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NEW YORK – Rafael Nadal qualified for his US Open quarter-final and was retaken by Diego Schwartzman.
In the first set, Nadal led 4-0 before Schwartzman reached 4-all. In the second, Nadal progressed 5-1 before Schwartzman managed to 5-all.
It took more than two hours to play these two sets. Finally, both were claimed by Nadal. The match and a spot in the 33rd Nadal Grand Slam semifinal prevented Schwartzman from reaching his first goal by imposing 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 after 12:30 on Thursday at Arthur Ashe. Stadium.
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are both out of the range, but Nadal is still there, which means that at least one of the Big Three is in the semifinals for a 62nd consecutive major tournament. This trio has combined to win the 11 Slam trophies – and Nadal will be greatly favored to make 12.
None of the other remaining men participated in a major final and even less won a victory. Nadal, however, is approaching a fourth title at the US Open and a 19th overall ranking in all major tournaments, which would place him in one of Federer's records in the men.
Friday, Nadal will play against Matteo Berrettini. The 23-year-old from Rome gave a spectacular spot to Italy in the last four of the US Open for the first time since 1977, doubling his initial match point and then needing to four others to rank 13th seed. Gael Monfils of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5) after nearly four hours.
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It was hardly beautiful, with the two men clearly spent, who were fighting against the tension of the moment, as much as the guy on the other side of the net.
Monfils finished with 17 double faults but managed to avoid all the way through the grueling fifth set until he served 6-5 – and then he had three in that match plus two more in decisive equality break, often doubling between points to rest and catch one's breath.
"A very bad day for me, serve," said Monfils.
Berrettini then acknowledged the evidence, saying that he felt "a little tight".
Everything was a little vague.
"Right now, I do not remember points, just the [final] Match point, you know? "He said." I also remember the double fault; I must be honest. "
Berrettini, 24th seeded, will have a day to recover before facing Nadal in the semifinals. The other men's semifinal on that day is fifth, Daniil Medvedev, against Grigor Dimitrov, who defeated Federer, injured, in five sets, to become, at number 78, the semi-finalist with the lowest ranking. US Open since 1991.
Berrettini-Monfils began with an afternoon laden with water and concluded closing Ashe's retractable roof after the rain that fell on the third set.
Monfils, who is 10 years older, fell to 2-7 in the quarter-finals and could forgive to ask how many chances he will still have.
Berrettini, meanwhile, is at the top of the world right now. With Corrado Barazzutti, only another Italian semi-finalist at the US Open, in 1977, in the stands Wednesday, Berrettini used his big forehand to produce 24 winners. He found an Italian restaurant that he loves in the East Village of Manhattan and ate there throughout the tournament. There was even someone who worked in his guest box, dressed in a shirt with the word "Carbonara".
The first point of the match came while Berrettini served for the win at 5-3 in the fifth. Two more came and went when Monfils served at 6-5. A fourth was erased by a French ace at the break of equality. But the fifth, the service of Berrettini was returned a long time by Monfils.
Berrettini stared at the balloon as he descended, making sure the balloon actually landed, so that he could actually move forward. He dropped on his back, spreading limbs, then tore his hat as he stood up to pound his chest.
He then proceeded to say "Grazie!" again and again during his post-match interview, thanking "my family at home, my mental coach – they care a lot about me".
And then, perhaps also to remember, he told fans who were shooting for him in the stadium: "The tournament is not over yet, so be ready for the next game, guys."
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