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US Open 2017: Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid win wheelchair doubles title

  • Posted: Sep 10, 2017
US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 28 Aug-10 Sept
BBC coverage: Live radio and text commentary.

Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid won the US Open wheelchair doubles title with victory over top seeds Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer.

The second seeds, who beat the same French duo to retain their Wimbledon title in July, triumphed 7-5 6-4.

Earlier, unseeded Hewett beat Reid 7-5 5-7 7-6 (10-8) to secure his place in Sunday’s wheelchair singles final.

Britain’s Andy Lapthorne and American David Wagner teamed up to win the wheelchair quad doubles title.

The three-time Australian Open champions beat Australia’s Dylan Alcott and American Bryan Berten 7-5 6-2 in the final.

Both Hewett, 19, and second seed Reid, 25, had match points during the final set of their semi-final, but it was the English teenager who claimed victory over the Scot after three hours and two minutes.

“I’m a bit speechless right now. It was an amazing match,” said Hewett. “It was absolutely exhausting.”

Hewett faces 2013 champion Houdet on Sunday and will be looking to add the US title to the French Open crown he won earlier in the year.

Earlier, Lapthorne beat Bertens 7-5 6-2 in the quad singles.

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Nadal favourite to win 16th Slam title as he faces Anderson in US Open final

  • Posted: Sep 10, 2017
US Open men’s final
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: Sunday, 10 September Time: 21:00 BST
BBC coverage: Live radio and text commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, the BBC Sport website and app.

Top seed Rafael Nadal will start as a strong favourite when he takes on South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in Sunday’s US Open final at 21:00 BST.

The Spaniard, bidding for a 16th Grand Slam title, will play in his 23rd major final, but Anderson is making his debut in a Slam final.

The pair, both 31, have known each other since junior days, and Nadal has won all four previous meetings.

“I’m happy for him because I know him since we were 12,” said Nadal.

“It’s great to see him in a final of one of the most important events of the year.”

  • Stephens thrashes Keys to win US Open
  • Hingis & Murray win US Open mixed doubles

‘I am happy if I am healthy’

Nadal has enjoyed a spectacular resurgence in 2017, reaching the Australian Open final before winning his first major title for three years at the French Open, and last month regaining the number one ranking.

He now has the chance to add a third US Open victory to those of 2010 and 2013, on the hard courts which he has found so punishing on his knees throughout his career.

“For me, what is more important than winning Slams is to be happy,” said Nadal.

“I am happy if I am healthy and happy if I feel competitive in most of the weeks that I am playing, and that’s what happened this year.

“Of course winning or losing that final is a big change, but I am very happy about all the things that happen to me and I am going to fight to win another title here.

“But it’s still been a great season for me.”

I have been playing better and better every day

Rafael Nadal

Nadal was in magnificent form in his semi-final win over Juan Martin del Potro, winning the battle of the forehands with 25 winners off his favourite side.

At 6ft 8in tall, Anderson’s serve is his major weapon – he leads the tournament with 114 aces – and the South African has been more aggressive with his ground game in New York.

He has hit 250 winners off his forehand to Nadal’s 201 after six matches.

“I am playing well almost the whole season,” said Nadal.

“I was playing so-so at the beginning of the tournament, and I have been playing better and better every day.

“Now remains the last match against a very tough opponent, and I need to be ready for it.

“He’s a huge player with an unbelievable serve and he plays so well on these kinds of surfaces.

“It’s probably the most important match for me that remains of this year, so I’m going to try to play my best.”

‘I knew in my mind there was opportunity’

Anderson took advantage of a rare moment in the bottom half of the draw, with no Grand Slam finalists left after Marin Cilic was beaten in round three.

Second seed Andy Murray withdrew on the eve of the tournament through injury, before the likes of Cilic, fourth seed Alexander Zverev and seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov lost early.

“I knew in my mind there was opportunity there, but I must be honest, I didn’t focus really too much on that,” said Anderson.

“We are sort of accustomed to the few guys doing well, exceptional consistency.

“It’s tough beating those guys because they have had so much experience at this level.

“Even with them out, there have still been a lot of challenges I’ve had to face throughout this week. I have faced some of the best tennis players in the world.”

