Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Open halfway to dream matchup
Rafael Nadal wins, waits to see if Roger Federer can follow.
NEW YORK — Rafael Nadal did his part, and then it was up to Roger Federer.
Nadal powered into the U.S. Open semifinals and kept alive the possibility for a matchup with his longtime rival, overwhelming Russian teenager Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday.
The top-seeded Nadal wrapped up the rout in just over 90 minutes, then waited to see if he would finally face Federer in the only Grand Slam tournament where they have never met.
Federer was to play No. 24 seed Juan Martin del Potro later Wednesday in a matchup of former champions.
This is the sixth time at the U.S. Open that Nadal and Federer have each been one victory away from a matchup of the men who own the most Grand Slam titles.
“If it’s Roger Federer, of course I am excited to play that match, and of course it’s special to play against him here in New York for the first time in our career,” Nadal said.
Though Federer beat Nadal in the Australian Open final and has won all three meetings this year, Nadal’s coach, Carlos Moya, said he would look forward to the match.
“I think it’s the best match that you can have — as a tennis fan, as a spectator,” Moya said.
No. 15 Madison Keys made it an all-American women’s final four with a 6-3, 6-3 win over 418thranked qualifier Kaia Kanepi in a night match.
Earlier, CoCo Vandeweghe made it into the semifinals, beating topseeded Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (4), 6-3.
The 20th-seeded Vandeweghe matched her best result in a Grand Slam tournament, having also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in January before falling to Venus Williams.
Williams is also into the semifinals in Flushing Meadows along with Sloane Stephens.
The Americans haven’t had all four semifinalists at the U.S. Open since 1981, when Tracy Austin beat Martina Navratilova for the title. Chris Evert and Barbara Potter also made it.