Roger Federer is out of the US Open after 24th-seeded Juan Martín Del Potro upset him 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 in a riveting match at Flushing Meadows in New York.
This is the second time Del Potro has stood in the way of a Federer-Rafael Nadal match-up at the US Open. He also did it in 2009 when he beat Nadal in a semi-final and Federer in a five-set final that ended with Del Potro, then only 20, lying on his back in a combination of ecstasy and disbelief.
Top seed Nadal is now also guaranteed to keep hold of the No 1 ranking ahead of Federer. Nadal swept past Russian teenager Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in 1hr 37min under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof.
Rublev 19, was the youngest man since Andy Roddick in 2001 to reach the last eight, and he was overwhelmed by the world No 1.
Nadal’s return dominated as he broke serve seven times, winning a crushing 71% of points on the Rublev second serve, and the Russian grew increasingly frustrated as seven double faults hurt his chances even more.
Madison Keys made it four Americans out of four in the semi-finals when she swept aside Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi.
The No 15 seed, long touted as a future star of the women’s game, used her heavy ground strokes to win 6-3, 6-3.
She now faces Coco Vandeweghe, more of a gradual developer, for a place in what would be a first Grand Slam final for both.
With Venus Williams playing Sloane Stephens, it means it is the first time that four women from the host nation have filled the last four spots at Flushing Meadows since 1981, and the first time at any major since Wimbledon 1985.
Garbine Muguruza will become world No 1 on Monday after Vandeweghe beat the top seed and world No 1, Karolina Pliskova.
Pliskova needed to at least match her achievement of last year by reaching the final to prevent Wimbledon champion Muguruza overtaking her.
She had a set point in the opener against Vandeweghe, but could not take it and the 20th seed completed a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory to reach her second Grand Slam semi-final of the season.
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