Trophy scenes ...

Champion!!!

Sweet Sixteen ...

Congratulations Rafael Nadal.

I must admit that after watching Rafa's early matches, I didn't hold much hope of anything happening for him in New York. He'd not had a particularly successful Toronto or Cincinnati and his first three matches in the US Open compounded his shaky US hard court season. In the match against Mayer, I couldn't stay up to the end and went to bed after he lost the first set thinking that if I wake up tomorrow to see that he'd lost, I wouldn't be surprised. There was no engagement even from his box which made me think, "Do they know something we don't?". It was horrible. But he did survive that match and then he found his form. Or should I say, then the roof was opened ...?

Look, I don't know about you but Rafa is so precise about his tennis and everything around him that did the roof being closed throw him off? He mentioned it in his pressers - the noise, that he couldn't hear the ball. We all know that indoor tennis doesn't suit him at all, but when the sun came out and the roof got opened ... then we saw the real Rafa Nadal.

I was at first a bit nervous about Dolgo as he's a tricky player, but I needn't have been. When Russia's so-called "Next Gen" candidate stood before him, he gave the kid a lesson. Whilst all around him seeds were being decimated and the media frenzy of a Rafa/Rog semi-final was rising to a crescendo, Juan Martin Del Potro stood in the way of that. I'd initially been thrilled that JMDP had come through his match against Theim because I thought he stood a much better chance of beating Smugly than Theim ever would. You see, I didn't want to see a Raft/Rog match, not in New York, not anywhere. I can't stand it. And I simply couldn't have bared it if Smuggles had won. But I got my wish and then copped onto myself that JMDP had beaten Rafa the last couple of times they'd met, and he gave him a massive fright once in the Davis Cup and and in the first set in Indian Wells in 2013.

When the match got underway and Rafa was unable to contain Delpo in that first set, my droopy eyes called and I went to bed. I couldn't stand the stress anyway. I again braced myself to wake to the news that whilst everything had opened up for him in this tournament, he still wouldn't have had that final piece of luck and made it to the final. When I stirred at 4 am and went to look at the score ... I punched the air with delight.

Rafa was in the final ...

Safe in the knowledge of the scoreline, I could happily enjoy watching the match on Saturday and it was that match that proved Rafa's worth. His tactical genius again came to the fore to entirely change the match around from the second set and frankly, that was his match of the tournament. That's why he's back at world No. 1 and that's why he was in the final. A purely awesome display. After his quarter final defeat Rog - in that so called "gracious" way of his - said that he wasn't taking it too badly as Juan Martin had a better chance of beating Rafa than he did. Well you were wrong, matey.

Kevin Anderson came through the depleted other half to be Rafa's unlikely final opponent. I didn't discuss my thoughts on the match beforehand because head and heart told me he should win - but yet I feared the jinx. I know Anderson is a serving tree, but Rafa usually can handle them. I didn't also think he'd be one of those players that would have "the match of his life" against him either - because I don't see him as having the weapons or the arrogant attitude. Whilst I can't say that I particularly enjoyed Rafa's tactics in the first set, he knew exactly what he was doing. And taking away a player's major weapon with none of the aces and being pushed to deuce in all your service games took it's toll on Anderson and the match was effectively won after that long first set.

Of course much has been said about Rafa's draw, not facing any top seeds, no Murray, no Prince of Darkness, yada, yada, yada. But who cares? Who cares in the media and the tennis forums when he is absent from a Slam through injury? Who cares when other players have a joke of a draw or win a Slam facing injured players. Exactly. So for once watching him in a final relatively stress free was an absolute dream. He faced the players put in front of him, he beat them ... he won the US Open.

Bravo Rafa.

I'm testing my memory, but I don't think we saw him again after last year's USO. And 12 months ago I would never have believed that he would reach three of 2017's Slam finals and win two of them, have a stellar clay court season, La Decima and become world No. 1 again. Truly amazing. I do think the inclusion of Carlos Moya to the team has re-invigorated and given fresh impetus to Rafa, so if Toni Nadal does take that anticipated public step away from Rafa to concentrate on the Academy, then thanks for everything Toni, but Rafa is in a new, final chapter of his career and we like what we see.

Thank you Rafa, for bringing back something for us fans to cheer about this year. We know nothing lasts forever, but what a joy to see these twilight performances again. Edberg and Becker are talked of as "greats" with their 6 Grand Slam titles, McEnroe has 7. Off clay, Rafael Nadal now has 6. Add his un-rivalled 10 French Open titles to the mix and what does that make him? A truly, truly great player whist he remains a totally wonderful human being. Awesome again Rafa ... a true great. Congratulations on your third US Open title and good luck for the rest of the season. Vamos!!