Rafael Nadal was classified for the first time in his career for the U.S. Open semifinals after beating American Mardy Fish in 4 sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 and 6-2, which assured him finish 2008 as No. 1 in the world. The flamboyant Prince of Asturias award for Sports is face in the semifinals at British Andy Murray, sixth head series, which defeated in the quarterfinals and after almost four hours party at Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, sixteenth favorite, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (1), 4-6 and 7-5.



The background for Rafa Nadal were more positive than before Mardy Fish. He had played against the United States on four occasions and never had yielded a single set. However, the party was unable to start for the worse Spanish. Fish saved a ball against break in the first game and then broke Nadal service.

With a very aggressive game, in which Fish was played everything no matter what if it fell or not the clubs that launched from the bottom of the track, American got that Nadal does not find its rhythm game during the first sleeve. With points short and supported in a draw devastating, which got up to 9 aces, Fish noted the first set for 3-6 before a Nadal who had two other balls in the break the fifth game when they lost 1-3 on the scoreboard.

The reaction of the worlds number 1
Nadal reacted as the number 1 which is nothing more to begin the second set. He won his first service in white, broke the Fish and kick him returned the 3-0 that the U.S. had endorsed him to Nadal in the first set. Nadal began playing high balls from the bottom of the track and Fish, not forced to accumulate errors. The vol of American remained in the network and their balls did not find the lines so primet frequency as in the set. Thus, Nadal equalled the match after win the second sleeve for a comfortable 6-1.

Presented battle over Fish in the third set. However, the minimum Nadal took that opportunity again break Service American, in the seventh game, to sign the partial 6-4. Rafa also had trouble certify their passage into the semifinals the fourth set. The game of draw-volea of Fish lost his entire Nadal effectiveness and sentenced to a further break in the seventh game a match which ended at 2:10 in the morning, an hour longer own a golfa meeting that a meeting of tennis.

With this victory Nadal enters the club of 20, the number of player who has reached the semifinals of the four tournaments Grand Slam in one season. Something of what today only can boast Federer, Nalbandian, Djokovic and from this Thursday Nadal.

There would be with Federer Djokovic or until a hypothetical final

Next Monday begins the 2008 U.S. Open, while Rafa Nadal began the defence of number one that has cost him so much to achieve. Having won the gold in Beijing and successfully harvested this year, Nadal was presented in United States with the aim of increasing the points of difference it has with Federer and Djokovic.

To achieve this, Rafa has the advantage of defending fewer points than their persecutors (was eliminated in round in 2007 and Djokovic and Federer played the final), and with the good situation that gives it the number one table, which will save face their top two rivals. For his part, Roger Federer and Djokovic will fight in the bottom of the table to try to republish the result of last year, where Federer won in the end to Serbian.



Way easy.
A priori, Rafa Nadal will have an easy start in its first two rounds and did not find any-seeded dieciseisavos until the end. In eighths is where begin to appear renowned rivals: Berdych or Karlovic should be the rival that of Manacor strange if nothing happens. Fourthly thing is a bit more complicated because they appear as the Argentine tennis players Nalbandián or James Blake, Roger Federer of executioner in Games in Beijing. In overcoming this round four names appear on the path of Nadal: David Ferrer, Andy Murray, the Swiss Wawrinka or Gilles Simon. But no longer is the favorite rival Rafah in the semifinals of the major events: Novak Djokovic. When Serbian you could only see in the finals, along with Hewitt or the current champion Roger Federer.

Nadal Ivanovic and the head of the U.S. Open series in 2008

The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal and serbia Ana Ivanovic premieres in a Grand Slam tournament of their respective terms of world number one, to be located on Tuesday as early favorites of individual Open table tennis United States.



According to the list released by the U.S. Tennis Federation (USTA), Nadal, newly crowned Olympic champion in Beijing, heads a select field that includes 10 Champions Grand Slams, including the former number one of ATP, Swiss Roger Federer, second-seeded in New York.

The U.S. Open, the last of the four biggest tournaments of the season, will be played from August 25 to September 7 in the courts of Flushing Meadows in New York.

Nadal, aged 22, was released on Monday in Firstly the ATP ranking, displacing Federer, who defended the position in the course of 237 consecutive weeks.

The Mallorcan tennis player has won eight of the last ten tournaments he has played, including two Grand Slam: Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

In Flushing Meadows will seek his ninth title of the year and 31 of his career in a tournament on fast tracks which so far has been very elusive.

The Spanish attempts to become the first man in the same year won Roland Garros, Wimbledon and U.S. Open, since the legendary Rod Laver do so in 1969.

Behind Nadal and Federer were located on Serbian Novak Djokovic (N.3), the Spanish David Ferrer (N.4), Russian Nikolay Davydenko (N.5), Britain's Andy Murray (n.6), the Argentinian David Nalbandian (N.7), Americans Andy Roddick (N.8) and James Blake (N.8), and Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka (N.10).

