On Friday, Rafael Nadal will face Juan Martin del Potro for a spot in the US Open final.
The Argentine defeated Roger Federer in four sets. His victory means Fedal will end another year having never played each other in New York.
Rafa is now also guaranteed to keep hold of the number one ranking ahead of Federer.
Date: 8 September 2017
Match time: NOT BEFORE 5:30 PM EDT – New York, Montreal / 10:30 PM BST – United Kingdom / 11:30 PM CET – Spain, France, Germany, Italy / Saturday 7:30 AM AEDT – Melbourne. To convert to your local time, use this website.
Rafa on facing Delpo:
If I play against him, of course I have to play my best tennis.
I need to be very focused with my serve and play aggressive, because if you let him play from good positions with his forehand, you are dead, because he plays super-aggressive, hitting so hard.
So probably he’s unstoppable from that positions, no? I need to play long, I need to play against his backhand, and then open the court.
Delpo on facing Rafa:
Well I played him in 2009 too, the same as Roger, and hopefully I can achieve the same result.
We look older but Rafa is playing a great season. He’s No. 1 in the world but with this amazing support, everything can happen.
Rafa leads the big man from Tandil 8-5 over their careers, but they haven’t played this season. Delpo has won their past two meetings and in 2009 he beat Rafa 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in the US Open semi-finals. Here are all the matches they have played against each other:
| YEAR | EVENT | SURFACE | RND | WINNER | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games Brazil |
Outdoor Hard | SF | Juan Martin del Potro |
57 64 765 |
| 2013 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai China |
Outdoor Hard | SF | Juan Martin del Potro |
62 64 |
| 2013 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells CA, U.S.A. |
Outdoor Hard | F | Rafael Nadal |
46 63 64 |
| 2011 | ESP vs.ARG DC Final Spain |
RR | Rafael Nadal |
16 64 61 760 |
|
| 2011 | Wimbledon Great Britain |
Outdoor Grass | R16 | Rafael Nadal |
766 36 764 64 |
| 2011 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid Spain |
Outdoor Clay | R16 | Rafael Nadal |
W/O |
| 2011 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells CA, U.S.A. |
Outdoor Hard | SF | Rafael Nadal |
64 64 |
| 2009 | US Open NY, U.S.A. |
Outdoor Hard | SF | Juan Martin del Potro |
62 62 62 |
| 2009 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Canada Canada |
Outdoor Hard | QF | Juan Martin del Potro |
765 61 |
| 2009 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami FL, U.S.A. |
Outdoor Hard | QF | Juan Martin del Potro |
64 36 763 |
| 2009 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells CA, U.S.A. |
Outdoor Hard | QF | Rafael Nadal |
62 64 |
| 2007 | London / Queen’s Club Great Britain |
Outdoor Grass | R32 | Rafael Nadal |
64 64 |
| 2007 | Roland Garros France |
Outdoor Clay | R128 | Rafael Nadal |
75 63 62 |
| 2007 | ATP Masters Series Miami FL, U.S.A. |
Outdoor Hard | R16 | Rafael Nadal |
60 64 |
GOOD LUCK & VAMOS RAFA!
Yes, I sent him a message so happy for Feli and Marc Lopez in the doubles semis 😀we wish to see all Spanish finals with Carreno there too. Fi in Paris
It’s countdown time again to seeing Rafa play at the US Open. Around 16 more hours. Wish it were NOW!
RAFA ROCKS 150%
Can’t wait – good luck Rafa 😘🍀
VAMOS! 🎾💪🏼
Rafa will be playing against a self-confident ‘I will repeat 2009’ Delpo who provokes the backing of a willing rowdy crowd, and we know how much Rafa dislikes such atmospheres.
Hope Rafa reminds himself of how he reduced Delpo to tears in front of rowdy argentine crowd at Davis cup 2011 and overcomes the negative factors facing him at USO 2017.
WAMOS WAMOS WAMOS
What a deilicious takedown of Fed by Delpo–I was looking forward to Rafa doing it, but not upset that Delpo got to him first, to gaurantee no matter what Rafa keeps #1.
Fed has been playing lousy tennis for quite some time and this was long over due.
Rafa has been ramping it up every match a bit better, bashers elsewhere (and insecure Nadal fans) may say he hasn’t faced a top opponent and that’s true–neither did Fed till last night.
I take my confidence from how fast Rafa shut down Rub–1’38” for 3 sets; and and how he broke Dolgop 1rst time–instead of needing like 14 BPs againdst Mayer–and how he’s blasting his FH full strength now, and corrected the problems he was ROS.
