Spain's Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the final of the US Open on Monday to win his first title at Flushing Meadows, becoming only the seventh man to have won all four Grand Slam tournaments.

World number one Rafael Nadal completed a career Grand Slam title sweep on Monday by capturing his first US Open crown, defeating Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
The 24-year-old Spanish left-hander overwhelmed Djokovic with uncanny shotmaking to win the 1.7 million-dollar top prize as well as his third consecutive Grand Slam crown and his ninth Grand Slam title overall.
Nadal became the seventh man to complete a career Grand Slam sweep, joining Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry in having won Wimbledon and the US, French and Australian Open titles.
""It's a dream to have the career Grand Slam, but this is more dream to have the US Open,"" Nadal said.
""Is unbelievable feeling because I worked a lot all my life, in all the difficult moments, to be here but I never imagined having the four Grand Slams.
""This one is very special to me because it was the last one remaining.""
Showers pushed the final to Monday for the third year in a row and halted the match for one hour and 48 minutes, a rain delay that only delayed Nadal's reign on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts.
""For the first time in my career I played a very good match at this tournament,"" Nadal said. ""I played my best match in the US Open at the most important moment and I'm very happy for this.""
A ninth Slam title moved Nadal alone into seventh on the all-time list -- pssing Agassi, Perry, Ken Rosewall and Ivan Lendl and just seven shy of Federer's all-time record, three ahead of Federer's pace at the same age.
""It's too far - 16 for me, it's too far right now,"" Nadal said. ""It's the same (goal) - keep improving and be a better player.""
After winning Wimbledon and the French Open earlier this year, Nadal joined Federer, Laver and Pete Sampras as the only men to win three Slams in a row in the Open Era that began in 1968.
""He has all the capabilities to be the greatest ever,"" Djokovic said. ""He's playing the best I've ever seen him play on hardcourts. He has the game now for each surface. He has won each major. He has proven to the world he's the best.""
No Spanish man had won the US Open title since Manuel Orantes in 1975 and the only other Spanish US Open champion was Manuel Santana in 1965. Not since John McEnroe in 1984 had a left-hander had won the US Open men's title.
(Source: AFP)