NEW YORK, September 7, 2017
Eight years and four wrist surgeries since ending Roger Federer’s 40-match US Open win streak, Juan Martin del Potro returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium for a rematch. The 28-year-old Argentine repeated his 2009 final victory, beating the five-time champion 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 on Wednesday evening.
Del Potro sent down 12 aces, broke serve three times and won six points more than Federer to advance to the semi-finals after two hours and 50 minutes.
“I played my best match of the tournament,” del Potro told during his on-court interview.
“I served well and hit my forehand as hard as I can. We played a great match and I think I deserved to win in the end.” Asked about the vociferous crowd support, the 24th seed said, “I think it’s my home court. You make me so happy every time I play here. I love to see the crowd chanting for me.
“I can’t believe I will play in the semi-finals agains after all my injuries, after all my surgeries. Especially to play here in New York, my favourite tournament.”
Del Potro will next take on World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who cruised past #NextGenATP Russian Andrey Rublev earlier in the day.
First All-US-American Grand Slam Womens Semi-finals In 32 Years
Madison Keys defeated Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday evening (photo: USTA/Andrew Ong)
Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, Venus Williams and CoCo Vandeweghe each advanced to the singles semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, marking the first time all four women’s singles semi-finalists have been US-American at a Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon in 1985 and at the US Open since 1981.
Only five times in the Open Era (since 1968) has a Grand Slam tournament featured four US-American women’s semifinalists:
1985 Wimbledon (Chris Evert, Zina Garrison, Martina Navratilova, Kathy Rinaldi)
1983 Australian Open (Zina Garrison, Kathy Jordan, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver)
1982 Australian Open (Chris Evert, Andrea Jaeger, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver)
1981 US Open (Tracy Austin, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Barbara Potter)
1979 US Open (Tracy Austin, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova)
