Novak Djokovic's amazing 2011 continued in mesmerising style when he defeated defending champion Rafael Nadal at Flushing Meadows in one of the all-time great showpiece finals.In so doing he became only the sixth man to win three Grand Slams in the same year - a feat Nadal had already achieved - by adding to his Australian Open and Wimbledon successes.
Nadal had beaten the Serb to win last year's US Open - but Djokovic has now beaten him six times without reply in 2011, including the Wimbledon final, having previously taken his number one crown.
The Serb looked every inch the best player on the planet, winning 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1, but that scoreline hardly did Nadal justice. He played some amazing tennis but Djokovic was even better - and completed victory despite needing treatment for a back injury as the clash reached a crucial point.
The bad weather that had engulfed New York last week had delayed this final by a day and there were plenty of empty seats but those who were able to attend were treated to a fascinating opening set.
The rivals traded blows like heavyweight boxers with lengthy rallies decided by winners of the highest quality more often than not.
It was Nadal who broke first and broke early to take a 2-0 lead yet within minutes Djokovic had returned the compliment to get on the scoreboard.
The Serb had to battle like a trojan for nearly 10 minutes to hold serve and level but then came charging at Nadal to break him again to claim the lead.
It was breathtaking tennis from both men but Nadal was also struggling with his first serve, allowing the number one seed, who began adding exquisite drop shot winners to his game, to take control.
Suddenly the door was well and truly open and Djokovic powered through to wrap up the first set 6-2.
Nadal needed a big response - and provided one by breaking Djokovic to go 2-0 up, just as he had in the first set.
But - also as before - Djokovic broke back by winning a stunning 17 minute-long epic that saw Nadal save six break points but smash the seventh into the net.
The Flushing Meadows crowd - over-boisterous at times and also including Jay-Z and Beyonce - was loving every moment and understandably so, although exactly how Andy Murray must have felt about watching tennis seemingly from another planet wasn't difficult to imagine.
Djokovic held serve easily to level and once again the pressure was all on Nadal, who double faulted to fall behind once again.
This time the Spaniard dug in and broke back superbly to level at 4-4 but Djokovic responded by winning the next two games to take the second set 6-4.
The pair traded breaks in the third before Nadal made his stand and stubbornly nosed his way in front but Djokovic saved a break point by winning an astonishingly entertaining 31-shot rally and then held on to level.
Again Nadal - grim-faced and aggressive - edged ahead but Djokovic held serve to save the set and then pulled out a series of peerless shots to break again so he could serve for the match.
Yet, almost inevitably, Nadal broke again and the set went to a tie-break - which the Spaniard won emphatically.
Djokovic suddenly looked vulnerable for the first time in the match and needed treatment for a back problem. Nadal looked untroubled and full of energy in comparison.
The Serb held serve in the first game of the fourth - just - before calling for a medical time out that saw more laborious physiotherapy applied to his lower back.
It was all the more remarkable therefore that Djokovic immediately broke Nadal - and that the quality of tennis by both players was still top drawer.
At 3-0 up the match was once again within Djokovic's reach and he was 4-1 up when the tie went over the four-hour mark.
Nadal knew that whatever chance he thought he had possessed was ebbing away fast, especially when he was broken to love to allow the Serb to serve for the championship once again.
And this time Djokovic did just that.
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