US Open Tennis 2016 Men's Final Schedule, Prediction and Prize Money

The men’s singles final of the U.S. Open takes centre stage on Sunday, as Novak Djokovic looks to defend his crown against Stan Wawrinka.

World No. 1 Djokovic has featured in six of the last seven finals at Flushing Meadows, while Sunday’s showdown will be the first time Wawrinka has made it all the way.

Both players came through hard-fought semi-finals to book their place in the last two, and although Djokovic comes into the clash as the hot favourite, Wawrinka is more than capable of serving up a surprise.

Date: Sunday, September 11

Time: 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York

Prize Money: Winner $3.5 million; runner-up $1.75 million

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Two-time U.S. Open champion Djokovic is going for his 13th Grand Slam title on Sunday, which would move him just one big win away from drawing level with Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras at the top of the charts.

Getting to 13 won’t be particularly easy, though. Wawrinka comes into the clash in excellent form and playing the kind of tennis that has eluded him for many years.

The Swiss star has become something of a warrior on the court; his head never drops, and he’s able to get back into games when he finds himself on the back foot.

That was the case in his semi-final against Kei Nishikori, as the Japanese player looked much sharper for the opening two sets.

But after Wawrinka won a gruelling second set 7-5, there was only going to be one man facing Djokovic in the final.

And the 31-year-old has plenty of reasons to be optimistic ahead of Sunday, as he’s fared well against world No. 1s in previous Grand Slam finals, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

In fact, all finals have been kind to Wawrinka, as ATP Media Info revealed:

"

Swiss No. 1 @StanWawrinka vs World No. 1 @DjokerNole in #USOpen final. Wawrinka 10-0 in last 10 finals, incl. '15 @RolandGarros vs Djokovic.

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) September 10, 2016"

He’ll need something special to continue such impressive records, however, as Djokovic is unplayable on his day.

Sure, he was a little shaky in his semi-final clash with Gael Monfils and complained of shoulder problems when on the back foot (he even switched shoulders midway through his apparent agony), but he still had the class to dispose of the 10th seed.

He’ll need to dig deep again against Wawrinka to find a way past the Swiss star, yet he has more than enough in the tank to do that.

Prediction: Wawrinka will start the U.S. Open fast and look to strike early on to secure the first set. Djokovic knows how important the opener is, though, and he will turn his game on to try to stop his opponent. Wawrinka will get himself on the board, but it will prove futile. Djokovic to win 3-1.