New York: World No.1 Rafa Nadal and No.3 Roger Federer had to dig deep to overcome their respective opponents and make it to the third round of the men’s singles at the US Open tennis tournament here Thursday.
Nadal came from behind to dispatch underdog Taro Daniel of Japan 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 while Federer needed five sets before claiming a 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Mikhail Youzhny. This was Federer’s 17th victory in the same number of matches over the grizzled Russian veteran who at 35 is just a year junior to the Swiss.
Despite playing a marathon five-setter the day before, 121st ranked Daniel looked the fresher of the pair at the outset of the match, breaking Nadal to take a 5-4 advantage when the Spaniard dumped a forehand into the net. He eventually won the set and appeared poised to deliver a massive upset.
But Nadal soon found the accuracy that had eluded him in the first set and his booming serve proved too much for the exhausted 24-year-old, who is now 0-6 against top 20 opponents in his career.
“All the matches are difficult, especially here where everyone wants to play their best,” Nadal said in an on-court interview at the Arthur Ashe Stadium after the win. “It’s true that I didn’t play very well tonight (Thursday) but it’s also true that I‘m through to the next round.”
Federer recorded his 80th career win here but he needed five sets for the second successive match. The five-time champion at the US Open, next faces another 35-year-old, Feliciano Lopez of Spain, for a place in the last 16. His record against Lopez is just as solid – 12-0.
“It was quite a lot of fun out there – I feel quite warmed up by now,” said Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Federer, who fired 63 winners and 68 unforced errors.
Andrey Rublev became the second teenager to make the third round when he stunned Bulgarian seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Rublev, just 19 and the World No.53, joined 18-year-old Denis Shapovalov of Canada in the last 32 at a Grand Slam event for the first time.
However, 19-year-old Taylor Fritz of the United States was unable to join Rublev and Shapovalov in the next round when he lost 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 5-7 to Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem.
Also going through to the last 32 was 2009 champion Juan Martín Del Potro, the 24th seeded Argentine, who saw off Spanish qualifier Adrian Menendez-Maceiras 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).
At a glance
Rafa Nadal bt Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Roger Federer bt Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
David Goffin bt Guido Pella 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Andrey Rublev bt Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
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