Del Potro to face buddy Isner
Defending champion Nadal also in the q-finals, where he meets Thiem, his Madrid Open conqueror
Third seed Juan Martin del Potro crushed Croatia's Borna Coric 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 at the US Open yesterday morning (Singapore time) to set up a quarter-final clash with American John Isner.
The Argentinian sent down nine aces and 33 winners to seal a one-sided victory over the 20th seed in just over two hours, with Coric making 30 unforced errors to undermine his own cause.
The Croat needed a medical time-out in the second set and was then blown away by del Potro's booming forehand in the third, surrendering the set in just 30 minutes.
Del Potro, champion in 2009, got an early break to go 3-1 up in the first before Coric fought back to level at 4-4, converting the only break-point he carved out in the match.
The opener looked to be heading for a tiebreak before del Potro dispatched a backhand volley to earn himself two more break-points in the 10th game.
Coric rallied for deuce but double faulted to give del Potro another break-point opportunity and conceded the set with an unforced error.
"I think that moment was the key of the match," del Potro said in an on-court interview. "It gave me confidence."
John is a friend of mine and he deserves to be in the quarters as well. He has a big serve and I will try to return his serves if I can.Juan Martin del Potro on his friend John Isner
Both players suffered in the humid conditions under the floodlights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
But del Potro fed off the energy of the crowd, including a group of his friends who have travelled from his hometown Tandil to cheer him on.
"They are crazy," he added with a smile. They have to go back to Argentina and work again after this tournament. I would like to keep them singing."
Next up for del Potro is 11th seed Isner, who won his second five-setter of the tournament to see off Canada's Milos Raonic earlier.
"John is a friend of mine and he deserves to be in the quarters as well," said del Potro, who has not dropped a set in New York.
"He has a big serve and I will try to return his serves if I can.
"With this crowd, anything is possible and we will see what will happen."
The defending champion, Rafael Nadal, reached the quarter-finals for the eighth time and will face Dominic Thiem, one of only three men to defeat him this year.
World No.1 Nadal saw off a battling Nikoloz Basilashvili, the first Georgian in the fourth round in New York, 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4.
"It's a big victory for me," said Nadal, the champion in 2010, 2013 and 2017.
Next up for Nadal is Thiem, whom he defeated in the Roland Garros final in June when he captured an 11th French Open.
Thiem, who beat Nadal on clay in Madrid in the run-up to Paris, booked his place in the quarter-finals for the first time with a 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) win over 2017 runner-up Kevin Anderson. - REUTERS, AFP
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
