DEL BOY’S RUN SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING
Former champion Juan Martin del Potro became the lowest ranked player in 25 years to reach the US Open quarter-finals when Dominic Thiem quit their last-16 tie on Monday.
The 142nd-ranked Argentine was leading 6-3, 3-2 when the eighth-seeded Austrian retired with a right knee injury having received a medical timeout just moments earlier.
Del Potro, the 2009 champion, was pushed to the brink of retirement earlier this year after undergoing three surgeries on his left wrist.
“You never want to win a match like this. I wish Dominic a quick recovery as he has a great future,” said 27-year-old del Potro, the lowest-ranked man in the last-eight since Jimmy Connors, at 174, went all the way to semi-finals in 1991.
The giant Argentine had required treatment himself on a right shoulder injury after dropping serve to go 2-1 down in the first set.
But he recovered to break back for 3-3 before edging ahead at 5-3 and taking the opener on an ace.
Del Potro was a break to the good again at 2-1 in the second set before Thiem began to flag.
The 23-year-old Austrian had needed five sets to beat Australia’s John Millman in the first round and four to get past Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in the last 32.
“I couldn’t bend my knee too much in the last three days so I was handicapped a little bit,” said Thiem.
He was also playing in a season-leading 70th match of the season and 21st tournament, a gruelling schedule which finally caught up with him on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
DEL POTRO SETS-UP WAWRINKA CLASH
Stan Wawrinka reached the US Open quarter-finals for a fourth successive year on Monday with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 win over Ukraine journeyman Illya Marchenko.
Third seed Wawrinka, a semi-finalist in 2013 and 2015, will take on del Potro for a place in the last-four.
Wawrinka had to save a match point in his epic third round win over Dan Evans and has yet to face an opponent ranked inside the top 45.
BIG WIN FOR PLISKOVA
Hard-hitting Czech Karolina Pliskova toppled two-time champion Venus Williams 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) on Monday to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final at the US Open.
Pliskova, who had never before made it past the third round of a major in 17 prior attempts, saved a match point en route to a victory which scuppered a possible semi-final clash between Williams and her sister Serena.
The 36-year-old Williams was vying to become the oldest woman to reach the US Open quarters in the Open Era.
But the in-form Czech — who shocked world number two Angelique Kerber in the final at Cincinnati in August — settled her own late nerves to pull off the upset in front of a partisan Arthur Ashe stadium crowd.
“I was prepared that I’m going to play Venus, it’s going to be tough because people will be cheering for her,” Pliskova said.
Williams was philosophical about her failure to convert a match point against Pliskova’s serve in the 10th game of the third.
“She had a great serve,” Williams said. “She hit another great shot and I still played a great defensive shot. I did the best I could on that.
“Whenever you have a match point on someone else’s serve, it’s a little bit of an asterisk. I really have no regrets on that.”
Pliskova then broke Williams for a 6-5 lead — with the help of a favorable net cord bounce.
Serving for the match and up 40-0, however, Pliskova couldn’t close it out. A double fault followed by four strong points from Williams sent it to the tiebreaker.
“To be honest it was very difficult after I lost my serve for six-all,” Pliskova admitted. “She played a very good game.”
There was one last agonizing moment for Pliskova, who appeared to have won the decider with a ball that was ruled out on a challenge.
But she was able to celebrate for real when Williams sent a service return long on the next point.
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