Lucas Pouille of France celebrates scoring during a men’s singles fourth round match against Rafael Nadal of Spain at the 2016 U.S. Open in NY, the United States, Sept. 4, 2016.
Advertisement
Pouille never had been to a Grand Slam quarterfinal until Wimbledon a couple of months ago, but it was Nadal who blinked at 6-6. I think I have no shame to say it.
Nadal acknowledged that his sloppy forehand was “a big mistake”. I fought right up to the last ball. He has also begun working with his own physical trainer who travels with him to tournaments. That’s it. You can not go insane thinking about these kind of things.
“I was trying. I felt like that I really made the chances but I just didn’t take them unfortunately”.
World number one Novak Djokovic ended the fairytale US Open run of Britain’s Kyle Edmund with a ruthless display as Frenchman Lucas Pouille showed exactly why he is considered one of tennis’ rising stars by beating Rafael Nadal in a five-set thriller at Flushing Meadows. Even with the extra rest, however, he required on-court treatment on his right arm the same one he had treated during his scrappy first-round victory over Jerzy Janowicz.
Halep, a former French Open finalist who has won three WTA titles in 2016, could find Serena Williams waiting for her in the last eight, with the world number one taking on 52nd-ranked Kazakh Yaroslava Shvedova later Monday.
Pouille will now face his compatriot Monfils for a spot in the semi-finals, after the latter cruised through against Baghdatis with a 6-3 6-2 6-3 victory.
Djokovic even cracked a smile after one effortless exchange in which he ran Edmund this way and that before dropping a backhand victor right near the baseline early in the third set. This is the first time since 1927 that three French players will be in the quarterfinals at the US Open.
The defending champion will now face Tsonga in the quarterfinals, while Monfils plays Nadal’s conqueror Pouille.
“But I fought. I can play better. Sometimes I couldn’t even hear myself when I was saying ‘Allez, allez, allez'”. At 6-6, I was not the same.
“I know it sounds bad, but honestly, at this point I’m like, I really don’t care what my ranking is”, she said.
In his career, a succession of injuries – usually involving either his knees or wrists – has seen him miss nine Grand Slam events. I know I can beat anyone.
The young Frenchman held his nerves in the tiebreaker and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 2-6,6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6) win.
Having won through to the last 16 as the beneficiary of a walkover and retirement in the second and third rounds respectively, Djokovic was finally tested in the fourth.
Advertisement
Angelique Kerber of Germany hits a forehand against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic (not pictured) on day seven of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
