Defending champion Rafael Nadal took out his US Open frustrations on Gilles Muller of Luxembourg on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-1, 6-2 victory. The second seed had trailed 0-3 overnight after just 15 minutes of play had been possible on Wednesday, but with bright sunshine replacing two days of heavy rain, the Spaniard raced into the last eight.
Next up for the champion is either 21st-seeded American Andy Roddick or Spanish compatriot David Ferrer for a place in the semi-finals. Nadal, whose fourth round match had originally been slated for Tuesday, had led a player revolt on Wednesday, angry at having to go on court when the Arthur Ashe Stadium surface was still damp and with rain still in the air.
He had claimed players’ safety was being compromised by tournament officials desperate to clear the backlog caused by the downpours which left him having to play four days in succession if he was to make Sunday’s final. “It was a tough day yesterday for the players and the fans who waited many hours. Sorry about that, but thanks for still being here,” said Nadal. “After the last two days, I am happy to be through. I played well against a very tough player. “The situation yesterday was not easy for us and the organisers. They tried their best but they were wrong. Everyone makes mistakes.”
Nadal has endured a dramatic US Open, collapsing with cramping at a news conference after his third round win over David Nalbandian before his frustrating two days waiting for the rain to clear.
He made up for lost time on Thursday, taking less than two hours to complete victory over the 68th-ranked Muller who he had also defeated at Wimbledon this year. Breaks in the second and fourth games of the second set proved enough for a comfortable lead and he was quickly 2-0 up in the third. Muller, the junior champion in New York 10 years ago, retrieved the break for 2-1 but further breaks for Nadal in the fifth and seventh games put the tie beyond his opponent’s reach. Victory was secured after 2hrs 08min with a smart backhand volley.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal claimed players’ safety was being put at risk by cash-conscious US Open chiefs trying to rescue the rain-hit event which suffered a virtual washout for the second successive day on Wednesday. Only 15 minutes of play was possible after all of Tuesday was lost to torrential downpours, the first such full-day wipeout since 2006. The deluge left defending champion Nadal stuck at the fourth round stage and facing having to play four days in succession if he was to win Sunday’s final. Nadal was furious that he was forced to start his last-16 match against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller on a damp Arthur Ashe Stadium and, along with Andy Murray and Andy Roddick, complained to tournament referee Brian Earley. Their fourth round matches lasted just 15 minutes in early afternoon before they were hauled off as more downpours soaked Flushing Meadows. Five hours later, all four remaining last-16 matches and two scheduled quarter-finals were cancelled and moved to Thursday as the prospect of a Monday men’s final for a fourth successive year edged closer. Officials then had to cancel their ambitious plans to complete the four women’s quarter-finals when more rain appeared just after three-time champion Serena Williams and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had finished warming-up on Ashe. “We don’t want to go on court if it is raining. I think it’s not fair,” said 10-time Grand Slam title winner Nadal, whose match had originally been slated for Tuesday. The clearly unhappy Spaniard was 3-0 down to Muller when the pair were taken off as conditions deteriorated. As he passed Earley on the court, he was overheard to say: “It’s the same old story, all you ever care about is money.” Nadal added in an interview with ESPN: “We are not protected. There is a lot of money at the Grand Slams but we are part of the show. They are just working for that and not for us. “It was still raining when they called us on court. The rain never really stopped, the courts were not dry. I know the fans are there but the health of the players is important.” Murray, who was 2-1 behind America’s Donald Young on Grandstand, insisted it was too dangerous to play. “Players want to play more than anyone, but not when it’s dangerous,” said the Scot. “The back of the court was soaking and the balls were wet too. Everyone mentioned it to the officials but they said it was fine. It didn’t make sense to go out on court for seven or eight minutes and then come back inside.”
