Roger Federer successfully defended his US Open title for the fourth time in a row last night with a comfortable 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 victory against Scotland's Andy Murray.

With thirteen major titles, Federer is now just one short of matching Pete Sampras's record, and becomes the third player in the modern era to win five US Open titles though neither Connors nor Sampras achieved theirs consecutively.

Murray reaches US Open final
By: thinkSPAIN
Monday, September 8, 2008

Andy Murray is through to the final of the US Open after completing a 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 victory against new world number one, Rafael Nadal.

A service break up in the third set when play resumed last night, Nadal started strongly, serving out to take the match into a fourth set, then breaking again at the start of the fourth.

However, Murray, who is bidding to become the first British player since Fred Perry won Wimbledon in 1936 to win one of the four majors, broke back at 3-3, then again at 5-4, to book his place in today's delayed final that will start at 11pm (CET).

There he will be up against four-time defending champion, Roger Federer, who beat Novak Djokovic over four sets before the heavens opened on Saturday.

For his part, Nadal will spend the next few days recharging his batteries back home in Mallorca before joining up with the rest of the Spanish Davis Cup squad ahead of their World Group semi-final against USA in Madrid (September, 19-21). 

Rain saves Nadal from Murray onslaught
By: thinkSPAIN
Sunday, September 7, 2008

Scotland's Andy Murray was leading Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6, 2-3 in the semi-finals of the US Open yesterday afternoon when an expected rainstorm forced play to be suspended at the Flushing Meadows complex.

When play resumes at 10pm (CET) this evening, the new world number one, who was never lost to Murray in five previous encounters, at least finds himself a service break to the good as he attempts to take the match into a fourth set having been completely outplayed in the first two.

Earlier, defending champion, Roger Federer, who has not lost here since 2003, booked his place in the final for the fifth year in a row, overcoming third seed, Novak Djokovic, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.

Nadal beats Fish to set up Murray semi
By: thinkSPAIN
Thursday, September 4, 2008

Rafael Nadal had to come from a set behind last night to beat local favourite Mardy Fish 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the US Open semi-finals for the first time.

He next faces Scotland's Andy Murray, who battled through against Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5.

It is the furthest either player has ever been in the competition, and is set to be a much tougher test for the new world number one than the last time they met - in this year's Wimbledon quarter finals when the young Scot failed to take a set.

By reaching his first major semi-final, Murray will find himself promoted to fourth in the ATP world rankings when these are updated at the start of next week regardless of what might happen on Saturday.

In today's remaining quarter finals, Roger Federer faces Luxembourg's Gilles Muller while Novak Djokovic takes on the host nation's last survivor, 8th seed Andy Roddick.

Querrey makes Nadal sweat for quarter final berth
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Rafael Nadal dropped his first set of the tournament on his way to a 6-2, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 victory against America's Sam Querrey last night and will have the partisan home crowd against him again in the quarter final where he will be up against Mardy Fish. Though in four previous matches, including two on fast courts at the 2006 Madrid and Indian Wells Masters, Nadal has never failed to beat his next American rival.

Afterwards, the new world number one commented that: "It was quite a changeable match. At the start, without really doing anything special, I had things under control. But then it all got complicated at 5-4 in the second set, which was a disaster, and I made lots of mistakes. From that point, the match became very tough. The most important thing is that I won, and am now in the quarter finals. And, with the year I'm having, it's obvious that this is a very good tournament. The important thing is that when it got to the tie-break, which was the most decisive moment, I was able to produce my best tennis."

Elsewhere, Scotland's Andy Murray booked his place in the last eight with an impressive 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 victory against Swiss tenth seed, Stanislas Wawrinka, and next faces Argentina's Juan Martín Del Potro. 

Nadal breezes into last 16
By: thinkSPAIN
Sunday, August 31, 2008

Rafael Nadal encountered few problems yesterday, taking less than two hours to beat Serbia's Victor Troicki in the third round of the US Open.

By reaching the last 16 of the US Open, the new world number one has already successfully defended the points he won here last year while Roger Federer will have to win the competition to avoid falling further behind in the ATP rankings.

Nadal's next opponent will be San Francisco's Sam Querrey, who upset the form book with a straight sets victory over the big-serving Croatian 12th seed, Ivo Karliovic.

Spanish 4th seed, David Ferrer, did not make it through, however, losing 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 5-7 to the promising Japanese youngster, Kei Nishikori.

Later today, Tommy Robredo, Nicolás Almagro and Fernando Verdasco take on Tsonga (Fra), Muller (Lux) and Andreev (Rus) respectively in their bid to reach the fourth round.

Nadal joins Ferrer in third round
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, August 29, 2008

Rafael Nadal was satisfied with his performance in the second round of the US Open last night after beating America's world 261, Ryler De Heart, 6-1, 6-2. 6-4. "I played a correct match and am happy to be in the third round. I played well and hit some good backhands. He started to get into the match in the second set, and started to play much better in the third. But the important thing is that I was able to react in time after going down 0-3 to win the set," he said after the match.

The new Olympic and Wimbledon champion next faces Serbia's Victor Troicki, against whom he chalked a straight sets victory the last time they met in the first round of the Australian Open: "He's playing really well, and after reaching a final in Washington recently, arrived here brimming with confidence. He's a player who serves well, and has strong, aggressive ground strokes," continued the young Spaniard.

Earlier, 4th seed David Ferrer booked his spot with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 victory against Germany's Andreas Beck and next faces Japan's Kei Nishikori.

Five more Spaniards reach US Open second round
By: thinkSPAIN
Thursday, August 28, 2008

Half of the fourteen Spanish men taking part in this year's US Open have made it through to the second round. Of the seeded players, only Feliciano López (27th), who was beaten over five sets by Austria's Jurgen Melzer, failed to progress.

As well as first seed, Rafael Nadal, and David Ferrer (4th), who qualified on Monday, there were also wins for Fernando Verdasco (13th), Tommy Robredo (15th), Nicolás Almagro (18th), and the unseeded pair, Carlos Moyà and Guillermo García.

Apart from the aforementioned López, the other six beaten contenders were: Iván Navarro, Santiago Ventura, Albert Montañés, Pablo Andújar and Marcel Granollers.

Men's singles second round matches involving Spanish players and selected others:

Nadal (Spa) 1 v De Heart (US)
Ferrer (Spa) 4 v Beck (Ger)  
Llodra (Fra) v Murray (GB) 6
Garcia (Spa) v Seppi (Ita) 31
Robredo (Spa) 15 v Safin (Rus)
Moya (Spa) v
Kendrick (US) v Djokovic (Ser) 3
Verdasco (Spa) 13 v Machado (Por)
Alves (Brz) v Federer (Swi) 2

Tired Nadal struggles to beat qualifier
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Rafael Nadal blamed post-Olympic fatigue for a below-par performance against German qualifier, Bjorn Phau, in the first round of the US Open last night, which he won, without dropping a set, 7-6, 6-3, 7-6.

Looking uncomfortable on the super-fast Flushing Meadows surface, the new world number one was forced into two tie-breaks and required on-court medical treatment during the second set for some nasty looking blisters on his left foot.

Earlier, David Ferrer became the first Spaniard through to the second round, beating Argentina's Martín Vasallo Arguello 7-6, 6-2, 6-2, though a recurrence of a shoulder injury forced fellow Valencian, Juan Carlos Ferrero, to retire before his first-round match against America's Brendan Evans.

There was also disappointment for Spain's women with early exits for Carla Suárez, Lourdes Domínguez and Nuria Llagostera.