Live text - US Open day eight
Roger Federer takes on Jurgen Melzer in the US Open night session after Caroline Wozniacki sees off Maria Sharapova.
Wozniacki too good for Sharapova
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki beats former champion Maria Sharapova to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.
Monfils through to face Djokovic
Gael Monfils becomes the first Frenchman to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open in 10 years following a straight sets win over compatriot Richard Gasquet.
Classy Robson eases into last 32
Britain's Laura Robson cruises into the next round ofthe junior US Open after a 6-2 6-1 win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Murray baffled by US Open defeat
Andy Murray is at a loss to explain the physical problems behind his surprise defeat by Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round of the US Open.
Dominant Nadal surges past Simon
Top seed Rafael Nadal eases into the US Open fourth round with a 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory over Gilles Simon after wins for Fernando Verdasco and Sam Querrey.
McEnroe resigns as US Cup captain
Patrick McEnroe is to step down as US Davis Cup captain after their play-off against Colombia later this month.
Clijsters & Venus reach quarters
Defending champion Kim Clijsters eases into the US Open quarter-finals with a 6-2 6-1 win over Ana Ivanovic, while Venus Williams beats Shahar Peer 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.
Murray makes shock US Open exit
Britain's Andy Murray goes out of the US Open after suffering a dramatic slump against 25th seed Stanislas Wawrinka.
GB's Golding wins New York opener
British teenager Oliver Golding battles into the junior US Open second round with a 7-6 (11-9) 6-3 win over Spain's Andres Artunedo Martinavarr.
Federer sails through in New York
Five-time champion Roger Federer cruises into the fourth round of the US Open with a straight sets win over Paul-Henri Mathieu.
Jankovic falls to Estonian Kanepi
Fourth seed Jelena Jankovic is knocked out of the US Open in the third round 6-2 7-6 by Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.
When Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal walked onto the Centre Court for the 2008 Wimbledon final, few could have expected them to produce a match to surpass their epic five-set encounter twelve months earlier. Then Federer had underlined his world No.1 status by claiming his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title, but a year later the momentum had shifted dramatically. Nadal had contemptuously dismissed his Swiss rival in straight sets at Roland Garros to claim his fourth straight title there, and it seemed only a matter of time before the young Spaniard would depose Federer at the top of the rankings. Jon Wertheim’s book takes an in depth look at what followed: a gripping match lasting nearly five hours but ending seven-and-a-half hours later in near-darkness because of agonising rain breaks at pivotal moments.
Before chronicling the match itself, the author paints vivid portraits of the two rivals, superstars for whom achievement is now measured solely in grand slam titles. It is fascinating to compare the upbringing of the two players, and how they learned and developed their contrasting but equally-effective playing styles. It is also interesting to compare how their achievements are viewed in their respective countries, with Nadal lionised in his native Mallorca while the laid-back Swiss take a more measured view of Federer’s extraordinary career. Whether it was the greatest match ever will continue to fuel many a lively argument, but one thing is certain, it was a match worthy of recording in print, and this book does it full justice.
