Normally, it takes wins in five full matches to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.
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Monfils has been all business at the U.S. Open, using his speed and power to brush aside opponents.
Ninth seed Tsonga followed Monfils’ lead and booked his quarterfinals berth 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-2 over American 26th seed Jack Sock.
He won the next two points to earn a thrilling 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) fourth-round upset of Nadal in 4hr 8min. During the changeover after the third game, a trainer examined and taped up the ankle during a medical timeout.
It took her a while to finish off this one, despite going up an early break in the third set and leading 4-2.
Vinci has been bothered by a sore left Achilles tendon, not the sort of impediment that’s ideal against an opponent the caliber of Kerber. And then the man Djokovic was supposed to play in the third round, Mikhail Youzhny, quit after six games and only 31 minutes with a strained left hamstring. “With all due respect to everyone, you guys put me on the spot”. I knew if I wanted to win that, it’s not going to be like three sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
“I couldn’t dream better than this”, said Pouille.
Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, hits a return shot to Kyle Edmund, of Britain, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, in NY.
Young Frenchman Lucas Pouille scored a stunning five-set upset over 14 times grand slam singles victor Rafa Nadal, winning a climactic tiebreaker 8-6 to reach the U.S. Open quarter-finals on Sunday.
But anyone expecting the more experienced Nadal – with 14 Grand Slam titles on his resume, including two Opens – to sweep Pouille away was shocked. He’s lost in four finals and three semifinals over the past decade.
Monfils leapt through the air like a gazelle and played a through-the-legs shot while in mid-air to prove he’s still one of the fittest on the circuit.
Roberta Vinci, of Italy, reacts during her match with Lesia Tsurenko, of Ukraine, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, in NY.
Meanwhile Noah also announced the French roster for the Davis Cup World Group semi-final against Croatia to be played in Zadar.
“I did my best today”. I gave him a lot of space to pass me. He is a potential top-10 and a good fight for the big things the next couple of years.
The Lopezes, who are not related, move on to the semifinals to take on the victor of the match between Spaniards Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and No. 12 seeds Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Alexander Peya of Austria.
On the women’s side, it doesn’t matter to Caroline Wozniacki that she’s ranked 74th.
Wozniacki’s last trip to the semifinals of a major came in 2014, when she lost the U.S. Open final to her good friend Serena Williams. She was sure she was capable of another deep run at a major – and she was right.
It marks just the second time Monfils has reached the last four at a grand slam, and first since the 2008 French Open. “I have the motivation to keep working”, he asserted. “I’ve beaten pretty much everyone in the draw before”. I dive because I want to win the point.
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“That’s why people think, ‘Oh, he’s jumping, he’s sliding.’ In the end, you think I’m stupid?” “But for now, I’m just here to play this tournament”. She is now ranked 48th. “He was maybe a little bit flat today”.
