US Open - Djokovic, Nadal aiming for US Open showdown

US Open - Djokovic, Nadal aiming for US Open showdown

Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal can set up a delectable US Open final between the top two players in the world with 2013 Grand Slam bragging rights at stake by posting victories in Saturday's semi-finals.

 

Australian Open champion Djokovic and French Open winner Nadal have designs on adding a second Grand Slam to their honours this year but first must get past familiar foes in Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka and France's Richard Gasquet, respectively.

Top-seeded Djokovic, who advanced to his 14th successive Grand Slam semi-final with a four-set victory over Mikhail Youzhny, and Nadal, a straight-sets winner over fellow-Spaniard Tommy Robredo, have both lost only one set in the tournament.

The darkhorse challengers, however, are at the top of their games, both wielding lethal one-handed backhands as a key part of their arsenal.

Nadal said there was no danger of him looking past longtime friend Gasquet and at a possible marquee clash with Djokovic.

"I hope to be ready to play a good match against Richard. If not, I will not have the chance to play the final," the second-seeded Spaniard said.

"If I don't play great match against Richard, I will see the final on TV. I am focused only to play great match in semi-finals against Richard."

The eighth-seeded Gasquet went five sets to beat big-serving Milos Raonic of Canada in the fourth round, and went the distance again to eliminate fourth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer in the quarters.

Wawrinka caused an even bigger splash as he improved his 2013 record to 41-15 by ousting Wimbledon winner and defending US Open champion Andy Murray of Britain in three breezy sets in his quarter-finals tilt.

The Swiss said he was most proud of how he dealt with the pressure of playing against Murray, since in the past he has often been plagued by nerves.

"My level of tennis right now is quite good. I'm really confident with myself, with my game," said 28-year-old Wawrinka, whose victory over third seed Murray lifted him to his first Grand Slam semi-final.

Djokovic knows first-hand how dangerous Wawrinka can be, having gone through a titanic five-set struggle against him in the fourth round at the Australian Open that he clinched 12-10 in the final set of a superb contest.

"It's definitely one of the most exciting matches I have played in my life on this surface, that was played on a very, very high level," the Serb said about that hard court encounter in Melbourne on his way to winning a third straight Australian crown.

"In the past we all knew that he has the quality to play that well, but not in a consistent basis.

"He's a very complete player. He can play equally well on any surface. He had one of the best seasons in his life."

Wawrinka said the contest against Djokovic was a turning point for him.

"It's one of the keys of the season, for sure," the Swiss said. "That was a really tough moment, but at the end, I was really positive with that match because all Australian Open my level was quite good and was better than ever."

Djokovic said he was bracing for Wawrinka's best after his impressive performance against Murray.

"That was quite impressive," he said. "I'm sure he's very confident and he has nothing to lose now. He's going to go for the win."

Djokovic leads their head-to-head series 12-2, with wins in their last 11 meetings.

Nadal is a perfect 10-0 against Gasquet, who he has competed against since their junior days.

The Spaniard said he had great respect for his opponent and was pleased to see him make it to the last four at Flushing Meadows.

"He's a nice guy, very nice person, one of the players on the tour that I feel closer (to) because we are from the same age. We always had a good feeling," said Nadal.

"So it's great, no? When you see a player like Richard that we grow up in similar ways and we played when we were kids. We have the chance to be in the semi-finals of the US Open, so is great."

Even Djokovic felt good about Gasquet's advance to his second Grand Slam semi-final following his maiden journey six years ago at Wimbledon.

"Richard was always one of the most talented players that played the game with one of the most beautiful and also most efficient backhands that we have seen," said Djokovic.

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US Open - Day 13 order of play

US Open - Day 13 order of play

Order of play for day 13 of the US Open, with semi-finals between Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka, and Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet.

 

Arthur Ashe Stadium

12:00pm (17:00 UK time)

Men's singles semi-finals

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) v 9-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland)

Not before 2:50pm (19:50 UK time)

8-Richard Gasquet (France) v 2-Rafa Nadal (Spain)

Not before 3:30pm (20:30 UK time)

Women's doubles final

5-Andrea Hlavackova (Czech Republic) and Luci Hradecka (Czech Republic) v 8-Ashleigh Barty (Australia) and Casey Dellacqua (Australia)

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US Open - Gasquet blunts Raonic serve to reach quarters

US Open - Gasquet blunts Raonic serve to reach quarters

Frenchman Richard Gasquet survived a barrage of heavy shots from Canada's Milos Raonic before booking a spot in the quarter-finals of the US Open.

 

Raonic thumped 39 aces past Gasquet but the eighth-seed waited patiently before seizing his opportunities, winning 6-7(4) 7-6(4) 2-6 7-6(9) 7-5 after an exhausting slugfest that lasted four hours and 40 minutes.

