Nadal put himself in line for the lob of the championship award in the seventh game of the first set against Andy Murray. The British No. 1 advanced to the net behind an excellent volley that landed flush on the line. Nadal was not in a great position, but somehow got his body in place to hit a lob that teased Murray but went over him and landed before spinning away.

Anyone for golf?
Serena Williams has been offering relationship advice to Caroline Wozniacki with regard to her boyfriend, golfer Rory McIlroy. It could be that the American was trying to ensure her semi-final opponent did not get lovesick - judged on her warm-up outfit. Serena turned up on the practice courts in a cap that would sit proudly on any golfer's head, one of those wind tops that they wear on the links courses of Scotland and, tellingly, a pair of black and green check pants that were only missing a long pair of socks and they would be a spitting image for a pair of plus fours.

Outrageous
Andy Murray is as slick as anyone on a tennis court and he proved it mid-way through the second set. He was lobbed by Rafael Nadal and had to scamper back to get the ball back in play. It was a defensive get from Murray, allowing Nadal to fire the ball wide into the forehand wing of Murray. It looked like a winner, but the Brit scampered across and fizzed the ball down the line for a winner. Nadal wandered to his chair clapping in admiration, such was the quality.

Strictly Come Dancing
The Corporation's ratings winner (how could it not be with Holly Valance on the show?) could do worse than try and lure Rafael Nadal to strut his stuff alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth and co. And ESPN reckons he would be an absolute shoo in, judged on the twinkle-toed movements he produced in the third set against Andy Murray. Murray worked Nadal around the court, trying to keep the ball off the Spaniard's forehand. But Rafa simply wanted the ball on his forehand and he somehow scampered from wide on the forehand side to his backhand side to take a ball on his forehand and crack away a winner.

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