Nadal roars into semis chasing 19th Slam title

RAFAEL Nadal, called a "lion" by his latest victim and "the greatest fighter ever" by his next opponent, stalks his 19th Grand Slam title in Friday's US Open semifinals.

The 33-year-old Spaniard, forced to retire from last year's semi-finals with knee pain, is feeling healthy now and ready to pounce upon Italy's 24th-seeded Matteo Berrettini.

"He's serving huge, big forehands, moving well, and big confidence because he's having a great year, so let's see. I need to play my best,"

Nadal said of his first-time foe.

"Looks relaxed, looks he's ready to fight for important things."

At stake is a berth in Sunday's final at Arthur Ashe Stadium against a first-time Grand Slam finalist -- the winner between Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev and Bulgaria's 78th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov, who upset 20-time Slam champion Roger Federer in a five-set quarter-final thriller.

"I saw some matches of him here. He was playing unbelievable," Medvedev said. "We all know what he's capable of when he's playing like he can."

The same is true about Nadal, who dispatched Argentina's Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals.

"Like a lion in the middle of the jungle," Schwartzman said of Nadal. "He's big. He's a fighter. He knows how to play the important moments every single time."

Rafael Nadal, forced to retire from last year's semifinals with knee pain, is feel

ing healthy now and ready to pounce upon Italy's 24thseeded Matteo Berrettini. Geoff Burke, USA Today Sports/Reuters

Berrettini, at 23 a decade younger than Nadal, heaped on greater praise.

"I think he's the greatest fighter ever in this sport," the Italian said. "It's unbelievable (what) he's doing. I admire him, the way he is on the court, like his attitude is something I think it's close to perfection."

Nadal, who has dropped only one set in four matches and a walkover, warns his mind and body are as dangerous as his heart and spirit.

"I had stable character during all my life, all my career. I mean, mentally focused, mentally relaxed and mentally always ready to respect every opponent, to play every point, to play every game, to play every set and every match until the end. So that's one of the keys of the success," Nadal said.

"But honestly, is not everything. I think my success is not only because of the spirit of fight. There is lot of things after this."

Berrettini, never better than the last-16 in seven prior Slam starts, recalled seeing Nadal on television as a child.

"It was unbelievable," Berrettini said. "I saw, like, 100 of his matches. Who in this tour doesn't know Rafa? It's going to be tough, for sure, against him."

Nadal is playing a personal-best seventh consecutive Slam semi-final, having won his 12th French Open title in June. He lost to topranked Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final and to Federer in the Wimbledon semis.