Raonic also hit a staggering total of 102 winners but paid the price for coughing up unforced errors, more than twice as many as Gasquet.
The 27-year-old Frenchman has been a consistent performer on the professional circuit since 2002 but this was just the second time he made it to a grand slam quarter-final.
The only other occasion was when he made the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2007.
His opponent in the next round is Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, who advanced after a hard-fought 7-6(2) 3-6 7-5 7-6(3) win over Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic.
For Raonic, a 22-year-old moving quickly up the rankings, it was a bitter loss as he was on the verge of becoming the first Canadian man to reach the singles quarter-finals of a grand slam since Mike Belkin at the Australian Open in 1968.
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US Open - Robredo sensed an upset against doubtful Federer

US Open - Robredo sensed an upset against doubtful Federer

Tommy Robredo suspected he could stun Roger Federer at the US Open because the Swiss master had developed self-doubts, the Spaniard said after the extraordinary upset on Monday.

 

World number 22 Robredo routed Federer 7-6(3) 6-3 6-4 at Louis Armstrong Stadium, the 17-times grand slam champion failing to convert 14 of 16 break points in his first loss to the Spaniard after 10 successive wins.

"You never know what's going to happen," the gritty 31-year-old Robredo told reporters.
"But obviously Roger when he was number one to the Roger right now, he's not maybe with the same confidence.
"Obviously he's the same player and he plays unbelievable. But I knew if right now I had a little bit more chances, maybe he will have a little bit of doubt."
Robredo, who has played his best grand slam tennis on the clay courts at Roland Garros, agreed with Federer's evaluation that he had "self-destructed."
"I always play the same," Robredo said. "So yes, I'm really with him. I think the difference was the break points conversion.
"It's amazing ... For me, Roger for the moment is the best player of all time. And to beat him in the huge stadium like the U.S. Open and in a grand slam, a match of five sets, it's like a dream. I am so happy."
A capacity crowd filled Louis Armstrong Stadium in the expectation that Federer would reach the quarter-finals against great rival Rafa Nadal.
But Robredo dominated the first set tiebreak to subdue the spectators who were never to find full voice thereafter as Federer cracked under pressure.
"I wasn't thinking i was going to win," Robredo said.
"I was just going onto the court trying to give my best, and we will see.
"The ball from Roger, it comes like fire. All the time, it's so fast."
Ranked fifth in the world in 2006, Robredo's triumph booked his first quarter-final appearance at Flushing Meadows and marks the crowning moment in a long recovery from a serious hamstring that sent his ranking plummeting to 471 last year.
"I was trying to come back," he said. "I wasn't sure if my leg would be perfect or not. You have your doubts if you're body's going to respond. And ... if you're going to get the confidence back.
"I don't know next week which ranking I'm going to be, but for sure it will be top 20 ... It's an amazing year for me."
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US Open - Nadal safely through after brief scare

US Open - Nadal safely through after brief scare

Spain's Rafael Nadal lost a set for the first time at this year's U.S. Open on Monday but recovered quickly to safely book his place in the quarter-finals, albeit against an unexpected opponent.

 

Nadal gave his supporters at Flushing Meadows a brief heart flutter when he lost the opening set to Philipp Kohlschreiber but rebounded to beat the German 6-7(4) 6-4 6-3 6-1.

The 2010 U.S. Open champion, Nadal's next match is against his countryman Tommy Robredo, who pulled off a shock straight-sets win over Roger Federer that ended the prospect of a first U.S. Open showdown between the two greatest players of their generation.
Nadal was in great form in the lead-up to the last major of the year, winning Masters titles in Montreal and Cincinnati, and has continued his red-hot streak at Flushing Meadows.
After struggling with knee problems for years, the world number two has made some slight alterations to his game to help him cope with the demanding hardcourts in North America.
The lefthander has taken some of the speed off his serve to focus more on his accuracy. Against Kohlschreiber, Nadal hit just three aces, but faced only one break point on his serve, which he successfully fought off.
"It was very, very tough conditions," Nadal said courtside.
"Very humid, I sweat too much. The opponent was great and I am lucky to go through.
"Physically it was a very tough match but with my serve, I felt comfortable."
Nadal said Robredo would be in a dangerous mood after beating Federer 7-6(3) 6-3 6-4.
"To beat Roger at the U.S. Open is amazing for him," Nadal said. "He will be confident and I hope to be ready for that."
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US Open - Ferrer beats Tipsarevic to reach quarters

US Open - Ferrer beats Tipsarevic to reach quarters

David Ferrer battled his way into the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open on Monday with a hard-fought 7-6(2) 3-6 7-5 7-6(3) win over Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic.

