Rafael Nadal showed he is very much the man to beat at the US Open with a stunning display to defeat Tommy Robredo in straight sets (6-0, 6-2, 6-2) in the quarter-finals. Rafa, the No2 seed, will now meet Richard Gasquet in the semi-final.

“I think I played my best match of the US Open this year. It gives me a lot of positive energy. I’ll play a little bit tomorrow. I need it. I’m in the semi-finals and I want to enjoy every moment. We started together when we were kids. Richard [Gasquet] is playing a great tournament and it’s great to see him in the semi-finals”, said Rafa.

Richard Gasquet: “People are talking about this video, when I played against him. On YouTube, I can see I’m winning against him, so I don’t believe it sometimes. I didn’t know him when I played him when I was 13 years old. He was already fighting a lot already, already running so much, and I remember I won maybe 6-4 in a set, and I told my father after, ‘He’s a big fighter.’ I didn’t lie; I was true. In the future, this one is biggest player in the world in the history. So for sure I won that time at 13 years old, but since this match I didn’t… It’s very difficult to play against Rafa. I’m not the only one to lose, to have this record. But it’s very difficult because he’s powerful, especially with the forehand.”

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Photos: Getty Images, AP Photo, Reuters // Source: ATP