Nadal, Isner Battle Into U.S. Open Fourth Round

August 31, 2018 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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Photo courtesy of USTA/Garrett Ellwood

 

Rafael Nadal and Karen Khachanov battled for more than four hours in a U.S. Open third-round clash on Friday, with the defending champion and top-seeded Spaniard prevailing 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(7), 7-6(3) inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It was a physical, demanding match,” Nadal said afterwards. “It was a mentally demanding match. That’s why we practice every day, to play these kind of matches in a great atmosphere in front of an amazing crowd. Very, very happy to be through; very happy to have the chance to play again.”

The match’s crucial moment came in the third set tiebreaker. Nadal held three set points at 6-3, before Khachanov erased all of them as both players dazzled the Ashe crowd with long rallies and unbelievable shotmaking. On his fourth set point, Nadal outlasted Khachanov on a 39-ball rally to take the third set.

“I escaped a very tough situation,” said Nadal. “I needed that set.”

Nadal would suffer one more hiccup as he attempted to serve out the match, only to see Khachanov fight back to force another tiebreaker. But Nadal was too sharp in the breaker, and finally closed out the young Russian after four hours and 23 minutes.

“I gave everything that I had. I think everybody saw it,” said Khachanov. “I’m proud of myself that I could play a good game today, fight till the end. Yeah, just a few points difference that it could go another way.

Big respect to Rafa. That’s why he’s No. 1 in the world, such a great fighter. Just happy about my performance. I hope to keep going that way.”

The win marks the longest of Nadal’s U.S. Open career, and puts him into a matchup with Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, who continued his run in Queens with a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) victory.

American John Isner battled his way past Serbian Dusan Lajovic 7-6(8), 6-7, 6-3, 7-5. The 11th seed now takes on 25th seeded Canadian Milos Raonic, who ousted former champion Stan Wawrinka 7-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Last year’s finalist and fifth-seed Kevin Anderson outlasted Denis Shapovalov 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a thrilling match on Louis Armstrong. He takes on Dominic Thiem who earlier in the day took out American Taylor Fritz.

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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