Anderson, 31, has struggled with injuries throughout his career, a hip problem putting him out of the Australian Open and leg and elbow issues forcing withdrawals since then.

“I feel like in the last while, definitely things have turned around,” he said.

“I think it started on the clay courts, getting more matches under my belt. I just feel like I have been constantly taking steps in the right direction.”

The ecstatic South African climbed into the stands to celebrate with his team after his semi-final win over Pablo Carreno Busta, but knows he will need to play the match of his life if he is to repeat that journey.

“Nadal is one of the greatest competitors in sports, period,” said Anderson.

“He’s an amazing fighter. He really controls the court well, the few times I have played him.

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“I really need to be dominant and control proceedings as much as possible, because if you let him do it, it’s very difficult.”

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Sloane Stephens beats Madison Keys to win US Open in straight sets

  • Posted: Sep 09, 2017
US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 28 Aug-10 Sept
BBC coverage: Live radio and text commentary.

Unseeded Sloane Stephens completed a spectacular return from injury by beating fellow American Madison Keys to win the US Open at Flushing Meadows.

Stephens, ranked 83rd, beat 15th seed Keys 6-3 6-0 in the final.

The 24-year-old was ranked as low as 957th six weeks ago, having only returned from 11 months out with a foot injury at Wimbledon.

She becomes only the fifth unseeded woman to win a major title in the Open era.

Both women were making their Grand Slam final debuts, and their combined ranking of 99 was the lowest for a US Open final since the rankings began.

Close friends since childhood, they shared a long hug at the net after Keys netted a forehand on the third match point, and Stephens then headed into the crowd to embrace her mother.

  • Reaction to US Open women’s final
  • Live scores and results from all the courts

Keys, 22, had played superbly to win her semi-final against Coco Vandeweghe, making 24 winners to just nine errors and moving to the top of the aces chart with a display of controlled power.

Stephens had come through a far more tense encounter against Venus Williams, with her athletic defensive skills all the more remarkable as her foot had been in a protective boot as recently as May.

It was her calm consistency that prevailed in a final that became something of a horror show for Keys.

Over the course of 61 minutes, she made 30 unforced errors to just six from the rock-solid Stephens.

After the first four games went quickly with serve, Keys was broken when a forehand flew long, and a similar error gave up the set after half an hour.

Keys offered up another opportunity early in the second with a woeful backhand volley, and Stephens grabbed her chance with a rasping backhand winner followed by a cross-court forehand.

The final appeared as good as over when Keys double-faulted to fall 4-0 down, and even when she finally earned break points – three of them at 0-40 after 47 minutes – Stephens would not buckle.

The third of them was seen off with a dart to the net and a confident forehand volley, leaving Stephens to serve for the match.

There was a final flurry of resistance from Keys but she could only find the net on match point number three, as Stephens reeled off eight games in a row to clinch her first major title.

More to follow.

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Djokovic Welcomes Birth Of Second Child

  • Posted: Sep 09, 2017

Djokovic Welcomes Birth Of Second Child

Serbian celebrates birth of daughter Tara

Novak Djokovic and wife Jelena welcomed the birth of their second child, a healthy baby girl named Tara. The former World No. 1 announced the news on Saturday morning on his social media channels.

In October 2014, Djokovic welcomed his first child, a son named Stefan.

Djokovic posted the following message on Facebook:

Very happy and proud to welcome our little girl Tara to our home. Jelena and I have been hand in hand on this journey and as a man, I have to send my love and admiration to every single women out there for going through so much pain and effort to create life, to bring life and raise a human being… what a blessing to have an opportunity to be a parent! Thank you for celebrating the birth of my daughter and sending my family all the love and best wishes in the past few days. On behalf of me and Jelena, I want to say thank you! We are back from hospital, Jelena and Tara are my angels, and Stefan is a proud big brother who wants to take part in baby chores. Life is divine!

Djokovic is expected to return to the ATP World Tour in 2018 after shutting down his 2017 season in July due to an elbow injury.

