UPDATE: RAFAEL Nadal began his U.S. Open quarter final as poorly as possible, shut out in a set by a 6-0 score for only the fourth time in 282 career Grand Slam matches.
On the previous three such occasions, he’d lost. On this one, he managed to come back to win, although it took 4 hours, 49 minutes and never did get easy for him.
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media_camera Nadal struggled in the heat early, as he lost the first set 6-0. Picture: AP
The defending champion and No. 1 seed at Flushing Meadows recovered from his disastrous start and other stumbles along the way to beat No. 9 Dominic Thiem 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-7 (4) 7-6 (5) for a semifinal berth at a third consecutive Grand Slam tournament, winning a physical, back-and-forth tussle that concluded at 2.04 a.m. New York time.
How tense and tight was this one? Not only was Nadal two points from losing at 5-all in the closing tiebreaker, but he finished with fewer total points, 171-166.
media_camera Rafael Nadal celebrates his victory over Dominic Thiem in their US Open quarter-final on Wednesday. Picture: AP
When it ended, on an overhead by Thiem that sailed long, Nadal climbed over net to hug his opponent and whisper words of encouragement.
“I suffered, if that’s the right word, ‘’ Nadal said after the match.
“I’m very sorry for Dominic.”
Nadal's intense celebration 0:44 US Open: Rafael Nadal celebrated his 5-set marathon victory over Dominic Thiem, with an odd intensity. Nadal's intense celebration
“He’s a close friend on tour. He’s a great guy. A great player.” This rematch of the French Open final in June, won by Nadal, was his first match against a top-20 opponent at the U.S. Open since 2013, when he beat then-No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final.
media_camera Rafael Nadal (left) and Dominic Thiem hug after the match. Picture: Getty Images
It sure seemed at the shocking outset as if Nadal was somehow unprepared for this step up in competition. Thiem collected 24 of the opening set’s 31 points, thanks in large part to a 13-3 edge in winners.
Hard to not think back to 24 hours earlier, when Nadal’s great rival, No. 2 seed Roger Federer, was upset in the fourth round by Australia’s John Millman during similarly muggy conditions. Nadal was sweating so much in the 90-degree heat and 50-percent humidity that a mountain of white towels formed next to his changeover bench. Thiem made him work for this win. And how.
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The depth and strength of Thiem’s groundstrokes were doing what Nadal’s shots usually do to opponents: robbing them of time and space. Plus, Thiem - an Austrian who turned 25 on Monday - was serving well, taking every point when he put a first serve in, and handling returns without a hitch.
media_camera Rafael Nadal plays a return against Dominic Thiem on Wednesday.
“For me, it was a very tough start,” Nadal said. “Then I tried to stay in the match, in some way.” It took a while for Nadal to figure out what was wrong and become Thiem’s equal in entertaining, body-punishing baseline exchanges that inspired loud gasps from spectators. Still, this whole contest was filled with challenges for Nadal.
He fell behind by a break in the third set before rebounding. He was two points from victory at 6-5, deuce, in the fourth as Thiem served, but flubbed a forehand volley, leaping for a ball that appeared to be sailing out and dumping it into the net. That mistake might have stayed in Nadal’s head, because he played terribly in the ensuing tiebreaker.
In the fifth, Nadal held three break points at 5-all, love-40, but Thiem took the next five points told serve.
media_camera Dominic Thiem hits a return to Rafael Nadal during their quarter final. Picture: AFP
That, Nadal would say afterward, managed to “break my heart. But I just keep going.” He usually does.
When Nadal makes it this far in New York, he usually doesn’t stumble. He has now won seven U.S. Open quarter finals in a row when he’s made it that far; his only loss in that round came back in 2006.
He is bidding for a fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall.
On Friday, Nadal will take on a familiar foe with a berth in the final on the line: 2009 champion and No. 3 seed Juan Martin del Potro, who defeated No. 11 John Isner 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
- AP
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Rafael Nadal recovered from a first-set bagel to defeat Dominic Thiem and reach the US Open semi-finals following another late-night classic in New York.
Twenty-four hours after Roger Federer fell to John Millman, his old rival avoided following him out of the tournament, but only just, completing a 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5) victory at 2.03am.
