Nadal had been destroyed in the first set, and he had come back.
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“I’m looking forward”, the 22-year-old said, and well he might after prevailing in a scintillating fifth-set tiebreaker over Nadal, a player he’s admired since his youth.
But nerves also got to Nadal, who netted a routine forehand to give Pouille one final match point, which he clinched with a forehand blast down-the-line from behind the baseline.
“He’s a better player than me, definitely”.
The match was everything a neutral observer could hope for as well.
Novak Djokovic has made it that far at the U.S. Open by playing only two, because three opponents pulled out of the tournament with injuries.
Rafael Nadal struggles to maintain his footing Sunday.
Nadal returned from more than two months of inaction at the Rio Games, where he won the doubles gold. But after Pouille’s impressive win over Nadal, Monfils can’t afford to take the young Pouille lightly. Pouille won on the next point with a forehand blast up the left side. I fight till the end.
The 10th-seeded Monfils beat an error-prone Pouille 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in an all-French quarterfinal that concluded under Arthur Ashe Stadium’s retractable roof. No. 6 Kei Nishikori; No. 3 Stan Wawrinka vs. Juan Martin del Potro.
Lucas Pouille, of France, shakes hands with Rafael Nadal, of Spain, after winning their match during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, in NY.
“After such a tough year, it’s wonderful to be in the quarter-finals”, said the 26-year-old whose Grand Slam record this year had seen first round losses in Australia and Wimbledon while she sat out Roland Garros.
Djokovic said the win over Edmund made him feel more confident because he was on the court for a full match.
“The wrist is better”, he said this past week.
“I don’t start from zero”.
“I’m happy with my performance”.
He would roll to a straight sets win 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, when the cypriot fires wide on match point.
Nadal stated that although the Grand Slam season was over, he still has goals.
But he was the one who blinked at 6-6. “It was not there”, Nadal said. I’m sad for that, but I fought.
“I think because, mentally, I’m stronger”, he said. I played the right point.
Pouille recovered from a break down in the fifth to force a tie-break and, despite squandering three match points, he was able to get over the winning line to set up a meeting with compatriot Gael Monfils in the last eight.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached the quarter-finals of the US Open for the second successive year on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 victory over American Jack Sock. Baghdatis defended himself to the chair umpire by asking whether it was against the rules to check the time; later, speaking to a handful of reporters, he said he was trying to message his wife. One point later, the match was over. Her opponent Tuesday, Anastasija Sevastova, had never won four straight matches at any major until now and was retired for almost two years before returning at the start of last season.
Kerber will face Italy’s Roberta Vinci for a spot in the semi-finals.
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Caroline Wozniacki, of Denmark, celebrates after winning her match against Madison Keys, of the United States, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, in NY.
