World's no.1 Rafael Nadal said he was not surprised at all to see his fiercest rival Roger Federer make an early exit at the U.S. Open Championships, insisting everybody has the tendency to lose a match even in the first round of a Grand Slam tourney.
Nadal, who punched his way to the semifinal round following his masterful 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 quarterfinal win over Tommy Robredo, said he didn't expect right away to play Federer in the quarterfinal, even though both of them seemed to have a clear path towards their 32nd showdown of their career.
"For two times, we were one point away. For this time, we were one match away. But [it] is always the same, no? You make the confrontations before the draw. When the draw is coming and in the first round, you always talk about quarterfinals. To be in quarterfinals, you need to win four matches. That's not easy for nobody. That's a point that I say," Nadal told reporters via RafaNadal Fans.
"When I see the draw, I think about my first round. If I win, I think about my second. That's it. No, no, I don't see the quarterfinals or the fourth round before the first round. You know how tough is every tournament, every match. In conditions like today is even tougher," he added.
Federer, a five-time U.S. Open champion, was stunned emphatically in the fourth round by Robredo 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 despite entering the match with a 10-0 head-to-head record over the Spanish star. Federer's shocking loss marked the second consecutive time the Swiss Master failed to advance into the quarterfinal round of a Grand Slam tourney.
Despite Federer's premature U.S. Open exit and recent struggles on the court, Nadal is still hopeful for the opportunity to play Federer in future Grand Slam final. However, he also admitted the chances of that happening are pretty bleak right now at this point in their careers.
"To be honest, [it's] going to be great if we were able to play that final, because I felt that our rivalry for so many years, we were able to play in all the best scenarios, stadiums, around the world. Played the rest. Three finals of the Grand Slams," he said.
"So, probably that deserves to have that match here in the US Open, too, the biggest court of the world. But [that] didn't happen. That don't mean [it] cannot happen in the future. We'll see. Hopefully. But [it] is true that we are getting older, so the chances are less today than five years ago," Nadal explained.
Nadal is scheduled to face childhood rival Richard Gasquet of France in Saturday's semifinal. Gasquet secured his place in the final four with a gutsy 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Spain's David Ferrer. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic is set to face Stanislas Wawrinka, who shocked reigning US Open champion Andy Murray 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
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