 

Ferrer, seeded fourth, retained his composure after dropping the second set to win a gruelling slugfest that took nearly four hours to complete after being moved to one of the smaller showcourts because of a lengthy rain delay.

The tenacious Ferrer became the second Spaniard to reach the men's quarter-finals on Monday, joining Tommy Robredo who had upset former world number one Roger Federer.
Another Spaniard, Rafael Nadal, was also playing Monday, in the night session.
Ferrer's next opponent will be either French eighth seed Richard Gasquet or Canada's Milos Raonic.
Although Ferrer has not won a grand slam, the 31-year-old baseliner has proven himself to be one of the most consistent players on tour.
He has reached the quarter-finals or better at each of the last eight majors and was a finalist at the French Open in June.
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US Open - Federer falls to Robredo in straight sets

US Open - Federer falls to Robredo in straight sets

A badly out-of-sorts Roger Federer spoke of a crisis of confidence after he "self-destructed" in a stunning fourth-round defeat to unfancied Spaniard Tommy Robredo at the U.S. Open on Monday.

 

The 17-times grand slam champion was eliminated 7-6(3) 6-3 6-4 in less than two-and-a-half hours to end hopes of a blockbuster showdown with great rival Rafa Nadal in the quarter-finals.

The Swiss's erratic display included a most un Federer-like 43 unforced errors and left 14 of 16 break points going begging at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
"Confidence takes care of all the things you don't usually think about," Federer told reporters, his stinging defeat reminiscent of his shock second-round exit at Wimbledon two months before.
"Maybe my consistency is just not quite there yet. Maybe on a daily basis, set-by-set or point-by-point basis, maybe that's something that has been difficult for me.
"Maybe that was one of the reasons why I lost today, playing up and down.
"I kind of self-destructed, which is very disappointing."
Another bout of foul weather took Federer away from his favoured center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, relegating the former world number one to the secondary show-court, where he had not appeared since 2006.
Although filled to capacity, Federer gave the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd precious few reasons to roar as he struggled against an opponent he had beaten in all 10 of their previous meetings.
"I kind of feel like I beat myself, without taking any credit away from Tommy," Federer said.
"Clearly he was making sure he was making many balls. It was up to me to make the difference and I couldn't.
"It was a frustrating performance today."
Federer appeared impatient on most of his break point chances, miscuing a stream of groundstrokes to let Robredo off the hook.
It was his earliest exit from the year's last grand slam since a fourth round loss in 2003.
"I think I explained it enough," Federer said.
"It just ended up being a bad combination of many things today. I've definitely got to go back to work and come back stronger.
"Get rid of this loss as quick as I can, forget about it, because that's not how I want to play from here on. I want to play better.
"I know I can. I showed it the last few weeks, that there is that level."
Federer said the much-hyped clash with Nadal was the last thing on his mind when he took to the court and defended his usual laidback appearance as the game slipped from his fingers.
"If I'm playing like this, I'm not going to beat Rafa, or Kohlschreiber for that matter," he said.
"For me, I didn't think of that. I've been too often in this situation. I was fighting with other things in my match today.
"But the story of my life: when I lose, people are shellshocked to see me play this way.
"If I win, it's the best thing. There's no doubt I'm trying hard out there to make it work. Sometimes it just doesn't happen."
Federer was bundled out of Wimbledon by then-116th ranked Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, and his loss to another unheralded, if willing, opponent will place further doubts on his motivation and hopes to rebound in the twilight of his career.
But the Swiss master was having none of it.
"Nothing goes past the hard work," he said.
"I'll make sure I put the work in. I'll believe in it and go after it. In some ways, as a player, you're always excited about that prospect because there's always something to look forward to, even in a big disappointment like the match today."
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US Open - Day nine order of play

US Open - Day nine order of play

Order of play for day nine of the US Open, with Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka on court.

 

 

Arthur Ashe Stadium

11 am (4pm UK)
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [13] vs. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [2]
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) [24] vs. Na Li (CHN) [5]
Not before 2:30pm (7:30pm UK)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
7 pm (midnight UK)
Serena Williams (USA) [1] vs. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [18]
Andy Murray (GBR) [3] vs. Denis Istomin (UZB)
Louis Armstrong Stadium
Not before 12:30pm (5:30pm UK)
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [21] vs. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Not before 5pm (10pm UK)
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [9] vs. Tomas Berdych (CZE) [5]
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US Open - Robredo ends run of British qualifier Evans

US Open - Robredo ends run of British qualifier Evans

The Cinderella run of British qualifier Dan Evans at the US Open came to a shuddering halt on Saturday when he was knocked out in the third round.

