The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nadal, Vandeweghe advance
Keys’ victory puts four U.S. women in semifinals.
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. Meanwhile, victories by CoCo Vandeweghe over topseeded Karolina Pliskova and Madison Keys over Kaia Kenepe made it an all-U.S. women’s semifinals.
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. “That’s something that didn’t happen before and is something strange, because we played a couple of times in all the important events of the world, so he will be excited and I will be very excited to play that match, of course.”
He looked ready for Federer or anyone else, breaking the 19-year-old Rublev’s serve seven times.
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. “And I believe Rafa is going to be ready if that match has to happen.”
Rublev was the youngest U.S. Open quarterfinalist since Andy Roddick was also 19 in 2001 but he didn’t give himself much chance, committing 43 unforced errors and seven double faults.
“This match told me how far I am and how much I need to improve, so now is time to try to be better and become stronger,” Rublev said.
Earlier, Vandeweghe made it three Americans into the U.S. Open women’s semi- finals, beating top-seeded Pliskova 7-6 (4), 6-3.
The 20th-seeded Vandewe- ghe matched her best result in a Grand Slam tournament by defeating Pliskova 7-6 (4), 6-3, having also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in January before fall- ing to Venus Williams.
Vandeweghe will play No. 15 seed Keys, who beat Kanepi 6-3, 6-3 to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam
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Vandeweghe echoed Williams’ comments from after her quarterfinal tory, thinking back to vic- the last generation of American women that, along with Venus and Serena Williams, included Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati. “I think that still holds of, you know, we wanted to be those same players in a later generation or be those,” Vandeweghe said. “Now that we’re older, we can put that into words, but we all wanted to be there.” Pliskova, who lost to Angelique Kerber in the 2016 final, needed to get back to the final to remain atop the WTA rankings. She will be replaced on Monday by Wimbledon champion Gar- bine Muguruza, who lost in the fourth round.