NEW YORK -- After four (long, scorching, sweaty) days full of heat breaks, puke buckets or clothing controversies, tennis fans were treated to an absolute thriller of a match at the US Open on Friday -- without any of the frill or extenuating circumstances.
There was no need for pep talks for Rafael Nadal or Karen Khachanov during their third-round clash at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was simply a good ol' fashioned battle of wills. And, boy, was it fun.
Nadal and Khachanov fought for every point, and ran and chased every single ball down like it was the match winner. Ultimately Nadal emerged victorious, but, as the 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3) score indicates, it was a grind until the final moment. Clocking in at 4 hours and 23 minutes, it was the longest match of the tournament.
"It was a physical, demanding match," Nadal said in the understatement of the year. "It was a mentally demanding match. That's why we practice every day, to play these kind of matches in a great atmosphere in front of an amazing crowd."
Just how physical and demanding was this match? In the second set, there was a 39-shot rally that left both the players and crowd exhausted.
Fans were seen leaving in droves after Sloane Stephens' impressive victory over Victoria Azarenka in the stadium's first match of the day, likely thinking it would be a routine win for the Spainard against the the No. 27 seed, but after Khachanov took the first set, the stands quickly filled up once again as word got out on the grounds. Hushed whispers and speculation about Nadal's knee (which was taped up by a trainer) abounded. The top seed later said it was "just something I felt," and that he believed he would be all better by his next match.
While certainly not looking anywhere near his best, Nadal showed no real signs of pain, instead showing pure grit and determination. Two points away from being down two sets, the 32-year-old came back with a vengeance to take the second set, and ultimately the next two.
Khachanov, an impressive 22-year-old Russian who played in the fourth round at Wimbledon and made the semifinals at the Rogers Cup earlier this month, never showed a moment of fear against his legendary opponent. He notched 22 aces on the day (to zero from Nadal) and 66 winners. He gave the defending champion just about everything he could handle and refused to back down, even when it seemed like it was finally over. Trailing 3-5 in the fourth set, he rallied to win three games in a row, and nearly forced a fifth set.
"I gave everything that I had," Khachanov said. "I think everybody saw it. I'm proud of myself that I could play a good game today, fight till the end."
But it was Nadal who showed just why he's a 17-time Grand Slam champion, and forced a fourth-break tiebreak in the most incredible way:
Rafael Nadal and Karen Khachanov gets locked in an intense rally, where Khachanov drops a tweener shot that Nadal overcomes to win the point.
If you feel like your head just exploded while watching that insane athleticism, you're not alone, and the stadium felt like it was about to burst at the game's conclusion. The crowd lived and breathed for every second of the final set. As the roof was closed in the second set due to a temporary light rain, the already-deafening noise was amplified, and the building shook in celebration throughout -- for both players.
It was an amazing scene, from start to finish, and all in attendance seemed to appreciate every moment. After Nadal clinched the victory in a fourth-set tiebreak, fans exited the stadium, again in droves, but this time heaping praise and admiration onto both players. The "Who?" heard hours earlier about Khachanov were replaced with "What a player!" and "What a future!"
Even Nadal had to agree.
"At some point I have to say congratulations to Karen, too," he said after the match. "That he had a great attitude on court during the whole time, playing 4 hours 20, fighting all the time, playing aggressive, playing great tennis, having some mistakes at some important moments, too, but without saying a bad word. That's a great thing for tennis, and that's a great thing for him. With that attitude, I am sure he will have a lot of success."
Friday's match was truly tennis at its finest -- and a much-needed reprieve from all of the drama at Flushing Meadows this week. More of this, please!