Nadal beats Verdasco to reach US Open semifinals
source: The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Top-ranked Rafael Nadal got his serve in gear after being broken for the only time in five matches to beat No. 8 Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 Thursday night in the first all-Spanish quarterfinal in US Open history.
Nadal's streak of 62 consecutive holds of serve ended in Thursday's third game, when he Verdasco broke him at love go ahead 2-1. Nadal wouldn't face another break point the rest of the match, though, and won the last 13 points he served in the second set.
And now Nadal is headed to a third consecutive semifinal at Flushing Meadows. Nadal never has reached a final in New York, losing at the semifinal stage to Andy Murray in 2008, and to eventual champion Juan Martin del Potro last year.
In the very early going, Verdasco played the brand of point-extending, opponent-dispiriting defense that Nadal is so well-known for. But Nadal broke back to get to 4-all, thanks to Verdasco's consecutive double-faults, and suddenly was seeming more and more comfortable.
Nadal broke Verdasco for a second time in the last game of the opening set thanks to a volley winner at the end of a 20-stroke exchange. By match's end, Nadal was pulling out all the tricks, even hitting one half-volley while spinning around, putting the racket on the ball with his back to the net.
On Saturday, Nadal — trying to complete a career Grand Slam at age 24 by earning a US Open trophy to put alongside the eight total he owns from the French Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open — will face 12th-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia for a spot in the final.
No. 2 Roger Federer will face No. 3 Novak Djokovic in Saturday's other semifinal; they won their quarterfinals Wednesday. Federer has a record 16 Grand Slam titles, including five at the US Open, and has faced Nadal in finals at the other three major tournaments.
Nadal has won his last 19 Grand Slam matches, including titles in 2010 at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Youzhny's only previous trip to the semifinals at any Grand Slam tournament came at the 2006 US Open, and he made it there by upsetting Nadal in the quarterfinals.
"It's another time, and I'm, like, another player," Youzhny said. "I cannot say I am (a) better player now, but it's another time and other opponent, so everything can happen."
He hit fewer aces and fewer winners, needed treatment on his right foot in the fifth set — and still managed to come back and beat No. 25 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 3-6, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in four hours.
"Maybe I was just a bit luckier than him," Youzhny said.
As was the case for many matches in recent days, the wind was swirling inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. During Nadal's 11th victory in 11 career matchups against Davis Cup teammate Verdasco, the wind gusted and the temperature dropped.
Neither player seemed pleased by the conditions, and Verdasco looked up at his guest box in the second game after hitting one of his six double-faults. In the next game, however, he played some terrific sliding, stretching defense during a 20-stroke exchange he capped with a backhand passing winner to earn a break point.
He converted that, but never got another chance to really rattle Nadal. — AP
Continue...NEW YORK — Top-ranked Rafael Nadal got his serve in gear after being broken for the only time in five matches to beat No. 8 Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 Thursday night in the first all-Spanish quarterfinal in US Open history.
Nadal's streak of 62 consecutive holds of serve ended in Thursday's third game, when he Verdasco broke him at love go ahead 2-1. Nadal wouldn't face another break point the rest of the match, though, and won the last 13 points he served in the second set.
And now Nadal is headed to a third consecutive semifinal at Flushing Meadows. Nadal never has reached a final in New York, losing at the semifinal stage to Andy Murray in 2008, and to eventual champion Juan Martin del Potro last year.
In the very early going, Verdasco played the brand of point-extending, opponent-dispiriting defense that Nadal is so well-known for. But Nadal broke back to get to 4-all, thanks to Verdasco's consecutive double-faults, and suddenly was seeming more and more comfortable.
Nadal broke Verdasco for a second time in the last game of the opening set thanks to a volley winner at the end of a 20-stroke exchange. By match's end, Nadal was pulling out all the tricks, even hitting one half-volley while spinning around, putting the racket on the ball with his back to the net.
On Saturday, Nadal — trying to complete a career Grand Slam at age 24 by earning a US Open trophy to put alongside the eight total he owns from the French Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open — will face 12th-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia for a spot in the final.
No. 2 Roger Federer will face No. 3 Novak Djokovic in Saturday's other semifinal; they won their quarterfinals Wednesday. Federer has a record 16 Grand Slam titles, including five at the US Open, and has faced Nadal in finals at the other three major tournaments.
Nadal has won his last 19 Grand Slam matches, including titles in 2010 at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Youzhny's only previous trip to the semifinals at any Grand Slam tournament came at the 2006 US Open, and he made it there by upsetting Nadal in the quarterfinals.
"It's another time, and I'm, like, another player," Youzhny said. "I cannot say I am (a) better player now, but it's another time and other opponent, so everything can happen."
He hit fewer aces and fewer winners, needed treatment on his right foot in the fifth set — and still managed to come back and beat No. 25 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 3-6, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in four hours.
"Maybe I was just a bit luckier than him," Youzhny said.
As was the case for many matches in recent days, the wind was swirling inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. During Nadal's 11th victory in 11 career matchups against Davis Cup teammate Verdasco, the wind gusted and the temperature dropped.
Neither player seemed pleased by the conditions, and Verdasco looked up at his guest box in the second game after hitting one of his six double-faults. In the next game, however, he played some terrific sliding, stretching defense during a 20-stroke exchange he capped with a backhand passing winner to earn a break point.
He converted that, but never got another chance to really rattle Nadal. — AP
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