Day Nine of the 2018 US Open allowed us to enjoy the first of the quarter finals.
First up, in the excessive heat and humidity, defending champion and home nation favourite Sloane Stephens (3) faced Anastasija Sevastova (19). The Latvian had made the quarter finals at Flushing Meadows in both 2016 and 2017. Last year, it was Stephens who stopped the Sevastova run in three sets, 7-4 in the deciding tie break, en route to the title.
It should be remembered that Anastasija retired from tennis in May 2013, when only 23. She returned in January 2015 and has won 4 ITF and 2 WTA titles since then. One of the WTA trophies came earlier this year in Bucharest.
Today, it was all about taking chances and also the result of second serves.
In set one, Stephens couldn’t convert any of seven break points, while Sevastova used both of her opportunities to advantage. Those US chances came in the third and fifth games, and the backhand was especially handy in assisting Sevastova to hold.
Although Stephens had a far better first serve percentage, she was vulnerable whenever she did miss. In contrast, Sevastova won over half the points on her second delivery.
All of that allowed for the opening set to be taken 6-2 by Anastasija, backhand winners to the fore, and the drop shot employed skilfully and with success in most instances.
Another break of the American serve came early in set two, and despite Stephens breaking back for 1-2, Sevastova crashed through again for 3-1, consolidating for 4-1. Seeing the finish line so close, Sevastova stumbled and fell, Stephens quick to gather the fallen pieces.
The break back confirmed, and four game points on her serve at 3-4, everything appeared in place for the all-American comeback story.
However, Sevastova hadn’t read the script, and fought off each game point, ultimately contributing two exquisite backhand drop shots for the service break and a 5-3 lead.
With the aid of Sloane’s mistakes, three match points arrived in an instant. Two were saved, but the inevitable occurred on the third, with Stephens finding the net.
Anastasija Sevastova had won the way into her first Grand Slam tournament semi final 6-2 6-3, avenging last years quarter final loss here to Sloane Stephens.
Next was the big hitting clash between Juan Martin del Potro (3) and John Isner (11).
In an opening set where no service breaks occurred, del Potro kept his unforced error count to just four, won 18 of 20 points on his first serve, but lost in the end because Isner controlled the tie break 7-5.
Set two was even cleaner from the Argentine, just a single unforced error, and no break points faced. Additionally, del Potro surprised Isner in the fourth game, when three break points emerged thanks to a temporary American forehand failure.
The second of these rare chances was converted, and del Potro carried the advantage through to a 6-3 set win.
Neither player could benefit from the two break chances offered each of them in the third set, and it was del Potro’s turn to win the tie break.
He now led two sets to one.
The pressure exerted by the third seed from the outset, finally proved too much for Isner, and the American dropped his serve twice in the fourth and final excerpt, of what was a high standard quarter final.
Juan Martin del Potro won 6-7(5) 6-3 7-6(4) 6-2 to reach the final four for a second successive year.
He hit 49 winners and committed only 14 unforced errors for the match.
- Serena Williams (17) defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-4 6-3, after looking in danger, down 2-4 in the opening set. She will play Anastasija Sevastova in the semi finals
- Dominic Thiem (9) kept Rafa Nadal (1) off the scoreboard in set one, before the defending champion levelled at 0-6 6-4.
Thiem wasted chances when serving for the third set and Nadal seized the initiative 5-5. Another set was taken out of Austrian hands when Nadal broke for a second straight time to lead 0-6 6-4 7-5.
Thiem stuck to his task and his winning fourth set tie break ensured a fifth set decider.
A high standard decider saw Nadal fail to convert five break points, while Thiem didn’t have one to convert.
The match, lasting four hours and forty eight minutes, eclipsing the third round Khachanov battle as Nadal’s longest ever US Open marathon, ended appropriately with a tie break.
Nadal escaped 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-7(4) 7-6(5), into a semi final, where he would find Juan Martin del Potro waiting. The pair have met 16 times before, six times in a semi final. Four of the last five meetings have been a semi final, including last years US Open and this years Roland Garros.
Nadal won both of those, and proceeded to win the titles.
In 2009, del Potro defeated Nadal in a US Open semi final en route to his one and only major to date.
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