Final thoughts ...

Woo-hoo!! *waves*

No ... I've not dropped of the end of the Rafa-universe. I've just found it really difficult of late both catching up with Rafa's matches and then having the energy to come and write here.

But isn't he doing us proud?

Rafa's only dropped one set, only been broken once, and his performance against Robredo was simply stunning. I kind of felt that his semi-final against Gasquet could be best described in one word. Flat. I felt the crowd were flat, the atmosphere was flat, Rafa's game was flat. He was missing the target in some of his shots, he wasn't as imperious as in previous matches, but he won. But as that wonderful ray of sunshine that Toni is says ... "Rafa wins the most of matches when he's not playing well". I think there's a compliment in there somewhere.

So it's Rafa vs. the Prince of Darkness, Round 3, at the USO.

Sigh. I never go out of my way to watch the PoD's matches cos I can't stand him. But I watched the semi-final with Stanford last night and was he good? No he wasn't. Did he find a way? Yes he did ... although how much Stan's MTO at the start of the fourth set and his almost inability to serve helped Djokovic ... who's to say? But what I find interesting is that in the journalist world out there, it's as if they're still dining out on the 2011 Djok-fest. Don't they know that nothing stays still in tennis for that long? Or is it because - let me guess - because 4 of the 5 victories Rafa's had in the 6 times they've met since AO 2012 were on C.L.A.Y. And clay court titles don't count, do they? ;)

Rafa's been the player of the season this year ... but in some quarters, you'd never know it. It's not just been about his usual clay prowess, he's won 3 hardcourt Masters. He's beaten Federer, Berdych, Del Potro, the booming servers of Raonic and Isner, the new Next Big Thing in Janowicz, and of course, the PoD himself, as he's stormed his way to those hardcourt titles. He's won on the so-called fastest hardcourt surface of them all ... he's been fantastic on his way to this US Open final.  Yes, Rafa has truly been a revelation on this surface this season.  And his nine - yes nine - titles surely give him the greater confidence over the person who's only secured two.  Winning breeds further wins.  And confidence ... which is something that Rafa needs to thrive on.

But people will say that the PoD was just a hazardous net rush away from a win in Paris, and their match in Montreal was oh so close.  The FO one gets me.  Rafa should have put that twonk away when he served for the match in the fourth set, and that error came because the PoD has no confidence in his overhead, but every confidence that Rafa gets to almost everything ... hence, he tried too hard to bury it and fell into the net.

I've pumped Rafa up so much you would think that I'm pretty confident.  Well, I'm hopeful ... but there's always some tricks and turns up the sleeve of that smarmy Monegasque.  I will be hiding behind my couch for most of the match, but I still can't fail to be so proud - again - of what Rafa is achieving.  He's got a great chance, so come on Rafa ... you can DO IT!!!