Ninth seed Thiem became the first player since Andy Roddick in 2004 to win a love set against Nadal in New York but the defending champion once again dug deep to come out on top of a gruelling battle played in more punishing humidity.
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Nadal will now face third seed Juan Martín del Potro, who defeated John Isner, in a repeat of last year’s semi-final.
Remarkably, Thiem was the first top-20 player Nadal has faced at Flushing Meadows since his final win over Novak Djokovic in 2013, with last year’s title seeing him take on a succession of unexpected opponents.
And Thiem, the only man to beat Nadal on clay for the last two seasons, set about showing his opponent he meant serious business in his first grand slam quarter-final outside of the French Open.
The Austrian blasted 13 winners, made only two unforced errors and allowed Nadal just seven points in winning an extraordinary opening set.
It was only the fourth time in his long grand slam history that Nadal had lost a set 6-0 and just the third time at any level in nearly seven years. But the last time, against Philipp Kohlschreiber in Miami last spring, he fought back to win the match.
Nadal’s ability to look only forward and forget what went before is one of his most important strengths and he set about turning around the match, closing in on the baseline, forcing Thiem to play one more ball and, eventually, to go for too much.
The Spaniard secured the break he wanted for 5-3 only to give it back but a sloppy game from Thiem, who turned 25 on Monday, handed him the set anyway.
The momentum was with Nadal but Thiem regrouped in the third set and began to again blast winners into the corners. But, as in the second set, when the time came to keep his foot on Nadal’s throat, he instead loosened the pressure and lived to regret it.
Thiem was broken serving for the set and then could not hold on for the tie-break, saving two set points but not a third after planting a volley wide with the whole of the court available.
The fourth set was a wild 81-minute ride that began with Thiem facing break points, saw the Austrian threaten a double break before being pegged back and then a weary Nadal miss a chance to win the match.
With Thiem serving at 5-6 and 30-30, a desperate lunging forehand looked to be easy pickings for Nadal at the net only for the 32-year-old to net it.
Thiem held on for the tie-break, where another unexpected Nadal error, this time a short forehand into the net, sent the match into a deciding set.
With the clock ticking towards 1am and transport options dwindling, many fans headed for the exits while the two adversaries battled on.
Having looked the more weary of the two, it was Nadal who was applying the greater pressure and at 5-5, 0-40 it seemed this was his chance. But Thiem saved all three break points before denying Nadal a fourth opportunity with a stunning volley at the end of a remarkable point.
That they were still able to produce tennis of such quality was astonishing. There was no let-up in the tie-break and, after four hours and 49 minutes, it was Nadal who claimed victory when Thiem sent a smash long.
The Austrian hung his head before being consoled by Nadal who then held his arms aloft in celebration and relief.
Federer saw his US Open dreams fade after a shock defeat to John Millman, who stunned the 27-year-old 3-6, 7-5, 7-6, 7-6 to progress to the last eight. He was in a dejected mood after the match, with a Flushing Meadows triumph evading him for the tenth year in a row. Roger Federer was asked by a reporter whether he was the best player of all time, knowing full well that his response could include comments made about Nadal, Sampras, McEnroe or Djokovic. And the Swiss supremo was in no mood to give a straight answer, saying: “Yeah, I don't know.
“It is awkward in some ways, and it's a bit of a trap at times because you answer it 50 times and you have to answer it 50 times exactly the same, or you change it up a bit and then it sounds different. “People pick out whatever they want to hear, so obviously I've gotten used to talking about it, being in the conversation. “And looking at my results, obviously, I'm amazed how far I've come myself. “Then again, I'm still playing, and as long as I'm playing, for me, there is no reason to start comparing to the other ones because I haven't finished.
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“I think I should be judged then. “At the same time, obviously, I'm very pleased with how well my career has gone. “I am more comfortable today in front of the press and in the public eye than I used to be. There is no doubt about that.” Milan’s win over Federer will see him lock horns with the resurgent Novak Djokovic.
Roger Federer last won the US Open back in 2008
Rafael Nadal won after four hours and 49 minutes
2018 US Open Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 27 August-9 September Coverage: Live radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website
Defending champion Rafael Nadal dug deep to win the longest match of this year's US Open in a classic five-set quarter-final against Dominic Thiem - which finished at 2:03am local time.
