Nadal Reigns Supreme In US Open, Osaka Ousted

3rd September 2019 - by AFP

The Spaniard exchanged the first two sets with Cilic but grasped control by breaking for 3-1 in the third, a series of dazzling winners drawing an animated fist-pump from golf legend Tiger Woods at Arthur Ashe Stadium

Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Marin Cilic of Croatia in the Men's Singles round four match on Arthur Ashe Stadium during the 2019 US Open Tennis Tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 2nd, 2019 in Flushing, Queens, New York City. PHOTO/ GETTY IMAGES

SUMMARY

Second seed Nadal -- the winner at Flushing Meadows in 2010, 2013 and 2017 -- produced some electrifying moments of brilliance to end the challenge of Croatian 22nd seed Cilic 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
Nadal reeled off nine games in succession across the third and fourth sets and 12 of the final 15 to nail down a 40th Grand Slam quarter-final appearance, nine of which have come at the US Open
Bencic, 22, matched her deepest career Grand Slam run from the 2014 US Open with her third victory of the year over Osaka, having also won at Indian Wells and Madrid

NEW YORK, United States- Rafael Nadal ramped up his quest for a fourth US Open title Monday with an impressive win over 2014 champion Marin Cilic to advance to the quarter-finals while Alexander Zverev slumped to a four-set defeat.

At the same time, top-ranked defending champion Naomi Osaka was ousted from the US Open on Monday by Belinda Bencic while Croatian Donna Vekic erased a match point to join the Swiss 13th seed in a quarter-final matchup.

Second seed Nadal -- the winner at Flushing Meadows in 2010, 2013 and 2017 -- produced some electrifying moments of brilliance to end the challenge of Croatian 22nd seed Cilic 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

After barely breaking a sweat in reaching the last 16, a run that included a second-round walkover, Nadal stared down his stiffest test so far to surge into a quarter-final meeting with Argentine 20th seed Diego Schwartzman.

Nadal reeled off nine games in succession across the third and fourth sets and 12 of the final 15 to nail down a 40th Grand Slam quarter-final appearance, nine of which have come at the US Open.

Bencic's 7-5, 6-4 triumph, her WTA-best sixth over a top-five foe this year, ensured 21-year-old Japanese star Osaka will fall from atop the rankings next week and won't become the first repeat US Open winner since Serena Williams in 2014.

"The challenge cannot be bigger against Naomi," Bencic said. "I had to be at the top of my game and I'm really pleased how well I handled my nerves at the end."

Bencic, 22, matched her deepest career Grand Slam run from the 2014 US Open with her third victory of the year over Osaka, having also won at Indian Wells and Madrid.

"She played pretty clean. She had a specific plan she wanted to execute," Osaka said. "I guess just being aggressive."

Australia's Ashleigh Barty, the reigning French Open champion, will move atop the rankings next Monday after the loss by Osaka, who defends her Australian Open title in January.

"I can look at this and be very disappointed and mad, but I'm not mad about it," Osaka said. "I'd like to reach higher rounds. That's definitely what I'll aim for in Australia."

Osaka's exit means there will be four different women's Grand Slam winners in a season for the third consecutive year, a first in the Open era.