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NEW YORK: Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina hits a return against Dominic Thiem of Austria during their 2016 US Open Men’s Singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Center in New York yesterday. — AFP Del Potro lowest ranked q-finalist in 25 years

NEW YORK: Former champion Juan Martin del Potro ping serve to go 2-1 down in the first set. But he recov- 237-ranked Vladimir Voltchkov at Wimbledon in 2000. the same year for the first time. became the lowest ranked player in 25 years to reach ered to break back for 3-3 before edging ahead at 5-3 No man ranked as low as del Potro has ever made the The 2014 runner-up takes on in-form Ivo Karlovic the US Open quarter-finals when Dominic Thiem quit and taking the opener on an ace. final of a major. “It’s amazing to play in New York. who, at 37, is the oldest player in the fourth round since their last-16 tie through injury yesterday. The 142nd- Del Potro was a break to the good again at 2-1 in the There’s a great connection between the US fans and 39-year-old Connors made the semi-finals in 1991. ranked Argentine was leading 6-3, 3-2 when the eighth- second set before Thiem began to flag. The 23-year-old Argrentina fans,” said del Potro who was handed a wild- Having saved a match point in an epic triumph over seeded Austrian retired with a right knee injury having Austrian had needed five sets to beat Australia’s John card for the US Open after winning the silver medal at Dan Evans in the last round, third-seeded Wawrinka, a received a medical timeout just moments earlier. Millman in the first round and four to get past Pablo the Olympics. “I don’t know if I am playing better than I semi-finalist in 2013 and 2015, faces 28-year-old Del Potro, the 2009 champion who was pushed to Carreno Busta of Spain in the last 32. was in 2009 but I will try to keep winning.” journeyman Marchenko. the brink of retirement earlier this year after undergoing He was also playing in a season-leading 70th match World number 63 Marchenko arrived in New York on three surgeries on his left wrist, will face either Stan of the season and 21st tournament, a gruelling sched- MURRAY IN ACTION a seven-match losing streak, a run of failure stretching Wawrinka or Illya Marchenko for a semi-final place. ule which finally caught up with him on Arthur Ashe , the 2012 champion, who has reached back to Istanbul in April. The first two quarter-finals Jimmy Connors was ranked 174 when he went on to the Stadium yesterday. “I couldn’t bend my knee too much the last 16 or better for the 23rd straight Slam, will open take place today when defending champion Novak US Open semi-finals in 1991. in the last three days so I was handicapped,” said Thiem the night session against resurgent Bulgarian Grigor Djokovic faces France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lucas “You never want to win a match like this. I wish who said he was also suffering blisters on his feet. “You Dimitrov. Murray leads the head-to-head with Dimitrov Pouille, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal, tackles French Dominic a quick recovery as he has a great future,” said can’t take too many risks with the knee.” 6-3 although the 25-year-old Bulgarian won their last compatriot Gael Monfils. It’s the first time since 1947 27-year-old del Potro. The giant Argentine had required Should del Potro make the semi-finals, he would be match in Miami in March. Japan’s sixth seed Kei that three French men have reached the quarter-finals treatment himself on a right shoulder injury after drop- the lowest-ranked man to do so at a since Nishikori has made the fourth round of all the majors in of one Grand Slam.— AFP Halep solves Suarez to reach US Open q-finals

NEW YORK: Simona Halep punched slam match wins — past Roger her ticket to the US Open quarter- Federer for the most by anyone in the finals yesterday, where the fifth-ranked Open Era. Romanian will likely find world num- Although she seems to rack up a ber one Serena Williams waiting. Grand Slam record any time she steps Halep, a former finalist on the court, Williams’ reign atop the who has won three WTA titles in 2016, world rankings is under pressure, with defeated Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro quarter-finalist Angelique Kerber now 6-2, 7-5 — edging ahead in a rivalry poised to topple her if the American that had seen them split their previous doesn’t reach the final. 10 matches 5-5. “I just gave everything Fourth-seeded Agnieszka I had,” said Halep, who sailed through Radwanska, who also has an outside the first set and gained an early break chance of seizing the number one in the second before Suarez put the ranking, faces a tricky battle for a quar- brakes on. Serving for the match at 5- ter-final berth against Ana Konjuh. 4, Halep was broken, but she broke Poland’s Radwanska had to save back immediately and made no mis- three match points to get past the 18- take with her second chance. “I’m real- year-old Croatian in the second-round ly happy I could win this match,” said at Wimbledon this year. In the fourth Halep, who was already looking for- round of a Grand Slam for the first ward to a probably clash with Williams. time, Konjuh will be out to prevent “The next round will be a very tough Radwanska from advancing in the only one, so I want to enjoy this victory major in which she has never reached today,” she said. the quarters. Williams, gunning for a seventh US Sixth-seeded Venus Williams was Open title and 23rd Grand Slam also in action, taking on hard-hitting crown-both of which would be Open Czech Karolina Pliskova for a place in Era records-was the star attraction the last eight. Monday taking on 52nd-ranked The other quarter-finals have Yaroslava Shvedova. already been set, with two-time run- Williams has won all four of her pri- ner-up Caroline Wozniacki to face or meetings with the Kazakh and even Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova in a battle though she’s still receiving treatment of comeback kids and Kerber taking on a balky right shoulder she has on seventh-seeded Roberta Vinci, the NEW YORK: Carla Suarez Navarro, of Spain, returns a shot to reached the round of 16 without drop- Italian who shocked Serena last year NEW YORK: Simona Halep, of Romania, reacts after beating Carla Suarez Simona Halep, of Romania, during the fourth round of the U.S. ping a set. A victory over Shvedova en route to the 2015 final, where she Navarro, of Spain, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament Open tennis tournament, yesterday. — AP would not only put her into the last was beaten by compatriot Flavia eight, it would take her to 308 Grand Pennetta. — AFP yesterday. — AP