What probably pleases him the most: Nadal appeared to be back to his healthy, hustling self during a 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 victory over No. 13-seeded Gael Monfils of France on Tuesday night, continuing his bid to complete a career Grand Slam.
“Well, very happy, no? After the last two matches I played, I had a few problems, but, anyway, I am here. I am in the quarterfinals for the third time,” Nadal said.
The Spaniard moved well against Monfils, covering the court during their many extended exchanges. It was a high-quality, high-speed contest over the first two sets, with both men — considered by many to be the best pure athletes on tour — displaying tireless defense and powerful offense.
“Unbelievable, no? Sometimes you think you won the point,” Nadal said, “and the ball is coming back another time and another time and another time.”
Perhaps, but it was Monfils who began to tire late in the second set, sometimes leaning over with a hand on his knee to rest and gasp for air between points.
“Didn’t have the miles in my legs,” Monfils explained.
Nadal, meanwhile, showed no significant signs of problems from either the sore knees that kept him off tour for all of June and July — forcing him to skip a title defense at Wimbledon — or the abdominal muscle issue that flared up during his third-round victory over Nicolas Almagro.
“His defense was very, very strong today,” Monfils said.
Nadal did have a small bandage on his stomach again Tuesday, and he did seem to serve conservatively, with zero aces and zero double-faults.
“I am improving every day. After a month and a half or two months of (not playing), it is not easy coming back,” Nadal said. “The knees are very good, so very happy for that.”
He is assured of overtaking Andy Murray in next week’s ATP rankings, and a victory over No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez in the quarterfinals would guarantee Nadal a return to No. 2.
Nadal was No. 1 or 2 from July 2005 until three weeks ago, when he dropped to No. 3. But Murray’s loss earlier Tuesday, coupled with Nadal’s victory, means they’ll switch places. There is still a chance Novak Djokovic could pass both of them by winning the title.
When Nadal finished beating Monfils, a spectator ran out of the stands and approached Nadal on the sideline before security guards intervened. It wasn’t nearly as scary an episode as what occurred during the French Open final this year, when a man went up to Roger Federer during the match and tried to place a hat on his head.
“For me, it wasn’t a problem. The guy was really nice,” Nadal said. “He said, ’I love you,’ and he kissed me.”
The intruder was arrested, tournament spokesman Tim Curry said.
“We’re reviewing what happened and then will determine if we have to make any changes to our on-court security procedures,” Curry said.
Murray, meanwhile, arrived at Flushing Meadows ranked No. 2, owner of a tour-leading 37 wins on hard courts this season — and quite sure he was prepared to win his first Grand Slam title a year after reaching the U.S. Open final. Instead, he heads home after the fourth round, a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 loser to No. 16 Marin Cilic of Croatia on Tuesday.
“I just struggled today. I played poorly,” Murray said. “I could have been better in pretty much every part of the game, whether it was mental or serve, forehand, backhand, returns.”
Ahead 5-4, he wasted two set points. By the second set, Murray was grimacing while flexing his left wrist, which he acknowledged afterward had been bothering him for about a week. By the third, Murray was moping about the court.
“Regardless of my wrist, I lost the match,” Murray said. “I returned poorly. He served well — and that was really the difference.”
His hopes of becoming the first British man since the 1930s to win a Grand Slam championship will have to be set aside until 2010. The pressure back home for success will only increase, matched by Murray’s self-imposed expectations.
When he wasn’t saying, “I’m obviously very disappointed,” or “I’m going to be disappointed, but I’ll have to go and work on some things,” Murray was talking about being “ready to win a Slam in Australia.”
“Next year I’ve got a very, very good chance of doing it,” Murray said. “I think I’ll be a better player next year than this year, and, you know, hopefully I’ll do that.”
Cilic, meanwhile, advanced to the first major quarterfinal of his career.
“I’m feeling tremendously happy,” Cilic said. “Of course, it’s the biggest result for me, so far.”
Next for him is a match against No. 6 Juan Martin del Potro, who beat 2003 French Open champion and U.S. Open finalist Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Cilic vs. del Potro will pit two players who are 20, with lanky frames and big serves.
“For sure, if he beat Murray, he’s confident,” said del Potro, who pushed Roger Federer to five sets in the French Open semifinals this year. “It will be very tough for me.”
In another fourth-round men’s match, No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile eliminated No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-4. Gonzalez will face Nadal in the quarterfinals.
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