 

The 23-year-old fell 7-6 (6) 6-1 4-6 7-5 to Spain's Tommy Robredo after a tense three and a quarter hour battle at Flushing Meadows.

Evans, ranked 179th in the world, had captured the imagination of New York after his unlikely run to the third round but faltered just when it seemed he was on the verge of claiming another big scalp.

"I'm not disappointed, to be honest, it was a great experience," Evans said.

He had already pulled off the biggest upset of the opening round when beat Japan's Kei Nishikori, ranked 11th in the world, and followed that up by beating Bernard Tomic in the second round.

His win over Tomic was all the sweeter because the Australian's father had once prevented Evans from practising with his son, telling him he was not good enough.

Evans said he used that as motivation and now wants to use his success in New York to improve his ranking.

"It was a good stepping stone but not I'm not where I want to be, in the top 100," he said. "So I've still got a bit of work to do."

Robredo, an experienced campaigner who has been on the Grand Slam circuit for more than a decade, was always going to be a tough opponent for Evans and the Spaniard looked to be cruising to victory after winning the first two sets.

But the 19th seed began to struggle in the third set because of a leg injury that required medical treatment and had to be iced at each change of ends.

Evans won the third set and had two set points on his own serve in the fourth and the crowd on his side at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Then the wheels suddenly came off. He served two double faults and Robredo reeled off the last four games in a row to seal victory.

"You just have to learn from these experiences," said Evans. "I dont know what happened. I didn't feel tight, I just missed some easy hits."

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US Open - Canadian sleeper Raonic stirs in New York

US Open - Canadian sleeper Raonic stirs in New York

Touted as a leading member of 'Generation Next', Milos Raonic beat Feliciano Lopez 6-7(4) 6-4 6-3 6-4 at the US Open.

 

The powerful 22-year-old Canadian roared into the fourth round thanks to his thunderous serve, which has landed him a chart-topping 65 aces for the tournament. His heaviest delivery of 145 miles per hour is the quickest of the event.

His relatively seamless progression through the draw comes on the back of his recent appearance in the final of the Montreal Masters against Rafa Nadal and a move up to number 11 in the world rankings.

While the American tennis fraternity sweats on the arrival of a men's player to match the deeds of retired superstars Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, the relaxed and quietly-spoken Raonic admitted he benefited from lower expectations in Canada.

"There's a lot more pressure on the Americans," he said.

"One advantage they have growing up is that maybe there are more wildcard opportunities as an American.

"I'm doing a lot of stuff in uncharted territories, so people are very supportive of it. Whereas I feel it's a little bit unfair to the American players, everybody expecting another Pete and Agassi to be there on the top.

"Everybody is always asking, why isn't their playing doing this? This is an American. I think that's the big difference."

Ranoic, though, denied he was flying completely under the radar compared to his US counterparts.

"I think the attention is the same," he said. "I don't know how to say it, but one is more negative than the other because they (Americans) are expecting a lot more. In Canada, it's a lot more positive to be in the situation I am right now."

Lopez was unable to break the serve of his 1.96 m tall opponent in their two hours and 37 minutes on Court 17.

"I was really struggling with getting anywhere on his service games, but I found my own a little bit," Raonic said.

"I was getting confidence and calming down. I wasn't feeling as nervous about the whole situation. I was a little sloppy at the net at times, but I started cleaning things up from the baseline."

Montenegro-born, Toronto-raised and now resident in Monaco, Raonic's biggest concern appeared to be his sunburned face.

"I didn't have any (sun tan lotion) on, so I will probably pay for that tonight," he said.

Raonic has yet to reach the quarter-finals at a major.

His next assignment will be against eight-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who reached the fourth round when 32nd-seeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov retired.

The winner of the Raonic-Gasquet clash will have a winnable quarter-final against Spain's David Ferrer or Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.

In his only previous meeting against Gasquet, on hard courts at Cincinnati last year, Raonic won in straight sets.

"I'm going to have to focus a lot on myself and not let him get into a rhythm," he said.

"I thought I did that pretty well today. Always when I had a short ball, I would go for it, even on the backhand side. I have to let them never get into a rhythm."

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US Open - Nadal roars into fourth round as Fed clash looms

US Open - Nadal roars into fourth round as Fed clash looms

Rafa Nadal, growing in confidence with each match, blasted his way into the fourth round of the US Open on Saturday with an ominous display as the upsets continued at the last Grand Slam of the year.

 

The world number two turned on a masterclass of power and precision as he brushed aside Croatia's Ivan Dodig 6-4 6-3 6-3 to lead a trio of Spanish men into the fourth round.

French Open runner-up David Ferrer also moved through, beating Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4, while a third Spaniard, Tommy Robredo, ended the Cinderella run of British qualifier Dan Evans, winning 7-6 (6) 6-1 4-6 7-5.

