If ever two tennis players could be called "gladiators," it was Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem in this 2018 epic. NEW YORK -- Rafael Nadal began his US Open quarterfinal as poorly as possible, shut out in a set by a 6-0 score for only the fourth time in 282 career Grand Slam matches. But Nadal scratched and clawed, triumphing despite winning six fewer points. Nadal beat Anderson last year for his third US Open title. The 32-year-old, who is the only player to advance to the last eight at all four majors in 2018, defeated Thiem in this year's Roland Garros final to lift his 17th Grand Slam trophy. After Djokovic's default at this year's US Open, the path suddenly cleared for Thiem. 1 Novak Djokovic congratulating Thiem and his family on his performance and lauding the manner in which he fought back despite being two sets down. How tense and tight was this one? On this one, he managed to come back to win, although it took 4 hours, 49 minutes and never did get easy for him. Dominic Thiem (left) and Rafael Nadal will not have their coaches with them at the Australian Open. But I just keep going.". He is bidding for a fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall. And how. That mistake might have stayed in Nadal's head, because he played terribly in the ensuing tiebreaker. Going into the tournament, Thiem was seeded second in the absence of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. He has now won seven US Open quarterfinals in a row when he has made it that far; his only loss in that round came back in 2006. Rafael Nadal points out why Dominic Thiem deserved the US open 2020 title. Thiem claimed his maiden major title with a dramatic five-set victory over Alexander Zverev in the final at Flushing Meadows on Sunday. Nadal would have expected a fierce battle, having taken nearly five hours to see off Thiem in their only previous grand slam meeting on hard courts at the US Open in 2018. Also Read | Rafael Nadal To Face Novak Djokovic's US Open Conqueror Pablo Busta In Rome On Comeback, A post shared by ATP Tour (@atptour) on Sep 14, 2020 at 9:52am PDT, Also Read | Dominic Thiem Wins US Open; Beats Alexander Zverev From 2 Sets Down For Maiden Grand Slam. Defending champion Rafael Nadal dug deep to win the longest match of this year's US Open in a classic five-set quarter-final against Dominic Thiem - which finished at 2:03am local time. Thiem, who ended runner-up to Rafael Nadal in each of the past two French Open finals, was asked post-final if the Spaniard was in better position since he skipped the US Open. He is trying to tie John McEnroe for fourth in the Open Era with four US Open … Two of those 13 victories on centre court have come against Austrian Thiem, who won his maiden Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows last year. It sure seemed at the shocking outset as if Nadal was somehow unprepared for this step up in competition. Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem live streaming & live stream video: Watch Australian Open 2020 online on either Bet365 or ESPN+. (Photo by Rindoff Petroff/Suu/Getty Images) He made two finals in 2018 and 2019 but lost on both occasions to the irrepressible Rafael Nadal. Thiem made him work for this win. 3 seed Dominic Thiem - the current US Open winner - at the Nitto ATP Finals in London. 9 Dominic Thiem 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) for a semifinal berth at a third consecutive Grand Slam tournament, winning a physical, back-and-forth tussle that concluded after 2 a.m. Wednesday. He will be seen at French Open 2020 next, after choosing to sit out the Rome Masters. "I'm very sorry for Dominic," Nadal told a rowdy crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Watch highlights from this eagerly-awaited showdown between second seed Rafael Nadal, the reigning French Open champion, and No. The depth and strength of Thiem's groundstrokes were doing what Nadal's shots usually do to opponents: robbing them of time and space. Also Read | Rafael Nadal Takes Dig At Arch-rival Novak Djokovic's Temper After US Open Disaster. It will be del Potro and Nadal's 17th meeting on tour. When Nadal makes it this far in New York, he usually doesn't stumble. This rematch of the French Open final in June, won by Nadal, was his first match against a top-20 opponent at the US Open since 2013, when he beat then-No. In the fifth, Nadal held three break points at 5-all, love-40, but Thiem took the next five points to hold serve. 