U.S. OPEN 2016 TENNIS NEWS – RAFA RAFAEL NADAL ROLLS OVER KUZNETSOV, POUILLE DENIES ALL-SPANISH FOURTH-ROUND SHOWDOWN

Written by: on 2nd September 2016
USA TENNIS US OPEN GRAND SLAM 2016
U.S. OPEN 2016 TENNIS NEWS - RAFA RAFAEL NADAL ROLLS OVER KUZNETSOV, POUILLE DENIES ALL-SPANISH FOURTH-ROUND SHOWDOWN

epa05520814 Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus (B) hits a return to Ryan Harrison of the US during their match on the fifth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO  |

By Ricky Dimon

 

Rafael Nadal already has a gold medal from the Rio Olympics this summer. Now he is playing like he wants even more hardware.

 

Nadal continued his unblemished trek through the U.S. Open by trouncing Andrey Kuznetsov 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 during third-round action on Friday night. The fifth-ranked Spaniard, who also beat Denis Istomin and Andreas Seppi without requiring a single tiebreaker, needed two hours and 16 minutes to advance.

 

Thus Nadal has maintained momentum in his comeback from a recent wrist injury that sidelined him in the middle of the French Open. In his first tournament back, not only did the former world No. 1 capture doubles gold with Marc Lopez but he also placed fourth in singles.

 

Based on Friday’s performance, Nadal is looking like he wants something more than fourth in New York.

 

Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return to Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia during their match on the fifth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/BRIAN HIRSCHFELD

“I think I played well tonight; very happy about the way I played,” the No. 4 seed assured. “(The first set especially was (a) very high level…. I don’t know in which kind of level I am (in). (It) is true that when I had to stop I was playing great. I felt myself ready for the French. I don’t know where I am today. (The) only thing I know is I am happy. I am excited to play.”

 

That sounds like bad news for Lucas Pouille, who will be Nadal’s fourth-round opponent on Sunday. The head-to-head series stands at 1-0 in favor of the two-time U.S. Open champion, who cruised 6-2, 6-1 at last year’s Monte-Carlo Masters.

 

Pouille booked his spot in round four of a second straight major (he went all the way to the quarters at Wimbledon) in dramatic fashion. After getting past Mikhail Kukushkin in four, the 22-year-old edged Marco Chiudinelli 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-0 and overcame Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1. Prior to this spring’s French Open, Pouille owned just a single main-draw victory at a slam; he has since picked up eight such wins.

 

“He is a great player,” Nadal said of the world No. 25. “He is young. He has all the shots: good serve, good forehand, good backhand. He’s a tough opponent. I [practiced] with him a couple of times and I played (against him once). I know he’s able to play (at) a very high level.”

 

That is exactly what Pouille has done in crucial moments this fortnight. When he raced to a 5-0 advantage over Bautista Agut in the fifth set, the Frenchman was an amazing 11-0 in total fifth-set games at the U.S. Open (6-0 over Chiudinelli and a 5-0 lead against Bautista Agut). The 15th-seeded Spaniard finally held for 1-5 in the decider, but Pouille promptly wrapped up the proceedings with an easy hold.

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

 

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