Moet and Chandon off-court news 

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Murray/Hingis Win Second Straight Mixed Doubles Title

  • Posted: Sep 09, 2017

Murray/Hingis Win Second Straight Mixed Doubles Title

Jamie Murray claims third career mixed crown

Jamie Murray and Martina Hingis capped a dominant mixed doubles campaign in 2017, improving to 10-0 together with their second title in a row on Sunday at the US Open. The British-Swiss duo defeated Michael Venus and Hao-Ching Chan 6-1, 4-6, 10/8 in a tight Match Tie-break.

Murray and Hingis are the first team to go back-to-back at Wimbledon and the US Open since Hingis achieved the feat with Leander Paes in 2015. They are the only tandems to do so in 20 years.

Murray notched his third mixed doubles title in total, adding to his maiden triumph at Wimbledon in 2007 (w/Jankovic). He is the first British man to win the US Open mixed doubles title since Peter Curtis in 1968 (w/Eisel).

“We had a great run,” Murray said. “We played a great tie-break and the crowd was really into it. There was a lot of noise. Some crazy rallies going on. For us, it’s so much fun to go there and play in a huge stadium, with a lot of people coming out to watch.

“It’s been a lot of fun for me. A great opportunity for me to compete with Martina. She’s such a great player and a huge champion of the game. It’s been a lot of fun. Every time we are on court, we get a lot of people coming out to watch us, a lot of people supporting us. It makes it fun to play. Like I said before, that’s what we enjoy most about playing tennis, playing in front of a lot of people. That’s where the enjoyment is, trying to put on a good show and play good tennis.”

For Venus, the run to the final caps a career-year at the Grand Slam level, having claimed the doubles title with Ryan Harrison at Roland Garros.

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US Open Final Preview: Nadal Vs. Anderson

  • Posted: Sep 09, 2017

US Open Final Preview: Nadal Vs. Anderson

A look ahead to the 2017 US Open final, where Rafael Nadal faces Kevin Anderson

The US Open championship on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium matches World No. 1 Rafael Nadal against No. 28 seed Kevin Anderson, who is making his Grand Slam final debut. Nadal has won the four previous meetings (9-1 in sets), including a third round match in Barcelona in April. In their lone Grand Slam meeting, Nadal won 75 61 64 in the Round of 16 at the 2015 Australian Open.

The champion will be the fifth straight Grand Slam winner 30 & over going back to last year’s US Open where Stan Wawrinka (31) captured the title. Since then, Roger Federer (35) won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and Nadal (31) earned the Roland Garros crown.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup for the US Open final and vote for who you think will win!
Nadal vs. Anderson

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This is just the seventh time in the Open Era that a Grand Slam final has been contested by a pair of players 30 & over. This is the first 30 & over US Open final since 2002 when Pete Sampras (31) defeated Andre Agassi (32).

All-Time Grand Slam Title Leaders

Player Titles
Roger Federer 19
Rafael Nadal 15
Pete Sampras 14
Novak Djokovic 12
Roy Emerson 12

The Big Four of Nadal, Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray has won 45 of the last 50 Grand Slam titles. Anderson is trying to become only the fourth player to break through and join former US Open champions Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic and Wawrinka during that stretch, Wawrinka has won three Grand Slam titles. Since 2005 Roland Garros, Nadal and Federer have both captured 15 Grand Slam titles (Djokovic-12, Murray-3).

Read Player Previews: Nadal | Anderson

View FedEx ATP Head2Head: Nadal Leads 4-0

Nadal is appearing in his fourth US Open final (2-1), the first since capturing the 2013 title. His three previous US Open finals came against Novak Djokovic, beating the Serb in 2010 and falling in the 2011 title match. Nadal is making his third Grand Slam final showing of the season with a runner-up at the Australian Open (l. to Federer) and capturing a 10th Roland Garros crown (d. Wawrinka). The 31-year-old Spaniard is 15-7 lifetime in Grand Slam finals. His last Slam title on hard courts came here in Flushing Meadows in 2013.

Nadal is attempting to win at least two Grand Slam titles in a season for the fourth time in his career (3 in 2010, 2 in 2008, 2013). He is trying to win his first hard court singles title since January 2014 in Doha (d. Monfils). He has played 34 hard-court tournaments, reaching eight hard-court finals since his last title on the surface. Nadal has not faced a Top 20 opponent at the US Open and the last Grand Slam champion to do that was Pete Sampras at 2000 Wimbledon.

