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Rain and a brooding Argentine with a big game and even bigger intentions stood between Rafael Nadal and an unprecedented eighth grand-slam final showdown with Roger Federer at the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
Juan Martin del Potro, the hottest player of the American summer, was eyeing redemption against Federer in Sunday’s title match after storming into his second major semi-final of the season with a most impressive victory at Flushing Meadows on Thursday (Friday AEST).
The sixth-ranked del Potro, at 20, the youngest member of the world’s top 20, rebounded from a set and service break down to crush Croatia’s 16th seed Marin Cilic 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-1 and set up his Super Saturday clash with Nadal, or possibly 11th-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
Nadal was leading Gonzalez 7-6 (7-4) 6-6 (3-2) when a second rain interruption forced the suspension of their quarter-final on a cold and showery night in New York.
By then, del Potro was already tucked up in bed, safely into the last four of the last major of the season.
“It’s like a dream,” del Potro said. “My dream is win this tournament. I’m so close to doing it.”
Del Potro has too much respect for Nadal and Gonzalez to publicly look beyond his next match, but there was no hiding his desperation to atone for a bitterly disappointing five-set loss to Federer in the French Open semi-finals.
“I was so sad,” del Potro said. “(But) I learn many things. I was so close to beating him, and it was my first semis. Now I have another opportunity to play another semi.
“If I be in the final, maybe I have to play Roger or Novak (Djokovic), but I don’t know. First I have to beat Gonzalez or Rafa.”
He certainly boasts the form to do so.
As in 2008, when del Potro capped a 23-match winning streak – taking in his first four ATP titles – with his maiden grand slam quarter-final in New York, del Potro once again arrived in the Big Apple this year in white-hot form.
He beat Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick to snare his sixth career title in Washington before upstaging the American again, plus Nadal, to make the Montreal Masters final, when he lost to Andy Murray in his only defeat of the US hardcourt swing.
All up, the towering South American has won 15 of his past 16 matches dating back to a straight-sets second-round loss to Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon.
“I like to play here in US, and I like hardcourts. I like this tournament. I like everything – the stadium, the crowds, the people, the city. Everything. It’s so lovely,’ del Potro said after declaring the Open his favourite tournament of the year.
“So I work hard for this part of the year.”
Attempting to become the first Argentine to qualify for a grand slam final since Mariano Puerta lost to Nadal at Roland Garros in 2005, del Potro was to learn his semi-final rival on Friday (Saturday AEST), weather permitting, when the Nadal-Gonzalez quarter-final was scheduled to resume.
Defending champion Federer was to face Djokovic in the other semi-final on Saturday (Sunday AEST).
Should Federer and Nadal both make the final, the world’s top two players will joust for the title for a record eighth time in a major – but first time in New York.
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