Nadal 'had doubts' before U.S. Open triumph

(CNN) -- Crushing a string of opponents before dispatching Novak Djokovic in four sets in the U.S. Open final, Rafael Nadal was back to his ruthless best, with not a hint of the injury problems which have threatened to blight his career, even during a year which has seen him claim two grand slams.

But the Spaniard has admitted to CNN that he had real fears that as he made yet another comeback he would fall short of his own incredible standards.

"Sure I had doubts, everyone has doubts," said the 27-year-old Mallorcan.

"When you are injured you doubt if you going to be able to come back and play at 100%."

Closing fast on Djokovic's No.1 spot, Nadal has spent two lengthy spells on the sidelines through knee injuries, both times making a strong comeback.

Read: Nadal crashes to stunning Wimbledon defeat

Returning to the ATP Tour in February, Nadal clicked straight into gear, culminating in his eighth victory in the French Open.

But come Wimbledon his battered body could take no further punishment and Nadal was a shadow of his normal self as he crashed out in the first round to unheralded Steve Darcis, clearly troubled by knee problems.

The doubters were out in force again and with Nadal sidelined yet again, Djokovic and Wimbledon champion Andy Murray were predicted to share the grand slams between them in the foreseeable future.

They were reckoning without Nadal's incredible determination and joining the circuit again for the pre U.S. Open hard court series, the Mallorcan looked as if he had never been away, claiming titles in Montreal and Cincinnati before his Flushing Meadows triumph.

The mixture of joy and relief were there for all to see as Nadal savored every moment on the Arthur Ashe Stadium Court in claiming his 13th career grand slam.

"When you are coming back after low moments victories are all the more special and more emotional," Nadal admitted.

Read: Nadal wins 13th grand slam crown

"I enjoy it now because in a few years I won't have the chance to play like I did in the U.S. Open final."

The manner of his victory suggested that Nadal could easily outstrip all-time grand slam record holder Roger Federer, who has 17 in his trophy room.

But always at the back of Nadal's mind is the possibility his knee tendon problem might flare up again so he is taking nothing for granted.

"We need our knees, without our knees it is impossible to play well, sometimes I still have pain, but the most important thing is that at the moment I am able to play without limitations," said the newly crowned U.S. Open champion.

Nadal has been a force on the circuit for approaching a decade since bursting to prominence as a precocious teenager, particularly on his favorite clay surface.

Read: Nadal back to No.2 with Cincinnati triumph

His all action game was an immediate crowd pleaser but he admits that he takes a more measured approach these days.

"When you are a kid you are able to play with a different style, crazy jumping and all that," added Nadal.

"That moment has passed but my love and passion for the game is still the same."

All that spells bad news for those battling him at the elite end of the men's game with plenty to play for still in 2013, including the ATP World Tour Finals in London, just about the only title which has eluded him.

Via: Nadal 'had doubts' before U.S. Open triumph

Nadal beats Djokovic to win U.S. Open

(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal confirmed his status Monday night as the dominant force in men's tennis with a four-set win over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open final.

Nadal won 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

For Nadal, it was his second U.S. Open title and, as importantly, marked a triumphant return to the peak of his powers after a long battle to overcome a knee injury.

READ MORE: Serena Williams triumphs in U.S. Open

The Spaniard also avenged his defeat to Djokovic in the 2011 Flushing Meadows final to clinch his 13th grand slam title. That puts him one grand slam behind American Pete Sampras and four behind Roger Federer of Switzerland.

In the 37th meeting between the two players, the sixth in a grand slam final, world No. 2 Nadal extended his hard-court winning streak to 22 matches.

Serbia's Djokovic has now tasted defeat in two consecutive U.S. Open finals after his five-set loss to Andy Murray in 2012.

Via: Nadal beats Djokovic to win U.S. Open

Williams 'having fun' after 11 months of 'hell'

(CNN) -- Two years after losing part of her lung during an operation to remove a life-threatening blood clot, newly-crowned U.S. Open champion Serena Williams insists playing tennis "is just fun now."

The world No. 1's battle-weary opponents might not be having so much fun after Williams successfully defended the Flushing Meadows title she won in 2012 against the same opponent, beating second seed Victoria Azarenka 7-5 6-7 6-1 to secure her fifth singles championship in New York.

It is a far cry from where the now 17-time grand slam singles champion was in July 2010 when she suffered a cut to her right foot and was later diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism which left her on her death bed.

Read: Djokovic and Nadal to face off in men's final

That 11 months of "hell" culminated in her descent to No. 175 in the world rankings in July 2011.

Since then four grand slams have been won by Williams during a truly dominant 14-month spell.

One more major triumph would see her sit level with legendary compatriots Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert in fourth position on the list of the most prolific female grand slam champions of all time.

"It was the toughest thing I've been through in my life," the 31-year-old told CNN. "One thing kept happening after another, blood clots in both of my lungs, I lost part of my lung, I had to retrain. I don't have two full lungs anymore.

"You go through this stage of thinking, 'Why does all of this keep happening.' It was really 11 months of hell.

"When I'm on that court and I'm facing opponents, I feel like I've faced so many tougher opponents that this is just fun now."