11 John Isner 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 on Tuesday afternoon. US Open champion and last year's runner-up at Roland Garros Dominic Thiem survived a third-set wobble to beat American qualifier Jack Sock 6-1 6-3 7-6 (10-8) to book his third-round spot. His epic five-set victory over the 23-year old Alexander Zverev is being hailed as a new era for men's tennis; one that many hope will see the rise of a younger generation of players outside of the 'big three'. He lost the first two sets to fifth seed Alexander Zverev in just about an hour, making 8 double faults through the match. Plus, Thiem -- an Austrian who turned 25 on Monday -- was serving well, taking every point when he put a first serve in, and handling returns without a hitch. Rafael Nadal is "almost impossible" to beat at the French Open and it is a "big ask" for Dominic Thiem to stop him winning a 12th title on Sunday, says ex-British number one Greg Rusedski. WHAT HAPPENED: Reigning US Open champion and top-seeded Rafael Nadal beat ninth-seeded Dominic Thiem in an epic, bruising US Open quarterfinal that lasted nearly five hours and finished in the early morning hours on Wednesday in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Nadal blanked in first set, wins near 5-hour thriller (3:47), Serena latest star to withdraw from Miami Open, WTA devises path back to regular rankings setup, Barty saves match point, edges Kucova in Miami, Wawrinka out 'a few weeks' after foot surgery, Canada's Pospisil docked for verbal abuse in loss, V. Williams ousted in first round of Miami Open, Murray pulls out of Miami Open with groin injury, Del Potro to have surgery, hopes to play in Tokyo, Bienvenidos a Miami Open 2021: No Serena Williams, but still plenty of intrigue, Kasatkina claims St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, Karatsev claims maiden ATP title in Dubai, Dubai Open: Harris, Karatsev continue upsets to set up final clash, Gasparyan pulls off upset against Alexandrova, Djokovic out of Miami, citing virus restrictions, 7 Russian players reach St. Petersburg quarters, Lloyd Harris continues Dubai run into semifinals, Wimbledon expecting reduced attendance in '21, Britain's Evans knocked out of Dubai second round, Nadal pulls out of Miami Open due to back issue, Del Potro, heat get best of Isner in quarterfinals, Serena rallies past Pliskova, into US Open semis, Frustrated Stephens upset in US Open quarters. Rafael Nadal v Dominic Thiem Head to Head. "A question of a little bit of luck at the end.". Nadal fell behind by a break in the third set before rebounding. Also Read | Dominic Thiem Wins US Open; Beats Alexander Zverev From 2 Sets Down For Maiden Grand Slam Nadal, Djokovic all praise for US Open champion Dominic Thiem . Nadal was sweating so much in the 90-degree heat and 50 percent humidity that a mountain of white towels formed next to his changeover bench. 3 seed Juan Martin del Potro, who defeated No. Djokovic had also posted a congratulatory message for the Austrian after his win, praising him for the sportsmanship he and Zverev displayed after the match. A great player. "He's a close friend on tour. 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"It's cruel, sometimes, tennis," Thiem said, calling the loss "the first really epic match I've played.". Even with Djokovic's absence from the tour, the final was not an easy one for Thiem. Nadal, US Open champion Thiem, ranked No.3 in the world, and defending Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic will be among top players quarantining in … ", Asked about that at his news conference, Thiem said with a chuckle: "Well, I don't think he's really sorry.". Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem congratulate themselves at the end of the Men Final of the 2018 French Open – Day Fithteen at Roland Garros on June 10, 2018 in Paris, France. Hard to not think back to 24 hours earlier, when Nadal's great rival, No. (3:47). Dominic Thiem downplays US Open hopes after illness as Rafael Nadal showdown looms Dominic Thiem says he is not thinking about a deep run at the US Open … World No 2 Rafael Nadal got tennis back underway as he beat US Open champion Dominic Thiem in an entertaining exhibition match in Adelaide, with the 20-time Grand Slam champion serving up some memorable moments in his 7-5, 6-4 victory in front of a packed-out stadium. "Very demanding, in all aspects," Nadal said. The players have met each other 15 times on the tour, with Nadal leading the head-to – head 9-6. Nadal also appreciated Alexander Zverev for reaching the finals. Tennis fans will not soon forget the instant quarterfinal classic that was held under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the 2018 US Open. The match ended at 2:04 a.m., with Nadal surviving, 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6. Thiem collected 24 of the opening set's 31 points, thanks in large part to a 13-3 edge in winners. 2 seed Roger Federer, was upset in the fourth round during similarly muggy conditions. Thiem touched upon several topics, including the prospect of facing Rafael Nadal at the French Open, and also explained why he thinks his US Open triumph deserves full credit. “It’s going to be stuck in my mind forever,” Thiem said. Dominic Thiem responds to Novak Djokovic claim that tainted US Open win - 'Nobody knows' Novak Djokovic was controversially disqualified from last year's US Open before Dominic Thiem … The video also has short messages from Stefanos Tsitsipas and Italian Fabio Fogini. On the previous three such occasions, he lost. 1 seed at Flushing Meadows recovered from his disastrous start and other stumbles along the way to beat No. The defending champion and No. Rafael Nadal continues to be virtually unstoppable at the French Open, winning his 12th title Sunday after beating Dominic Thiem for the second straight year. On Sunday he prevailed in four sets. 1 seed Rafael Nadal battles No. The video starts off with current No. Match on January 29. The four-hour, 49-minute marathon