Fognini dumps out Nadal at US Open

Sport360 staff 09:39 05/09/2015
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  • Fognini played high risk tennis.

    Two-time champion Rafael Nadal crashed to his earliest US Open exit in 10 years when Italy’s Fabio Fognini pulled off a sensational 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 third round victory.

    The stunning result confirmed the sad, sudden decline of the 14-time major winner, who until Friday had won 151 Grand Slam matches when he had taken the first two sets.

    Fognini, the 32nd seed, becomes the first Italian in the last 16 at the US Open since Davide Sanguinetti in 2005 and will face Spain’s Feliciano Lopez for a place in the quarter-finals.

    Nadal had not lost so early on the New York hardcourts since a third-round ouster in 2005 by American James Blake.

    Fognini imposed seven consecutive service breaks upon Nadal in the fourth and fifth sets, smacking 70 winners past the iconic star in a fantastic effort.

    “I can’t describe how happy I am,” Fognini said. “It was very tough. To do it against Rafa, two sets down. It was an incredible match.”

    Fognini, 32, booked a last-16 date with 18th-seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, who eliminated Canadian 10th seed Milos Raonic 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

    Nadal lost to Fognini on clay at Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona earlier this year, but had bounced back with a triumph in July’s Hamburg final.

    It was Fognini’s first win in 18 tries on hardcourt against a top-10 rival and made him the first Italian in the US Open last 16 since Davide Sanguinetti in 2005.

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    Women’s world number one Williams, meanwhile, battled through mistakes and the tension of her quest for tennis history.

    Williams fought back to defeat 101st-ranked US compatriot Bethanie Mattek-Sands 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 at Arthur Ashe Stadium and needs only four more triumphs to complete the first calendar Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988.

    Williams, holder of all four major titles, also seeks her 22nd career Slam singles crown to match Graf’s Open Era record and move two shy of Australian Margaret Court’s all-time mark.

    The 33-year-old American went to three sets for the 10th time in 24 Grand Slam matches this year and stayed perfect, eight of those fightbacks after first-set defeats.

    “I’m not trying to live on the edge,” Williams said. “I don’t think I came out too slow. I think Bethanie came out really well. I had to adapt to her game and I finally got some rhythm going toward the end of the second set.”

    Williams struggled with her first serve early, hitting only 52 percent in the first set, when she also made half of her 28 unforced errors, but Williams found her form late in the second set and dominated from there.

    “She stepped up,” Mattek-Sands said. “She’s a great closer. She always has been. You can see when she’s confident in her shots.”

    Three-time defending champion Williams, who could reach her first Grand Slam final without facing a top-10 foe, next plays US 19th seed Madison Keys.

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