Nadal has been in great form in the past month, winning warm-up tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati. He has not dropped a single set in getting to the last 16 at Flushing Meadows and believes he is still improving.

"I played better today than in the previous matches. (That's) always a positive thing," he said.

"I started the match with a high intensity. I lost to Ivan the last time we played in Montreal and he won two hard matches here against Fernando Verdasco, a lefty like me, and Nikolay Davydenko.

"I think I played my best match of the week so far today."

Nadal's next opponent is Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber, who beat towering American John Isner 6-4 3-6 7-5 7-6 (5), with Roger Federer looming as a possible quarter-final opponent.

The two great rivals have never played each other at the year's final Grand Slam, but could meet next week.

Federer, playing the feature night match at an buzzing Arthur Ashe Stadium, doled out a 6-3 6-0 6-2 hammering to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino but knows the focus is already on the possible meeting with Nadal.

"I have gone through that my entire career, people talking about our matches even before the tournament started," the Swiss said.

"We're used to it. We know how to handle it. Clearly I think we both hope it's going to happen this time for the first time in New York."

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US Open - Ferrer through to last 16 after beating Kukushkin

US Open - Ferrer through to last 16 after beating Kukushkin

Spain's David Ferrer became the first man to reach the round of 16 at this year's US Open when he defeated Kazakhstan qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin on Saturday.

 

Ferrer, seeded fourth after reaching the French Open final in June, dropped a set for the second match in a row but was otherwise untroubled in his 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4 victory.

Kukushkin matched his best performance at a Grand Slam by reaching the third round but contributed to his own downfall by committing 66 unforced errors, almost twice as many as Ferrer.

The Spaniard was a semi-finalist at the US Open in 2007 and again last year. His next opponent will be Janko Tipsarevic who beat Jack Sock 3-6 7-6(1) 6-1 6-2.

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US Open - Evergreen Hewitt defies doctors to record huge upset

US Open - Evergreen Hewitt defies doctors to record huge upset

Six doctors told former world number one Lleyton Hewitt he should retire.

 

Thankfully he sought further opinion and is now looking forward to a third round clash at the U.S. Open.

Hewitt's inspirational five-set triumph over Argentina's sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro at Flushing Meadows on Friday was a crowning moment in his harrowing journey back from five rounds of surgery.

The 32-year-old Australian recovered from blowing a huge early lead to finally notch a 6-4 5-7 3-6 7-6(2) 6-1 second round win on Arthur Ashe Stadium that came two years after he was repeatedly told he should quit if he had major surgery on the big toe of his left foot.

"The foot surgery, I must have seen seven or eight different surgeons worldwide," Hewitt said.

"At least six of them told me to retire if you have it done. I'm very thankful that I found the guy that I believed in. We went in there and we were optimistic about it."

In 2011, Hewitt's toe was chronically arthritic and misshapen after years of digging into courts to launch his service action. Last year he had the toe reconstructed and irreversibly fused.

Cartilage was removed in 2012 and painful bone spurs were shaved off. A steel rod was inserted. The toe no longer moves, but nor does it give Hewitt grief.

"We thought I might be able to play doubles," he said. "But we weren't 100 percent sure whether I would be able to come back and play singles, even with doing all the hard work with rehab.

"In the back of your mind, you still have question marks, whether it's going to be good enough to go out and compete on the centre stage against the top players again.

"When I first came back for the French Open and Wimbledon, I wasn't in a good place in terms of the foot. I was still in a bit of pain after the surgery, but the last year has been pretty good."

Hewitt double-faulted at set point in the second set. He proceeded to fall in a hole there seemed no escape from before producing a near perfect tiebreaker to ensure the match went the distance. Vintage ball striking and counter-punching had him raising his arms in victory after four hours and three minutes of toil.

"I don't know how many years I have left in me so I was just hanging to get back on this court again," he said in a courtside interview afterwards.

"It was a hell of a lot of fun. I cherish every match I get. This is why I still play, to have moments like this."

Later, he added: "It was an unbelievable atmosphere. I just kept fighting and putting it out there. I kept coming at him the whole night. I was frustrated not closing it out when I had the chance. He was hitting the ball a lot bigger and I was on the defensive the whole time. I didn't put a foot wrong in the tiebreaker."

Twelve long years have passed since Hewitt beat the great Pete Sampras to win the U.S Open. He was subdued after toppling Del Potro to set up a clash against Russia's Evgeny Donskoy, admitting he was vaguely stunned himself by the result.

"It's an amazing feeling," he said.

"For me, just going back in the locker room afterwards, I sort of had to pinch myself. I love being out in that atmosphere, sucking up every second of it.

