Meanwhile Djokovic – who had a second-round walkover as Czech Jiri Vesely withdrew due to injury, and was leading 4-2 in his third-round match when Russian Mikhail Youzhny retired with a leg ailment, making it six days since his last full match – breezed into the last eight.
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At one point, he said: “It was good”.
He led by a break at 1-0 and 4-2 in the fifth set, but Pouille broke back to 4-all, and eventually converted his fourth match point in the tiebreaker with a gutsy forehand victor to close a 16-stroke exchange. He got the decisive break for a 5-3 lead in the first set and then again for a 3-2 lead in the second to take the commanding two sets to love lead.
But after getting broken to cut his lead in the third set to 2-1, Djokovic called for the trainer, who manipulated and massaged the right elbow.
World No.5 Rafael Nadal has found a spark that has seen him shake off his old age and continual injury, finding some strong form.
The world #25 faltered briefly during the fifth set before recovering to win the tie-break 6-1 2-6 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6) and with it a historic victory over a player who hasn’t missed a quarterfinal date in 12 years. “I congratulate my opponent, he played with better decisions than me the last couple of points”. “My opponent played an overall more solid match than I did”, she said.
“I fought until the end”, Nadal said.
“It was tough and now I need to come back there”.
Against Tsonga he mustered only five aces and was broken six times by the 2008 Australian Open runner-up, who has reached at least the semi-finals of every Grand Slam except this one. “I fight until the end”.
“I had to serve very consistently because he’s a pretty good returner”. I am sad for that. In terms of tennis, I need more.
“This particular situation I [have] never had in my grand slam career”. “I’m handling pressure sometimes better than before”. I will try and qualify for the World Tour Finals.
“I still can not believe it”, she said.
“My wrist is improving a lot”.
“I have the motivation to keep working. That’s what my body is asking me now”.
The 22-year old Pouille will join fellow countrymen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals.
The ninth seed from France fired 54 winners to oust 26th-seeded Sock, the lone remaining United States man in the field.
Rory McIlroy came within a whisker of making the first albatross of his career but had to settle for an eagle at the par-five 18th in the third round at the Deutsche Bank Championship in MA on Sunday.
Sevastova’s previous best showing at a major was a round of 16 appearance at the 2011 Australian Open.
The Frenchman had a little hiccup with a double fault before belting an unreturnable serve to close it out.
“We were anxious about who was coming after those [veteran] Frenchman”, said ESPN analyst Patrick Mouratoglou, who is also Serena Williams’ coach and French. There [are] a lot of young players that want to do it, too.
It’s the first time since 1947 that three French men have reached the quarter-finals of one Grand Slam. “Whoever was doing that in the point, whoever was dictating with the forehand, was winning most of the points”.
“But I’m trying to not put pressure on myself, because I know I have to win a few more matches to reach the No. 1”.
Rafa Nadal might be losing his touch, as Lucas Pouille eliminated him from the US Open in the fourth round.
Wozniacki’s 6-3, 6-4 win over Madison Keys, the number eight seed, might not be that big an upset, but the manner in which Sevastova eased past 13 seed Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-5 was pretty impressive.
In the women’s draw, Germany’s Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion, saw off the tricky challenge of two-time Wimbledon victor Petra Kvitová of the Czech Republic.
Tsonga got there by eliminating the last USA man in the field, No. 26 Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-2.
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Now ranked at 74 in the world after a right ankle injury sidelined her for nearly three months, Wozniacki hit just seven unforced errors in her win over Keys.
