The Associated Press
NEW YORK–So much for the first U.S. Open matchup between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Federer failed to live up to his end of the bargain.
Hours after Nadal did his part with an easy-as-can-be victory to get to the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, Federer was unable to join him for what would have been the most-anticipated showdown of the entire two weeks
He wasted chances to take control and missed shots he normally makes in a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4 loss to 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro last night.
“He came up with the goods when he needed to,” Federer said.
“And I helped him a little bit sometimes, too, maybe.”
Federer described himself as too “edgy” and said “that little magic was missing.”
He also insisted that, unlike just about everyone else, he did not spend any time at all pondering a possible matchup with Nadal at the only Grand Slam tournament where they’ve never met.
Their wonderful rivalry has included 37 matches, and at least two finals at each of the other majors.
“I had struggled too much throughout the tournament to think too far ahead,” Federer admitted.
Given that he is 36 and Nadal is 31, perhaps it is time for the tennis world to concede that Roger vs. Rafa at the U.S. Open just will never happen.
This is the sixth occasion when they were a round away from playing in New York but one or the other lost–including eight years ago, when del Potro beat Nadal in the semi-finals, then Federer in the final to end the Swiss star’s run of five-straight titles at the tournament.
Nadal, who won two of his 15 Grand Slam trophies in New York, overwhelmed 19-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in their quarter-final match earlier yesterday.
The other semi-final features two men who have never been this far at any major: No. 12 Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain vs. No. 28 Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
The women’s semi-finals, meanwhile, are both all-American matchups–the first time that’s happened at the U.S. Open in 36 years.
No. 9 Venus Williams will face unseeded Sloane Stephens while No. 15 Madison Keys goes against No. 20 CoCo Vandeweghe.
