Rafael Nadal apologetic after epic battle with Dominic Thiem to reach US Open semifinals

WASHINGTON: Defending champion Rafael Nadal survived an epic US Open quarterfinal confrontation to defeat battling ninth seed Dominic Thiem 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/5) and reach the semifinals for the seventh time.
However, the 32-year-old was fortunate to triumph on another hot and humid night at Flushing Meadows, 24 hours after Roger Federer had been dumped out of the tournament by John Millman.
In a gripping 4-hour 49-minute contest which concluded at 2am, the world No. 1 Nadal won through to keep his bid for a fourth title in New York and 18th Grand Slam crown on track.
After suffering a first set 鈥榖agel鈥�, Nadal had to battle back from breaks in the third and fourth sets before seeing off the first top 20 player he had faced at the US Open since 2013.
鈥淚 suffered, that鈥檚 the right word,鈥� said Nadal after playing his longest ever match at the tournament. 鈥淚 told myself 鈥榳ake up鈥�,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 said to Dominic I am sorry. He鈥檚 a great guy, a close friend who will have many more opportunities to win the big titles.鈥�
Nadal had defeated Thiem in the Roland Garros final in June but this was their first meeting away from a clay court.
鈥淗e has a great attitude and is a great fighter,鈥� added Nadal.
In a dramatic final set, Nadal saw five break points come and go before Thiem went long with a smash on the first match point.
It was his 58th unforced error on a night when he sent down 18 aces and fired 74 winners.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be stuck in my mind forever. Forever I鈥檓 going to remember this match, for sure,鈥� said Thiem after his first ever hard court match against Nadal.
鈥淭ennis is cruel sometimes because I think this match didn鈥檛 really deserve a loser. But there has to be one.鈥�
The semifinal will pit Nadal against third seed and 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro for the second successive Grand Slam.
Meanwhile, in the women鈥檚 side of the championship, Serena Williams admitted she was not at her best during her quarterfinal win over Karolina Pliskova.
鈥淚 was playing really not a good game,鈥� said Williams, who was a point from trailing 4-1 and did fall behind 4-2 while making 22 of her 30 unforced errors in the first set. 鈥淚 was thinking, 鈥榊ou know, I can play better.鈥� So that was the good news,鈥� she said.
鈥淲ell, I want to just be able to get past the semis here. It鈥檚 been a few, couple, rough semis for me,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淏ut regardless, this has been a great road.鈥