Read: Tennis baby is a Twitter star

Williams' lung problems only became obvious when she was rushed into hospital after experiencing breathing difficulties en route to an Oscars party in March 2011.

"Being in the emergency room and being in hospital for all of that time, not knowing if I would ever pick up a racket again, not even caring, just wanting to be healthy," recalled Williams. "That was a tough time for me."

She is indeed healthy again and operating at the peak of her powers at an age when many of her contemporaries are seemingly struggling to last the pace.

Roger Federer has seen his vice-like grip on men's tennis loosen as he heads deeper into his 30s, while Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli retired last month at the age of 28.

Read: Why Federer's legacy is 'vulnerable'

However, Williams maintains a childlike enthusiasm for sport, aided in no small way by the perspective she gained during her battle to regain her form and fitness.

"I feel like just going for broke now," she said. "I'm really focused on what I want to do, I'm just having a lot of fun out there.

"I'm like '31 is old,' but that doesn't seem like me. I don't act like it [her age] either so maybe that has something to do with it."

Williams' muscular physique sets her apart from physically smaller opponents and she remains proud of how she managed to combine power with femininity.

"It's OK to be strong and to be powerful and to be beautiful and to love who you are," she added.

"You can stand up to anyone and you can be proud of who you are, where you come from and be a positive awesome girl."

Via: Williams 'having fun' after 11 months of 'hell'

Serena outlasts Azarenka in epic final

(CNN) -- Serena Williams retained her U.S. Open title with a hard-fought 7-5 6-7 6-1 victory over Victoria Azarenka in an gripping final at Flushing Meadows Sunday.

The World No.1 was thoroughly extended by Azarenka before clinching her 17th grand slam crown in two hours 45 minutes of enthralling action on a windswept Arthur Ashe Stadium Court.

Williams, who twice served for the championship in the second set, made no mistake at 5-1 in the decider, taking advantage of her second match point when her opponent from Belarus hit long.

It ended brave resistance from the second seed, who had trailed by two breaks of service in the second set before hitting back to win a tense tiebreaker 8-6.

Fifth title in New York

But Serena was not to be denied her fifth U.S. Open title, opening up a double break advantage in the third set, which this time she was not to relinquish.

At 31 she is the the oldest winner of the hard court grand slam in the Open era and acknowledged just how tough a match she had been given.

Read: Serena sets up U.S. Open rematch with Vika

"Victoria you played unbelievable," Williams said. "What a great match and a great person. It's an honor to play against you." she told the crowd.

Azarenka, beaten by Williams in the final in New York for the second straight year, admitted a second defeat was hard to take.

"It's a tough loss but being in the final against the best player, who deserves the win, it's incredible," Azarenka said.

"I gave it everything I had. I fought hard but well deserved. Congratulations Serena."

Bumper check

Williams picked up a check for $3.6 million, including a $1 million bonus for winning events in the build up to the final slam of the season.

She is the first woman to successfully defend the title since Kim Clijsters in 2010, claiming her second grand slam of the year after winning the French Open for the second time.

Williams had lost only 16 games in six matches as she cruised to the final, but Azarenka was made of sterner stuff and after dropping her service in the very first game, immediately broke back to set the pattern of the final.

Read: Serena stunned at Wimbledon

Williams finally broke through again in the 11th game and served out for the opener, but hopes of a straight sets victory were dashed by another stirring Azarenka fightback.

Williams looked on the verge of tears after her failure to close out the match and threw down her racket in frustration as Azarenka leveled at one set all.

Great champion

But great champion that she is, Williams quickly regained control to the delight of the 20,000 spectators on the show court.

Monday will see top seed Novak Djokovic and second ranked Rafael Nadal battle for the men's title.

Earlier, Leander Paes became the oldest man to win a grand slam title when he paired with Radek Stepanek to win the men's doubles title.

Read: Serena leads tributes to Billie Jean King

The 40-year-old Indian and his Czech partner, the fourth seeds, beat Alexander Peya of Austria and Brazil's Bruno Soares, the second seeds, 6-1 6-3.

Paes and Stepanek were winners of the 2012 Australian Open title and had ended the hopes of top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan, who were hoping to complete a calendar year grand slam, in the semifinals.

Paes had won the US Open title with Martin Damm in 2006 and Lukas Dlouhy in 2009 and now has eight men's doubles trophies at the majors as well as six mixed doubles crowns.

"I think the best advice I can give to anyone for doubles is get a partner from the Czech Republic!," Paes told the official tournament website.

"Radek helped me to get to be the oldest man to ever win a grand slam in the Open era. I thank him for that, and we are definitely not done. I'm going after 41 now, 42, and then 43."

Via: Serena outlasts Azarenka in epic final

Djokovic to play Nadal in U.S. final

(CNN) -- Novak Djokovic ensured he will remain world No. 1 next week after overcoming a titanic challenge from Stanislas Wawrinka to reach the U.S. Open final for the fourth year in a row.

The 10th-ranked Swiss ended Andy Murray's title defense in the quarterfinals, and seemed set to inflict another major upset after winning the opening set in convincing style.

But last year's runner-up Djokovic twice came from a set down to take Saturday's opening semifinal to a decider before triumphing 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3 6-4.

The Serbian will face Rafael Nadal in Monday's final -- a rematch of their 2010 and 2011 title clashes -- after the world No. 2 beat his childhood friend Richard Gasquet 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 6-2 in the second semi.