I have faith he’ll beat Delpo (I think in 4) Delpo was not moving at all near the end of the Fed match, he looks tired (he should be) Rafa is well rested and in way better shape hpysically and Delpo has a weak BH (due to his wrist problems) that Fed failed to exploit, and Rafa will make him play long points that Fed himself could not hang in.
This has been a crazy USO and Rafa will probably never get a better draw than what he had here and he simply must win the next two matches.
So happy for him.
OLA OLA OLA & VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) 🙂 ; ) 😉 🙂 Very happy for you!!!!! : ) Congratulations on your beautiful victory & your beautiful Tennis DEAR RAFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) . It is pure joy watching you compete LIVE. Watching you play with all your might and strength & tennis know how!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: ) : ) : ) 😉 God bless you & Enjoy EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) It will be a great match and it will be a GREAT MATCH FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) ; ) 😉 😉 : ) oh yeh…..ci…..ci……ci……ci……ci….&… wi…….wi…….wi…….wi…. ! : ) Enjoy lots of fun and we will enjoy everything & each precious point you play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) Your classy Tennis is such grace for Tennis fans and your heroic efforts & passion and drive are very SPECIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) RAFA NADAL YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) We love you dear Rafa and keep up the singing : LETS GO RAFA LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 : ) 😉 🙂 : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) Have a beautiful evening sweetheart and a lovely, fun tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) 🙂 🙂 It sure will be lots of fun play !!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) Enjoy sweetheart a great time and lots of love & happiness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: ) XOXOXOXOXO
LOVE ALL YOUR INTERVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) & PHOTOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) & SLEEVELESS PRACTICE CLIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) XOXOXOXOXO
Rafa will know how to manoeuvre DelPo around the court to get him tired. Of course, this will only work if Rafa himself is accurate with his shots, serves well and plays deep balls. The slice will also be good to get the ball at the big man’s feet and kill the pace. Well done DelPo for getting this far, but it’s Rafa’s time to shine!
You´ll be able to win this time for sure Rafa, our Lord bless you, giving you good luck at the same time. From The Canaries get please, an enormous friendly H U G to you as for María P; as well and your Team of couse too. C. Javier
It is important that Rafa stops playing Tom and Jerry type of games, in the first set. Rafa seems to give every opponent a chance to beat him in the first set. Instead of Tom and Jerry type of games, Rafa needs to play Shark vs Tuna games , Lion vs Deer games. Take no prisoners Rafa, attack at the first serve, no mercy, no lifelines, no free chances. Go after the kill from the first serve till the end. It’s your time now! Go for it champ!
That ended with Rub who he slaughtered in record time.
Of course Rafa would have preferred to start stronger in those earlier matches, he just couldn’t find it till the 2nd set.
This will be great and a tough much.bat you can do it.vamossssssssssss champ.so far you have playing very good .play smart .🎾🎾🎾👍👍👍🇺🇸❤️😇😇😇😇🏆your fans are with you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🎾🇺🇸
very well done,your doing so good,l am glad that all the family are here with to support you,and l am very much behind you,hope you win rafa,will be watching you vamos rafa.
Good luck, Rafael. You are right-just play your game-regardless of who is on the other side of the net, the better player that day will win💪👏👍🤗🏆💕
Congratulations on the win for Del Potro. Truly deserved, and such a wonderful gentleman. He put Federer in his place. I hope Friday he goes on to…
… Board a plane back to Argentina!! OK, technically that’ll be Saturday for the flight.
And so yet again Nadal vs. Federer will not happen at the US Open. I was actually looking forward to it, and I believe order would have been restored, with Rafa crushing Federer to make up for those losses earlier on in the year. Oh well, we shall never know now:)
But back to Del Potro! Rafa just needs to send the ball every time to his backhand, and keep away from the forehand. And serve well! Reduce the errors, keep the intensity at a very high level, and that should be that. Easy Peasy as pie really.
Come on Rafa, two more matches to go. Get it done champ, have some fun, and good luck!!!
Rafa digo mi opinion pero quien mejor lo sabe eres tu…yo digo mi noble opinion…algo k l incomoda a Del Potro es k lo lleves d un lado d l pista al otro…estar en movimiento…pero tu quien mejor sabe lo k tienes k hacer….
Juega tu mejor tenis k lo necesitaras…pero yo se k conforme estas tu le costara a el….ESTAS EN PLENA FORMA ….estamos contigo ADELANTE!!!!!!!
