For the US Open, the men's final came to a showdown between the top two players in the world on Monday in New York City.

World number one Novak Djokovic and number two Rafa Nadal meeting for the third time for the title at Flushing Meadows with each winning once previously.

World number one Novak Djokovic and number two Rafa Nadal meeting for the third time for the title at Flushing Meadows with each winning once previously. Spain's Nadal came into the match, unbeaten on hardcourt this season and he was hoping that trend would continue against the Serbian Djokovic.

Nadal, who won the 2010 final against Djokovic, started strongly. In the opening set, Rafa was in control early...up a break leading 4-2...and here, he puts on a shotmaking display. The backhand winner past Djokovic at the net after the 2011 champ seemingly had the point in control.

The Spaniard, dashing around the court with speed and ease, handled the windy conditions easily, making just four unforced errors to 14 by Djokovic in the set before taking it 6-2.

Djokovic though, would turn the tables in the second set. He claimed a rare service break off Nadal in the sixth game, taking a 4-2 lead by winning an exhausting 54-stroke rally.

The Australian Open champion again showed his determination by seizing the advantage in the eighth game and then ending the set 6-3 on serve in the next game with a backhand winner as the world number one levelled things up a at a set each.

Nadal would regain control however, as he won the third set 6-4, to move one set away from victory.

Sensing victory, Nadal was not to be denied. The Spaniard broke the top seed with a booming forehand to take a 2-love lead.

And with Djokovic wilting against Nadal's powerful groundstrokes, the world number two broke him again to make it 5-1 before serving out the victory.

With the win, Nadal wins for a second career time at the US Open, and moves into third on the all-time list with his 13th career Grand Slam title...and remains unbeaten on hardcourt in 2013.

"I felt that I did everything right to have my chance here. So, you know, you play one match against one of the best players of the history like this, Novak, No. 1 in the world, probably on probably his favorite surface, so I have to be almost perfect to win I say the other day here." said Rafael Nadal.

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