Open Era US Open Title Leaders

Player Titles
Years Won
Jimmy Connors 5 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982-83
Roger Federer 5 2004-08
Pete Sampras 5 1990, 1993, 1995-96, 2002
Ivan Lendl 4 1979-81, 1984
John McEnroe 3 1985-87
Rafael Nadal 3? 2010, 2013, 2017?

Anderson is the first South African to reach the US Open final since Cliff Drysdale (l. to Santana) in 1965 and in a Grand Slam final since Kevin Curren (l. to Wilander) at the 1984 Australian Open. Johan Kriek is the last South African Grand Slam singles champion at the 1981 Australian Open (d. Denton). Kriek represented the USA when he won the 1982 Australian Open. The 31-year-old Anderson is the oldest first-time Grand Slam finalist since Nikki Pilic (33) at 1973 Roland Garros (l. to Nastase).

The oldest first-time Slam champion in the Open Era is Andres Gimeno (34) at 1972 Roland Garros. The World No. 32 Anderson is the lowest-ranked Grand Slam finalist since No. 38 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2008 Australian Open (l. to Djokovic). Anderson is also the lowest-ranked US Open finalist since the inception of the Emirates ATP Rankings in 1973. The previous lowest-ranked US Open finalist was No. 22 Mark Philippoussis  in 1998 (l. to Rafter). No. 20-ranked Andre Agassi is the lowest-ranked US Open champion in 1994. Anderson is trying to become the lowest-ranked Grand Slam champion since No. 44 Gaston Gaudio at 2004 Roland Garros.

Grand Slam Appearances Before Winning First Title (Open Era)

Player Appearances
Title
Goran Ivanisevic 48 2001 Wimbledon
Stan Wawrinka 36 2014 Australian Open
Petr Korda 34 1998 Australian Open
Kevin Anderson? 34? 2017 US Open?
Marin Cilic 29 2014 US Open

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Back On Top, Nadal Eyes More Grand Slam Glory

  • Posted: Sep 09, 2017

Back On Top, Nadal Eyes More Grand Slam Glory

Top seed enters his fourth US Open final with momentum at his back

At the start of the 2017 season, Rafael Nadal was clinging to a Top 10 position in the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 9. Having concluded his 2016 campaign early due to a wrist injury, the state of the Spaniard’s game was in question. Would he return to his top form? Could he contend for big titles again?

Nadal has since swept away those questions with authority, eliminating any doubts of his ability to reclaim his mantle atop the Emirates ATP Rankings. Eight months later, the Manacor native is putting the rest of the ATP World Tour on notice with vintage Nadal performances. Boasting the energy, passion and offensive onslaught that have seen him finish at year-end No. 1 on three occasions, the 31 year old surged past Juan Martin del Potro to book his spot in a fourth US Open final on Sunday.

As Nadal vies for his third title at Flushing Meadows, having previously lifted the trophy with victories over Novak Djokovic in both 2010 and 2013, he admits that it is his consistent play over the entire season that has enabled him to return to this elite level.

“I tell you, for me what is more important, more than winning Slams, is to be happy,” said Nadal. “I am happy if I am healthy and if I feel competitive in most of the weeks that I am playing. That’s what has happened this year. So I am very happy about what happened, very happy to win Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and Roland Garros. I am very happy to be in the final here in the US Open.

“Of course winning or losing this final is a big change, but I am very happy about all the things that happened to me and I am going to fight to win another title here. Still it is a great season for me. If I win, I will be more happy but it is about being healthy and feeling well and competitive. That’s already happened in the whole season. So that’s the most important thing for me.”

You May Also Like: Anderson Reaps Rewards On Long Road Back

Should Nadal prevail on Sunday, it would mark the first time in his career in which he has rallied from a set down in three matches en route to a title. He has battled hard throughout the fortnight, coming back to overcome Taro Daniel in the second round, Leonardo Mayer in the third round and del Potro in the semi-finals.

