NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic got the rain and the rest he was hoping for.

Now, tennis fans will see if that makes for a fair fight against the world's top-ranked player, Rafael Nadal.

A rainout at the U.S. Open postponed the Djokovic-Nadal final until Monday, giving Djokovic the reprieve he wanted after his grueling, five-set semifinal victory over Roger Federer.

After No. 3 Djokovic's win on Saturday — 3 hours, 34 minutes of exhausting tennis — he was told about the possibility of rain pushing back Sunday's final.

He opened his eyes wide and rubbed his hands together.

"I don't know the rituals; how to invite the rain," he said. "An extra day would be great."