Juan Martin Del Potro spoilt the party for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as they were one match away from an historic meeting at the US Open. Del Potro beat Federer to win his only Grand Slam title in New York in 2009, and eight years later he stunned the 36-year-old on Arthur Ashe Stadium in the quarter finals. Tennis fans have to wait another year for the long awaited epic clash between the pair. After facing criticisms in the past for failing to perform well at a tennis major, four Americans have made it to the last four at Flushing Meadows.
The semifinal pairing is now complete for both men and women but first let’s do a wrap of day 10.
Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro shocked Roger Federer in four sets to reach the US Open semi-finals.
The 24th seed won 7-5 3-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 to set up a clash against top seed Rafael Nadal, who earlier beat Russian teenager Andrey Rublev.
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It is the sixth time Federer and Nadal have been one match from meeting at a US Open match. The epic rivals have never squared off at Flushing Meadows.
Top seed Nadal is now also guaranteed to retain his number one ranking ahead of the Swiss.
The Spaniard made quick work of 19-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev in a 6-1 6-2 6-2 in the US Open quarterfinals.
It is Nadal’s first trip to the semis since he won the title in New York in 2013. It is also his 224th major match win to tie Andre Agassi in fourth place for the most in men’s tennis history.
Women’s Draw
In the women’s draw, Madison Keys beat Kaia Kanepi to complete an all-American line-up in the US Open women’s semi-finals.
The 15th seed won 6-3 6-3 to join Coco Vandeweghe, Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens in the last four.
It is the first time since 1981 that four American women have made the semi-finals in New York, and the first time anywhere since Wimbledon 1985.
Vandeweghe, seeded 20th, earlier beat Czech top seed Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7-4) 6-3. She also ended Pliskova’s reign as world number one.
25 year old Pliskova, needed to reach the final to hang on to the number one ranking, but defeat means she will be replaced by Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in the new standings next week.
For 37 year old Williams, she is the only one of the four Americans to have reached a Grand Slam final, the first of which came in 1997.
Semi final parings
Men
Pablo Carreno v Kevin Anderson
Rafa Nadal v Juan Martin del Potro
Women
Sloane Stephens v Venus Williams
Coco Vandeweghe v Madison Keys