However, the Spaniard should have less fatigue to overcome before then -- he needed just two hours 21 minutes to beat the French eighth seed, while Djokovic was on court for just over four hours in a grueling contest.

He edged Wawrinka in a five-hour epic in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January before claiming his sixth grand slam title, but lost to Murray in the Wimbledon final in July after being drained by a five-set semi against Juan Martin del Potro.

Djokovic acknowledged that he had struggled to impose himself in the match against Wawrinka.

"It was obvious Stan played more aggressive. He played better tennis," he said. "I was trying to hang in there, to adjust.

"It was tough on both of us. I had to run a lot. I had to find my rhythm. I was just so fortunate to play my best tennis when I needed to."

Wawrinka said he was struggling physically with an injury picked up earlier in the New York tournament, where he reached the last four of a grand slam for the first time.

"Today I had the feeling when I was still fit, when I was still healthy, I had the match in control. I think I was playing better than him. I was doing much more things than him," the 28-year-old told reporters.

"But he's not No. 1 for nothing. He was staying with me all the match, and at the end he pushed me, pushed me far, far, far back. I had to find everything I had in my body today to stay with him, and he won the match."

Via: Djokovic to play Nadal in U.S. final

Kvitova's New York struggles

(CNN) -- Entering this season Petra Kvitova had reached the quarterfinals at every grand slam except for the U.S. Open.

She memorably won Wimbledon in 2011 to open her account at majors, sweeping past Maria Sharapova in the final, and achieved semifinals at the Australian Open and French Open last year.

Read: Kvitova the queen of SW19

Her drought, however, in New York persists after the Czech managed just three games in the third round against little-known American Alison Riske and exited 6-3 6-0.

The outcome was better for another Wimbledon champion, Rafael Nadal, who cruised in straight sets against Ivan Dodig.

Kvitova has found it difficult playing in hot and humid conditions in the U.S. in the past because she suffers from asthma and this week the lefty revealed she had been battling a virus and fever.

Following a close first set, Kvitova claimed a mere 15 points in the second.

"My body wouldn't let me fight," Kvitova told reporters.

Riske, ranked at a career-best 81st, reached the fourth round at a grand slam for the first time, much to the delight of her home crowd.

Her best results previously had come on grass, advancing to the semifinals at a tour event in Birmingham, England in 2010 and 2013 -- both times as a qualifier.

But she was in good form ahead of the meeting with Kvitova, upsetting former Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova in the first round and German Mona Barthel in the second.

Christina McHale almost joined her compatriot Riske in the fourth round, serving for the match against former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic.

But Ivanovic broke back and prevailed 4-6 7-5 6-4. Second-seed Victoria Azarenka dropped the first set to France's Alize Cornet in a tiebreak before going through 6-7 6-3 6-2.

Simona Halep, whose four titles in 2013 place her second behind only Serena Williams on the WTA tour, produced the most emphatic score in the women's draw Saturday when she thumped former top-10 player Maria Kirilenko 6-1 6-0 in under an hour.

Kirilenko wasn't only disappointed with her performance -- she didn't like having to provide a sample to drug testers post match.

"I just can (laugh) about my game today!" Kirilenko, engaged to National Hockey League superstar Alex Ovechkin, began on Twitter. "Going to the doping control, maybe I have something after a 0-6! Haha sick of it!!! 1000 times doping doping."

Nadal lost on hard courts to the big-serving Dodig in Canada two years ago but wasn't broken in his 6-4 6-3 6-3 win Saturday.

In remaining unbeaten on hard courts in 2013, he moved closer to a potential quarterfinal showdown with Roger Federer.

Nada's fellow Spaniard, David Ferrer, was slumping before the U.S. Open but the tenacious fourth seed progressed to the fourth round after a four-set win over Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan.

Via: Kvitova's New York struggles

Serena sets up U.S. Open final rematch

(CNN) -- World No. 1 Serena Williams will play second-ranked Victoria Azarenka in a rematch of last year's U.S. Open final on Sunday as she attempts to become the oldest winner of the New York grand slam.

The American blew away the hopes of Li Na, who had been hoping to become the first Chinese player to contest the title match of the hard-court event, as she triumphed 6-0 6-3 in Friday's second semifinal.

The defending champion, who turns 32 at the end of this month, made a blistering start against Li but the fifth seed battled back in the second set -- Williams required seven match-points to reach her seventh U.S. Open final.

She has won four of those, suffering defeat in 2001 and 2011.

"I got a little nervous there at the end but I was able to close it out," Williams told the crowd.

"I'm excited to be in another final. We always have really good matches.

"Vika's a great player and she lifts her game when it counts. I think that's what makes the difference."

Williams has lost just four times this year -- two of those to Azarenka -- and dropped only 16 games in 12 sets on the way to the final.

The Belorussian was largely untroubled in reaching her fourth grand slam final, beating Italian underdog Flavia Pennetta 6-4 6-2 in a match marred by service struggles for both players.

Pennetta, ranked 83rd in the world, was playing in her first major semifinal but had a 1-1 record against Azarenka.

