By Chris Oddo | Sunday September 4, 2016
Lucas Pouille played the match of the tournament to take out Rafael Nadal in a fifth-set tiebreaker in New York.
Photo Source: AFP
The French are coming.
22-year-old Lucas Pouille became the third Frenchman to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals on Sunday with a hard-fought, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6) victory over Rafael Nadal.
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The victory is groundbreaking for France, as it marks the first time the country has placed three of its men’s singles players in the quarterfinals of a major in the Open Era, but it may be even bigger for Pouille, a rising talent who many feel could become his nation’s top player someday.
How did Pouille do it?
“I have no idea,” he said in an interview at the ESPN desk after the match. “I just played aggressive… I went for it.”
Pouille, who reached his first career quarterfinal at Wimbledon this summer, has now won three consecutive five-setters in New York. On Sunday the resilient Grande-Synthe, France native went toe-to-toe with Nadal in one of the most compelling matches of the tournament.
Pouille finished with 11 aces and 59 winners on the day and he was aggressive from first ball to last. He needed to be to hold the fiery Nadal off down the stretch. Nadal had dropped just 20 games in his first three rounds entering this round of 16 tilt, but he quickly found himself under pressure against the stylish, powerful Frenchman. After building a two sets to one lead, Nadal broke Pouille three consecutive times to take the fourth set and build a lead early in the fifth, but the Frenchman broke back to level at four-all before the pair marched to a deciding-set tiebreaker.
In the tiebreaker Nadal saved three match points to level at 6-all, but he dumped an easy forehand into the net to give Pouille a fourth look. The Frenchman ripped a forehand winner down the line on the next point to clinch the victory, and collapsed on his back in celebration before sticking his tongue out joyously in the direction of his coaches’ box.
“It was a big mistake,” said Nadal of the miss. “I played the right point, I was in position to hit the winner, and I had the mistake.”
Pouille said Nadal’s mistake helped relax his nerves.
“I was a bit confused in my head,” he said. “When he missed the shot it released all the pressure…”
Pouille moves on to face his compatriot Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals. The 22-year-old fell to Monfils in five sets in their only previous meeting at the 2015 Australian Open.
"He's in very good form," Pouille said of Monfils. "He has won so many matches for the last two months... I think it's going to be a tough match for me, but for him as well."
A disappointed Nadal was clearly upset by the loss, but he vowed to continue trying to find solutions. He has not been past the quarterfinals of a major since winning Roland Garros in 2014.
“Here again another opportunity lost,” he said. “It’s a painful defeat because I felt ready for that match.”
He added: “That’s it. We can find stories, but I lost.”