"He's a pretty quiet guy and I was trying to stay in my zone out there. Obviously over five sets there's going to be a lot of ups and downs and momentum swings. I don't know how many times I'm going to play here in the future. I didn't take it for granted tonight."

Del Potro, also a former U.S. Open champion, paid tribute to Hewitt's tenacity. The Argentinian, however, contributed to his own demise with 70 unforced errors. "He's a great champion and a great fighter."

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US Open - Hewitt stuns Del Potro

US Open - Hewitt stuns Del Potro

Australia's Lleyton Hewitt won an absorbing late-night thriller against Juan Martin Del Potro at the US Open to move into the third round.

 

In a battle between two former US Open champions, the veteran Australian came out on top after more than four hours, winning 6-4 5-7 3-6 7-6 (2) 6-1, in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

Del Potro, who stunned Roger Federer to win the 2009 US Open, was one of the favourites to win the men's singles title but the towering Argentine was unable to find an answer to Hewitt's counter-punches as the pair slugged it out like two heavyweight boxers.

"It's amazing," Hewitt said on-court. "I was pumped up when I won my first-round match because I knew I was playing Del Potro and we could be on Arthur Ashe (Stadium).

"I don't know how many years I have left in me so I was just hanging to get back on this court again."

Hewitt may no longer be as fast as he was when he upset Pete Sampras to win the final 12 years ago but the 32-year-old showed he had lost none of his combative spirit.

Scrambling around the centre court to keep up with his younger opponent, he fetched more balls than a golden retriever, and hit a string of inch-perfect winners.

His biggest flaw, however, remains his serve, which lacks the power of most of his opponents and it threatened to let him down.

After snatching the opening set, Hewitt, who also won Wimbledon in 2002, had a perfect opportunity to take a two-set lead.

He was just a point away on his own serve when he double-faulted. Del Potro went on to break him and take the set and seized the momentum.

The 24-year-old Del Potro, seeded sixth at Flushing Meadows, won the third set but was starting to run out of gas.

He found himself down a break in the fourth and although Hewitt failed to serve out the set, the Australian won the ensuing tie-breaker 7-2 to send the match into a deciding fifth set as the boisterous New York roared with approval.

Del Potro blinked first and Hewitt pounced to break his serve twice and jumped out to a 5-1 lead. The Argentine saved a match point on his own serve but double-faulted on the second as Hewitt celebrated a remarkable victory.

His prize for winning was a third-round clash with the unseeded Russian Evgeny Donskoy, who won his own five-set marathon against Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 6-3 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3, but Hewitt was not looking too far ahead as he soaked up the moment.

"A couple of years ago, when I had a couple of foot surgeries, I didn't know if I'd ever play tennis again," said Hewitt, who has fallen to 66th in the rankings.

"It was a hell of a lot of fun, I cherish every match I get. This is why I still play, to have moments like this."

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US Open - Murray drops a set but still progresses

US Open - Murray drops a set but still progresses

Andy Murray dropped a set for the first time at this year's US Open but recovered quickly to ease his way into the third round.

 

The defending champion beat Argentina's Leonardo Mayer 7-5 6-1 3-6 6-1 in two hours and 41 minutes on a steaming hot day at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

It was clear the Scotsman was in for tough workout when he needed almost an hour to clinch the first set but he seemed to back in control when he raced through the second.

Mayer broke Murray's serve at the start of the second set and calmly held all of his own service games to push the match into a fourth set but the third seed regained control and ran away with it.

"It was a very tough match," said Murray, whose next opponent is Germany's Florian Mayer. "Both of us did a lot of running.

"I started to move better as the match went on. He's a big hitter of the ball and I had to defend a lot."

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US Open - Day six order of play

US Open - Day six order of play

Order of play for day six of the US Open, with Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka and surprise package Dan Evans on court.

 

Arthur Ashe Stadium

11am (4pm UK)

Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [13] vs. Christina McHale (USA)

Not before 1pm (6pm UK)

Ivan Dodig (CRO) vs. Rafael Nadal (ESP) [2]

7pm (midnight UK)

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [6] vs. Camila Giorgi (ITA)

Roger Federer (SUI) [7] vs. Adrian Mannarino (FRA)

Louis Armstrong Stadium

11am (4pm UK)

Maria Kirilenko (RUS) [14] vs. Simona Halep (ROU) [21]

Alize Cornet (FRA) [26] vs. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [2]

John Isner (USA) [13] vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [22]

Tommy Robredo (ESP) [19] vs. Daniel Evans (GBR)

Grandstand

11am (4pm UK)

Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) vs. David Ferrer (ESP) [4]

Not before 1pm (6pm UK)

Jack Sock (USA) vs. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [18]