"It's been a long road to the final and it's an amazing feeling to come out here and fight for that trophy on Sunday -- I'm definitely giving myself the best chance for my dreams here," said the two-time Australian Open winner, who has a 12-3 losing record against Williams.

"Today was a great match, a lot of emotions. I think the turning point was when I finally held my serve and won the first set. I stayed tough and played really well on return games and on important moments.

"Flavia's such a great fighter, getting to every ball, so I really had to keep my focus in the match."

Via: Serena sets up U.S. Open final rematch

Tennis baby is a Twitter star

(CNN) -- Before she was even born, Micaela Bryan already had her own Twitter handle.

Now just over 18 months old, she has more than 12,000 online followers. Some of them are among the biggest names in sport, including Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic.

The top-ranked tennis duo have both had star billing on @micaelabryan -- and Djokovic is quite the regular guest. "Uncle Rafa" might have been the early inspiration, but his on-court rival "Uncle Nole" has made a serious play for her affection.

"Every time Novak sees her it's really funny, he'll say, 'Micaela, my little buddy, how are you doing?' and he'll go and give her a hug," her mom Michelle Bryan told CNN's Open Court.

"And if she doesn't give him what he wants, like a good response, he'll say, 'You've forgotten about me already.' "

But Micaela will never forget Djokovic. When she grows up she'll have a permanent record of her encounters with Serbia's favorite sporting son -- it's all documented on social media.

"My wife masterminded it," says Bob Bryan, one half of the most successful men's doubles partnership in tennis history.

"She got @micaelabryan before she was born and I didn't even know about it, and then we got this picture with Nadal in Miami when he was just walking through the corridor toward the locker room and he kneeled down and took a picture with her.

"He says as a joke, 'Let's put it on our Twitter account,' and we put it on and woke up the next day, she had something like 750 followers.

Read: Bryan brothers complete Golden Slam

"So it was kind of born right then. We were like, 'Now she has all these fans we've got to keep them happy,' so we just kept getting pics with stars."

The biggest "get" so far is undoubtedly Roger Federer, the record-setting 17-time grand slam champion of the men's game, who was pinned down at the 2012 French Open.

"He's one of those guys, sometimes at tournaments you don't see him he's so busy," says Bob of the Swiss superstar, himself a father of two young girls.

"He doesn't stay at the player hotel ... you might catch him in the locker room. But we saw him hanging out at the French. He was so nice, he's like, 'Take one this way, let's try this one,' doing lots of little poses. Micaela loved him and that was a high-five moment for sure."

Bob and his twin brother Mike have had plenty of "high-five moments" on the court in the past year -- or, to be more accurate in their case, "chest-bumping moments."

By winning Wimbledon in July, they became the first doubles team to hold all four grand slams and the Olympic title at the same time -- and success in their home U.S. Open this weekend would create history as they would own all four majors in a calendar year.

Read: Bryan brothers break McEnroe's record

Only one other partnership has achieved it -- Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman in 1951 -- but the Australians did so before the advent of the professional Open era in 1969.

On Monday the identical twins needed to save two set points in the opening set in a 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 victory over the British pairing of Colin Fleming and Jonathan Marray.

Though doubles is considerably lower profile than singles competition, the 35-year-old brothers have both earned more than $10 million in tournament prize money on top of their endorsement deals.

And both are acutely aware that, to capitalize on their playing success, they need a strong online presence.

Bob (@Bryanbros) has almost 110,000 Twitter followers, Mike (@Bryanbrothers) has nearly 75,000, their Facebook page has just passed 45,000 likes and they also have an official website.

"When companies are deciding between two athletes, they'll pick the one that's got the most followers or is more active on social media. They're looking at players that give them that extra marketing pop," explains Bob.

"It's really important for the athletes to stay connected with the fans, they really appreciate it. It's good for promoting yourself and promoting your sport. I think companies now really understand and appreciate the value of an athlete who has a big social reach.

Watch: Twin trouble for Pat Cash

"In our contracts now -- clothing, shoes rackets -- it's all built in, the number of tweets we have to send, the number of times you have to post on Facebook."

Although he has nowhere near the online following of Nadal and Federer, who both have upward of 10 million followers on Facebook alone, Bob says he was one of the first regular tennis tweeters -- and now many players use it to communicate during the downtime of touring life.

"I had a birthday (in April) and Novak Djokovic wrote me a direct message on Twitter -- it's a way we stay connected. It's getting away from email and texts and going towards Twitter and Facebook.

"It's one of the big reasons why I decided to put my daughter on it -- it's just another way to stay active and be creative with it. I don't like to just post pictures of rackets, so if I meet someone cool, or go to an interesting place..."

Micaela, too, is getting to see the world. And she's being primed for a life in tennis -- already boasting a racket deal "after a long 16 months of negotiations" according to a post on her Twitter page in June.

"I played tennis my whole life so I would love for her to play tennis, because for me it was amazing," says mom Michelle, a lawyer who played the sport at college.

"I developed mentally, I think I benefited from it growing up, all my friends played tennis -- the culture is something I want her to experience as well. But ultimately it's up to her."

Micaela may still be getting to grips with her nascent tennis swing, but she's already a dab hand with technology -- though more often than not it ends up in her mouth.

"She's a genius with the iPhone, she loves it. She's got the swiping down," says Mike, as he retrieves his mobile from the baby before it receives a terminal dribbling .

