Novak Djokovic moved into the U.S. Open semifinals for the 10th consecutive year when No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stopped because of a hurt left knee, the defending champion’s third opponent to pull out with an injury.
Advertisement
The 2010 and 2013 champion failed to drop a set in the opening three rounds, but lost to the number 24 seed in four sets.
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. I think it helps me a lot to be stronger’. “Last time I played him it was 6-1, 6-2”, said Pouille. It would be long.
Nadal acknowledged his sloppy forehand had been “a big mistake”.
But there was still a chance.
The German made her first major semifinal at Flushing Meadows five years ago, but this season came an even bigger breakthrough when she beat Serena Williams for the Australian Open title.
Pouille was unable to reproduce the form that saw him stun Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, but the 22-year-old will already be targeting success in 2017 after reaching back-to-back Grand Slam quarters.
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.
So perhaps that’s the secret to Wozniacki’s run to the quarterfinals when she hadn’t won four matches in a row since March 2015. Pouille and Monfils will play each other for a berth in the semifinals.
“I fight until the end”, Nadal said following his defeat. I am sad for that.
But he has always been considered a rising prospect in France, and now he is beginning to collect on his promise.
By steeling himself for the slog, Pouille was able to withstand Nadal’s comebacks and match him stroke for stroke. And as in that victory over the French Open champ, she finally closed out the win with a service break.
Monfils did not face a single break point in his demolition of Pouille, winning a daunting 85 per cent of points on his first serve as he unleashed deliveries that topped out at 135 mph and registered 34 outright winners.
Rafael Nadal’s 2016 U.S. Open came to a close on Sunday evening, but not before the Arthur Ashe Stadium faithful were treated to a five-set thriller that lasted into the scheduled night session. Pouille broke back to make it 3-4. I fight till the end. The problem is arrive to 6-All on the tiebreak of the fifth. “Definitely I want to win the point”.
“I have a few months to finish the season, to try to be qualified for the World Tour Finals. I [fought] right up to the last ball”, said Nadal.
Advertisement
“Of course I was a bit exhausted today”, said Pouille, who also ousted 15th seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain along the way. I just congratulate the opponent that probably he played with better decisions than me the last couple of points. “But now I have one more match to play again, so we’ll see after the tournament”.
