Rafael Nadal crushes Andrey Rublev to set up possible US Open semi against Roger Federer

In form: Nadal is looking to add a third Flushing Meadows crown to his 2010 and 2013 titles
AFP/Getty Images
Eleanor Crooks6 September 2017

Rafael Nadal completed his end of the bargain and must now wait to see whether Roger Federer can join him in the semi-finals of the US Open.

The pair have famously never met in New York but, after Nadal's 6-1 6-2 6-2 demolition of teenager Andrey Rublev, the only man standing in the way is Juan Martin del Potro, who plays Federer on Wednesday night.

Five times they have come within a single match only for one to lose but, with Del Potro struggling with illness and having needed an epic comeback to beat Dominic Thiem on Monday, surely this is the year.

Asked whether he will be watching, Nadal said: "I'm going to have dinner. In Spain we have later dinner. But of course it's a match I want to see. Two great players and I will be waiting for that semi-finals match.

"It's something a little bit strange that we never played here because we played a lot of times in all the important events around the world.

"I think it will be much more special if that can happen in a final but that's not possible this year so we're going to come back and try to make that happen."​

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