Karin Knapp (ITA) vs. Roberta Vinci (ITA) [10]

Court 17

11am (4pm UK)

Petra Kvitova (CZE) [7] vs. Alison Riske (USA)

Feliciano Lopez (ESP) [23] vs. Milos Raonic (CAN) [10]

Richard Gasquet (FRA) [8] vs. Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) [32]

Court 11

11am (4pm UK)

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) [27] vs. Flavia Pennetta (ITA)

Julia Glushko (ISR) vs. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)

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US Open - Djokovic shrugs off slow start to speed into third round

US Open - Djokovic shrugs off slow start to speed into third round

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic saved two set points in the opening set but lost just four games the rest of the way in beating Germany's Benjamin Becker 7-6 (2) 6-2 6-2 on Friday to reach the third round of the U.S.

 

 

Djokovic was broken in the ninth game of the first set to fall behind 4-5, but broke right back and forced a tie-breaker, which he won 7-2 before cruising the rest of the way.

The 26-year-old Serb said he had trouble with his footwork in the tricky conditions against a dangerous opponent in 87th-ranked Becker, best known for beating Andre Agassi at the 2006 US Open in the last match of the American's career.

"It was a struggle," Djokovic, the 2011 US Open winner, said about the opening set.

"I tried to move him around the court...that was my tactics.

"But it was very tough. It was a lot of unforced errors, very windy conditions."

Djokovic made an uncharacteristic 18 unforced errors in the first set before getting comfortable with his approach on the blustery court - an adjustment that might pay dividends as the tournament progresses.

"It was a lot of wind, wind that is not consistent. It changes direction all the time, you have to be alert," added Djokovic, stressing the importance of being balanced when attacking the ball.

"You need to have this adjustment, footwork, steps, in order to get on the ball. I didn't have that in the first set."

Djokovic adapted and after the 52-minute first set struggle won the next two sets in a total of 59 minutes.

"After I played a good tiebreak, then everything kind of settled. I started to serve better," said Djokovic, who belted in 13 aces.

"I started to step into the court, which is important." Djokovic, who lost in five sets to Andy Murray in last year's final in Flushing Meadows, has designs on adding to his haul of six Grand Slam titles.

"My game is getting there. I feel that it was a big test for me today. It was a challenge and I needed to overcome it."

Djokovic will next face either Finland's Jarkko Nieminen or Portugal's Joao Sousa.

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US Open - Nadal crushes Brazilian Silva

US Open - Nadal crushes Brazilian Silva

Overcoming hardship makes you stronger, according to Rafa Nadal, who is proving his point with a sensational comeback year and a sparkling hardcourt run after a debilitating knee injury.

 

Nadal was sidelined for seven months by the injury, but hard work and determination have again made him a ferocious force as evidenced by his 6-2 6-1 6-0 mauling of Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil to reach the third round of the US Open.

The victory improved the Spanish second seed to 17-0 on hardcourts this year, which has included titles at Indian Wells, Montreal and Cincinnati among his nine trophies in 2013.

Nadal said overcoming adversity was enormously satisfying.

"When you are coming back after hard times, after an injury ... you need to work hard. You need to work with the right attitude every day," said 12-times winner Nadal.

"You need to be ready to suffer, to enjoy the suffering, and to be able to change the situation."

Nadal, the 2010 US Open champion, has dramatically turned around his fortunes, posting a 2013 match record of 55-3.

He put his dominance on display in a 92-minute rout at Arthur Ashe Stadium, facing only one break point but saving it and ripping 30 winners to the Brazilian's nine.

World number two Nadal, who missed the 2012 US Open because of a knee injury, will next play Ivan Dodig of Croatia, a 6-1 6-4 6-4 winner against Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

Silva had shown extraordinary grit in his opening round five-set victory against Canada's Vasek Pospisil, saving an astonishing seven match points - the most in the ATP Tour this season - before closing out the decisive tiebreaker 12-10.

Nadal gave the Brazilian no room to escape, however.

Victory on the court was sweet, but the Spaniard said making the climb back made it all the more satisfying.

"When you are in a low position, low situation, you are able to work to change that dynamic because you really feel the love for sport, the passion for sport," said 27-year-old Nadal.

"After overcoming a tough situation, then you are ready to compete better than before. That's something that I am sure. All my life I played with a lot of passion. I love the sport. I love the competition.

"So I feel very lucky and very happy to be back on the tour and playing well again."

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US Open - Federer and Serena cruise in New York, Errani cracks

US Open - Federer and Serena cruise in New York, Errani cracks

Roger Federer and Serena Williams, stress-free and loving the limelight, strolled into the third round of the US Open as the pressure began to mount at the season's last Grand Slam.

