Return to form for Nadal after a shaky 1st set
NEW YORK — Once Rafael Nadal went from passive to aggressive and got his uppercut of a forehand going, it didn’t take long for him to power into the U.S. Open final.
Closing in on a third title at Flushing Meadows and 16th Grand Slam championship overall, Nadal overcame a so-so start with an overwhelming performance the rest of the way Friday night, taking nine games in a row during one stretch to beat 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals.
“He played so smart from the second set until the end of the match,” del Potro said. “He was dominant.”
No. 1 Nadal will be a significant favorite Sunday against No. 32 Kevin Anderson of South Africa, who beat Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to become the lowest-ranked U.S. Open finalist since the ATP’s computer rankings began in 1973. Anderson, who won an NCAA doubles title at the University of Illinois, is equipped with a big serve, but he only once had even been a quarterfinalist at a major until this week.
Nadal looked as good as ever over the last three sets against del Potro. Nadal is again healthy and capable of excellence, after wrist and knee injuries dulled his effectiveness in 2015 and 2016 — the first seasons since 2004 in which he not only failed to win a Grand Slam trophy but also didn’t even make a final.
“It’s been an amazing season, of course, after a couple of years with some troubles, injuries, tough moments,” Nadal said. “So this year, since the beginning, has been a very emotional year.”
Save for a less-than-dominant opening set Friday, in which Nadal had nine winners and 10 unforced errors, he barely missed his targets. His numbers the rest of the way: 36 winners, 10 unforced errors.
Eventually, del Potro’s flat, fearsome forehand became less dangerous, and his backhand — a two-handed shot he had to rebuild after three operations on his left wrist — was effective early, then stopped hurting Nadal.
“He was playing all the time to my backhand, and when you don’t have that confidence to play three, four hours with a good backhand against Rafa, it’s just a matter of time,” del Potro said.
The 24th-seeded del Potro actually edged ahead with the match’s first break, going up 3-2 in the first set when a backhand return caught the net tape and took a fortuitous roll over to Nadal’s side for a winner.
“Lucky,” del Potro acknowledged.
That moment was greeted with a chorus of “Ole, ole, ole, ole! Del-po! Del-po!” for the popular Argentine, who would serve out that set, punctuating it with a forehand.
Maybe that woke up Nadal, who after losing the set wouldn’t again relinquish a game until he owned the second set and a 3-0 lead in the third.
“Just the fight to be in the final, and have a chance to fight for another title here is so important for me,” Nadal said.
Earlier, Anderson was so excited that he celebrated his semifinal victory as if it made him the champion. Hip, leg and elbow injuries caused him to miss time this season.
He is appearing in his 34th major tournament and took advantage of a draw depleted by withdrawals of several top players, including past champions Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.
“It’s nice,” Anderson said, “that some of them gave us a bit of a shot to make a run in this tournament.”