Rafael Nadal Defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili to reach the last Eight of the US Open

Rafael Nadal will have a rematch of last year's French Open final in the quarterfinals of the US Open 2018. He defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4 on Sunday at Flushing Meadows to book a spot in the last eight of the tournament.

 

Nadal who reached the quarterfinals of the tournament for the eighth time will now face No. 9 seed, Dominic Thiem who is one of only three men to defeat Nadal in 2018. 

Vaaaaaaamos!@RafaelNadal survives a physical battle against Basilashvili 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 to reach the QF!

Next up: Thiem.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/zkJaSnKk5p

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2018

Thiem passed over No. 5 seed Kevin Anderson 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (2) who was looking for the second meeting with Nadal. The former world No. 1 had defeated Anderson last year in the US Open final to win the title for the third time. Later in June, he defeated Thiem in the final of the French Open for the 11th time.

“It’s a big victory for me. He was hitting the ball very strong and when I thought I was in control of the points, he always came back with strong shots.”

The 32-year-old Nadal said after the win.

Nadal has a 7-3 lead over Thiem with all the matches being played on clay.

“On clay, it’s one of the biggest challenges in sports to beat this guy or to compete with him. I hope that it’s a little bit more comfortable on hard court – but I’m not sure.”

Talking about his upcoming game with Nadal, Thiem said.

Nadal also praised his next opponent and said that Thiem is a tough guy to play. 

The No. seeded Spaniard will face the Austrian on September 4.

Match Highlights: