US Open: A retrospective of Novak Djokovic's final heartbreaks at Flushing Meadows

Modified Aug 24, 2019 09:54 GMT

#3 2012: Lost to Murray 6-7(10) 5-7 6-2 6-3 2-6

Djokovic fell to Murray in his fourth US Open final in 2012

Defending champion Djokovic arrived in his fourth final at the Flushing Meadows following respective victories over Del Potro in the quarterfinals and Ferrer in the semis.

The Serb faced 2008 finalist Andy Murray across the net, in a repeat of the pair's Australian Open final in 2012 which went Djokovic's way.

It was the Scot who made the brighter start but after trading two breaks apiece, the set proceeded to a tiebreak where Murray converted his sixth set point to take a one-set lead.

Murray took a four-love lead in the second, only for Djokovic to recover both of the breaks. The Scot soon regrouped to break Djokovic in the twelfth game of the set to take a two-set lead for the first time in a major final.

Djokovic responded by taking the next two sets for the loss of just five points to force a decider. The injured Serb, however, ceased to be competitive in the fifth set as Murray sprinted to the finish line in 4 hours 49 minutes to land the biggest title of his career.

In the process, Murray became the first British men's singles player since Fred Perry in 1936 to win a Grand Slam title.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Alan John