Nadal cruises past teen and into semis

U.S. women continue to dominate

NEW YORK • Rafael Nadal did his part, then it was up to Roger Federer.

Nadal powered into the U.S. Open semifinals and kept alive the possibility of a match 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. This is the sixth time at the U.S. Open Nadal and Federer have been one win 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 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.”

CoCo Vandeweghe made it three Americans in the U.S. Open women’s semifinals, beating top-seed 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 in the semifinals in Flushing Meadows along with Sloane Stephens, and No. 15 Madison Keys had a chance to make it an all-American final four if she beat 418th-ranked qualifier Kaia Kanepi in a night match.

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 the semifinals.

Pliskova needed to reach the final to remain atop the WTA rankings. She will be replaced Monday by Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza, who lost in the fourth round.