Two-time
US Open champion Rafael Nadal is heading home early following a
dramatic five-set loss to young Frenchman Lucas Pouille.
It
took four hours and a fifth-set tiebreak to upset the world number
five, which earns the 22-year-old a quarter final berth, alongside
compatriots Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He will meet Monfils in
the next round.
Pouille
refused to be drawn on the long-term impact of his historic win over
the 14-time slam winner. "Maybe it will change my career, but I will
see," he said.
"It will give me a lot of confidence for the next round, for the rest of the season."
The
world #25 faltered briefly during the fifth set before recovering to
win the tie-break 6-1 2-6 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6) and with it a historic
victory over a player who hasn't missed a quarterfinal date in 12 years.
Pouille
also made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon earlier this year, but to beat
a player of Nadal's stature will rank as perhaps his greatest on-court
achievement.
Sevastova inks in QF date
Elsewhere
at Flushing Meadows, unseeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova, currently
ranked 48th in the world, created her own upset Sunday when she knocked
out the British 13th seed Johanna Konta.
Her
6-4 7-5 win earns the 27-year-old a US Open quarter final tie with Dane
Caroline Wozniacki, who also sailed through her match, beating the
number eight seed Madison Keys 6-3 6-4.
Konta did not appear to be
at her best in the Arthur Ashe Stadium. She collapsed on court during
her second-round victory at Flushing Meadows.
"I'm
sure there are some remnants of it but it's not the reason I lost
today," Konta told reporters. My opponent played an overall more solid
match than I did," she said.
Wozniacki
made the final at Flushing Meadows in 2009 and 2014 but a series of
fitness problems, including an ankle injury earlier this year, have seen
her drop to 74th in the world rankings.
It
is the second time in the tournament that Sevastova has upset the form
book. She knocked out third seed Garbine Muguruza in the second round
On the US Open website, Sevastova said
she has been fighting hard for victory after recovering from a string of
injuries since her layoff in 2013.
"But now, I'm back," she said.
Seventh
seed Roberta Vinci (Italy) is also through to the quarters after
beating Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko 7-6 6-2 and will now face either second
seed Angelique Kerber (Germany) or Czech player Petra Kvitova in the
next round.
In the men's
competition, the ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) needed five sets
to overcome American Jack Sock 6-3 6-3 7-6 6-2. He will now meet either
top seed Novak Djokovic or Briton Kyle Edmund in the quarter final.
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