US Open Tennis 2018 Men's Final: Djokovic vs. Del Potro Preview

Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro will renew their rivalry in the men's final of the 2018 U.S. Open on Sunday.

The Serb has won the last three meetings between the two and will likely be the favourite, coming off a title run at Wimbledon.

However, Del Potro has been in excellent form of late and wasted little energy in his semi-final win over Rafael Nadal, as the Spaniard retired after the second set.

Head-to-Head

Per the ATP's official website, Djokovic has won 14 of the 18 meetings between the two, including the last three. Del Potro has beaten the Djoker just once since 2014, at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

As shared by the New York Times' Christopher Clarey, Djokovic holds a perfect record over Del Potro in Grand Slams:

Del Potro has only ever played in one Grand Slam final, winning the 2009 U.S. Open. Djokovic has won five of his last six Grand Slam finals.

Form, Matchup

Neither player had to dig particularly deep in the semi-finals, as Del Potro spent just two sets on court and Djokovic blasted his way past Kei Nishikori.

After the match, the Japanese star was full of praise for the 31-year-old:

Del Potro won the first two sets against Nadal, who visibly slowed down after dropping a tie break in the first. The 29-year-old appeared to be cruising, playing some of his best tennis of the tournament.

The Argentinian has a tendency to rise to the occasion:

Del Potro's excellent serve has carried him through much of the tournament, setting up a tantalising stylistic clash in the final. Djokovic is known as arguably the best return player in the world; something will have to give in the final.

The head-to-head record between the two suggests Djokovic knows how to neutralise Del Potro's serve like few others, but his opponent is no one-trick pony. His power game from the base line is also clicking, giving him a huge weapon in rallies.

Djokovic has grown into the tournament, a skill the Serb has mastered over the years. He's one of the most complete players on the tour, and while he rarely overpowers opponents, he never really has to.

His accuracy stood out the most against Nishikori, and it's this accuracy that should give him the edge here as well. Del Potro is at his best when he can get comfortable in rallies, but Djokovic is a master at keeping his opponents moving, which can prove tricky for a man his size.

The ATP list the Argentinian at 6'6'', and in the longer rallies, that huge size can be a burden, especially against elite defensive players like Djokovic.

Prediction: Djokovic continues his dominance over Del Potro, wins in four sets.