NEW YORK (AFP) – Rafael Nadal avoided straining his sore stomach muscles Saturday by ripping through the completion of his rain-hit US Open quarter-final in only 34 extra minutes to finish off Fernando Gonzalez.
After waiting through rain since late Thursday to resume at a tension-packed moment in a second-set tie-breaker, six-time Grand Slam champion Nadal took advantage of error-prone Gonzalez for a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2), 6-0 victory.
"It was a very important result for me," Nadal said. "I'm in the semi-finals for the second time in my life at the US Open."
Nadal, trying to complete a career Grand Slam, matched his best US Open run from last year with his sixth consecutive victory over Gonzalez, whom he also beat Gonzalez in last year's Beijing Olympic final.
"I didn't feel the ball like I really wanted," Gonzalez said. "My shot doesn't make the same damage as any other day."
Nadal was bothered by a nagging abdominal muscle strain when the match began but seized a 7-6 (7/4), 6-6 (3/2) lead when rain halted play. Showers washed out all play on Friday, giving Nadal extra time to recover.
"Yeah, lucky for me," Nadal said. "It was important to have one day off for me to be well."
Nadal, assured of returning to the world number two spot, has already pulled out of next week's Spanish Davis Cup semi-final tie against Israel due to the injury.
"I don't think it's going to be a really huge injury," Gonzalez said. "With the abdominals normally you have a lot of trouble putting a lot of serves in and he was serving really well."
Nadal will play for a berth in Monday's final against Argentine sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro, who beat Croatian Marin Cilic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 in a Thursday quarter-final.
Five-time defending champion Roger Federer, the Swiss world number one seeking to stretch his record total of Grand Slam titles to 16, will play Serbian fourth seed Novak Djokovic in Sunday's other semi-final after a three-day layoff.
"You always expect Federer plays the final against Nadal," Gonzalez said. "Today, Federer is playing better than Nadal if you look at the stats. But you never know. I don't think Federer likes to play Nadal."
Play resumed at a tense moment in the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but the drama ended quickly with Nadal taking the first four points to claim the set.
"It was difficult. To start in a tie-break is a lottery. Anything can happen," Nadal said. "Lucky for me I won the first four points. That was decisive in the match."
Gonzalez sent a forehand wide, two more long and netted a backhand to give the Spanish left-hander command of the match.
"I got frustrated in the tie-breaker," Gonzalez said. "I went for it and I miss one, then another one, then another one. I did my best.
"I felt I cannot do damage at the first break. I didn't know what to do."
Gonzalez swatted 21 unforced errors in the third set. He had a trainer cut extra padding off his feet after falling 3-0 down but never mustered a threat as Nadal improved to 7-3 in their rivalry.
"Fernando had more mistakes than the last day," Nadal said. "That was important for me."
Nadal owns a 4-2 career edge on Del Potro, but the Argentine star has won their two most recent meetings, in Montreal and Miami hardcourt quarter-finals earlier this year.
"He's very solid from the baseline," Nadal said. "It's important for me to play well if I'm going to have a chance to win."
Nadal is trying to become just the seventh man to complete the career Grand Slam, joining Federer, Andre Agassi, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson as the only men to win each of the four major titles.
No comments:
Post a Comment