NEW YORK (Ticker) — Although rain delayed play for nearly four hours Thursday, it only delayed another victory for David Nalbandian against Roger Federer.
Nalbandian improved to 5-0 lifetime against the Wimbledon champion with a 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-3 victory in a fourth-round clash at the U.S. Open.
The rain continued to hold the event hostage as the first point was not played until just before 3 p.m. It caused two more stoppages before men’s fourth-round action continued in earnest with all six matches taking place at the same time.
Federer was hopeful of earning his first victory against Nalbandian, who also defeated him for the junior crown here in 1998. Instead, he was handed what may have been his most demoralizing defeat in the rivalry, committing 62 unforced errors in the process.
After winning the first set, Federer spotted Nalbandian a 5-0 lead in the second set before staging an improbable rally. The Swiss No. 1 rallied to win the next five games and forced a tiebreaker, but Nalbandian dominated by taking seven of the eight points. The two players stayed on serve in the third set before Nalbandian broke in the 10th game to take the lead for good. Nalbandian broke two more times in the final set to move into the quarterfinals for the first time in his career.
It was the second meeting between the two in a Grand Slam event. Nalbandian won a five-set thriller in the fourth-round at the Australian Open.
No. 5 seed Guillermo Coria was the first player in the men’s draw to finish Thursday with a 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 triumph over Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman. Coria advanced to meet top seed Andre Agassi in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt, the 2001 champion, completed a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan.
The remaining fouth-round matches are still underway. Morocco’s Younes El Aynaoui, the 22nd seed, won the first two sets against No. 7 seed Carlos Moya. American Todd Martin was looking to complete his ninth career comeback from a two-set deficit as he battled back to force a fifth set against No. 3 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Germany’s Rainer Schuettler and Dutchman Sjeng Schalken split the first two sets of their encounter.
The final two women’s fourth-round matches were completed. No. 7 seed Anastasia Myskina of Russia spent more time in the interview room that she did in finishing her 7-6, (7-2) 6-1 victory over Mary Pierce, the lone remaining unseeded woman.
No. 29 seed Francisca Schiavone completed her comeback against 15th seed Ai Sugiyama with a 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-2 victory. Schiavone began the day serving to stay in the match at 4-5 in the second set.
Myskina and Schiavone are set to play their quarterfinal matchups tonight. Myskina will meet No. 2 seed Justine Henin-Hardenne and Schiavone will face No. 6 Jennifer Capriati.
The other two women’s quarterfinals are also set for Thursday night. No. 3 seed Lindsay Davenport meets Argentine No. 24 seed Paola Suarez and top seed Kim Clijsters faces No. 5 Amelie Mauresmo of France. Mauresmo ousted Clijsters in three sets last year.
Yorumlar kapatıldı.