Friday 9 September 2011

US OPEN-the last major of the year






Rafael Nadal called for the players to be given more power after putting aside the problems of Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.

The defending champion was furious after being forced to start his fourth-round match against Gilles Muller, which had originally been scheduled for Tuesday, in damp conditions on Wednesday and promptly lost the first three games.

But it was a different Nadal who took to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday and he quickly retrieved the break before clinching a 7-6 (7/1) 6-1 6-2 victory to set up a last-eight clash with Andy Roddick.

Roger Federer avenged his Wimbledon defeat with a 6-4 6-3 6-3 victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to set up a semi-final rematch with Novak Djokovic at the US Open.

Frenchman Tsonga had come from two sets down to beat Federer in the last eight at the All England Club, the only player to manage such a feat at a grand slam, but in truth a repeat never looked on the cards in the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Novak Djokovic was seriously tested by compatriot and friend Janko Tipsarevic for over three hours before booking his spot in the semi-finals of the US Open.

It really was a titanic struggle for two sets as Tipsarevic took the fight to his countryman and tested his legendary powers of defence but he began to struggle in the third and lost nine games in a row before retiring at 7-6 (7/2) 6-7 (3/7) 0-6 0-3 down.

The United States Tennis Association have announced the men's final at the US Open will be played on a Monday for the fourth year in a row due to the amount of play lost to rain.

Only 15 minutes of play were possible across Tuesday and Wednesday, which left the bottom half of the men's draw having to potentially play four matches in four days.

The players made their feelings on the subject clear, with defending champion Rafael Nadal calling the schedule "crazy", and the USTA have responded.

The remaining men's quarter-finals between Andy Murray and John Isner and Nadal and Andy Roddick will now be played on Friday afternoon, with the women having a day off.

Both sets of semi-finals will be played on Saturday with the women's final now taking place at 4pm (9pm BST) on Sunday and the men's final at the same time on Monday.

Tournament director Jim Curley explained the decision in a statement, saying: "We revised the schedule for the remainder of the 2011 US Open in an effort to be fair to the players and our ticket holders.

"This is the result of a collaborative effort with the players, (broadcaster) CBS Sports and tournament officials to address the issues that arose from the inclement weather earlier this week."

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