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September 4, 2019

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Home » Sports » Tennis

Nadal reigns in clash of former US Open champs

Source: AFP | 00:05 UTC+8 September 4, 2019 | Print Edition

Rafael Nadal ramped up his quest for a fourth US Open title Monday with an impressive win over 2014 champion Marin Cilic to advance to the quarterfinal.

Second seed Nadal produced some electrifying moments of brilliance to end the challenge of Croatian 22nd seed Cilic 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. The Spaniard exchanged the first two sets with Cilic but grasped control by breaking for 3-1 in the third, drawing an animated fist-pump from golf legend Tiger Woods at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“The emotions I have when I play here are impossible to describe. I love the sport and feel very lucky to still be playing tennis here. Eight years ago I didn’t think that would happen as my body was suffering badly,” Nadal said. “It’s a huge honor playing in front of all of you and playing in front of Tiger is a very special thing. I always say I don’t have big idols but one idol is him and I always try to follow him.”

Nadal’s path to the final sees him take on Argentine 20th seed Diego Schwartzman next after the Argentine chopped down sixth seed Alexander Zverev.

Zverev rolled through the opening set against Schwartzman but he lost his way to go down 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3. Zverev lost his serve three times during the second set but appeared to have steadied himself when he moved a break ahead at 3-2 in the third, only for Schwartzman to wrest the momentum back in his favor after a lengthy sixth game.

Matteo Berrettini became the second Italian man to progress to the US Open last eight, 42 years after Corrado Barazzutti’s run to the last four in New York.

Berrettini, the 24th seed, eased to a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (6) win over Russia’s 43rd-ranked Andrey Rublev to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time.

Monfils crushed the 33-year-old Andujar to reach his first Grand Slam singles quarterfinal with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 rout.

Top-ranked defending champion Naomi Osaka was ousted from the US Open on Monday by Belinda Bencic while Croatian Donna Vekic erased a match point to join the Swiss 13th seed in a quarterfinal matchup.

Bencic’s 7-5, 6-4 triumph ensured 21-year-old Japanese star Osaka will fall from atop the rankings next week and won’t become the first repeat US Open winner since Serena Williams in 2014.

“The challenge cannot be bigger against Naomi,” Bencic, 22, said. “I had to be at the top of my game and I’m really pleased how well I handled my nerves at the end.”

“She played pretty clean. She had a specific plan she wanted to execute,” Osaka said. “I guess just being aggressive.”

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, the reigning French Open champion, will move atop the rankings next Monday after the loss by Osaka.

Osaka’s exit means there will be four different women’s Grand Slam winners in a season for the third consecutive year, a first in the Open era.

Vekic, the 23rd seed, made her first Slam quarterfinal by beating German 26th seed Julia Goerges 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3.

Belgian 25th seed Elise Mertens cruised past 141st-ranked US wildcard Kristie Ahn 6-1, 6-1 in 67 minutes to book a quarterfinal berth against 19-year-old Canadian 15th seed Bianca Andreescu.

The only deeper Slam run for Mertens was into last year’s Australian Open semifinal while Andreescu, whom the Belgian has never faced, extended her career-best Slam performance by defeating 116th-ranked US qualifier Taylor Townsend 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

Andreescu, who could crack the world top 10 next week, improved to 6-0 this year against left-handers.

Andreescu breezed through the first set in 31 minutes, but double faulted to surrender the second set. She broke Townsend to open the third set and again for a 4-1 edge on the way to victory.

It’s the first time all US Open last eight contestants have been seeds since 2012 and a first at any Slam since the 2014 Australian Open.

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