Rafael Nadal on Monday fell to his earliest US Open loss in six years when he was knocked out by Frances Tiafoe, while Carlos Alcaraz survived a five-set epic to reach a second successive quarter-final in a tie that finished at 2:23am yesterday.
Four-time US Open champion Nadal, bidding for a 23rd Grand Slam title, lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the last-16 to 26th-ranked Tiafoe.
The American’s big-hitting performance conjured up 18 aces and 49 winners past a sluggish Nadal.
Photo: AFP
It was the Australian and French Open champion’s first Grand Slam loss of the year after an abdominal strain forced him to forfeit his Wimbledon semi-final. His defeat came just a day after world No. 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev was knocked out by Nick Kyrgios.
“I wasn’t able to push him back. Tennis is a sport of positions a lot of the time,” 36-year-old Nadal said. “You need to be very quick and very young. I am not in that moment anymore.”
Tiafoe, 24, is to face Andrey Rublev, who he defeated over five sets in the third round last year, for a place in the semi-finals.
Photo: AFP
“I don’t know what to say, I’m so happy. He’s one of the greatest of all time and I played unbelievable tennis today,” said Tiafoe, who had only previously reached one Slam quarter-final in Australia in 2019.
“Something special happened today. Honestly when I first came on the scene I wasn’t ready for it mentally and mature enough,” he said. “I’ve been able to develop and I have a great team around me. With you guys, it’s been great.”
Alcaraz defeated 2014 champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in a match that was just 3 minutes short of equaling the record for the latest finish at the tournament.
In a grueling 3-hour, 54-minute encounter, Cilic was under siege, having to save 12 of 18 break points while committing 66 unforced errors.
The 19-year-old Alcaraz, seeded third and seen as the title favorite after the elimination of Nadal, is to face Jannik Sinner of Italy for a place in the semi-finals.
“I believed in myself, it was pretty tough,” Alcaraz said. “I was a break down in the fifth set. It was tough to come back after losing the fourth set.”
In the women’s singles, French Open champion and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek became the first Polish woman to reach the US Open quarter-finals.
Swiatek recovered from a set and a break down to see off 108th-ranked German opponent Jule Niemeier, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
In a mistake-riddled clash on Louis Armstrong Court, there were a total of 15 double faults, 12 breaks of serve and 76 unforced errors.
“It’s really satisfying. This is my first quarter-final in New York so I am really proud of it,” Swiatek said.
Swiatek is to face US eighth seed Jessica Pegula for a place in the semi-finals.
It would be the pair’s third meeting this year, with Swiatek coming out on top on both occasions in Miami and at the French Open.
Pegula became the second American woman into the last-eight after brushing aside two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-2.
World No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarter-finals for a second successive year with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins.
Sabalenka has now beaten the American in New York three times in the past five US Opens.
The Belarusian is to face 2016 runner-up Karolina Pliskova who downed three-time finalist Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one