Nalbandián is the best Latino ranked among the 32 seeded men's table, and that includes the Chilean Fernando Gonzalez (n.11) and the surprising Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro (n.17), winner of four successive tournaments this year.

The serbia Ivanovic, 20 years and who won his first Grand Slam title this season in the French Open, ha ido rising as the foam and will be seeking its third parchment of 2008.

Behind her compatriot Ivanovic were seeded Jelena Jankovic (N.2), Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (N.3), American Serena Williams (N.4), the twice U.S. Open champion and Russian Elena Dementieva (N.5), individual gold medal in the Olympic in Beijing.
The relationship of the 10 first planted in each branch is:

-- Women:
1. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
2. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
3. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
4. Serena Williams (USA)
5. Elena Dementieva (RUS)
6. Dinara Safina (RUS) 7. Venus Williams (USA)
8. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
9. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
10. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS)


-- Men:
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2. Roger Federer (SUI)
3. Novak Djokovic (SRB)
4. David Ferrer (ESP)
5. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
6. Andy Murray (GBR)
7. David Nalbandian (ARG)
8. Andy Roddick (USA)
9. James Blake (USA)
10. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)

Rafa Nadal knows no conformism. It is a word that does not fall within its vocabulary and an attitude that does not exist in their repertoire of responses. Whenever it reaches a target found a new target on the horizon. After adding his fourth consecutive Roland Garros complex faced without his assault on the grass of Wimbledon. But neither was relaxed after ending the outstanding account of Spanish tennis and track the Masters Series Toronto and Cincinnati set its sights on the daunting number one of the world. Now his dream has come true Olympic gold an end to their happy stay in the Olympic village in Beijing.



The gladiator Balearic imposed the passage from the beginning, as it has done ad nauseam Michael Phelps, who visited hours before his last game. With a solid tennis and safe from the bottom of the track, thanks to a scheme preclaro game, made to feel inferior in Gonzalez all times. Very intelligent, Nadal shirk fearsome right hand of stone and worked with the setback criterion on the last Olympic bronze to wind up the points with his tremendous right cross inverted.

Nadal masterly controlled the nerves and left in tromba to avoid surprises, with a burst of pride for number one that allowed him to become the first service break in the second game of the match. That ended the history of the first set, in which Gonzalez never found comfortable with the pace imposed by the Manacorense, committed too many errors and not forced abused its setback cut. A coup which allowed Nadal to move pleasure and show their ruthless side. The Spanish always won the duel of zambombazos.

In the second sleeve, settled in sudden death, Nadal kept the pulse strongly before a Gonzalez who clung to their service. The Chilean, thanks to the effectiveness of its initial services, managed to find some Right recompusieron minimally winning their faith. Nadal endured the pressure of going below on the scoreboard without hesitation and took out his caste and his winning mentality in the only delicate time of the encounter. It happened in the twelfth game with 5-6 and 15-40 against, in his usual know that with two balls to be lifted in September without batting an eyelid. A blow to morale Gonzalez, who suffered an attack of vertigo in the tie-break (7-2).

With a rival already obscured and helpless, he applied Nadal the puntilla mercilessly. Always had options to rest break, while services recorded with insulting ease. The bomber of Queen gave clear signs of desperation, improvising solutions are impossible, precipitated crazy rises to the network, to which Nadal was showcased to the delight of the bustling Chinese public. Gonzalez saved by the hair his first service (1-1) but was choking the third, which enabled the flagship of the Navy to sign the pleasure 4-1. Nadal already knew that the gold medal was returned to owner and demonstrate full control of the situation, saving two new balls at the break 5-2 and leaving details of his brilliant tennis exalted. A victory made in Nadal, who fits the gladiator in the history of Olympism Spanish.

Rafa Nadal held in advance the number 1 in the world by ensuring a medal in Beijing after removing the Serbian Novak Djokovic in an epic encounter which ended 6-4, 1-6 and 6-4. His rival in the grand finale will be the Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, executioner of American James Blake.

Novak Djokovic

That could not suppress tears after falling into semifinals before Nadal was disappointed by the defeat but praised his rival, which said it is "mentally very strong

When I won the second set, knew he would return to the game, is a player very strong mentally, "said Serbian after falling to the Mallorcan by 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

With face serious, Djokovic was satisfied with his game, "aggressive in the second set," but expressed his disappointment at not having been enough to win Nadal.

Rafael Nadal

For my mentality, I think that I am more a player of that individual team. Since I liked seeing small team sports. What we feel when playing for my country, now or in Davis Cup is completely different to what we feel when playing for me, but never fail to represent your country

I have no more than words of thanks to all Spaniards of the town. I am what I am going very well. I got very tired because he had never been followed so much time away from home, and everything I had proved easier with colleagues

The Balearic admits that the encounter before Djokovic was an important game against a rival in this very complicated track

As for the final against Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, anticipated to be a very hard, because it is getting good, with an incredible right ... I know I'll have to play well if I want to win

Being this is the end is very important to me. After the season I've done, win an Olympic medal makes me very happy