The last obstacle in Nadal’s path: South Africa’s Kevin Anderson. The top seed leads the FedEx ATP Head2Head 4-0, dropping just one set, and is keen to continue his positive momentum in Sunday’s championship. They most recently met in the third round of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in April, which Nadal claimed 6-3, 6-4.

He would go on to take the title in Barcelona, his second of four victories this year. Having opened the season with runner-up finishes on the hard courts of the Australian Open, Acapulco and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami, Nadal has since reeled off four straight wins in title matches, adding trophies in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Roland Garros to his triumph in Barcelona. He is leading the pack in the Emirates ATP Race To London, surging to a 1,000-point advantage over Federer.

Open Era US Open Title Leaders

Player Titles
Years Won
Jimmy Connors 5 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982-83
Roger Federer 5 2004-08
Pete Sampras 5 1990, 1993, 1995-96, 2002
Ivan Lendl 4 1979-81, 1984
John McEnroe 3 1985-87
Rafael Nadal 3? 2010, 2013, 2017?

Having lifted an unprecedented 10th trophy at Roland Garros in June, he will look to further cement himself in Grand Slam immortality. Currently with 15 Grand Slam titles, a win in New York would put him three behind Roger Federer for the all-time lead titles lead. It has been a long, but fruitful, journey.

“I felt when I arrived in Australia that I was playing at a very high level, but then you need to win matches. I was playing well, but then you need to do it in the competition. Of course if you practise well and you feel well, you have more chances to win matches in the events, in the tournaments. It’s about confidence.

“It’s about things that when you are on court comes automatic. You don’t have to think about what you are doing in some moments, the important moments. Things come straightaway without thinking that much, and all these things happen only when you are in a good moment, in a good way winning a lot of matches in a row.

“Now what remains in the last match is a very tough opponent and I need to be ready for it. It is a very important match for me, so I am going to try my best to play my best.”

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US Open 2017: Martina Hingis & Jamie Murray win mixed doubles

  • Posted: Sep 09, 2017

Briton Jamie Murray and Swiss Martina Hingis added the US Open title to their Wimbledon mixed doubles title with a 6-1 4-6 10-8 win over Michael Venus and Hao-Ching Chan at Flushing Meadows.

The pair prevailed in a championship tie-break after their third-seeded opponents levelled the match by taking the second set.

More to follow.

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Del Potro Reflects On Epic US Open Run

  • Posted: Sep 09, 2017

Del Potro Reflects On Epic US Open Run

Juan Martin del Potro caps a dream run in New York

It was a heroic fortnight for Juan Martin del Potro at the US Open. But the 2009 champion saw his fairytale run come to an end on Friday evening at Flushing Meadows, succumbing to Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-finals.

Del Potro started strong, launching his forehand and backhand to claim the opener after 50 minutes. Despite being overcome by fatigue, the Argentine gave full credit to his opponent, as Nadal seized the initiative with an aggressive mindset in the second, third and fourth sets.

“Today I think he had the game to win, to beat me, and to win the tournament,” del Potro told the assembled media following the match. “He played very smart from the second until the end of the match, because I was just standing all the time on my left side and once he played down the line, he won the point.

“I think at the beginning of the match, he was playing all the time to my backhand, trying to see how good is my backhand at this moment. It was good, but it wasn’t good enough to play a four-set, five-set match. And I couldn’t make any winners in the match, which you must do a lot of winners against Rafa.”

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Del Potro inspired the tennis world at the US Open. The Tandil native went from being on the verge of falling over while struggling with the flu and a fever against Dominic Thiem in the Round of 16, to stunning Roger Federer two days later. He fought off two match points to defeat Thiem, storming back from 1-6, 2-6 down, before stopping a highly anticipated Nadal-Federer semi-final with an upset of the Swiss on Wednesday.

After four wrist surgeries, del Potro showed the heart that endeared him to a legion of fans throughout his career. It was his first appearance in the last four of a Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2013.

“I’m just tired. I’ve been exhausted after the Thiem match and the Roger match. I had a flu during the week. So I had many problems before this match, but I was very motivated to play the semi-final in my best tournament. I think he just played better than me. He deserved to win and I did all my best, all my effort to survive this match, but I couldn’t do well.”