World number one Nadal lost the opening set 6-0 after being outpowered by the Austrian ninth seed in New York.
However, the 32-year-old Spanish top seed recovered to lead two sets to one before Thiem levelled in a tie-break.
Nadal edged a tense fifth-set tie-break to win 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5).
The 17-time Grand Slam champion clinched victory when Thiem hit an overhead smash long on the first match point, the drama continuing until the last shot in an epic encounter lasting four hours and 49 minutes.
Nadal jumped over the net to console his Austrian opponent at the end, the pair embracing as those left inside Arthur Ashe Stadium rose to their feet to give them a thunderous ovation.
"I said to Dominic: 'I'm very sorry and keep going.' He has plenty of time to win. He will have his chances in the future without a doubt," Nadal said.
Asked about how he got through the tense moments, Nadal added: "Suffering is the right word. It was a great battle."
He will play Argentine third seed Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 champion, in Friday's semi-finals.
"It is good to have two days that probably give me the chance to be 100% in the semi-finals," Nadal added.
Thiem fails to gain revenge
Dominic Thiem also lost the French Open final to Nadal in June
Thiem was aiming to earn a measure of revenge over Nadal, who dismantled his game for a straightforward victory in the French Open final in June - the Austrian's only appearance in a Grand Slam showpiece.
Ultimately, he faced more disappointment against one of the sport's all-time great fighters.
Eventually Nadal's endurance came out on top in this match, which was his 17th at a Grand Slam to go past the four-hour mark.
In contrast, 25-year-old Thiem had never previously gone past the four-hour mark in his whole career.
Neither player outwardly showed signs of fatigue as they continued to trade blows deep into a high-octane match.
Stylish and powerful winners continued to flow from the racquets of both players until the end, despite the match entering an energy-sapping fifth hour in hot and humid conditions at Flushing Meadows.
Despite the drama, the 24,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium was only about a third full when the match concluded under the lights, with many fans needing to leave early to get home.
Those who were left were treated to a tense final-set tie-break, which proved to be a fitting end to a great match.
"This match is going to be stuck in my mind forever - tennis is cruel sometimes," Thiem said.
"This match didn't deserve a loser, but there has to be one."
Nadal ultimately digests rare 'bagel'
Thiem has gained a reputation as one of the most powerful players on the men's tour, with Nadal identifying his thunderous groundstrokes as the danger before their last-eight tie.
And Thiem came out swinging against Nadal in a 24-minute opening set which left the packed crowd inside Ashe stunned.
Nadal had faced two gruelling matches against Karen Khachanov and Nikoloz Basilashvili coming into the quarter-final, and Thiem was keen to test his energy levels from the start.
Potent off both flanks, Thiem hit 13 winners and fired down five aces to comprehensively win the first set.
Nadal won just seven points as he was 'bagelled' for the first time at the US Open since a second-round defeat by American second seed Andy Roddick in 2004.
Hollywood actor Ben Stiller watched Nadal's victory
Thiem's comeback in vain
After that aggressive start, the question was whether Thiem could sustain his intensity over a longer period.
Thiem refused to entertain a different tactical approach and continued to go for broke - a risk and reward strategy which, although he did maintain, ultimately did not pay off in the cruellest of circumstances.
Nadal rediscovered his service game in the second set, levelling by going on to take two of three straight breaks at the end of the set as both players wobbled.
In the periods where Thiem's powerful groundstrokes were finding their target, Nadal was in trouble.
But more unforced errors were beginning to creep into Thiem's game - and at crucial times.
He showed both brilliance and naivety in a tight fourth set where he twice fought back from 40-15 down on serve and won just one of seven break points, eventually taking the tie-break to force a decider.
Thiem twice more had to recover from break-point deficits on his serve in the fifth, deservedly taking the match to the sudden-death finish it deserved.
Thiem won 171 points in the match, five more than Nadal, and hit 74 winners compared to 55 by the Spaniard.
"If we skip the first set it was an open match from beginning to the end," Thiem added.
"Then it ends up in the fifth set tie break and he made one more point than me."
