Monday 14 September 2015 12:39, UK
Novak Djokovic coped perfectly with a hostile crowd during his victory over Roger Federer in the US Open final, says Greg Rusedski.
Federer had the full support of the New York fans as he tried to claim his first Grand Slam title since 2012, but world No 1 Djokovic fought back from a set down to complete a 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4 victory at Flushing Meadows on Sunday.
Every Federer point was greeted with cheers and Djokovic's errors were also celebrated at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
But Rusedski believes the Serb again showed his mental strength as he retained his composure in a testing atmosphere.
"It was absolutely perfect from a tactical point of view," said Rusedski. "I'm sure Boris said to him: 'I don't want to see the emotion out of there, I don't want to see any anger.'
"You've got to stay calm, you cannot blink. If you do, the crowd will get on your back completely and he played a blinder tonight, so mentally it was an extraordinary performance.
"We wouldn't see this at Wimbledon, nor at the French Open or in Australia. Only in New York would you get a crowd like this - that really goes after you - and Djokovic deserves all the credit for what he did. By the end, the crowd is going to have nothing but respect for him.
"He's growing and growing in stature as a great champion."