"We love having her on the road. That's the only way Bob would do it. He wants to see her develop and grow up, and we've seen her first steps, we see her roll over for the first time. And I'm a good babysitter -- I ask for $100 and I'll do it."

Life on the tour can be a grind, but having a baby on board can alleviate some of the stress.

"She doesn't care if we win or lose, so it keeps things in perspective," says Bob.

"We lost a tough one in Monte Carlo and had seven match points. We wouldn't usually talk for a few days, but she comes running at us, gives us a hug and laughing, she doesn't care."

Micaela may soon have company on the circuit -- Michelle is pregnant again. And the brothers have no intention of quitting yet.

"We're still having fun, we're eager, we still have some goals left," says Mike.

Bob: "We're perfectionists, I still don't think we're playing our best tennis. There's stuff we can improve and you want to get to that level before you shut it down."

Via: Tennis baby is a Twitter star

Defending champion Murray crashes out of U.S. Open

(CNN) -- Practice made perfect for Stanislas Wawrinka at the U.S. Open.

The Swiss used all his nous to dump his hitting partner Andy Murray out of the final grand slam of the season in stunning style.

The world No. 10 ended the defending champion's run in New York 6-4 6-3 6-2 to reach the first grand slam semi final of his career.

"It feels amazing," Wawrinka said on court after the match. "The defending champion is a tough opponent and I'm really happy.

"It was a crazy match for me."

Wawrinka had said of his Scottish practice partner in the build up to the match: "I know his game, he knows my game and at the end of the day our match is completely different [from practice]."

The 28 year old Swiss guessed his chances of beating the Wimbledon champion would come down to confidence.

Read: Murray wins Wimbledon

Confidence was exactly what Murray appeared to be lacking on a windy Arthur Ashe court.

The Briton was attempting to defend a grand slam title for the first time and the nerves showed.

It was on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows that the 26 year old had claimed his first grand slam title in 2012 before ending Britain's wait for a home grown Wimbledon champion in July.

But Murray failed to find his rhythm and smashed his racquet to the ground, mashing its head in the process, when he lost a tight opening set.

There was no more histrionics from the Wimbledon champion as Wawrinka steadily pressed Murray's weaknesses and fired down his fierce forehands to wrap up the match inside three sets.

"I though he played great," said a downbeat Murray to reporters afterwards. "And that was the hardest part of the match.

"I made a few mistakes and for the most part I didn't create a break point chance

"When it's breezy conditions everyone takes time to feel comfortable but I played poorly. I had a good run the last couple of years and it's a shame I had to play a bad match."

Wawrinka now goes on to face either Serbia's world No. 1 Novak Djokovic or Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who meet in the night session, for a place in the Flushing Meadows final.

Read: Federer crashes out

The 28 year old finds himself in a unique position of being the highest ranked Swiss player left in the men's draw after his good friend Roger Federer -- a five time winner in New York -- went out in the fourth round.

While the Swiss star continues to be mastered by his see sawing form, Wawrinka believes he is in the form of his life.

He is eager to see how far his purple patch will take him after joining resurgent Frenchman Richard Gasquet and Spanish favorite Rafael Nadal in the semi finals.

Via: Defending champion Murray crashes out of U.S. Open

Is this the new Richard Gasquet?

(CNN) -- The odds were against Richard Gasquet when he went to a fifth set against David Ferrer at the U.S. Open.

Gasquet only registered one win in nine previous tussles against Ferrer, was coming off a nearly five-hour marathon against Milos Raonic in which he saved a match point and had dropped the third and fourth sets Wednesday.

He has blown a two-set advantage at majors before, most notably to Andy Murray at both Wimbledon and the French Open.

While the Frenchman has never been known for being tough on court, Ferrer is a warrior and one of the fittest players in tennis.

But it was Gasquet who won that fifth set and the encounter 6-3 6-1 4-6 2-6 6-3 to reach his first grand slam semifinal in six years.

He became just the second Frenchman to make the semifinals in New York in the Open era after Cedric Pioline.

"I have experience in five sets," Gasquet said in an interview on court. "I played a lot in my life so this one was very important to get into the semis in the U.S. Open.

"I knew I had to serve well. I kept my serve in the fifth. It's a big win for me."

Ferrer gifted Gasquet a break when he double faulted serving at 2-3 in the fifth and the world No. 9 held on.

His foray into the last four is sure to please tennis purists who marvel at Gasquet's one-handed backhand and all-around game -- even if the 27-year-old can still play too defensively by standing yards behind the baseline.

Gasquet will play his pal and tournament favorite Rafael Nadal in the last four after the second seed ruthlessly dispatched of fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-0 6-2 6-2.

Read: Rafa on a roll

Nadal defended Gasquet when the latter tested positive for cocaine several years ago, believing the right-hander's story when he said the drug got into his system when he kissed a girl.

Gasquet is 0-10 against Nadal -- in their pro career. Nadal is also on a 20-match clay-court winning streak.

"The last time I beat (Nadal) I was 13," Gasquet said, drawing laughs from the crowd. "So it's a long time ago. I beat him one time in my life.

"I will try to play a big match."

There was also an upset in the women's quarterfinals, as Flavia Pennetta beat Roberta Vinci 6-4 6-1 in a battle of Italians.

