Nadal recovers from set down to reach first US Open semi-final
The world number one edged out the unseeded American 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2 in a match that finished well into the early hours of yesterday.
Having shared the opening two sets the match was in the balance, but the momentum swung Nadal’s way when he broke Fish in the seventh game of the third set. He served it out and continued to hold the edge with a break in the third game of the fourth. And the American dropped his serve again to fall 5-2 behind.
There was no way back as the Spaniard secured the match at the second attempt when Fish hammered a forehand beyond the baseline.
“I am very happy to be in the US Open semi-finals for the first time,” Nadal said. “This court has always been very hard for me.”
Next up for the 22-year-old is Britain’s Andy Murray, who outlasted Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro 7-6 (7/2) 7-6 (7/1) 4-6 7-5.
“He is doing very, very well,” Nadal said of the Scot. “I expect a very tough match.”
Meanwhile, Serena Williams admit-ted her straight sets quarter-final victory over sister Venus at the US Open on Wednesday felt every bit as tense as a final.
The 26-year-old trailed 5-3 in both sets and faced set points on both occasions but battled back to come through 7-6 (8/6) 7-6 (9/7) and secure a place in the semi-finals for the first time in six years.
“It definitely felt like a final of the US Open,” Serena said. “I can’t believe I won. It was so hard. It is difficult mostly because she’s such a great player. She was serving balls 125, 127 miles an hour.”
The Williams sisters were the only former US Open champions remaining in the field and, with 15 Grand Slam titles between them, there’s no doubt they were the most experienced players left.
Next up for Serena is Dinara Safina, who continued to make her case for the world number one ranking as she reached the semi-finals of the US Open for the first time.
The sixth-seeded Russian made short work of 16th-seeded Flavia Pennetta, downing the Italian 6-2 6-3 in 71 minutes.
If the 22-year-old can win the first Grand Slam title of her career at this hardcourt major, she could ascend to number one in the world rankings, joining older brother Marat Safin, who was the number one player in men’s tennis earlier in the decade.
Safina, who reached her first Grand Slam final at the French Open, improved to 5-0 her career wins against Pennetta, who was appearing in her first major quarter-final.
“I think I can say, finally, I’m happy with myself, because, really, I did what I had to do,” Safina said. The other last-four clash features number two seed Jelena Jankovic and fifth seed Elena Dementieva.
* US OPEN organisers are preparing for major weather disruption that could affect both men’s semi-finals and the women’s singles final.
The remnants of tropical storm Hanna are forecast to hit the New York area tomorrow with heavy downpours expected.
With the prospect of losing an entire day’s play, US Open officials are believed to be preparing to carry the programme over into Monday.
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