Lucas Pouille beats Rafael Nadal in US Open fourth round; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also through
Monday 5 September 2016 07:52, UK
Lucas Pouille stunned Rafael Nadal with a brilliant five-set victory to ensure three Frenchman made it through to the US Open quarter-finals.
The 22-year-old Frenchman will face fellow countryman Gael Monfils in the last eight thanks to an epic 6-1 2-6 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6) success over two-time champion Nadal.
Nadal had twice come from a set down and, ahead by a break in the decider, looked set to seal his place in the next round, but Pouille raised his game for one final time, breaking back before edging out Nadal in the tie-break with his fourth match point.
Pouille had stormed through the opening set in less than half an hour but rather than cower after dropping his first set of the tournament Nadal raised his game and levelled the match.
But showing no signs of the two five-set epics that led him to the last 16, 24th seed Pouille came out on top in a third set lasting exactly an hour to put himself on the brink of a huge upset and becoming the third French winner from three men's draw matches on day seven at Flushing Meadows.
But again Nadal came back, edging out the 22-year-old in a battling fourth set before putting himself in pole position by breaking in the opening game of the decider.
It was an advantage he held until the eighth game when Pouille broke back before withstanding a fearsome barrage in the very next game to hold onto his serve and lead the decider for the first time.
With both men holding serve the match headed into a tie-break and Nadal struck early with a mini-break, only for Pouille to hit back immediately by breaking on both of the Spaniard's service points and then consolidate with a couple of big winners.
With the match ticking beyond four hours, Pouille held his nerve and brought up three match points but a typically defiant Nadal saved all three before firing a forehand into the net to hand his opponent a fourth, which he took with a brilliant forehand cross-court winner that leaves Nadal still searching for a first major since the French Open in 2014.
There was victory for the highest ranked Frenchman in the world, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who ended the hopes of the final American left in the men's event with a four-set victory over Jack Sock.
The 31-year-old was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon earlier this year, losing to eventual champion Andy Murray, and he matched that achievement in New York with a 6-3 6-3 6-7 6-2 win over 23-year-old Sock who had been enjoying his best ever US Open.
Tsonga's power was too much for the American and despite Sock claiming the third set on a tie-break it was the Frenchman who prevailed to set up a last eight meeting with either Kyle Edmund or Novak Djokovic in the last eight.
Two-time US Open quarter-finalist Monfils was the first winner of the men's draw on Sunday coming through a potentially awkward fourth round clash with Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets.
In the only match from either of the main draws to be scheduled away from the two main show courts, the Grandstand court was packed for two of the Tour's great showmen to entertain.
And it was 10th seed Monfils who advanced to a showdown with Nadal with a 6-3 6-2 6-3 triumph.
"He's a good friend, I know him for a long time," said the 30-year-old.
"We had many battles in juniors and we have many also on the senior tour. I had to be very consistent with my serve because he's a pretty good returner. I was very fast on the baseline, so I guess everything was fine today."
