Rafael Nadal on Monday fell to his earliest US Open loss in six years when he was knocked out by Frances Tiafoe, while Carlos Alcaraz survived a five-set epic to reach a second successive quarter-final in a tie that finished at 2:23am yesterday.
Four-time US Open champion Nadal, bidding for a 23rd Grand Slam title, lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the last-16 to 26th-ranked Tiafoe.
The American’s big-hitting performance conjured up 18 aces and 49 winners past a sluggish Nadal.
Photo: AFP
It was the Australian and French Open champion’s first Grand Slam loss of the year after an abdominal strain forced him to forfeit his Wimbledon semi-final. His defeat came just a day after world No. 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev was knocked out by Nick Kyrgios.
“I wasn’t able to push him back. Tennis is a sport of positions a lot of the time,” 36-year-old Nadal said. “You need to be very quick and very young. I am not in that moment anymore.”
Tiafoe, 24, is to face Andrey Rublev, who he defeated over five sets in the third round last year, for a place in the semi-finals.
Photo: AFP
“I don’t know what to say, I’m so happy. He’s one of the greatest of all time and I played unbelievable tennis today,” said Tiafoe, who had only previously reached one Slam quarter-final in Australia in 2019.
“Something special happened today. Honestly when I first came on the scene I wasn’t ready for it mentally and mature enough,” he said. “I’ve been able to develop and I have a great team around me. With you guys, it’s been great.”
Alcaraz defeated 2014 champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in a match that was just 3 minutes short of equaling the record for the latest finish at the tournament.
In a grueling 3-hour, 54-minute encounter, Cilic was under siege, having to save 12 of 18 break points while committing 66 unforced errors.
The 19-year-old Alcaraz, seeded third and seen as the title favorite after the elimination of Nadal, is to face Jannik Sinner of Italy for a place in the semi-finals.
“I believed in myself, it was pretty tough,” Alcaraz said. “I was a break down in the fifth set. It was tough to come back after losing the fourth set.”
In the women’s singles, French Open champion and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek became the first Polish woman to reach the US Open quarter-finals.
Swiatek recovered from a set and a break down to see off 108th-ranked German opponent Jule Niemeier, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
In a mistake-riddled clash on Louis Armstrong Court, there were a total of 15 double faults, 12 breaks of serve and 76 unforced errors.
“It’s really satisfying. This is my first quarter-final in New York so I am really proud of it,” Swiatek said.
Swiatek is to face US eighth seed Jessica Pegula for a place in the semi-finals.
It would be the pair’s third meeting this year, with Swiatek coming out on top on both occasions in Miami and at the French Open.
Pegula became the second American woman into the last-eight after brushing aside two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-2.
World No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarter-finals for a second successive year with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins.
Sabalenka has now beaten the American in New York three times in the past five US Opens.
The Belarusian is to face 2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova who downed three-time finalist Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.
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