Pennetta, into her first grand slam semifinal, suffered a career-threatening wrist injury that required surgery and missed six months starting in August 2012.

A former world No. 10 in singles and ex No. 1 in doubles, Pennetta didn't expect to hit form in New York.

"The results after my injury haven't come that quickly," she told the WTA website. "These are the first two weeks where I feel better and feel like myself again. But New York is special for me and the crowd is special for me, too.

"It's just amazing. I'm really happy."

Pennetta, a quarterfinalist in New York in 2008, 2009 and 2011, takes on second-seed Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals.

Azarenka, a beaten finalist in 2012, recorded a straight-sets 6-2 6-3 win over Russian Daniela Hantuchova.

Serena Williams plays Li Na in the other semifinal.

Via: Is this the new Richard Gasquet?

Williams smashes her way into semis

(CNN) -- Serena Williams underlined her status as the overwhelming favorite for the women's U.S. Open title with a crushing "double bagel" win over Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarterfinals of the New York grand slam.

The defending champion, bidding for a fifth singles triumph at Flushing Meadows, beat the Spanish world No. 20 6-0 6-0 to become the first woman since Martina Navratilova in 1989 to win a women's U.S. Open quarterfinal without losing a game.

"I played well -- I played really well," world No. 1 Williams told the WTA's official website. "I was just more focused than anything.

"I like to believe there is always room for improvement though. I haven't really thought about it yet, but off the bat, I think it was very difficult to hit a big serve today because of the winds, and I didn't get my serve up as much as I wanted to. But I don't know. I do think I definitely played well tonight."

Blog: When should Federer quit tennis?

The American's latest commanding win means she has lost just 13 games at the tournament ahead of her semifinal meeting with Li Na, who is appearing in the last four of the year's final grand slam for the first time after beating Russia's Ekaterina Makarova.

"I'm still in the tournament and I'm not thinking like, 'I'm really dominant now'," added Williams. "I'm thinking I have a really tough match in the next round and want to do well."

Earlier in the day second seed Victoria Azarenka, beaten by Williams in the 2012 final, won her delayed fourth round match against former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic.

In the men's draw, top seed Novak Djokovic made light work of his fourth round meeting with Spaniard Marcel Granollers.

The six-time grand slam champion wrapped up a 6-3 6-0 6-0 win in just one hour and 19 minutes.

The world No. 1 was delighted with his performance as he bids to erase the memory of an agonizing five-set defeat to Andy Murray in last year's final.

"I had some great matches in the past that I can compare with this one today, but definitely today, second and third set have been some of the best tennis that I've played on Arthur Ashe in my career," Djokovic told the ATP Tour's official website.

"It's a fantastic feeling when you're playing this well. You love spending time on the court and experiencing such great zone where you are at that moment."

Read: Federer crashes out of U.S. Open

Djokovic's quarterfinal opponent will be 21st seed Mikhael Youzhny, who got the better of 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt in a marathon five-set contest.

Defending champion and second seed Murray survived a scare to set up a last eight match with Swiss No. 9 Stanislas Wawrinka.

The Briton lost the first set of his meeting with Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin before roaring back to clinch a 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-4 6-4 victory.

"I wanted to just try and get through the match," said 2013 Wimbledon winner Murray. "In the end it was difficult conditions. It was extremely windy today.

"With the way he plays, he hits the ball pretty big and flat on both sides, strokes pretty low, hard at times to control. He made it very difficult for me.

"With the way the third set ended up going, I was just very happy to get it done, because he had chances at the end of the third set to go ahead."

Via: Williams smashes her way into semis

Azarenka battles to beat Ivanovic in New York

(CNN) -- A "sleeping" Victoria Azarenka woke up in time to beat Ana Ivanovic at the U.S. Open and keep alive her chances of reaching a fourth consecutive hard-court grand slam final.

Azarenka dropped the first set against the former world No. 1 and struggled to put the Serbian away but eventually prevailed 4-6 6-3 6-4 in a hard-hitting fourth-round encounter that was pushed back to Tuesday because of rain.

It was the second straight match the world No. 2 -- she, too, is a former No. 1 -- needed to stage a comeback following a sluggish start. France's Alize Cornet won their tiebreak in the first set in the third round.

Men's No. 1 Novak Djokovic had no such troubles, routing Spaniard Marcel Granollers in about one hour, 20 minutes.

Read: Heartbreaking loss for Azarenka

Azarenka struck a mere four winners in the first set against Ivanovic, combined with nine unforced errors. Ivanovic certainly wasn't asleep, crushing 17 winners.

"Ana came out firing and played amazing in the first set, and I felt like I was a little out of place," Azarenka said in an interview on court. "I was sleeping but she was ripping winners and serving great so I really had to wake up in the second set and fight for the points.

"In the second set I was more determined, more focused and taking the opportunities."

Her numbers weren't that much better in the second set but Ivanovic cooled thanks in part to Azarenka changing the pace at times with a drop shot.

In a seesaw third set -- there were four straight breaks at one stage -- Azarenka blew two match points serving at 5-3 only to be let off the hook when Ivanovic dumped a backhand on a fourth match point.

Although Ivanovic put up a brave fight, she ultimately slumped to 3-20 against top-two opposition.