On Monday, del Potro will return to the Top 25 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time since October 2014. Projected to move to No. 24, the top Argentine was appearing in his second tour-level semi-final of the year (Delray Beach).

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Nadal beats Del Potro to reach US Open final

  • Posted: Sep 09, 2017
US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 28 Aug-10 Sept
BBC coverage: Live radio and text commentary.

Top seed Rafael Nadal swept past Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in brilliant style to set up a US Open final against Kevin Anderson.

The Spaniard won nine games in a row at one stage on his way to a 4-6 6-0 6-3 6-2 victory in the second semi-final.

Nadal, 31, will try for a third US Open and 16th Grand Slam title on Sunday, against a surprise opponent.

South Africa’s Anderson, 31, beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 earlier on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

At 32 in the world, Anderson is the lowest-ranked man to reach a US Open singles final since the ranking system was introduced in 1973.

He faces a huge challenge against Nadal, who has a 4-0 record in their head-to-head and grew stronger as the match wore on against a tired Del Potro.

  • US Open semi-finals as they happened
  • Friends Stephens & Keys set for final
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“It means a lot,” said Nadal. “It has been an amazing season of course after a couple with injures and troubles.

“To be back here in front of this amazing crowd, on this amazing court, and to have the chance to fight for another title is so important to me.”

The last time Nadal lost a Grand Slam semi-final was against Del Potro on the same court eight years ago, and he was not about to endure a repeat performance.

After losing a tight first set, the Spaniard hit a rich vein of form, dropping just five more games, dominating on serve and ending the match with 25 forehand winners.

“I changed a couple of things after the first set,” added Nadal.

“I was playing too much to his backhand and I knew that I had to change and move him more and be more unpredictable. It worked really well and I am very happy.”

Del Potro, roared on by the Argentine fans who have given him loud support throughout this US Open, gathered himself to win a tight first set, before running out of steam.

The 24th seed coped superbly in the early stages as Nadal pummelled his weaker backhand wing, winning the cross-court battle and, thanks to a net cord on break point, with it the set.

But an epic five-set win over Dominic Thiem and a draining four-set defeat of Roger Federer in the previous rounds had left Del Potro admitting that he felt tired, and Nadal took full advantage.

The world number one found his range in the second set, shifting the point of attack to send his forehand up the line and reeling off 13 winners to Del Potro’s one.

By the time Nadal had pulled out a 3-0 lead, there was little opposition for him across the net.

Del Potro looked to be saving his remaining reserves of energy to go again in the third, but after falling 5-2 down, a late flurry of resistance was not enough.

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Nadal punched way a volley on set point just as the match clock hit two hours, followed by the familiar fist-pump and cry of “Vamos!”

Another forehand winner, his 23rd of the night, guided down the line brought the 2010 and 2013 champion the break he needed in the fourth, and there was no way back – even for Del Potro.

“I’m just tired,” said Del Potro. “I’ve been exhausted after the Thiem match, Roger match. I had flu during the week.

“So I had many problems before this match, but I was very motivated to play the semi-final in my best tournament.

“I think he just played better than me. He deserved to win, and I did all my best, all my effort to survive this match, but I couldn’t do well.”

Looking forward to his next opponent, Nadal said: “It will be very tough against Kevin.

“He has an unbelievable serve and is a great example for the kids in the way he has come back from injury.

“I have known him since we were 12, so I am very happy for him.”

Analysis – ‘Nadal’s response was flawless’

BBC Sport tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

For one set, Del Potro was able to play as he did against Roger Federer in the quarter-finals.

Nadal’s response to the danger of losing the first set was immediate and almost flawless. Playing every inch like a world number one, he won the next nine games – his serve a strong foundation as he made only one unforced error in the second set.

Del Potro tired at the end of a strenuous week, but Nadal would have broken the spirit of most men.

Anderson’s story is a heart-warming one. Warned by some specialists at the end of last year he would need hip surgery and possibly a year out of the sport, he overcame an edgy start to power through to the final.

And then in an emotional interview on court, he thanked everyone who has helped him: including brother Greg for the “millions of hours” they played together while growing up.

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