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Patna : World No 1 in ATP rankings Rafael Nadal, 32, Spain, World No 3 Juan Martin del Porto, 29, Argentina, and World No 11 John Isner, 33, USA, entered the quarter-finals of US Open Championship 2018 on September 3, 2018.
Top seed and three time champion Rafael Nadal beat World No 37 Nikoloz Bashilashvili, 26, Georgia, in a four-set thriller in the fourth round 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 at Flushing Meadows, Newyork, USA, to enter the quarter-finals of US Open championship. Nadal won the first two sets quite easily but Basilashvili put up a tremendous fight after that and won the third set. In the fourth set too, it was a tough contest. For the second successive match, Nadal endured a very tough contest. Nadal will play World No 9 Dominic Thiem, 24, Austria, in the QF on September 4.
Both the players fired 8 Aces each in the match. But, Basilashvili committed 8 double faults to 3 by Nadal. Defending champion Nadal, who won the US Open singles titles in 2010, 2013, and 2017, won 6 break points to 2 by of the US Basilashvili. Nadal, the top seed, also won 5 games in a row to 2 by Basilashvili. Nadal’s winning percentage on both his first and second serve was much better than that of Basilashvili.
Former champion del Porto beat World No 20 Borna Coric, 21, Croatia, in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 in the fourth round to enter the QF. Del Porto fired 9 Aces in the match to 7 by Coric. Delpo also won 6 break points to just 1 by Coric. He also won 6 games in a row to 3 by Coric.
Isner defeated World No 24 Milos Raonic, 27, Canada, in a five-set encounter 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the fourth round to enter the QF. Isner hammered 20 Aces in the match to 18 by Raonic. But, Raonic committed 5 double faults to just 1 by Isner. Isner won 4 break points while Raonic won 2. Both the players won 3 games each in a row. Isner will play Delpo in the QF on September 4.