"The match points were pretty bad," Azarenka, who lost last year's final to Serena Williams, said. "I didn't really go for my shots. I kept waiting for a mistake. It didn't happen.

"She played really great. Especially in the tough moments I felt she was raising her game. I had to stay tough as well."

Azarenka meets pal Daniela Hantuchova in the quarterfinals having captured two of their four previous encounters. Three of the matches have gone the distance.

Former French Open winner Li Na of China achieved a first U.S. Open semifinal by overcoming tricky Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-4 6-7 6-2 and there was more drama in the men's fourth round as Russia's Mikhail Youzhny outlasted fellow veteran Lleyton Hewitt of Australia.

Youzhny, previously a semifinalist in New York, upended the 2001 champion 6-3 3-6 6-7 6-4 7-5 in four hours.

Having blown a 5-2 lead in the fourth, Hewitt broke Youzhny to get back on serve in the fifth. Youzhny subsequently broke at 5-5 and served out the match.

Youzhny next confronts Djokovic, a 6-3 6-0 6-0 winner over a seemingly weakened Granollers. Granollers' first three matches went to five sets and he also played doubles in New York.

Via: Azarenka battles to beat Ivanovic in New York

Why Federer 'is vulnerable'

(CNN) -- He's the greatest player in the modern tennis era, perhaps even of all time, but is Roger Federer's stellar career fading to twilight?

The 17-time grand slam champion is "in a very vulnerable state" ahead of his opening match at the U.S. Open on Monday, according to top coach Nick Bollettieri.

Federer regained the world No. 1 ranking with last year's record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title, but since then he has struggled with both his game and his fitness, and is seeded just seventh for the season's closing grand slam in New York.

"Roger Federer is great for the game. He's fantastic on court and fantastic off court. He's well respected, and he respects all the opponents that he plays," Bollettieri told CNN.

"Roger is in a very vulnerable state. He's in a vulnerable position because he's moved down to No. 7 now. Remember Pete Sampras went through a tough period. Fortunately for Pete he won a big one before he left the tour.

Read: Why women 'owe' Billie Jean King

"My Andre Agassi went from No. 1 to No. 142 in the world, and he left on a pretty good note. What we don't want to remember is Roger Federer leaving on a low note.

"He's been fantastic, he moves beautifully, he does everything with ease. This is a big tournament for Roger Federer."

Being seeded so low, the 32-year-old faces a possible quarterfinal clash with his old rival Rafael Nadal, who recovered from serious knee problems to retain his French Open title in June and has now bounced back from his shock first-round loss at Wimbledon with Masters victories in Montreal and Cincinnati.

"He is playing unbelievable, he has brought a new dimension to his game," Bollettieri said of Spain's world No. 2. "He can move back eight to 10 feet or he comes forward and hits the ball very early.

"He's improved his serve and he's a lefty -- he's very dangerous. He's full of confidence, so watch out!"

The power of players such as Nadal is making it so much harder for the classically elegant Federer, says Bollettieri.

The Swiss has this year experimented with using a bigger racquet such as his rivals employ, but has switched back again.

Read: Serena Williams 'pumped up' for U.S. Open

"When you get a Nadal hitting those heavy crosscourt lefties, and then serving out wide, it is difficult," said the 82-year-old, who has coached 10 world No. 1 players across the men's and women's game.

"However, I believe that the U.S. Open and the Australian Open (in January) is going to tell the story."

Federer is coached by Paul Annacone, a former student of Bollettieri who also worked with Sampras for several years.

"I believe right now Roger cannot win just standing on the baseline. I believe he has to come in," Bollettieri said.

Bollettieri is concerned that an underwhelming end to his career could undo the Federer legacy.

"It would be a shame if people forgot who he was," he said. "Look at what he brought to the game. He brought class. He lived a beautiful private life.

"He's quiet. He's always respectful of the sport. He's respectful of his opponents. You don't find too many people who represent life, whether it be business or sports, like this guy.

"[Roger] has been an ambassador on the court, and an ambassador off the court. How can you be much better than Roger Federer? He's just a credit to the tour. He's a credit to his foundation. So it'll be awful tough to replace Roger Federer."

"The sport is very lucky to have had a Roger Federer."

While Federer's future may seem uncertain, Bollettieri said that of Serena Williams is entirely in her own hands.

The world No. 1 can match Federer's grand slam haul if she retains her U.S. Open title at Flushing Meadows. She also begins her campaign Monday, along with older sister Venus.

Read: Sharapova out of U.S. Open

Turning 32 on September 26, Serena will be the oldest female winner of the hard-court tournament if she does triumph.

The American won the French Open for the second time in June, but surprisingly lost in the last 16 at Wimbledon. Although she bounced back from that with titles in Bastad and Toronto, a defeat in the Cincinnati final to second-ranked Victoria Azarenka -- just her fourth in 64 matches this year -- again showed that she is not invincible.

"When Serena wants to play the game and she's happy within herself, to me she's the best player in the history of the game of tennis," said Bollettieri, who has worked with both the Williams sisters.

"When Serena's taking the ball early, she's dangerous. When she moves back behind the baseline, she's vulnerable.

