The 2013 US Open Championship will fittingly wrap up two weeks of intense and drama-filled tennis with the 37th encounter between world's no. 1 Novak Djokovic and world's no. 2 Rafael Nadal in Monday afternoon's men's singles final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

With the painful memory of his heart-breaking five-set loss to Andy Murray in last year's championship match still fresh in his mind, Djokovic is expected to enter Monday's battle with a different mindset.

Moreover, the top-ranked Serb will be bringing in the experience he had in his epic five-set 2-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka in the semis on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Nadal is out to send a message that he's back in a big way by winning his first Grand Slam title on hard court since 2010. Before the start of the hard court season, many tennis analysts and fans were concerned about the status of Nadal's knee after undergoing months of rehabilitation.

The Mallorcan Bull showed that he could still dominate on clay following his record-breaking eighth title in Roland Garros. However, the hard court surface has always been a main concern for Nadal, whose aggressive style of play made him prone to injuries throughout his career.

But then again, Nadal responded to the challenge emphatically as he pulled off a rare back-to-back 1000 Masters victories at Montreal and Cincinnati, catapulting him to No.2 in the world rankings. Now, after six rounds of superb tennis, Nadal is one win away from adding his second U.S. Open title and 13th Grand Slam crown of his career.

Nadal holds a 21-15 head-to-head career singles record over Djokovic, but the Serb has been successful against his rival in hard court matches.

"Hard court is my most successful surface," Djokovic told reporters via ESPN. "This is where I can say I feel most comfortable and confident. Hopefully, I can perform better than I did in theWimbledon final and maybe get a chance to win a trophy."

For Nadal, playing for the U.S. Open title is a blessing after missing last year's tourney due to knee problems. Yet, Nadal is a gladiator at the same time and everybody expects him to come out on fire against one of his fiercest rivals.

"Just amazing, no?" Nadal told reporters via USA Today. "After what happened last year I had the chance to play on this court and have the chance to play in final Monday is a dream for me."

"Novak is an amazing competitor. His results say he is one of best players I have ever seen," Nadal said. "He's a great champion and it will be a tough final for me but I hope I will be ready for that."

T.V Schedule, Live Streaming, Scores & Results

 CBS will begin coverage of Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic men's singles final at 5 p.m EST. Live Streaming is available on US Open Live while audio streaming is on US Open Radio.