Yes, not too bad that Roger is out, 😑one less threat for Rafa and he has won 2 this year. 2 each this year would be super 😉However, del Potro is a card, I remember last year August sitting here watching the J.O. in Rio and praying for him, 😢 but del Potro carried it away to Tandil. I said that maybe he was on his home ground, America Latina he was well at ease. Nadal has won all matches in Espana against him. 😊 Fi in Paris
DRUM ROLL
The ATP has TWO Spaniards, one Argentinian, and one S. African in the semis.
The WTA has FOUR Americans in the semis.
RAFA ROCKED THE QF
Roger on his QF loss to DelPo:
“Juan Martin deserves it more. I feel I have no place in the semis and he will have a better chance to beat Rafa.”
Really, Roger? I hope you simply mean that you feel you could not beat Rafa in the semis. Why not just wish them both good luck?
RAFA ROCKS THE US OPEN
What an evil comment by RF. His jealousy of Rafa has no limits. His one and only aim is that Rafa gets beaten, regardless of by whom. He does not even bother to hide his horrible vindictive nature. I do hope that Delpo who does not stop piling compliments on RF and asking for crowd support gets beaten to a pulp by Rafa.
WAMOS WAMOS WAMOS
If Rafa ever wins 19 slams, RF will commit suicide!
Suicide? I had to laugh but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that [suicide].
I think Merka is a better candidate for that suicide remark. She is most likely in the process of giving Fed a good beating [if a beating can be good] for losing a chance at a third Slam title this year.
RAFA ROCKS THE US OPEN
AGREE.
GO RAFA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : )
🤗
Is Roger a better opponent or delpo for Rafa?
I think Delpo is a better opponent for Rafa…even though Delpo is obviously playing really well, and will be very dangerous…I just feel that Feds has had too much recent success over Rafa and might give him so much confidence and Rafa too little. Also – Delpo may be more tired as an opponent than Feds – he has had a few recent 5 & 4 set matches, had a virus,- and a fit and feisty Rafa can maybe get the win! Vamos Rafa!!
DelPo’s one and only five-set match lasted three-hours-and-thirty-five minutes. That was on Monday.
His one and only four-set match, played yesterday, lasted only two-hours-and-fifteen minutes.
I think it’s safe to say they have been on court for about the same amount of time [Rafa… 11hrs 20mins]. DelPo may be an hour more but I can’t find his court time for his first three matches all of which he won in SS. Maybe Rainier can fill us in on that one.
From DelPo’s win yesterday it appears his flu is gone.
And, he is two years younger than Rafa.
And, he is full of confidence seeking a repeat of 2013.
As I see it, the above are all positives.
I am counting on Rafa to play his very best against a formidable opponent. And I want a confident and self assured Rafa.
C’MON RAFA, YES YOU CAN!
“I think it’s safe to say they have been on court for about the same amount of time [Rafa… 11hrs 20mins]. DelPo may be an hour more but I can’t find his court time for his first three matches all of which he won in SS. Maybe Rainier can fill us in on that one.”
Haha. Somehow I spotted my name this time.
Here you go.
Sets played: Rafa 15-2 DP 15-3
Time on court: Rafa 11.7hrs DP 13.3hrs
Distance covered: Rafa 11.4km DP 11.6km
Distance covered per point: Rafa 11.8km/p DP 10.4km/p
Pretty even, right?
BUT, total points played: Rafa 966 DP 1,115
Of course Rafa should be fresher. Much easier R4 and QF, ~11% less points played (less tired at least mentally). And no doubt he’s fitter than DP.
Now I would love to see Rafa mixing up his game more in this match and tiring DP as much as he could. Vary his shot, change of pace, dropshot him, run him around relentlessly, volley*much* more than the previous 2 match and punish his slice ruthlessly etc. Just don’t let him breath. DP is very dangerous on HC, at the USO, with the wild Argentina fans (and also American fans) behind him.
Thank you Rainier. I couldn’t locate DelPo’s complete record of court time. BUT, I never considered the additional stats that you included. What an eye opener.
RAFA ROCKS
You’re welcome, Margo. It may not matter much in a specific match where the levels of both players are pretty even and the crowd is heavily involved. Unless it goes to some real distance obviously.
Anyway if Rafa succeeds in exploiting DP’s movement and doesn’t allow him to run around his BH as much as he did against Federer, he should win this comfortably. Otherwise, it should be a very tight match even if it’s a straightsetter, which I don’t think is likely.
Delpo is a better opponent for Rafa. Federer has changed his game and racquet just to beat Rafa. I have to admit, he played Rafa better last couple years. So, his tactiques against Rafa worked well for him. I think Rafa matches up better against Delpo for that same reason. But in order for Rafa to get to 19 grand slams he needs to change his game similar to what Federer did.
