US Open '19: Rafael Nadal Advances To Men's Title Match, Will Play Russian Daniil Medvedev
NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Nadal moved closer to his fourth U.S. Open title and 19th from all Grand Slam tournaments by pulling away for a 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-1 semifinal victory over 24th-seeded Matteo Berrettini of Italy.
Nadal trailed 4-0 and 6-4 in the opening-set tiebreaker but took the last four points.
One service break was all the second-seeded Nadal would need in the second set before he dominated the third. He never faced a break point in the entire match.
The 33-year-old Spaniard will face No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev on Sunday.
It is Medvedev's first major final.
If Nadal wins, he will pull within one of Roger Federer's men's record of 20 Grand Slam trophies.
Daniil Medvedev has reached his first Grand Slam final by beating Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-3 at the U.S. Open.
The fifth-seeded Medvedev had never been past the fourth round at a major tournament until this one.
But he was the top player during the hard-court tuneup circuit and the title match at Flushing Meadows will be his fourth final in the last four events he's entered.
The 78th-ranked Dimitrov eliminated Roger Federer in a five-set quarterfinal and was a point away from taking the first set against Medvedev in their semifinal.
But Dimitrov couldn't convert that chance, played sloppily in the ensuing tiebreaker and then got broken in the second set's last game.
Medvedev will face the 18-time major champion Nadal on Sunday.
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