NEW YORK: Defending champion Rafael Nadal cruised past Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 on Friday to set-up a US Open semifinal clash with Andy Murray, the pair’s third successive Grand Slam last-four match this year.
Nadal pulled off his seventh win in 10 meetings against 2003 champion Roddick and was untroubled as the 29-year-old American was slowed by a left thigh injury which twice needed treatment and the all-court dominance of the Spaniard.
Second seed Nadal, who became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam when he won here last year, will be playing in his fourth successive US Open semifinal.
He will be buoyed by having defeated Murray, who made the last four with a four-set win over America’s John Isner, in the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon earlier in the summer.
“The beginning of the match was very important. Andy had a tough match on Thursday (against David Ferrer) but he’s a great champion,” said Nadal, who has reached the semifinals without dropping a set and saw off Roddick in seven minutes short of two hours.
Nadal was quickly into top gear on Friday and was 4-0 up before Roddick got on the scoreboard, the American’s decision to serve-and-volley backfiring spectacularly.
The Spaniard set the tone in the second set with a break in the first game and backed it up with another to go to 4-1 before a third break in the seventh game gave him a two-sets lead.
Roddick wasted four break points in the first game of the third and he immediately paid for his failure by falling 2-0 down.
At 0-3, the wilting American required a medical time-out on his thigh, but it didn’t cure his problems against Nadal as Roddick looked every inch the 21st seed.
Nadal wrapped up the one-sided affair in the eighth game with another precise winner, one of 35 he fired to the American’s 15.
Earlier, World number four Andy Murray turned back the challenge of big-serving American John Isner 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2) on Friday to reach the semifinals of the US Open.
The 24-year-old Scot withstood 17 aces from Isner to reach his fourth Grand Slam semifinal of the season.
“It’s so frustrating playing against him because you feel like you’re playing good tennis and it’s so tough to break him,” said Murray.
Murray had fended off two break points in the ninth game of the fourth set to get to the tiebreak.
After an Isner double fault staked him to a 2-1 lead, three winners put Murray in control and he sealed the victory on his first match point when Isner’s service return sailed wide.
American teenagers Melanie Oudin and Jack Sock helped restore some lost pride to the host nation at the U.S. Open on Friday when they won the mixed doubles final after Andy Roddick and John Isner were knocked out of the men’s draw.
The pair, who were only allowed to play in the competition after organisers granted them a wildcard, vindicated their invitation by beating the Argentine pairing of Gisela Dulko and Eduardo Schwank 7-6(4) 4-6 10-8 (tiebreak). (Agencies)