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US OPEN 2008: Nadal rattled; Venus, Serena into last 8

Venus Williams of the US hits a backhand return to Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during their fourth-round match on the eighth day of the US Open tennis tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Monday. PHOTO: EPA

Rafael Nadal withstood his first test at this US Open, shifting into another gear to beat Sam Querrey 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-3 on Monday and match his best result at the tournament that’s always bedeviled him.

Playing for the sixth year at Flushing Meadows, the top-ranked Nadal rallied to reach the quarter-finals. He got quite a workout — and a scare — from his unseeded, 20-year-old US opponent.

“Very tough,” Nadal said. “Sam is a big player, a big server. He has a great future.”

Down 6-5 in the third set, Nadal suddenly flashed the form that won at Wimbledon, the French Open and the Olympics. Hitting harder, grunting louder and moving in closer, he quickly forced a tiebreaker and leaped to celebrate.

Nadal won the final four points to take the tiebreaker and later served out the match.

Nadal next plays another unseeded US player, Mardy Fish, who reached the quarter-finals at the US Open for the first time with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 32 Gael Monfils.

Serena Williams returns a shot to Severine Bremond of France during their fourth-round match at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Monday. PHOTO: EPA

Also advancing was No. 17 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, who ended the run of Kei Nishikori, the first Japanese man to reach the US Open’s fourth round in the 40-year Open era. Del Potro won the contest between teenagers 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 for his 23rd consecutive victory.

Del Potro will face No. 6 Andy Murray of Britain, who beat 10th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-1, 6-3, 6-3. Tempers flared when the two played in Rome in May.

Rafael Nadal of Spain raises his arms after defeating Sam Querrey of the US at the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Monday. PHOTO: AFP

Murray claimed that del Potro had insulted his mother during a first-round match. Judy Murray provided vocal support for her son from the stands.

Del Potro nearly hit Murray in the head with a ball in the second set. The Argentine retired while trailing 5-7, 6-4, 1-0.

Murray was asked on Monday if he was surprised del Potro had not tried to clear the air.

“I’ve known him since we were really young,” Murray said. “Doesn’t really bother me. I wasn’t great friends with him before. I don’t need to be friends with him now. So, no, I’m not surprised.”

Venus and Serena Williams set up yet another Grand Slam family reunion. Two months after meeting in the Wimbledon final, this time they square off in the quarter-finals.

Venus beat ninth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-3, and Serena dispatched wild card Severine Bremond of France 6-2, 6-2.

Both sisters are two-time US Open champions. They are 8-8 overall against each other, including 5-5 at majors. Their matchups, however, usually come much later than the quarters.

“I mean, it’s tough to play her because she’s so good,” Venus said. “We’re going stronger than ever, in my opinion.”

Also, sixth-seeded Dinara Safina beat qualifier Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 7-5, 6-0, and will face No. 16 Flavia Pennetta, who defeated two-time major champion Amelie Maursemo 6-3, 6-0.

Ranked 55th, Querrey gave a solid show and became the first player to take a set from Nadal at this Open. His fans in the Arthur Ashe Stadium private box were vocal, particularly the three who had their shirts off and spelled out S-A-M on their chests.

Nadal, who’s won 42 of his past 43 matches, had to work hard to wear down the 1.98m Querrey. When Nadal served for a two-set lead, Querrey broke him at love. When Nadal was trying to put the kid away, serving with a 4-2 edge in the fourth set, Querrey compiled seven break points.

“The match was crazy like that, no?” Nadal said.

He saved each of those seven break points, though, and that pretty much was that.

“He had to earn it,” Querrey noted proudly. “I didn’t just give it to him.”

Fish matched the best Grand Slam result of his career, having reached the quarters at last year’s Australian Open.

Safina coasted home after a close first set against Groenefeld, the first qualifier to reach the fourth round since Anna Kournikova in 1996. Safina equaled her best result at Flushing Meadows, and kept up the best season of her career.

Safina reached the final at the French Open and later won 15 straight matches before losing to Elena Dementieva in the gold-medal match at the Olympics.

Pennetta was dazed to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.

“I’ve had a few chances at Wimbledon and Roland Garros and didn’t make it,” she said. “To be here today it’s unbelievable. I hope its not the finish.”

In the boys’ junior singles, first-seeded Yang Tsung-hua (楊宗樺) of Taiwan survived the first round by defeating Nikolaus Moser of Austria 7-6 (6), 6-4.
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