 

For Federer and Williams, it was business as usual at Flushing Meadows but not for Italy's Sara Errani, the women's fourth seed.

Crumbling under the weight of expectation, Errani crashed to a 6-3 6-1 loss to compatriot Flavia Pennetta, then made the startling admission she choked under pressure.

"I don't know why, but I'm not enjoying going on the courts," she confessed. "And that is the worst thing a player can have."

Federer, unflappable even as he struggles to add to his record collection of 17 Grand Slam singles titles, hardly raised a sweat as he brushed aside Argentina's Carlos Berlocq 6-3 6-2 6-1.

"For me it was pretty straightforward, to be honest," Federer said. "It's one of those matches I expect myself to win if possible in straight sets and gain confidence in the process.

"All those things happened, so, yeah, I'm pleased about it."

Williams was also unflustered even though the wind was blowing hard when she strolled on to the Arthur Ashe Stadium centre court.

Her match against Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan had originally been scheduled for Wednesday but was held over because of rain. Unfazed, she cruised to a 6-3 6-0 win.

"I'm just trying to do the best I can," Williams said. "Just always trying to get a little better."

With Wednesday's rain giving way to brilliant sunshine, most of Thursday's other daytime matches went according to the rankings with none of the men's seeds losing.

David Ferrer, the men's fourth seed and this year's French Open finalist, beat fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 6-2.

Richard Gasquet, Janko Tipsarevic and Dmitry Tursunov all won without dropping a set. If there was surprise in the men's draw, it was when Dan Evans toppled Australia's Bernard Tomic 1-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3.

Evans, who is ranked 179th in the world and had to come through the qualifiers just to make the main draw, upset Japan's Kei Nishikori in the first round then followed up by beating Tomic, ranked 52nd.

Petra Kvitova, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic were among the winners in the women's draw, which lost four seeds, the most notable being Errani.

One of the sport's rising stars, ranked number one in the world in doubles and fifth in singles, she admitted after her loss that she was overcome by pressure.

The 26-year-old, who was promoted to fourth seed when Maria Sharapova pulled out of the tournament, said she had been shaking and struggling to sleep for four days and did not want to go on court.

"I don't want to go to play. I don't want to stay there on the court. I feel very bad," she said. "So that is the problem for me."

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US Open - Evans continues New York fairytale with Tomic win

US Open - Evans continues New York fairytale with Tomic win

Englishman Dan Evans revealed a snub from the father of Bernard Tomic was the motivation behind his upset victory over the combative Australian in the second round of the US Open.

 

The world No.179 eliminated Tomic 1-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3 before recalling the time John Tomic, who is banned from the ATP Tour because of an assault charge against him in Spain, told him he was not good enough to train with his son.

"It was quite funny, actually," Evans said.

"I was there playing quallies. His dad sort of fobbed me off and said I wasn't good enough to practice with him. I remembered that.

"We went to practice. It was all booked. In Miami, there's a little practice hut. I got to the practice hut. His dad said, 'No, no. He's a qualifier, I'm not hitting with you. So, it was one of those. A bit embarrassing, but hey."

Evans said he held no grudge against Tomic jnr because he wasn't there when he was given his marching orders.

"I know him (Bernard) pretty well," Evans said. "Played juniors with him. But I don't think it was his doing. He wasn't there."

Evans, who has been of the big surprises of the tournament, also revealed he needed medical treatment against Tomic for an unusual affliction.

"My nipples were about the colour of your shirt," he told a reporter wearing a bright pink shirt.

"Oh, the stick I'm going to get back home is, like, devastating....I don't know what it was. It was just agony."

Evans, who beat Japan's world No.12 Kei Nishikori in the opening round, moved into an unexpected third-round clash against Spain's 19th-seeded Tommy Robredo.

Trailing a set and a break at 2-3, Evans swore while admonishing himself and the fightback began.

"I'm not pleased with the F-bomb," he said.

"It was pleasing I could find some belief inside and find my game, because it wasn't there. I looked at the clock, I think it was 34 minutes and I was a set and a break down. It was looking like the airport for me."

Evans said Tomic's defensive playing style had given him the chance to play aggressively.

"He gave me a lot of opportunities to play," Evans said.

"He made me look pretty good in the tiebreak. He was just pushing the ball into the middle of the court. It was like I had to be brave and hit the ball. That's what he makes you do. He lures you in."

Roger Federer looms as a possible fourth-round opponent for Evans. The Englishman has never played Federer but unlike Tomic's father, the Swiss master had no reservations about practising with him at Flushing Meadows this week.

"It was amazing to hit with someone so good. I really enjoyed it," Evans said.

"We actually had a really good hit. He was a nice guy, interested in what I did. It was good."

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