LATE-NIGHT TENNIS • NADAL OUTLASTS THIEM @ 2018 U.S. OPEN QUARTERFINAL CLASSIC

Written by: Staff on 5th September 2018

US Open 2018 tennis tournament in New York

LATE-NIGHT TENNIS • NADAL OUTLASTS THIEM @ 2018 U.S. OPEN QUARTERFINAL CLASSIC

epa06997798 Rafael Nadal (L) of Spain hugs Dominic Thiem (R) of Austria after defeating him in five sets during the ninth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 04 September 2018. The US Open runs from 27 August through 09 September. EPA-EFE/JASON SZENES |

Rafael Nadal (L) of Spain hugs Dominic Thiem (R) of Austria after defeating him in five sets during the ninth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 04 September 2018. The US Open runs from 27 August through 09 September. EPA-EFE/JASON SZENES

By Ricky Dimon

No postponements due to darkness like at the French Open like at Wimbledon. No 11:00 p.m. curfew like at Wimbledon. No other slam does late-night tennis quite like the U.S. Open and Australian Open, and the U.S. Open did it the right way again on Tuesday…er, make that Wednesday morning.

In an instant classic that lasted four hours and 49 minutes, starting on Tuesday night and ending after 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Rafael Nadal outlasted familiar foe Dominic Thiem 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

Yes, Nadal was actually bageled in the first set, throughout which Thiem was positively on fire coinciding with a flat start by the Spaniard. Nadal was left looking for answers that he did not have–instead watching helplessly as forehands, backhands, and serves sailed past him.

Thiem’s dominance, however, was short-lived, however. Nadal settled down with a service hold in the first game of set two and from that moment on the lopsided opening set was nothing more than a distant memory. The rest of the match was a riveting, competitive contest as Nadal raised his level to mean that of Thiem.

The 17-time major champion leveled things at one set apiece with a break at 4-5 in the second. Thiem broke first in the third, but he eventually failed to serve it out and got broken twice in a row to suddenly fall behind. The Austrian, though, recovered to take a dramatic fourth and force a decisive fifth.

It was a decider that also did not disappoint. Displaying mental toughness that was lacking in his five-set collapse against Juan Martin Del Potro during fourth-round action last year, Thiem served his way out of a 15-40 deficit at 2-2 and a 0-40 hole at 5-5. Thus another tiebreaker eventually had to bring an end to the thriller. Neither player ever led by more than a single point, and it was Nadal who seized a 6-5 advantage following an intense rally. The world No. 1 converted match point with amazing defense, forcing his opponent to hit a tough overheard well behind the service line that he hit miles out.

“(It was) very demanding in all aspects,” Nadal commented. [It was] a very tough start for me. After that first set, then the match became more normal. Tough match against a great opponent…. He played a good match. Sorry for him, yeah. He’s a top guy, being honest. He’s one of the best guys on tour. He always plays and practice with a great attitude.

“Sad for him because when arrive this moment, he did all the things well to win the match. Me, too, I think. I [fought] until the end. Yeah, was question of little bit of luck at the end, and (it) was for me.

“I’s going to be stuck in my mind forever,” Thiem added. “Forever I’m going to remember this match, for sure. It’s cruel sometimes, tennis, because I think this match didn’t really deserve a loser. But there has to be one.”

Nadal, who gets two much-needed days of rest, will face Del Potro in Friday’s semifinals.