Rafael Nadal, of Spain, celebrates after defeating John Millman, of Australia, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
NEW YORK—Rafael Nadal found himself trailing in a tight first set against a bigger, younger opponent who was finding ways to cause trouble in their US Open semifinal.
Never one to panic, never liable to have a letdown, Nadal hung tough, waited for 24th-seeded Matteo Berrettini to wilt ever so slightly and then pounced.
Nadal moved closer to a fourth US Open championship and 19th Grand Slam title overall—one away from Roger Federer’s record for men—by pulling away for a 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-1 victory over Berrettini under the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night.
The second-seeded Nadal was down 4-0, then 5-2, then 6-4 in the opening tiebreaker before taking the next four points and was on his way.
“You don’t want to be in a tiebreak against a player like Matteo. I was a little bit lucky, no?” Nadal said. “I survived at that moment and … after that, the match completely changed.”
Sure did. Nadal broke once in the second set and three times in the third, while never facing a single break point in the match.
He will face No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia on Sunday.
Medvedev advanced earlier on Friday by beating Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-3 for his tour-leading 50th win of the season.
The 23-year-old Russian first made a name for himself at the US Open by earning the wrath of spectators. —AP