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By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, July 11, 2018

 
Rafael Nadal

A gutsy Rafael Nadal beat a gallant Juan Martin del Potro, 7-5, 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, reaching the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time since 2011.
Photo credit: Clive Mason/Getty

Transcendent tennis turned the Centre Court lawn into a launching pad.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro soared all over the grass taking fans on a wild thrill ride in a match for the ages.

More: Anderson Saves Match Point Shocks Federer

A gutsy Nadal out-dueled a gallant del Potro, 7-5, 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, advancing to the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time since 2011 when he was runner-up to Novak Djokovic.

"I am very happy the way that I survived a lot of important points in that fifth set," Nadal told the media afterward. "I think I did a lot of things well. I went to the net. In general terms, have been a positive match.

"Only negative thing is I played almost five hours, and I had the chance maybe to play less winning that second set. For the rest of the things, great news, semifinals of Wimbledon again. Great match, emotional match for both of us and for the fans, too. Great feelings."

The Roland Garros champion, who has won 23 of his last 24 major matches, will face Djokovic for a spot in Sunday's final.

Three-time champion Djokovic dissected Kei Nishikori, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, in today's first Centre Court quarterfinal.

On a day that began with eighth-seeded Kevin Anderson saving a match point to dethrone eight-time champion Roger Federer on Court No. 1, Nadal dug in with fierce defiance fighting back from two sets down and withstanding 33 aces from the explosive Argentinian to survive in five.




Locked in a tense clench for nearly five hours, Nadal and del Potro ended an exhilarating epic with an emotional embrace.

On match point, Nadal streaked forward, knifed a volley winner to end a classic four hour, 48-minute clash as del Potro fell to the court.



Crossing the net to help his fallen opponent, Nadal shared a heart-felt hug with the fifth seed.

"I felt like crying seeing these two hug," said ESPN analyst John McEnroe afterward. "I cannot believe what we've just witnessed."

Grand Slam champions played with passion of warriors pouring themselves into points creating a quarterfinal classic that began as major showdown and escalated into masterpiece theater.

"At the moment I'm feeling sad after almost five hours of run and playing this high level against the No. 1 in the world and lost," said del Potro afterward. "It's not good for me. But maybe tomorrow or after tomorrow when I get home and I watch the match or some points again, I will be glad with my level, with my style of game. I think Rafa in the end deserves to win once again."

Pushing each other all over the court, the two produced pulsating tennis with crackling exchanges, fierce forehand strikes, audacious drives and diving stabs.

At times, they seemed to relish the battle just as much as the exuberant crowd.  

"In some way you enjoy it," Nadal said. "At the same time every point counts a lot. Is difficult to distract yourself thinking that you are enjoying that moment, no? You enjoy because at the end of the day we are playing in one of the best courts in our sport, against a great opponent, with full crowd, fifth set, great level of tennis. Of course, you have to enjoy.

"[It] Is not much time to think about if you are enjoying, you are suffering. Is different feelings."

Both men tasted grass hurling themselves around the lawn like lifeguards plunging into the surf to save troubled swimmers, including a determined Nadal leaping himself into the front row at one point crowd surfing while chasing a forehand.

Del Potro vowed this would "be a different match" from the thrashing Nadal dispensed in last month's Roland Garros semifinals and made good on his word saving four set points to snatch the second set.

Following a forehand forward, he hit successive smashes for triple break point in the 10th game of the third set.

Lining up his favored forehand, del Potro rocketed a winner down the line breaking at love to take a two sets to one lead.

Launching himself in a full Boris Becker-style dive behind the baseline, Nadal rolled, scrambled to his feet and extended the point only to see del Potro punish a winner holding to start the fourth set.

Midway through the set, the Argentinian struggled to keep his feet.

Slipping and sliding behind the baseline, del Potro fell behind love-40 then watched Nadal block a high forehand volley breaking for a 3-2 fourth-set lead. Spiking the ball off the court in frustration, del Potro trudged back to retrieve his towel.

Storming forward, Nadal consolidated for 4-2. Bending low, Nadal got his body weight behind the ball blasting a backhand winner crosscourt to force a fifth set with a double fist pump.

Deadlocked at 1-all, 30-all in the final set, del Potro capped a dazzling 23-shot rally launching himself into a full-stretch dive final winner eliciting a standing ovation from some Centre Court fans.

Matching del Potro's dynamic effort, Nadal went crowd surfing chasing a forehand winding up shaking hands with a fan in the front row who helped soften his leap into the seats.

All that activity occurred in one game before del Potro dotted a puff of paste off the line with an ace for 2-1.

In a frenetic fifth game, Nadal twice crashed to the court trying to change direction.

Scraping himself up off the grass, the two-time champion turned his hips and shoulders into a backhand bolt crosscourt breaking for 3-2.

Resetting, del Potro earned break back point in the ensuing game. Del Potro detonated a forehand with such force there were gasps from some in the crowd.




A stretched Nadal somehow flicked back a reply and with an open expanse of court down the line the fifth seed shanked a forehand. Zapping a diagonal forehand, Nadal saved a second break point withstanding a fierce emotional tug-of-war navigating a nine-minute hold for 4-2.

Continuing to fire away, del Potro earned three more break points in the eighth game. Nadal nullified the threat and a 13-minute battle waged on. Racing up quickly to a dangerous del Potro angled slice, Nadal was in the doubles alley when he curled a tremendous topspin forehand over the net post and down the line for 5-3.

An electrifying game left the Argentinian bending over at the waist gulping deep breaths at the four hour, 38-minute mark.




Reloading, del Potro scalded a searing 107 mph forehand off the chalk as the crowd erupted and Nadal offered a smile of appreciation. Del Potro drilled an ace to hold forcing Nadal to serve for it.

"Rafa is a fighter," del Potro said. "Also he has a fantastic game. He deserves to win today and keep winning, of course. I'm glad to play in this level against the No. 1 in the world. For me it's so good, looking forward to the future.

"But I was close to beat him and I couldn't because Rafa always has a little bit more than the rest of the players on tour. I think I had to keep working hard to see if in my next opportunity I can beat him."

A wayward forehand gave the world No. 1 match point with Nadal's serve-and-volley charge ending an epic and his 11th victory in 16 meetings with the 2009 US Open champion.

If you're like me, it left you buzzed and breathless awestruck by the spirit and shot-making we saw. 

Vanquishing one rival propels Nadal into his 52nd career meeting with Djokovic, who has owns a 26-25 lead in their head-to-head series. 

The 17-time Grand Slam champion knows he may be in for another four-hour fight against the former world No. 1.

"Always is a big challenge face Novak," Nadal said. "[He] Is one of the more complex players that I ever saw on our sport. Is always a big test. You know that you can't win against him if you don't play very well. But my goal is to try to play very well.

"I know in semifinals of Wimbledon you will not have an easy opponent in front. You have to accept that if you want to win important things. Of course, you will face the best players. You need to be ready for it."


 

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