"It's all up to Serena. She's won a lot of money, she's done great things for the sport, but it's what she has inside her -- does she still want to compete?"

Williams' bid for a fifth New York crown has been made slightly easier by the withdrawal of Maria Sharapova due to shoulder problems, though she has dominated the Russian in big matches.

Bollettieri said Sharapova, who came to his famed Florida academy as a young girl, will always have weaknesses in her game since the shoulder surgery in 2008 that almost ended her career.

"When you have a shoulder operation, that affects the forehand and it affects the serve," he said.

"When you have a shoulder injury and you cannot serve big-time, you're in trouble because the returns today on the tour are dangerous.

"The girls are standing on the baseline -- if you have a tentative serve they're going to put you to sleep or put you on the defense."

Via: Why Federer 'is vulnerable'

Federer crashes out of U.S. Open

(CNN) -- Roger Federer will not feature in a Grand Slam final in the same calendar year for the first time since 2002, after he was knocked out of the U.S. Open by Spain's Tommy Robredo.

The winner of 17 Grand Slam titles, including five in New York, suffered a straight sets defeat in his fourth round match at Flushing Meadows, losing 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 6-4 late Monday.

The defeat denied the Swiss star, arguably the finest player to have played the game, a quarter-final showdown with long-time nemesis Rafael Nadal, after the in-form Spanish star beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-3 6-1.

Robredo had never beaten Federer before their latest rain-delayed encounter on the Louis Armstrong Stadium court. But with 43 unforced errors to his name and only two break points converted from 16, the former world number one looked unlikely to extend that run.

"I'm going to feel like I beat myself," Federer told reporters after the match. "It was up to me to make the difference and I just couldn't.

"I self-destructed, which is really disappointing. When things came to the crunch I just couldn't do it. It's frustrating."

Robredo, by contrast, was full of confidence as he hit 70% of his first serves and sent numerous forehand winners whistling past his illustrious opponent.

"I'm delighted. It's unbelievable. The difference is I won the break points today," said Robredo.

With the ignominy of another early exit from a Grand Slam tournament, Federer, whose ranking has slipped to an unfamiliar No. 7, will face renewed speculation about his future.

At 32, some question whether he can arrest the recent decline in his fortunes -- his last major title was at Wimbledon in 2012.

"Roger is in a very vulnerable state. He's in a vulnerable position because he's moved down to No. 7 now," said legendary coach Nick Bollettieri in a recent interview with CNN.

Read: Roger Federer 'is vulnerable'

"Remember Pete Sampras went through a tough period. Fortunately for Pete he won a big one before he left the tour."

But with younger rivals Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray improving all the time, Federer will be acutely aware that his window of opportunity is rapidly closing.

He has even experimented with a larger racquet head in a bid to find a solution to his on-court problems.

And for Bollettieri, who has coached a number of former Grand Slam champions including Andre Agassi, there's a real concern that an underwhelming end to his career could undo the Federer legacy.

"It would be a shame if people forgot who he was," he said. "Look at what he brought to the game. He brought class. He lived a beautiful private life.

"He's quiet. He's always respectful of the sport. He's respectful of his opponents. You don't find too many people who represent life, whether it be business or sports, like this guy."

Via: Federer crashes out of U.S. Open

Murray conquers Mayer and the heat

(CNN) -- Andy Murray became the first member of the so-called Big Four in men's tennis to flinch at the U.S. Open. He lost a set to Argentina's Leonardo Mayer on Friday.

But the defending men's champion in New York had an easier time in sweltering conditions Sunday, dispatching German Florian Mayer 7-6 6-2 6-2 to move into the fourth round.

Women's defending champion Serena Williams progressed, too, defeating Sloane Stephens 6-4 6-1 in a rematch of their thriller at the Australian Open.

Even though Murray's serve wasn't fully firing, he didn't get broken and struck 42 winners -- double his unforced error count.

It was especially impressive given Mayer's ability to throw off opponents with his change of pace and quirky forehand.

Mayer, ranked as high as 18th and now the world No. 47, needed to claim the opening set to have a chance of upsetting the Scot.

Once Murray took it in a tiebreak, and convincingly, Mayer's shoulders slumped and he proceeded to win four games the rest of the way.

Murray was happy he didn't have to spend too long on court -- under two hours -- in the draining conditions.

"It cooled down a little bit towards the end but the first and second sets it was very hot," he said in an interview on court afterwards.

"It was very tough conditions and he's a very tricky opponent," Murray continued. "He plays strange shots and he takes your time away. It's tough to get into a rhythm.

"I'm really glad to come through in three sets."

Murray's next foe is Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin, who topped steady Italian Andreas Seppi in five sets.

Looking further ahead, Murray could meet the dangerous Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals and the Czech had an even easier time than Murray on Sunday.

Berdych conceded a mere five games to Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

The 31-year-old Williams, bidding to become the oldest U.S. Open women's winner in the Open era, captured eight of the last nine games to see off Stephens and book a spot in the quarterfinals.

Stephens sent Williams packing in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, although the latter was injured in the match, and some regard the 20-year-old as the future of American tennis.

The pair were friends, fell out when Stephens criticized Williams but are now back on good terms.

Williams next plays Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, who upset Germany's Angelique Kerber in a third-set tiebreak.

Via: Murray conquers Mayer and the heat