Pouille upsets Nadal, moves into US Open quarterfinals
NEW YORK - Rafael Nadal was upset in the US Open's fourth round by 24th-seeded Lucas Pouille of France 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6) on Sunday, prolonging the 14-time Grand Slam title winner's quarterfinal drought at major tournaments.
The No. 4-seeded Nadal, a two-time champion at Flushing Meadows, breezed through his opening three matches in Week 1 at the hard-court tournament, dropping only 20 games combined. But Pouille, a 22-year-old with flashy strokes, presented a much sterner challenge in the fourth round, pushing Nadal to the limit over 4 hours, 7 minutes of tense - and intense - exchanges.
This was Pouille's third career victory in a five-setter - and all have come in his past three matches.
Since losing in last year's French Open quarterfinals, Nadal has failed to make it beyond the fourth round at a major.
This season, he lost in the first round of the Australian Open. Then he pulled out of the French Open before his third-round match because of a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, an injury that forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon altogether and miss about 2+ months on tour in all.
He led by a break at 1-0 and 4-2 in the fifth set, but Pouille broke back to 4-all, and eventually converted his fourth match point in the tiebreaker with a gutsy forehand winner to close a 16-stroke exchange.
When it ended, Pouille dropped on his back, his tongue sticking out.