Nadal and Del Potro can serve up match of the championships
It was supposed to be the year when the young guns took charge at the US Open. With so many of the world’s top men crocked by injury and those left standing either in their 30s or on the verge of them, this was the moment for the new generation to make their mark.
Yet today, in what should be the match of the championships, 31-year-old Rafael Nadal, the world No 1, will face the brutal power of 28-year-old Juan Martin del Potro for a place in the US Open final.
On Wednesday night, Del Potro shattered the TV schedulers’ dreams by beating Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Less than fresh from his sickbed – he has been struggling with a virus for days – he did what he did eight years ago and beat the crowd’s favourite and the formbook’s tip with his fearsome forehand.
Back in 2009, Del Potro’s victory earned him the US Open trophy; this time it has only given him another shot at Nadal, a man he has beaten five times in 13 meetings, and the chance of getting to the final again. But he does not care: this is what his dreams are made of.
“When I got to the court and I saw Roger playing in the biggest stadium of the tour in my favourite tournament, is like a pleasure for me to be there,” Del Potro said. “So I try to play tennis and enjoy the tennis moment, and it doesn’t matter how bad I feel before the match.
“Against Rafa, it’s going to be the same. I will have the
0 World No 1 Rafael Nadal says he needs ‘to play aggressive’ chance to play against him in the semi-finals in my best tournament and just try to think about tennis. And that’s it.”
Since he won the title all those years ago, Del Potro has spent most of his time dealing with injuries to both wrists, four rounds of surgery and endless comebacks. His forehand has survived the journey but his backhand is still a work in progress – although, against Federer it was better than it has been in years.
But Federer was not playing well – and admitted it as soon as the match was finished – while Nadal has been easing through the gears towards his championship winning mode.
“I already won five matches,” Nadal said. “I am in the semifinals. I am in a good round. And everything is to win. It is the moment to give my best.
“I think I have been improving during the whole event, and I have been doing a step forward match by match, and now is the moment to do it, another step forward, a little bit higher is possible, too. So I think I have the attitude to try to make that happen. I am excited about the semi-finals.”
The winner of today’s match will be anointed as champion elect. The other semi-final is between two debutants at this level in Kevin Anderson and Pablo Carreno Busta, both of whom lay claim to just one grandslamquarter-finalfinish in their careers. That, though, is a thought for another day – Nadal is concerned only with the challenge of Del Potro.
“I need to be very focused with my serve and play aggressive,” Nadal said, “because if you let him play from good positions with his forehand, you are dead, because he plays super-aggressive, hitting so hard. I need to play long, I need to play against his backhand, and then open the court.”
If only Federer had thought of that on Wednesday night then the US Open would have its dream semi-final. But he didn’t and it hasn’t. Still, Del Potro, tipped as the biggest threat to Nadal and Federer all those years ago before the injuries wore him down, is no makeweight and to watch the two biggest forehands on the circuit vie for supremacy will be fascinating.
“Sport is not that difficult,” Nadal said. “The player who playsbetterthatdayistheplayer that is going to have better chances.
“Then there are small adjustments, if you can do it, yes. But the most important thing is to play at my best level. If I play at my best level, I believe I’m going to have my chances against everybody. If I don’t play at my best level, the chances will be much less.”
The 31-year-old world No 1 made his challenge for his 16 th grand slam title sound so simple. Then again, at this year’s US Open, it is experience that counts.