Nadal & Gonzalez delayed by rain

US OPEN
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Date: 31 August - 13 September
BBC coverage: Live text commentaries on the website from 1600 BST each day, regular updates on 5 live, full commentary on 5 live sports extra in week two, both finals on 5 live. Live on Sky Sports and Eurosport.World number three Rafael Nadal took the first set against 11th seed Fernando Gonzalez before rain stopped play in their US Open quarter-final.

Third seed Nadal saved two set points and had treatment for an abdominal injury, but still led 7-6 (7-4) 6-6 (3-2) when rain hit the night session.

It was the second interruption, after the players had been forced off for 75 minutes early in the second set.

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro awaits the winner in the semi-finals.

Nadal was four points from taking a two-set lead when play ended for the day but Gonzalez will remain hopeful after pushing the Spaniard hard.

Their match was scheduled to resume after the women's semi-final between Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

But further rain on Friday has meant there will be no play before 1900 BST and it may be moved to Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Gonzalez earned two set points in the 12th game of the first set but missed a good chance on a second-serve return, and fell behind early in the ensuing tie-break.

Nadal took it but then immediately called for the trainer and showed signs of discomfort during the three-minute medical timeout.

His play remained of the highest quality though and Gonzalez found himself staring down the barrel at 15-40 in game 10 of the second set, but the Chilean came up with two huge serves and managed to force a second tie-break.

That was going with serve when bad weather intervened for the second time at 10.20pm local time as Gonzalez prepared to serve trailing 3-2, although play was not officially called off until past midnight.

The eventual winner of this match will now to have to play for four successive days if they are to win the title.

In the earlier match, sixth seed Del Potro came back from a set and a break down to beat Croatia's Marin Cilic and reach the semi-finals.

Cilic, conqueror of Andy Murray in round four, made a fine start to his first Grand Slam quarter-final, but Del Potro broke in game six of the second set and never looked back, coming through 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-1.

606: DEBATE
Is it me, or has Del Potro's tennis gone up a level or two since the French Open?

snowmandyj

Del Potro will go into his first US Open semi-final in buoyant mood after finishing so strongly against fellow 20-year-old Cilic, but knowing he needs a faster start.

"I cannot start the match like today," Del Potro said afterwards. "I was thinking about other things, and the weather was bad. But it was bad for both players.

"I just need to be in focus in the beginning of the match until the last point and play my game."

He added: "My dream is win this tournament. I'm so close to doing it, but now I am focusing on the semis."

Clic, the 16th seed, got going in sensational fashion, breaking Del Potro in game five and, after serving out the first set, again at the start of the second.

But Del Potro, who initially seemed ill-at-ease with the cold conditions on Arthur Ashe Stadium, hit back to level at 3-3 and dominated from there on in.

Cilic completely lost his range as Del Potro broke at 4-3 before the Argentine served out the second set and then wrapped up the third in 36 minutes.

The fourth set was even more one-sided until Cilic offered late resistance with a break at 0-5 - but Del Potro responded immediately to seal his triumph in two hours and 32 minutes.

"The beginning of the match I was playing really good and moving him around a lot," said Cilic, "and I found after the first set that it got a lot cooler and the court was a little bit hard to play on.

"The ball wasn't going through the court as much as it was in the beginning, and then he was like all the time on top of me and not letting me find any other solution to get back."