Mon Sep 1 17:20:05 2008

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Nadal survives Querrey to reach Open quarters

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Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - World No. 1 Rafael Nadal was tested by American Sam Querrey in his fourth-round match Monday at the 2008 U.S. Open.

The top-seeded Nadal snuck past a game Querrey in 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 fashion amid sun-drenched conditions at Ashe Stadium. Nadal will now compete in his second U.S. Open quarterfinal in three years.

Nadal appeared to be cruising against Querrey, leading 6-2, 4-2, but the American settled his nerves and fought back to claim the second set by winning five of the last six games to hand Nadal his first set loss at this particular fortnight.

Querrey actually led 6-5 in the third set, but Nadal held to force a tiebreak, which he wound up winning handily.

Nadal would then hold on in the third, as he broke Querrey for a 4-2 lead, won a marathon seventh game of the stanza for a 5-2 advantage, and ultimately prevailed on his first match point by crushing an overhead smash into an open court.

The powerful Spaniard moved on in a grueling 3 hours, 13 minutes, as he broke Querrey six times, while the American settled for four breaks. Nadal had only been broken three times in his previous three matches here.

The big-serving Querrey swatted 20 aces in what turned out to be a losing effort.

The high-flying Nadal is now 42-1 in his last 43 matches, including titles at Wimbledon, the French Open and the Olympic Games. The gritty Spaniard is trying to become only the fourth man in the Open Era (since 1968) to win three straight major titles, joining Rod Laver, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer (twice).

Nadal's quarterfinal opponent will be another big-serving American, Mardy Fish.

The unseeded Fish landed in his first-ever U.S. Open quarterfinal by upending 32nd-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 on Labor Day at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Fish will appear in only his second- ever major quarterfinal, with his other one coming in Melbourne last year.

Fish advanced in just under two hours on Day 8, as he broke Monfils' serve no less than six times, compared to only one break for the loser from France.

Monfils, who turned 22 here on Monday, was a surprise French Open semifinalist back in June.

Fish, a runner-up in New Haven two weeks ago, ousted great friend and fellow American James Blake, the ninth seed here, in the third round last week.