US Open Tennis 2013: Day 13 Scores, Results and Recap

Two men's singles semifinal matches and the women's doubles final were on the schedule for Day 13 of the 2013 U.S. Open. 

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal headlined the list of stars in action on Saturday, but both faced fierce tests in semifinal opponents Stanislas Wawrinka and Richard Gasquet. In the women's doubles final, Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka squared off against Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua. 

Djokovic beat Wawrinka in a five-set thriller, while Nadal bested Gasquet in straight-set fashion. The top two seeds in the men's singles draw will now meet each other in the tournament final.

Elsewhere, Hlavackova and Hradecka rebounded from losing the first set against their opponents to win the women's doubles title.

Hlavackova will take home two trophies from the United States, having already won the mixed doubles title with partner Max Mirnyi, as noted by Sports Illustrated's Beyond the Baseline Twitter account:

According to ESPN's Stats & Info and Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch, Nadal-Djokovic matches are approaching historic lengths from several different angles:

Only two days of action remain at the final Slam of the 2013 season. Here's a complete look at the scores from Day 13 and a recap of all the action below. 

*For a complete look at the Day 13 schedule, results and upcoming matches, visit USOpen.org. 

Wawrinka Dominant Early; Djokovic in Command Late

Djokovic-Wawrinka is quickly becoming a Grand Slam rivalry. 

In the second match between the two men of the 2013 season (the Australian Open being the other), Djokovic overcame a 2-1 set deficit to move on to the U.S. Open final for the fifth time in the last seven years.  

As noted by ESPN on Twitter, both men played outstanding tennis:

At the end of the day, though, we have to have a winner and a loser. 

Wawrinka got off to a fantastic start against the No. 1 seed, carrying over the intensity and ball-striking ability we saw as he defeated Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. The Swiss player broke Djokovic's serve twice in the first set, cruising to an early lead. 

Djoker struck back in the second, but only after beating Wawrinka in a tiebreaker. The challenger moved back ahead by dominating the third set, too, leaving Djokovic on the brink of being upset in the semifinals at a Grand Slam tournament for the second time this year. 

With his back against the wall, Djokovic produced his best performances of the day. 

Djokovic coaxed Wawrinka into playing long rallies full of cross-court points and volleys, using his length and athleticism on the back line to make things difficult over the final two sets. He wore Wawrinka down and played his best tennis with the match on the line. 

Looking forward to the final, Djokovic doesn't expect rest to be a problem against Nadal, per the ATP World Tour's Twitter account:

Djokovic was taken to the brink by Wawrinka, who looks to be emerging as a serious threat to win a handful of Slams over the next few years if his effort is as consistent as it was in New York. But Djoker is the No. 1 player in the world for a reason, and he showed that when it counted.  

Nadal Makes Short Work of Gasquet

Gasquet was winless against Nadal in professional action coming into the match, and he left Saturday's semifinal the same way.

Nadal won the first set with relative ease before feeling Gasquet push back a little bit in the second set. The Frenchman took his opponent to a tiebreaker set, but could not come up with the necessary ammo to even the set tally at one.

U.S. Open on Twitter had a look at how Nadal managed to dominate Gasquet by match's end with this highlight:

The Spaniard took full advantage of that miscue, closing out Gasquet with a 6-2 third and final frame.

As noted by Tennis.com, it was Nadal's 21st straight victory on hard courts this year:

The win also sets up a dream final between Nadal and Djokovic, a rematch of the 2011 U.S. Open final and countless other epic battles.

Nadal comes into the latest duel between the two world-class stars the hotter player. He has breezed through the first few rounds of the tournament, taking no prisoners toward Slam title No. 13.

Monday's final will be must-see TV. 

Women's Doubles Final

Although it didn't receive much press prior to the match, the women's doubles final was a heated affair. 

The path to the final for both pairings was no easy task. 

Hlavackova and Hradecka had a particularly tough draw and were forced to beat No. 3 seed Katarina Srebotnik and Nadia Petrova to earn a match with the Williams sisters—Serena and Venus. 

The Czech duo held their own against the 14-time Grand Slam tournament champions, sending the sisters home in straight sets to reach the final. Their opponents, Dellacqua and Barty, took down No. 2-seeded Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina en route to their Saturday night ticket. 

Early on, it looked as if the Australians were poised for the upset. 

But Hlavackova and Hradecka roared back, dropping just one game in the next set. In the deciding frame, the score was tied at four games apiece before the Czech duo won the final two games to capture their first Grand Slam title together. 

What Day 13 lacked in quantity, it more than made up for in quality. There are only two days of action remaining in New York before the tournament packs it in for another year, so pay close attention to the champions who will be crowned on Sunday and Monday. 

Follow Ethan Grant on Twitter.