You can’t be doing the same things for 12 years and not change and adapt. Vamos Rafa!
Not true at all, Fed has been playing like crap at the USO, and was going to get beat by the first dangerous opponent he faced.
Fed himself said he felt grateful to make the quarters!
Anyway the question is a big red herring because whoever is playing better at the time comes through, and it was Delpo.
Incidentally Rafa has a better H2H against Fed 23-14 than he does against Delop 8-5. Or close to equal.
So true re quarters as Fed said he was “relying” on his opponents to win in his US Open matches. Admitted that he got lucky.
RAFA ROCKS
In general, Fed for sure.
Here in this tourney, at the moment, I would say DP.
Not sure why many fans are so confident “the title is Rafa’s now”. It can only be his after the final point – in the final, is played.
DP leads the H2H on HC 5-4 against Rafa, winning their last 2 matches.
The giant has been waken up in the Thiem match. In fact he had been rolling in his first three matches before coming flat in the first two sets against Thiem due to a flu/cold or something.
By his own admission he intended to retire in the 2nd set but somehow the crowd *willed* him to keep going and step by step he did, EPICLY, admittedly with some big help from Thiem.
DP is a different beast on HC when he’s healthy and on. He wasn’t exactly healthy that night but sometimes adrenaline and *will* can carry you through the normally impossible. It also happened with Rafa before. AND it could happen with him (DP) again.
Once DP got through that match, I was thinking long and hard (well ;p) and came to a revelation that DP might actually pull a 2013 Robredo, no I mean another 2009 himself though not quite the same magnitude, beating a probably somewhat underprepared and thinking-ahead Fed who wasn’t exactly playing his best tennis since Wimby. And he did!
He’s not anything like the 33-36yo pigeons Fed was playing from R2-R4 who have hardly ever taken even sets from him. Beating them was routine for him (or not, like the R2 match against Youzhny) and I don’t think those wins actually gave him a lot of confidence.
Meanwhile Fed’s neo-BH has been simply nowhere in sight since Miami. That’s also why as the tournament went on I actually like Rafa’s chance of beating him better and better, despite his inconsistency in the first 3 rounds and the poor court position which could get improved (and it did against Rublev, mostly on 2nd serve return).
But in a way this might prove a blessing in disguise for Rafa. Him peaking in the semis and finals is always the best scenario.
Still, it’s really a pity if a Fedal match at the USO never happens. Next year everything may be totally different.
For now, nothing is a given. DP is being inspired. Anything can happen. But I believe Rafa knows what to expect and will be well prepared. He’s not having a 9cm muscle tear at his abdomen this time. 🙂
I have to admit I don’t care about a Rafa-Fed showdown. Earlier this season DelPo and Rafa had the possibility of another meet-up. It didn’t happen because DelPo was eliminated [I can’t recall the tourney]. To me this matchup would be more exciting: two lions battling for dominance [in this tournament] after devastating injuries.
After DelPo lost the second set to Thiem I thought the match was lost. Unhappy was I because I felt DelPo had a good chance of knocking Fed out AND ensuring a Nadal-DP semi. My unhappiness didn’t last long. As you pointed out, DelPo came back “EPICLY.” I’d like to add BIGLY. LOL Good that you pointed out Thiem muchly contributed to his own loss. DelPo capitalized on DT’s errors. That is what Rafa will have to do against DelPo to help him win the semis.
I knew a DelPo win over Fed was iffy because of DP’s spotty record this season. BUT, when I saw how easily he beat Bautista-Agut, my worries disappeared.
True that the trophy will be Rafa’s only AFTER he has won it, after the last point is played. But I too am guilty of being unjustifiably upbeat for Rafa and his chances of winning. And when he loses, I am not disturbed. I get disturbed when he inexplicably loses a match that I feel he should have won. To be fair, I am not on court with Rafa so it’s easy for me to express that Rafa “should have won such-and-such.”
What troubles me is Rafa’s continuous citing of problems with his “nerves.” Yes, champions become nervous but it shouldn’t become a debilitating component of their persona. This is what worries.
I will today convince myself that Rafa’s nerves are caused by his having to adjust to hard court after his phenomenal clay-court season.
Please excuse the spam. Didn’t mean it to be so long but wanted to cover your points.
P.S. This comment was so much easier to read, the way you paragraphed it.
RAFA ROCKS THE US OPEN
This will be great and a tough match. Good luck and Vamos Rafa <3
Wow Fed is out, and Juan is in against Rafa, so it will be an interesting match.
Rafa all the best for your match against Juan.
Love and prayers,
AlaineXXSydneyXXAustraliaXX