American wildcard Blake sends lacklustre Nadal packing

RAFAEL NADAL was left licking his wounds yesterday after his US Open campaign came to a shuddering halt at the hands of American wildcard James Blake.

The 19-year-old Spaniard has been touted as the crown prince to Roger Federer since his breakthrough Grand Slam win in the French Open in June.

And after his first hardcourt title win in Montreal last month, he came to New York on a high seeded second and the focus of attention as much for his explosive game as his eye-catching tennis gear and muscular physique.

But after two lacklustre rounds against American youngsters Bobby Reynolds and Scoville Jenkins, he was comprehensively outplayed by Blake in four sets 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-1.

Nadal said he had no excuses for a result that will confound his fans who are convinced he has what it takes to dethrone Federer.

"I feel like going back home to Mallorca now," said Nadal after the defeat.

"I never felt I was playing at a high level, and this was simply not the best time to play bad."

Asked if he would take any positives home from this loss, Nadal answered with a smile: "Yes, I will take home a stuffed white tiger I bought."

But he will take with him more than that to mull over before his next event the China Open in Beijing starting on September 12.

Eight of Nadal's nine titles this year have come on clay and, Montreal apart he has yet to convince that he is more than just "King of the Claycourts."

Following his triumph at Roland Garros, in which he defeated Federer in the semi-finals, Nadal lost in the second round at Wimbledon to Gilles Muller of Luxembourg.

And he was relatively easy pickings for Blake at Flushing Meadows as he camped himself yards behind the baseline and looked to counter-punch as he does so effectively on clay.

Elsewhere, third-seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt reached the fourth round with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 7-5 victory over 25th-seeded American Taylor Dent.

Hewitt, the 2001 champion at Flushing Meadows and runner-up to Roger Federer last year, set up a final-16 meeting with Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty who defeated David

Ferrer of Spain in four sets 6-7 7-5 7-5 7-5.

In the women's competition, Russia's Nadia Petrova led the way into the quarter-finals.

Top seed Maria Sharapova also reached the last eight defeating India's Sania Mirza 6-2, 6-1.

Sharapova will now play Petrova for a place in the semi-finals.