fell short of the … With this win, Thiem also became the only one apart from Djokovic, Federer and Nadal to have won a Grand Slam in the last 15 years. "After that first set," Nadal said, "the match became more normal.". The Austrian finally broke through after losing three grand slam finals, including two to Nadal at the French Open. All these players are currently in Rome, where they will be fighting for the ATP 1000 Masters title at the Rome Masters. He came tantalisingly close on three other occasions - the 2018 French Open, the 2019 French Open and most recently at the 2020 Australian Open. After falling in the first set 6-0, No. On Friday, Nadal will take on a familiar foe with a berth in the final on the line: 2009 champion and No. In all probability, he would've had a finals clash with the World No. Dominic Thiem has had a long wait in the shadows for an opportunity to win a Grand Slam. He picked his game up after the second set break and won the remaining three sets to etch his name in US Open history. Nadal climbed over the net to hug his opponent, then whisper an apology and words of encouragement. Rafael Nadal was on the brink several times in his US Open quarterfinal match against Dominic Thiem, coming two points from losing at 5-all in the … US Open champion Rafael Nadal overcame a rare bagel and a relentless challenge from Dominic Thiem in an epic five-set quarter-final clash lasting almost five hours in New York. And Rafa pointed out that Thiem’s journey to the finals was solid when compared to Zverev and so the Austrian deserved it. Thiem delivered an onslaught of 74 winners and won the first 6-0 set against Nadal at the US Open in 14 years (Andy Roddick, 2004). In a record-setting US Open 2020 final, Dominic Thiem became the first man born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam singles title. He lost both French Open titles to Rafael Nadal and the Australian Open to Novak Djokovic. In our latest featured match, we look back at the 2019 US Open men's quarterfinal match between Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem. Rafael Nadal beats Dominic Thiem in an epic, grueling five-set quarterfinal, turning around his performance from a disastrous opening set to clinch the match in dramatic style. Thiem takes stock of US Open victory, aims for French Open title next "It is one of the most difficult tasks to beat Nadal at Roland Garros," the 27-year-old Austrian said. Watch more video highlights and matches live on … Rafael Nadal said Dominic Thiem deserved to win the US Open title in New York. Nadal leads 11-5, including the past three, each at a Grand Slam tournament: in the semifinals of the US Open last year, followed by the semifinals of the French Open and a five-set thriller in the Wimbledon quarterfinals this year. He was two points from victory at 6-5, deuce, in the fourth as Thiem served, but flubbed a forehand volley, leaping for a ball that appeared to be sailing out and dumping it into the net. Nadal's dominance on the red claycourts in Paris is unmatched, the Spaniard picking up his 13th French Open trophy last year to match Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam singles titles. Still, this whole contest was filled with challenges for Nadal. Watch the full match on the US Open YouTube channel. It took a while for the 32-year-old Spaniard to figure out what was wrong and become Thiem's equal in entertaining, body-punishing baseline exchanges that inspired loud gasps from spectators. Also Read: All the Latest Australian Open Predictions Here He's a great guy. In a video posted on ATP Tour's Instagram page, tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic can be seen praising and congratulating the youngster on his maiden Grand Slam title win. 1 against whom he has a head-to-head record of 4-7, in favour of Djokovic. Not only was Nadal two points from losing at 5-all in the closing tiebreaker, but he finished with fewer total points, 171-166. The video starts off with current No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final. In the end, Nadal won 165 total points to Thiem's 171. Thiem has won three of their last four encounters, including both meetings in 2020, at the Australian Open and the ATP Tour Finals in London. Following this is a message from Rafael Nadal calling Thiem a 'great man' and a 'hard-worker', saying that "if somebody deserved this, it was you." 9 seed Dominic Thiem for 4 hours and 49 minutes to prevail in five sets. Rafael Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem via a fifth-set tiebreaker in his longest-ever match at the US Open to advance to the semifinals. Nadal and Thiem will be joined in the quarterfinals by John Isner , who used a booming serve to beat Milos Raonic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. That, Nadal would say afterward, managed to "break my heart. Thiem was close that evening in Flushing Meadows, but not close enough. ... World No. When it ended, on an overhead by Thiem that sailed long, everyone in Nadal's guest box -- a group that included actor Ben Stiller -- leaped to their feet to celebrate. 1 Novak Djokovic congratulating Thiem and his family on his performance and lauding the manner in which he fought back despite being two sets down.