Rafael Nadal might have been hurting in several places during his shock 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 US Open loss to compatriot David Ferrer, but he was not using that as an excuse.

 

 

David Ferrer of Spain celebrates defeating compatriot Rafael Nadal after their match at the US Open tennis tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Tuesday. (Reuters)

 

During a late, late show that ended in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Nadal needed courtside treatment for his troublesome left knee, for the fingers in his left hitting hand and at one stage appeared to crumple over with hip pain.

 

But at the end of the day, he said it was good friend and occasional hitting partner David Ferrer who was simply too good.

 

"He is a very good player, one of the best players in the world right now," the defeated second seed said.

 

Asked how hindered he had been by his physical condition, Nadal shook his head.

 

"I don't want to speak about my body right now," he said. "I have been speaking about that all week and it would sound like an excuse and there is no excuse.

 

"He played very good and he beat me. Maybe another day we can speak about the injuries."

 

There must be concern in Nadal's camp, however, over the spate of niggling injuries and ailments that have beset their man since he lost an epic five-setter against Roger Federer at Wimbledon.

 

He injured his knee in Stuttgart at the start of September, had to withdraw from a tournament in Cincinnati after suffering arm cramps and feeling unwell and then again sprained his knee in practice for Flushing Meadows.

 

He looked distinctly below par in his first three rounds in New York and against a terrier like Ferrer, he was never going to go the distance.

 

The Spaniard admitted to a sense of frustration.

 

"Sure, this is disappointing for me," he said. "I can't play the last days 100 percent for the problem of the knees. But that's tennis. That's the sport. I am still having a very good season."

 

The loss to Ferrer means that Nadal is still seeking a top performance in a hardcourt Grand Slam event, having failed to get past the quarterfinals in five US Opens and three Australian Opens.

 

He did win the Indian Wells Masters Series tournament on a hardcourt in March, but his five other titles have all come on his favored claycourts.

 

Nadal said he plans to take some rest and get ready for the rest of the season leading up to the Masters in Shanghai in November.

 

Nadal's departure clears the way for third seed Novak Djokovic to charge into what would be his first Grand Slam final at the age of 20.

 

But the Serb had to dig deep once again to see off the challenge of Juan Monaco winning 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (6/8), 6-1 in a gruelling match that took just under four hours.

 

Having needed four hours 44 minutes to subdue Radek Stepanek in the second round, Djokovic risked being just as drained physically in the later stages of the tournament than he was in Paris and at Wimbledon.

 

On both of those occasions, he lost to Nadal.

 

"I had soreness in my back and had to call the trainer. Then I had a little pain in my stomach and I felt out of energy also. I had some pills and vitamins so after that I felt pretty good.

 

"It's good that I have a day off and can recover."

 

Djokovic's opponent in the last eight will be veteran Spaniard Carlos Moya.

 

At 31, the oldest man left in the tournament outclassed Latvian newcomer Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 to reach the quarters in New York for the first time since 1998.

 

"I feel like 20 years old the way I'm playing. It's great," Moya said. "When you're the oldest guy in the draw you get a lot of support from the crowd."

 

The 28-year-old Chela reached the last eight of a Grand Slam event for just the second time in his career with a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 1-6, 6-3 win against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland.

 

Henin dumps Serena

 

Justine Henin ousted Serena Williams in a quarterfinal for the third Grand Slam event in a row, shattering any notions of an all-Williams semifinal with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 triumph on Tuesday.

 

The Belgian star will next play in a Friday semifinal against the winner of a Wednesday quarterfinal between US 12th seed Venus Williams, the reigning Wimbledon champion, and Serbian third seed Jelena Jankovic.

 

World No 1 Henin, the reigning French Open champion, had defeated the younger Williams sister in the same round at the French Open and Wimbledon and leveled their career rivalry at 6-6 with her first hardcourt victory.

 

"From the tie-break to the end I played unbelievable tennis, aggressive and great like the No 1 player in the world, trying to dictate the points," Henin said. "I was happy to beat her on this court and in this atmosphere.

 

"That means a lot to me."

 

Henin fought off two set-point chances in the 12th game of the first set, won five of the last six points in the tie-breaker and twice held serve after eighth seed Serena had her down 0-30.

 

"In the tie-break I played every point 100 percent. After that I was just cruising to the end of the match," Henin said.

 

"I'm very happy because I was in the court. I was playing so aggressive in every shot. That's the way I hope I can play all the time. But it's not easy."

 

Henin is 7-0 lifetime against Jankovic, five wins in 2007 including a French Open semifinal, but only 1-7 against Venus Williams, having lost seven in a row to the elder Williams sister, most recently in a 2003 Australian Open semi.

 

"If I have to play Venus, it will be a good challenge to me to play both sisters in the same tournament," Henin said. "It would be another good test for me for sure. I didn't play Venus for a long time so that would be interesting."

 

To win her seventh Grand Slam title, Henin might have to beat both Williams sisters in the same Slam, a feat achieved only once - by Martina Hingis at the 2001 Australian Open against Serena in a quarterfinal followed by Venus in a semi.

 

(China Daily via AFP September 6, 2007)