Nadal into last eight
Dad-to-be Isner keeps US hopes alive
Defending champion Rafael Nadal on Sunday reached the US Open quarterfinals for the eighth time where he will face Dominic Thiem, one of only three men to defeat him in 2018.
World No.1 Nadal saw off a battling Nikoloz Basilashvili, the first Georgian in a fourth round in New York, 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4.
“It’s a big victory for me,” said the 32-year-old Nadal, the champion in 2010, 2013 and 2017.
“He was hitting the ball very strong and when I thought I was in control of the points, he always came back with strong shots.”
However, it was world No.37 Basilashvili’s strength that proved his undoing.
His 56 winners were erased by 59 unforced errors, three times as many as Nadal.
Elsewhere, Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 champion, beat Borna Coric 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 to make the last eight for a third successive year. The third-seeded Argentine will next face John Isner, the last American man standing, who defeated Milos Raonic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Thiem, who beat Nadal on clay in Madrid in the run-up to Paris, booked his place in the quarterfinals for the first time with a 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) win over 2017 runner-up Kevin Anderson. The ninth-seeded Austrian’s three other appearances in the last eight of a Grand Slam were all on Paris clay in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Nadal leads their head-to-head 7-3 with all of their matches coming on clay courts, including in the final of Roland Garros in June when he captured an 11th French Open.
Thiem has unfinished business at the US Open. Last year, he had two match points against Del Potro in the fourth round but fell in five sets.
Thiem is the first Austrian in the last eight at the US Open since Thomas Muster in 1996.
Third-seeded Del Potro made the last eight for the sixth time against Croatian 20th seed Coric, who was playing in his maiden last-16 appearance of a Slam. Coric, 21, saw his challenge undone by a right thigh injury which needed two visits by the trainer as well as general unhappiness with the humidity of the Arther Ashe court.
Isner reached the quarterfinals for the first time in seven years and hailed the patriotic tournament atmosphere as a “jungle.”
Isner, the 11th seed, is attempting to become the first home winner since Andy Roddick in 2003.
“There were lots of ups and downs in the match. The atmosphere was like a jungle,” said Isner of the crowd on the new Louis Armstrong Stadium enjoying a raucous Labor Day weekend.
Isner, 33, who will become a father for the first time in two weeks, said he will not fear Del Potro even though he has lost to the Argentine star seven times in 11 meetings.
Their most recent clash saw Del Potro triumph in straight sets in the fourth round at Roland Garros this year.
“Why not me? Let’s keep going,” said Isner after firing 56 winners past Raonic and 20 aces taking his ace count to a tournament-leading 112.